Maybe October has come early but I have been getting a lot of questions about absences recently. When a teacher is absent it puts a little strain on the rest of the school. Maybe you’re a team lead and have to make some extra copies, you have to look out for the substitute in the room, maybe you even have to substitute, but you do it. Why? Because we build a give and take relationship with our fellow teachers. We are all in this war together and have to support those around us. If a teacher is sick physically or just emotionally and need a day, they need a day.
A first year teacher or even a veteran teacher should not be bullied into not take the days they need. I get it, when the teacher is out, not much learning happens in that class that day. That’s something the teachers need to be aware of and accept. Hence why taking an absence should be something the teacher has thought through. But what is worse, the teacher of record teaching a day when they are sick, tired, overwhelmed or not able to give it their best and potentially jeopardize class culture, norms and procedures, or a substitute in the class? Lets be honest, if the teacher is in the room, it probably will not be a perfect day of instruction and those feelings will probably carry over to the next day and the next. When instead they could have taken a day, gotten better, and returned prepared and ready to present the best instruction to their students. Let me make this clear, I am not supporting habitual absences. I am supporting the rare, but needed absence. There needs to be a conversation if you in the 5th week of school you have already used half your days. There is probably a bigger issue going on then. If just need one day though, I do not care if you are EOC tested or if you are not tested at all, when you need a day, you need a day.
A first year teacher or even a veteran teacher should not be bullied into not take the days they need. I get it, when the teacher is out, not much learning happens in that class that day. That’s something the teachers need to be aware of and accept. Hence why taking an absence should be something the teacher has thought through. But what is worse, the teacher of record teaching a day when they are sick, tired, overwhelmed or not able to give it their best and potentially jeopardize class culture, norms and procedures, or a substitute in the class? Lets be honest, if the teacher is in the room, it probably will not be a perfect day of instruction and those feelings will probably carry over to the next day and the next. When instead they could have taken a day, gotten better, and returned prepared and ready to present the best instruction to their students. Let me make this clear, I am not supporting habitual absences. I am supporting the rare, but needed absence. There needs to be a conversation if you in the 5th week of school you have already used half your days. There is probably a bigger issue going on then. If just need one day though, I do not care if you are EOC tested or if you are not tested at all, when you need a day, you need a day.
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