Instructional Vampires

After three years in retirement I was asked to take a positions as an interim Principal for about six weeks. I was hesitant but exited of getting back to some stimulating interaction with other professional educators. I figured that it was just like being a grandparent; your grand children come to visit for a while but them you give them back to their parents. Right?


I made it a point to visit the school and principal before she went on leave. I wanted to know what were her priorities, concerns and I wanted to reassure her that I would take good care of her students, staff and school.

The most difficult part for me was getting used to LA freeway traffic again, but after a few adjustments in routes and timing I got it under control.

The first thing I needed to do was to meet the parent and staff. My mornings were taken up greeting students at arrival to school, being accessible on the yard at recess and lunch periods, visiting classrooms through out the day. This gave me an insight into the culture of the school.

Fortunately I was very familiar with the instructional programs in reading, math and English Language development used in this District. I asked the instructional coaches to provide me a set on teachers guides for each grade level to take along on my classroom visits. It was important to get to get a sound footing and gage if all teachers were following the programs and pacing plans and preparing their student's for their quarterly assessments. I reviewed the student's data, formulated and prioritized my course of action.

After my first week on the job I had a very good idea of what needed to be done; I could either sit in the principals office and wait for problems to come to me, pass half of them to the assistant principals or I could seek out the needs and work towards solving them. I chose the latter

I quickly identified a number of school and classroom activities which take up too much time out any school's instruction. I baptized them Instructional Vampires these are constant procedures that need to be completed to meet adult agendas, if left unchecked they will suck the life out of your instructional program. Lets discuss a few:

Morning business - teachers take as much as 10 minutes taking attendance each morning. They call the student's name wait for the answer "here" this is repeated 24 times daily. After attendance is taken the cards are sent to the office with two students who in turn take five minutes before returning to class. Next; flag salute, collecting homework, sharpening pencils, etc. by the time the teachers starts a reading lesson as much as 20 minutes of instructional time have been wasted. 20 minutes X 24 students=480 minutes lost in one classroom each morning before instruction begins.

What's a teacher to do!

A successful teacher know that he/she must teach procedures at the beginning of the school year. Attendance procedures; Have the attendance cards placed along the chalk rails, when students c0me in each student picks up his/her card and puts it in the office envelope. Card left on the rail are absentees. Notes from parents regarding previous absences are also put in the attendance envelope, the office will record excuses. As the class goes out for recess a student monitor takes the cards to the office then proceed to the designated play area.

Homework: After each lesson given you know what homework will be going home simply drop it in the "homework box", students will automatically pick their homework assignment from the box at dismissal time.

Returned homework: Have a designated "returned homework box" perhaps different color from the homework going home box, where students simply drop in their papers upon entering the classroom. When you get ready to check the work just pick up the box take it to your desk and go through their work.

Pencils: Have student sharpen their pencil a minute before lining up for dismissal Placed the sharpened pencil in the pencil box. Then you will all be ready in the morning.

Flag salute: it's more meaningful to have a lesson on the meaning and reason why we pay homage to our Country's flag once that is learned, if you wish, have the flag salute on Mondays only.

Following these simple procedures will give you at least 15 added minutes of instruction each day.

If you are familiar with some instructional vampires, share with our readers how you got rid of them. And how you increased you instructional time.

Stay tuned.