The School Year by the Numbers

It's that time of year again, where I go back into my files and tally up what classes I covered this year. It was a pretty busy year.

Of the 180 school days, I worked 163. This is up two days over last year. This number does not include the days I worked for summer school (12 four hour days) nor the days I worked at the continuation high school in August before the school year officially began (7 days).

Of those 163 days, I didn't get a prep period for 78 of them. On 64 days I covered an extra period, while on 14 days, the teacher I covered didn't have a prep period.

77 of those days I covered high school classes, 42 of those days I was covering middle school, and 30 of those days I was at the continuation high school. It's interesting how year after year, the percentage of each stays roughly the same.

I didn't work the first day of school nor the last. But, I covered the second day of school and the penultimate day of school, which is kind of unusual for me.

More specifically:

• English: 55 days and 8 extra periods
• This year's winner: 11th grade with 21 days and 4 single periods. 
• I count a "full day" when the teacher has at least 2 periods of that level. A "single period" means the teacher has a different level the whole day, or I covered it on the prep period. 
• Runner up is 12th grade with 15 days plus 8 single periods.
• In 3rd place is advanced ELD with 8 full days plus 14 single periods.
• Then 9th grade with 9 days/4 single periods; 10th grade with 7 days/6 single periods; intermediate ELD with 6 days/1 single period; 7th grade with 5 days/1 single period; 8th grade with 3 days/3 single periods; and beginning ELD with 1 single period
• Science: 41 days and 13 extra periods
• This year's winner: 7th grade life science with 16 days and 2 single periods
• Runner up is Earth science with 15 days and 1 extra period. This is not surprising as most of those days were that one class I covered before and after winter break.
• Then: biology with 13 days/4 single periods; health with 9 days/4 single periods; intro to health careers with 6 days; forensics/criminalistics with 5 days/2 single periods; environmental science with 4 days/4 single periods; chemistry and physics both with 2 days; and 8th grade physical science with 1 day/5 single periods. 
• (Wait, one day of 8th grade science? That has to be a record. I'm usually in those classes quite a bit more.)
• Social Studies: 30 days and 10 extra periods
• This year's winner: 11th grade U.S. history with 10 days and 1 single period
• Runner up is 12th grade economics with 8 days.
• Third place is a tie of 7 days for both 7th grade world history and 8th grade U.S. history.
• Then 12th grade government with 6 days/3 single periods; 10th grade world history with 4 days/2 single periods; 9th grade geography with 3 days; and the continuation high school's orientation at 3 days/1 single period
• Math: 32 days and 10 extra periods
• This year's winner: Integrated Math I (which replaced algebra 1) with 18 days and 5 single periods
• Runner up is Integrated Math II (which replaced geometry) with 11 days and 6 single periods
• Then 7th grade math with 6 days/1 single period; algebra 2 with 4 days/5 single periods; 8th grade math with 3 days/4 single periods; and business math with 3 days/1 single period
• Special Education: 16 days and 21 extra periods
• Note: These days overlap with the above numbers as I would cover something like a special ed. biology class. Or, I'd be a co teacher for 7th grade math. 
• Of those days, 7 days/8 single periods were RSP (as in, co teacher); 5 days/9 single periods were in SDC (or self-contained special ed.); and 3 days/4 single periods with classes that were... pretty low academics wise.
• Miscellany: 
• 3 single periods ASB
• 8 single periods school newspaper (both at the continuation high school and the traditional high school)
• Art: 4 days/2 single periods
• One single period of theater, two single periods of choir, and one single period of music appreciation. (Kinda grateful that I didn't have any middle school band horror stories this year.)
• Two single periods of sports (I think they were both golf this year) and one period of P.E.
• Spanish: 1 day/2 single periods
• Business and/or computers: 5 days/3 single periods
• And one period of "roving" where I covered two different classes in one period. (I was supposed to cover three classes, but the other two teachers took too long.)

Looking back at this, it's funny what I do remember and what I don't. I guess that's why I write the blog.

I cherry pick the stories I use. I go for "interesting". So, it may seem like the kiddos are wild, do no work, or aren't learning anything. But as you can see from the above, I worked far more days than I mentioned on this blog. Those are the days where everything goes right, the kiddos behave well, and progress towards educational goals are met.

This is a yearly reminder that the educational system isn't so bleak, and kids today are much like kids of the past.

Happy summer.

Previous years' stats:

• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010