Decisions, Decisions

I met with my team yesterday. We have to decide our configuration for next year. W have until June 4th to decide. The p gave us three choices. Choice #1 and 2 would be like what we did last year, four switches. I will teach reading to all fifth graders. We would all teach our own spelling, writing, and be responsible for Accelerated Reading. The difference between the two is the amount of time we would get. We cannot have special service at the same time, so there will be no common planning. Any coordination would be own our own time. Two would have one planning time, and two would have another.

The third choice is one I actually thought of myself, but the p also found it in her collection of schedules. It would have us switch for science and social studies, splitting an 85 minute block, with the extra five minutes for movement. The other two of us would teach math simultaneously. We would all be responsible for the entire language arts block. This is my favorite choice, although it does mean I would have to teach two math classes. One of those classes would likely be inclusion math. My homeroom would be the inclusion room, so I might have inclusion reading, or the students could be pulled out. The best part is I would have my kids all but 85 minutes.

None of the choices are ideal for all of us. The p did say we can choose any of them, or tweak one to make it fit our needs. The p is insisting everyone do a set A.R., spelling, and writing time. I don't like giving a reading grade when I cannot control half of the reading.

Those of you that are departmentalized, do you have some suggestions we might want to consider? I would love to hear them.