Ms. Ray was a new teacher on the AGHS campus. She taught English 9, but on the fifth day, made an abrupt decision to quit, tasking the English department to quickly patch up the loss.
In response, the administration decided to split her schedule among other teachers. However, the schedule change came at a hefty toll, meaning that the teachers who agreed to take Ray’s class no longer had a prep period, and teachers lost the time they would usually spend on grading and making lesson plans.
The head of the English department Laura Wade was responsible for rearranging the classes that once belonged to Ray, which took work.
“It was a combination of the English teachers stepping up, and the counselors. We wanted to do what was best for the kids,” Wade said.
Wade was one of the few teachers who had to take on extra periods, but due to having an “empty nest” at home, she could spend more time working with students.
“I’m lucky that at this point in my teaching career, my kids are grown so I’m able to spend most of my time on schoolwork,” Wade said.
Ashley Kim is another teacher who decided to take on an extra period, leaving her to find other ways to get grading done.
“If kids are working independently then I do grading at my desk,” Kim said, “But it does mean I have a lot more work to do at home and on the weekends.”
“Me taking this class just worked best for what the English department needed, it made the most sense,” Kim said. “There was no pressure for me to take the class, but I did feel guilty if I didn’t take [the class] because it would put more work on someone else.”
For Ryan Glanville, teacher and basketball coach, the adjustment was seamless.
“It’s not a real big adjustment for me,” Glanville said. “It’s my 25th year here. I’ve been around a lot.”
“I do a lot [of my planning] on the weekends,” Glanville said. “I come early in the morning and I do my lesson planning in advance.”
Despite the sudden loss of an English teacher, the department bounced back quickly. With teachers, counselors, and staff collectively making an effort, the grit and dedication of AGHS proved successful in handling the sudden change.
