*
Another teacher bugaboo is the class coverage. Almost every teacher feels
that finding a coverage assignment in her mailbox at the beginning of the
day ruins the entire day and diminishes instruction in her regular classes
as the period of the coverage was going to be used for lesson planning or
rating papers that needed to be returned that day. Class coverages are a
fact of life in any school, but a school leader mindful of school issues will
develop procedures to minimize their impact on the staff.
First, the very teachers appalled by coverages must take responsibil-
ity for them. The later a teacher calls in sick, the less the likelihood a
substitute can be found. A teacher who is not feeling well but comes to
school and then has to leave early is giving his colleagues coverages. So
the first step in reducing coverages is to have teachers take responsibility
for themselves by following some simple guidelines:
- If an absence is necessary, inform administration in advance, if pos-
sible. If the illness comes on suddenly, be professional and call the
school prior to 6:00 a.m. - If you are ill, don’t come to school, for it is impossible to find a substi-
tute teacher if you need to go home. - Schedule any necessary appointments after your school day, but if you
do have to see a doctor during the school day, don’t come in for part of
the day and put the burden of coverages on your colleagues when you
leave for this appointment. - If you wish to arrange coverages in advance with your colleagues, then
you are free to do so, as long as you inform administration. A true pro-
fessional will do all possible to minimize the coverages administration
has to assign.
Second, administration has to take responsibility for having a viable
list of substitute teachers who are usually available and for arranging time
schedules so an assistant principal or assigned teacher is in the school early
to call substitutes and provide each a schedule. If for some reason, such as a
school-wide flu epidemic or very inclement weather, a large percentage of
staff is absent and substitutes cannot be found, administration needs backup
plans. Classes during the same period can be consolidated. Several classes
Be Aware of Workplace Issues 95