To be or not to be that is the question. Self-Contained Versus Departmentalized?

I will share my view point on this.  First let me inform you that they are different, one is not better than the other, they are simply different.  Different is a word that has been lost among society however, that is for another blog! Woo Sah!

What I liked about being self-contained is that I got to keep my students all day.  This was a plus in that students received one set of rules and had one atmosphere of structure; MINES. J When I was self contained my students represented my expectations even when not in my presence, it became habitual.  When one is departmentalized they are exposed to a variety of rules and expectations, which is cool, however it can be a negative when a teacher’s expectations are not as high as yours.  I also loved teaching a variety of subjects, you know, not having to teach the same lesson twice. Ugh, it sucks sometimes as I hate to repeat myself. Ouch! Did I just say that? Oh well judge me, I am guilty of this in all aspects of life, for the most part I hate repeating myself. Now do not get me wrong, I have no problem with working with someone until they get it right; however, it better be because you do not get it, not because you are not paying attention.  Hugs!!

Now on to what I like about being departmentalized.  I like not having to do (note I said to do, not to teach) lesson plans for ALL subjects.  Let’s be real planning takes time, so imagine effective and creative planning for math, science, social studies, grammar, reading and writing. Sigh, I had no social life. L Being departmentalized allowed me to only have to do lesson plans for two subjects, which freed up some time for me to socialize and to become an expert in those subjects.  J

In summary based off my experience there are pros and cons to each. As educators “we” have to determine what is best for us and our students. Now I do believe when you are dealing with students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and home environments that do not support structure, self-contained is what is best. This is my opinion based off my experience.  Contrary to popular belief kids want structure, discipline.  They understand it is a sign of love and caring. When I compare my experience of being departmentalized to that of being self-contained, I have to admit that self contained was best considering the socioeconomic status of my students.  Behavior of students was AWESOME.  My kids are good for the most part; however my self –contained kids were perfection.  Seriously, they were AWESOME.  They formed a sense of camaraderie; they held each other accountable and challenged each other for the better.

Oh, another thing I dislike about being departmentalized is when time is up it is up as you have to switch. When I was self-contained and my students were really engaged in a discussion I loved that I could allow them to continue, now I have to shut it down as I cannot oppose on the other teacher's time.  It is nice when you are "the other" teacher. LOL! :) Happy Thursday!

Ms. Mikle, M.A.T.