What’s the Actual Difference Between Full-time and Part-time Teachers?
When you think of part time and full time teachers, one would imagine the latter having great less work than the former, with not being here as often as a full time teacher would be.
Not having a concrete understanding, two teachers one being full time while the other described her position as a “point eighty three.” Which means two quarters they’re full time while the other two quarters their schedule becomes part time. Both were asked and gave a better visualization of how the work actually does differ, or if there isn’t a particular difference at all that they have seen.
Discussing this topic with art teacher Jon Holtz, he explained that being a part time teacher was no easy feat. Being someone who was a part time teacher himself he described how difficult it was to have the job he did, because sometimes it wasn’t enough, yet he didn’t stray from it.
“I barely made enough to survive,” Holtz said. “In fact I am sure I could have qualified for welfare and food stamps if I would have thought about it. But I never did, so it was stressful to live like that.”
He goes on to say that he thinks part time teachers have it a lot tougher than full time teachers do, having less hours in school with their materials along with losing precious time with the students their there to help learn. It’s a difficult thing to bear.
While agreeing with this statement, point eighty three english teacher Heather Tierney pushes that you cannot just look at the negatives being here only half the time brings.
“I think that both part time and full time have advantages, and disadvantages,” Tierney said. “The only part I would see as easier is the paper load, on my part time schedule I only have to grade papers from 75 students, instead of over 100.
“The only thing I really regret is that I’m not here for AAA, so I miss that connection time with students. That AAA or Bison Time, kids have a hard time finding me on my part time schedule.”
Though having drawbacks, making the choice to be a point eighty three teacher was her own, Tierney explaining how all of was chosen revolving around her family and what balance they all needed to be happy.
“I do this because when we adopted our daughter, I didn’t wanna work full time anymore.” She said. “I wanted to be with her in the afternoons, but I still wanted to work so I worked out a schedule with the administration so that for half of the year I could get home earlier in the afternoons. The administration does check with me every year to see if I want to come back to full time, but as of now I really like the schedule and I would like to keep it as long as I can.”
What both teachers brought to the forefront of their talks on part time, and full time, was the equal amount of love each have for their work and the time they spend here. They both told in their own words how it doesn’t matter how much more time one teacher spends in the building compared to the other, they’re teaching here at BHS because it’s what the love to do.
“I love my job, I hope that it comes through in my teaching,” Holtz said. “One of my favorite things is really connecting with students and getting to know their stories. We all have a story to tell.”
“My favorite part of my job is, all of it, everything.” Tierney also said. “I love interacting with students of all kinds of back grounds. I really love it. Even though I miss some one on one moments during AAA or Bison time, I love the time I have in the 80 minutes of class with all of my kids.”
