A Day In The Life Of A Science Teacher At Education For Change
Christina's day as a science teacher begins around 7:30 AM, involving lesson preparation, teaching seventh and eighth graders in hour-long blocks, interspersed with a lunch break, prep time often dedicated to meetings or collaborating with a student teacher, and a final teaching block ending at 3:15 PM. After school, the day extends with extracurricular commitments like coaching or musical rehearsals, followed by evening grading and lesson planning, reflecting a demanding but fulfilling career path.
Lesson Planning, Classroom Management, Curriculum Development, Collaboration, Student Engagement
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Christina Craig
Science Teacher
Education for Change
UC Davis 2015
Loyola Marymount University - Masters in Urban Education
Psychology
Education, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Education
Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. A typical day involves teaching seventh and eighth-grade science classes, each lasting for an hour and twenty minutes. The lessons incorporate various teaching methods, including informational texts, hands-on activities, and digital interactives.
2. The teacher collaborates with colleagues through meetings and works with a student teacher to share teaching strategies and lesson planning.
3. After school, the teacher often participates in extra-curricular activities such as coaching a soccer team or participating in school musicals, highlighting the commitment beyond the typical school day hours. Evenings are dedicated to grading assignments and lesson planning
Transcript
What does a day in the life of your role look like?
My day starts around 7:30. I'm not an early morning person, so I'll get to work and review lesson plans from the night before or the weekend.
Once I arrive at school, I make any necessary copies. Then, I head to my classroom to ensure everything is ready. This includes updating the board with the date and daily objectives.
Class begins at 8:30. I teach seventh and eighth grade science. My first class is seventh grade, and we work together for an hour and 20 minutes.
During this time, we might be reading an informational text, completing a hands-on activity, or working on a digital interactive. After my seventh-grade block, I transition to my eighth-grade block, also for an hour and 20 minutes.
Following the eighth-grade class, I return to teach another hour and 20-minute block of seventh-grade science. This is a different group of seventh graders.
After my teaching blocks, I have a 40-minute lunch break, followed by a 40-minute prep period. Sometimes I use this prep time for actual preparation.
However, often my prep time is occupied by meetings, either with the principal or with other teachers on campus for collaboration. This year, I have a student teacher, so a lot of my prep time is spent working with him.
We lesson plan together to ensure he is successful during his teaching block, or we discuss new teaching strategies for him to implement in class.
Once my prep time is finished, I end the day with one more eighth-grade block. I get out of school at 3:15.
After 3:15, I might attend a grade-level meeting. Because I'm also in charge of student involvement, I often run practices. Our soccer season just ended, but previously, I would coach my girls' soccer team right after school.
Currently, we are in the middle of preparing for our Disney musical. So, at the end of the school day, I head to the cafeteria for musical practice.
When I'm not involved with these activities, I'm off the clock at 4 p.m. I usually head home around 4:00 or 4:15.
Once home, I settle in for a bit, greet my partner and my dogs, and then I get to work again. This usually involves grading assignments or lesson planning. That typically continues until around six or seven, depending on the day.
Around then, I can finally unwind. I might watch my favorite TV show, have dinner, and then I call it a day. The next morning, I start all over again.
Advizer Personal Links
No