BTS: The work you don’t see that goes into your classes
At Roosevelt High School, each academic department is headed by a teacher who manages the branch, monitors the teachers, and teaches that subject to their students as well.
Roosevelt Business Education teacher and Business Education/Technology Department Chair Michelle Carter said one of her major roles is to “check in on the members of [her] department and make sure that they have everything they need and feel supported in their work.”
Carter said Roosevelt department chairs always keep in mind what is best for the students; department heads compare instructional strategies, what they are offering, and assess practices to improve the department.
In comparison to standard teachers, Carter said department heads “have the sense of responsibility for keeping an eye on the bigger picture — rather than just teaching [their] courses — and think about how that fits in [their] department and how [their] department plays a role in the school in a larger sense.” She continued, “I try to use this role to make sure I’m advocating for students and staff members whose voices aren’t always heard.”
With this, Carter said being a department head includes extra responsibilities, which can sometimes be challenging.
Because she is a department head, teacher, and co-advisor of Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), she sometimes feels overwhelmed with the number of meetings and work she has. She added, “Sometimes it’s unclear how much authority I have or how much influence I have in this role, and that’s something I’m continuing to learn about.”
Roosevelt teacher and Social Studies Department Co-Chair Kristi Barnes agreed with Carter, saying her role means “more involvement in the bigger decisions in terms of course offerings and what those courses actually look like.”
Barnes decides the content and skills that all students will be taking away from their social studies classes, and her favorite part about being a department head is considering what she wants students to learn in terms of “being citizens of this country but also what they need in terms of going into college and life.”
Roosevelt teacher and Mathematics Department Co-Chair Elizabeth Orme said, “[Department heads are] the facilitator between our administration and the teachers within [their] department.”
Orme began leading the Mathematics Department with Roosevelt teacher Royce Christensen right before the COVID-19 pandemic and said there was “a huge learning curve” because she had to teach and support other teachers struggling with online learning while she was also struggling herself.
Orchestra Director and Performing Arts Department Chair Christine Gero added that she enjoys meeting with the other department chairs because it allows her to “see a different side of things” and how the other departments at the school work together.
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