Teacher workload is a growing problem internationally. In this article, we analyse an attempt by the state education bureaucracy of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, to address this through the 'Quality Time Program'. Drawing on labour process theory and Carol Bacchi's framework of 'What's the problem represented to be?', we analyse how the…

Using time to enable success in teaching and learning is a critical part of every school's, district's and state's journey to success. It seems that there is never enough time in schools, and leaders struggle to make the most of what they have. How best to use this precious resource is a critical question. While time in isolation from other…

Although the literature on teacher working conditions often cites student- and school-level factors as contributors to teacher turnover in high-poverty urban schools, the larger context of social and economic inequality within which these factors are situated is often overlooked. This mixed-methods study draws upon a survey of nearly 800…

This study focuses on elementary school teachers during the Great Depression and the role that they played to sustain everyday school activity. The authors draw evidence primarily from the pages of "Grade Teacher" magazine, through teachers' letters written to its editor, Florence Hale, and her responses to them. Opportunities to study…

Purpose: Professionals and employees have been documented to perform a wide variety of extra-role activities (also called organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB)) for which they are neither paid, nor obliged to accomplish by superiors. The paper aims to obtain greater understanding of the consequences of teacher OCB to the teachers who perform…

Does less class time lead to improved teaching? Author says yes, and suggests several ways in which the classroom teacher's burden could be eased. (Author/SP)

The author traces some of the causes of the paperwork explosion in public schools over the last 20 years and concludes that, unfortunately, there is little relief in sight. (SJL)

Central finding of the study is that teachers spend only 30 percent of their time in activities that are even remotely related to academic instruction and learning. (Author)

A questionnaire on faculty work load was sent to the presidents of 57 colleges selected at random except for 3 factors: universities and colleges of the City University of NY were not included; the emphasis was on private institutions; colleges selected were primarily in the south, east and midwest. Of the 39 or 68.4% replies, 35 were from private…

The teacher's day amounts to six or more hours of isolation from other adults, and the special education teacher is more lonely than the regular classroom teacher. Parents need to be called frequently, and evaluation team and individualized education program sessions need to be attended. (SEW)

Responses to a poll revealed that teachers' most common professional problems were: too little time to accomplish objectives, too many nonprofessional duties, overcrowded classrooms, motivating students, lack of administrative support, lack of parental support, troubled children, and discipline. (JD)

Using humor, illustrations, and practical experience, the author suggests that theories and philosophies of education offer the teacher of English little help because of the infinite number of exceptions to any theories when it comes to teaching English, as well as the enormous number of administrative, disciplinary, and extracurricular demands on…

Structured observation of the work behavior of five elementary school teachers revealed that, in comparison with secondary school and sixth-grade teachers, these subjects exhibited higher levels of "busyness," possibly resulting from the wider array of needs and demands of younger children with higher activity levels. (Author/CB)

Policies and procedures covering graduate teaching assistants (TAs) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are presented. A TA's duties may include classroom teaching under the direction of a faculty member, assisting in teaching classes, discussion groups, problem-solving sessions or laboratories, assisting in planning courses and developing…