Sub Teachers

[Mary Evans]

From TTS here. I personally don't like the idea, I think it will be non-canon, it will cause a mess IC if a sub teacher just steps in suddenly, and it takes some of the control of the teachers over their own subjects away. What do you guys think?

[Ivy Tunstall]

Absolutely not for stepping straight into classes. People running the classes have their own ideas and should be allowed to carry each class out without anyone else interrupting. (Thanks for going and putting up a reply by the way, Mary, I wasn't inclined to do so straight away because of the phrasing.) And yes it would cause a mess and be unworkable.

I'd be prepared to consider having more than one teacher for each subject - say having trainee teachers for example, which we have quite often at my school. That way a trainee teacher could run one specific class, either taking away the stress for the main teacher of doing a class for that year group, or just providing an extra class, and people could try out the role of Professor/different subjects without having to go through a strict approval process as they would do just one lesson and so just have to submit one lesson plan to show that they were serious about it.

I think this is a great idea. And it can help achieve that, as the professor will only have to worry about 2 classes rather than 3 (or however many) plus they can brainstorm and get inspiration with the other teacher...

I agree with this idea...maybe have assistant teachers, or maybe some sort of situation that 2 people take over 1 professor, helped each other plan lessons, etc. Being low on inspiration right now, I know that an assistant of sorts would be helpful, and I approve of this idea.

That won't achieve what Ashanya wants, which is for classes to run seamlessly, but quite frankly that is asking the impossible on Four Houses. I suppose that larger sites might manage it but we're a bit more laidback here, which is just the way that it is and the Professors who get their classes up are doing pretty well. It would be nice if all Professors made more of an effort, especially myself, but some of us don't have any other speed setting other than slow.

[Drake Manning]

First of all, we don't even have enough capable/willing members to fill each of the main classes. There is no way we would be able to do substitute teachers even if we allowed it. It would never do what Ashanya is asking, like Izy pointed out. Though I appreciate her enthusiasm and desire to roleplay classes, we simply are not the type of site who will have consistent and constant classes. I feel bad for her, but the system seems to work for anybody else. If we ever have enough people to step up and fill the regular positions, then perhaps I would agree to this, but I think that we should worry about the regular positions being filled before we even consider adding substitutes or even trainer teachers for that matter. Call them what you will, but any "trainer" teachers that we would get would probably just end up like the rest of our regular teachers. We are all busy, and we're doing the best we can. Plus, the students don't even always show up.

I vote we don't change the system at all since we can't even keep up with the current one in a completely efficient manner (and we are all to blame, including myself) and adding new things would only complicate it.
Agree with all of the above.

Ditto

[Ivy Tunstall]

I don't mind if we don't use the idea, but I would be sad to miss out on an opportunity to improve classes, especially at a time when there's more interest and uptake than usual. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't make classes any more efficient - I don't think it would have much effect on efficiency either way actually since the 'trainee teacher' running just one class would be operating independently like any other Professor and as Adam said might easily be just as slow as any other Professor - but I do think that it could serve to increase the number and variety of classes that we can run.

I think that part of the problem is that people don't necessarily have the inspiration or time to be able to commit to run many classes for a subject, and so that's why they don't want to take up Professor positions. Some members might be willing to run one class, but no more, and trainee teachers would be an ideal IC excuse for roping them in to help us in that way. I hope that it wouldn't detract from being able to fill the regular places - in that it may well attract people who wouldn't normally play Professors anyway - but might give us some way to provide the odd class in subjects such as COMC where we haven't had a class for at least a couple of years.

I agree that it's a shame we can't help new members such as Ashanya/Kelvin when they want us to speed the classes up, but at the same time I think what Adam said about not having the members for even reliable stand-ins is too strong right now. But the site is growing, we have many more new members coming in from outside - perhaps if some more show interest in classes we could reconsider? It is a genuinely good suggestion after all, just perhaps the wrong time to bring it on.

I agree. We should reconsider later. However, I don't think there has been a lot of interest in classes lately.

[Mary Evans]

So, Izy and I were just talking and we are not certain everyone understands the concept behind the “trainee teacher”. So we figured it might be helpful if I put in how I took the idea… and why I still fully support it.

I will start by saying that… I have played professors and I know how much work they are. Therefore, I am not jumping up and down for another, no matter how much I loved being Snape. However, I would be perfectly happy to take up a class or two as a “trainee teacher” and I bet other members would feel the same. I would be happy to have Lenora run a divination class or two because… she’s my character therefore no professor bio is needed, it was her favourite subject so I know she would be good at it and it makes sense IC she would want to try teaching it… and it’s only a class or two, not 6 like it would usually be. So I am not signing myself up to do something later on when I am not totally sure I will have time.

And that is how I took the idea, just allowing someone to step in and teach a class… and not have to sign up for all the rights and responsibilities of teachers… and that is why I thought it would be a lot easier to get trainee teachers than full time professors… I know I personally would be interested...

I'm not a fan of the idea, but I see how it could help. However, I'm with Adam on this one...I think until we have the ability to fill the professor slots then we should hold off on teacher's assistants, or trainees. I think it's rather uncanon as well...and I'm horribly fond of the way the rules are right now. It's basically a slap in the face for anyone that took the time to get to the stage where they could apply for a professor...at least that's how it feels to me. I think maybe the idea may be useful in the future, but I just don't feel it is appropriate at this time.