The use of “floating teachers” can help school leaders make the most out of limited classroom space, but the nomadic nature of these positions can also lead to challenges like organizational struggles and increased stress.
As the former principal of California’s Fountain Valley High School, Morgan Smith oversaw 120 teachers, 14 of whom traveled from one classroom to another. Smith found that some of the most successful strategies to support these teachers include fostering strong interpersonal relationships, facilitating communication with other teachers, and scheduling with intention.
“When you're a good listener, no matter if you can deliver on the task, understanding the problem to the best of your ability is the first step,” said Smith, who is currently director of certificated human resources at Huntington Beach Union High School District.
Because floating teachers have to lug all of their materials from classroom to classroom, one way to make the transportation process smoother is to limit the number of classrooms they are assigned to.
At Fountain Valley High School, Smith said administrators kept traveling teachers in two or three classrooms at most and tried to assign them based on the subject they taught.
Another strategy Smith implemented was scheduling teachers’ planning periods before or after lunch. This, he said, gives teachers a bigger chunk of time collectively if they need to move a farther distance between classrooms.
Smith noted that Fountain Valley High School’s passing periods were nine minutes long, as opposed to the typical six or seven minutes for other schools in the district. This decision was meant to accommodate students who might have a class on one side of the school and need to go to the opposite side of the building for the next, but the extended time also benefited traveling teachers.
Apart from scheduling, Smith found that one of the best ways administrators can support floating teachers is to establish connections and create a space where they feel comfortable expressing their needs.
Smith said administrators at Fountain Valley High School would visit teachers during their planning period and check in to see how they’re doing or if they needed anything. He said these conversations made teachers feel less intimidated to express their needs and to be more receptive to assessments.
“Sometimes people will hold it in, because they just don't want to be a burden to other people. But when you feel like you can be vulnerable and you can open up about what you're struggling with, it also makes receiving feedback on the instructional side so much easier,” Smith said.
Smith added that it’s important for administrators to spearhead conversations and manage expectations with the teachers sharing their rooms. This not only led to better relationships between both teachers, but it also took the pressure off of floating teachers to advocate for themselves when they already have other things on their plate.
There are infrastructural ways to ensure floating teachers feel supported, too. Smith said each teacher should have their own desk in any classroom they visit and a designated wall to personalize and hang student work. Floating teachers need to feel like the classroom is a home, he said.
Tailoring resources to each educator also helps ensure floating teachers get the assistance they need. For example, Smith said, some teachers preferred to receive a laptop they could carry between classrooms, while others preferred that the classrooms they taught from had a desktop so their carrying load was lighter.
“It's just about staying flexible and supportive and checking in frequently,” Smith said.
