You can often spot traveling teachers by their carts and backpacks as they travel the halls of Oakville High School. These teachers who don’t have dedicated classrooms move to a new space sometimes every period just like students. Being a traveling teacher comes with its benefits and challenges, but a key strategy that these teachers have found is not letting it affect their teaching skills.
“The classroom doesn’t really define you or make you who you are as a teacher,” traveling history teacher Linsey Stanley said.
There are 155 teachers at OHS and approximately 18 teachers travel each block. Some materials that teachers use are provided to them, but most go out and purchase what they would prefer to use every day. These teachers have to come up with interesting and engaging activities to get the students ready for learning in their class.
“We do this thing called poking your brain at the beginning of every class where we kind of do something fun,” history teacher Michaela Keence.
Having to navigate the building with all of the students, many teachers have to find ways to store and track student work and assignments. Some traveling teachers use carts and folders to keep track and move these things.
“I will say, the wheels on my cart are like the swiftest ride,” English teacher Elizabeth Pfitzer said.
When thinking about traveling teachers, it may sound more difficult than having a set classroom, but these teachers find there are plenty of benefits to being a traveling teacher.
“You get to meet new people outside of your department,” Stanley said.
When having a dedicated classroom with a dedicated teacher, the decoration, furniture and board are usually filled and arranged. While traveling teachers may not be able to utilize their classroom spaces in this way, there is something they do not have to worry about.
“At the beginning and end of the year, I do not have to set up or take down a classroom, so I don’t have to decorate anything or plan out where I want desks,” Keence said. “And especially at the end of the year when I finish grading tests, I can just submit those grades and I’m out of here.”
Being a traveling teacher may have some great benefits, but the job also comes with some challenges.
“It’s just a little difficult to get class set up, or even maintain a good routine when you’re traveling…” Stanley said. “Sometimes you don’t have your own space in the room.”
Even when there’s a routine in place, it can be hard to execute in an orderly manner.
“My routine starts with me being disheveled for a couple of minutes trying to get everything loaded up on the computer,” Pfitzer said.
Furthermore, it can be difficult to build relationships with people when teachers do not have their own dedicated room.
“I would love to greet students…and then even at the end of class, I’m packing everything up and I’m rushing to get to the next class,” Keence said. “So I can’t really talk to students as much and build those relationships.”
Despite the challenges that traveling teachers may face on a daily basis, they still try to focus on their content and teaching purposes.
“I am who I am,” Stanley said. “Being available for students when they need me is my goal.”
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