by Giuseppe P. and John E. Staff Writer
How many years have you worked at Gal? How many years as department head?
This is my 11th year at Galileo, I think this is my 5th or 6th year as department chair.
Why did you decided to teach at Galileo?
I student taught here, and a job opening came up and so it was serendipity. I loved my student teaching and so was happy to slide right in.
What are your extra responsibilities as department head?
Organizing and facilitating department meetings, acting as a liaison between ILT, which is the Instructional Leadership Team, Admin, and the rest of the department; so communicating things my department needs to know; ordering supplies, figuring out what we need to order, handling conflicts between people in the department and perhaps other departments troubleshooting issues we may be having in the classroom, and so on and so forth.
What are the benefits/ drawbacks
One of the benefits is that I have an additional prep period, that all department chairs get 4th period prep, and so that is more time to devote to those department chair duties. I also get paid slightly more because I’m department chair and also as department chair, of course, I get all the intel. I get to know what’s happening in other departments, with the admin, in the ILT meetings, and it really gets me more insight into what’s going on on the school site level.
Drawbacks are it takes me away from my classroom duties and I have this job because I like teaching, not necessarily because I like dealing with adults.
What is your least favorite thing about being a DH?
Not being able to always please everyone all the time.
Why did you want to become department head?
I didn’t. There was an opening, but because I care very much about the school and the students and the department, it was a way to demonstrate that care.
How hard is it to balance your tasks as a department head and classroom teacher
It’s very difficult, but attempting to create boundaries between time I spend as department chair and time I spend as just a regular degular teacher can be helpful, as in my department prep is 4th period, and so when I’m able to I try to have all my departmental chair duties for 4th period and try to do everything else other times. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t.
How do you think other teachers would describe you as department head?
They would describe me as diplomatic.
What qualities do you bring as department head?
I am communicative, and sometimes organized, and want to do right by everyone.
FUN FACT about yourself
I have a streak on Duolingo that is 1,704 days long. I’m learning several languages, mainly Español, and also French. I learned Norwegian over the summer because I went to Norway. That one was really fun, and right now I’m doing Italian.
