BYU Students

"Can I have a copy of your unit plan?" - BYU student
I have had 2-5 BYU students each day to observe or interview students this week. Everyday I get phone calls and emails for multiple students - usually they want me to call them back on their long distance cell phone number when the school doesn't allow teachers to call long distance, so I call them at home and on Saturday (yeah, I did). So I think I am going above and beyond being nice, but no I am not going to write up a unit plan for you. Do I have one? Yes, but it's in my head. So, let me take 20 minutes of my prep period to answer their questions and tell them my unit plan. I didn't need that time to pump or make copies or anything. At least, the inundation is over now, because their assignment was due at the end of this week.

"All English teachers, please pick up your CRT testing materials in the media center." - the PA loudspeaker while I am walking across the staff parking lot yesterday morning.
Two weeks ago, we were supposed to have the test, but the computer version didn't work. Math and Science tests? yes. English test? no. When will we be taking the test. When the paper and pencil versions arrive. Can we get an eta on that? Before the end of the year. Helpful. So, at 7:15am I found out that at 7:30am I was giving the test. What about that handy unit plan? Don't know if either ESL class is going to finish the novels we were supposed to read for 4th term. In the Year of the Boar, perhaps, but Esperanza Rising? With 200 more pages to go, it's not possible. Too many interruptions. And now that I have to move classrooms, I am supposed to take the last week of instruction and have the students help me pack and move instead. I also have two student teachers that need to get their ESL Practicum observation hours. Today they aren't learning much except how boring testing is.

"I would like to come in an observe your IB 20th Century History class." - email from BYU student
"My IB students are in the middle of testing. Today was the last day of instruction. You are welcome to come next Fall or to my US Government class which meets at 12:45pm each day, except next Wednesday and Thursday when we have a shorter day and they meet from 11:00-12:00." - my response
"I will come to your Government class next Thursday at 12:45."
"Please understand that Thursday next week we have a half day schedule..."
Seriously? How much of my time do they waste negotiating? Like I have any control of the bell schedule or when I teach my classes! This is public school, not college. I try to accommodate students. But I am starting to see why other teachers stopped allowing BYU students to observe them. You tell them what time you have class, and they usually respond with, well that doesn't work for me, so I'll come this time instead. Then they are genuinely surprised when they show up during my prep period to find there are no students. For example, I teach ESL in the morning. Students email to observe an ESL classroom, "I would like to come in the afternoon." The worst was, "I would like your observe your class. I can be there any time after 3pm." Hmm, school ends at 2:15pm. Now, I understand they have class schedules too. But I teach ESL at 7:30am, and most BYU students don't have class before 8am. Often, they agree to come at 7:30am, but then show up at 8:15, interrupting my class because they couldn't drag themselves out of bed that early...