Practical requests - how much notice do you all get?

[vlclabbie]

Hey everyone! Hope Wednesday is treating you well so far & continues to do so!

Just wondering what your expectations are with your staff on how much notice you should get for prac requests?

I know of one school in Melb that has STRICTLY 2 weeks... but for me that seems a bit inflexible. Trouble being - if you're too flexible you end up with the requests on your lap in the morning of said prac.... if you're lucky... or in the break before said prac .... if you're not lucky!

We have one teacher here who comes into the prep room IN THE MIDDLE of the double lesson looking for his whole prac. ... granted he doesn't ask me to make them up.... but he does drive me bonkers asking where is this & that.... & why haven't we got what he wants..... Ahhhh could it be because I wasn't aware you needed more ordered?? Gotta laugh or I'll cry..........

Soooooooo what do you all demand? And does it actually happen? How flexible are you for those last minute ones? Do your HODs etc... actually help enforce it too?

Cheers Kel

[Rowyrow]

24hours minimum, is what I ask for but it doesn't always happen, if im feeling nice I make them up, thing is if I refuse they just blunder their way through getting all the stuff themselves and make a mess. If it's simple stuff and doesn't require any complicated solutions I will usually put it togeter but ONLY if they have filled out their RA.

[vlclabbie]

Thanks Rowan, what about if you have to go out buying stuff.... do you go straight away during school hours or do they have to wait?

[Voice]

This sort of thing comes up on a regular basis and it is good that we have a fine number of super experienced Lab. Techs. to give advice.
My own: If you only have one teacher giving you grief like this, look at his timetable and go and park yourself on his desk one, even better, two days before he is due to have a prac. You do not move until that request is in your hands. I have successfully done this.
But one is always educating staff. I had one on Monday doing exactly the same as your staff member. AND he was starting to take things from other practical tubs. Did I rip through him explaining why one does not do that!!!!!!!!!!!
And to think I only reminded staff with an email on Wednesday last week about putting in their practical orders in sufficient time.
"They" never seem to think that the emails relate to each of them personally.
One full day is the absolute minimum requirement and only regarding equipment. Chemicals require at least 2 days. Never, ever get chemicals ready in a hurry. Appreciate yourself, even if your staff don't.
Good Luck
Maree

[noona]

I ask for 24h and if I need to go shopping I only do it on Wednesday afternoons as it is sport day for me.
If they need it before that they get it.
They soon got used to it.

[RosalieM]

If we have it, and it's last minute, I will do what I can. If it requires purchases from elsewhere, I just say we dont have it and I'll get it for their next lesson. We are supposed to have 2 days notice. Sometimes I get the 2 days notice that they will be doing a prac, but then only on the day of the prac do I find out what they are actually doing!! I think 2 weeks is a bit extreme unless it is something especially big or requires something fresh (like dissections). If I am in the middle of preparing a prac ordered properly by someone and another teacher wants stuff 'now' I generally won't do it. I will tell them where stuff is though if it is easy for them to get out. I used to have the problem of getting pracs orders when I arrived at school for that day. This year I changed my hours so I get here after school starts and now the teachers know they really have to get them in at least the day before, especially for 1st period! Now that I stay till after school has finished (went from 8:30-3 to 9-3:30) I can collect everything from the afternoon pracs and get them put away before I go home (that's the theory, anyway) instead of trying to clean up and prepare pracs all in a hurry before school starts. It is working well

[Rowyrow]

At short notice if they want something we don't have It's no Dice. Yes i go during school hours or i leave work early , or do it on my way to work. If it's something more unique that we don't have well it's definately NO dice because it takes a minimum of four weeks for stuff to come from interstate suppliers, and I did ask them all at the end of last year and again at the start of this one if there was anyting the might need now.

[vlclabbie]

Thanks everyone. I only work 2 days a week so I suppose this stuff is harder again... On Mondays I try to get everything out til Thursday & then on Thursday everything out til Monday.

You can see why I don't like going shopping during my (little) time there!!

I can never understand why (some!) of the teachers are so slack! They are supposed to have their term overviews done at the beginning of term & so pracs shouldn't be so last minute - especially if they've taught the same subject & class before!!!!! I have a hubby in admin... so he tells me these things....

Anyway, thanks for something to work towards - having said all that, in general they aren't too bad. I'm going to print off (email never seems to work - it's too easy to say 'I didn't see it!') & hand them each the new "rulz" & hope they at least TRY to stick to it!

Kel

[Labbie]

Do a search, their are some really wondeful stories on this thread. And after reading all those items. I went to our head teacher, and asked for 24 hours notice. My staff are the best, they always order well ahead, and it really does pay off. It may take a while for the staff to get their head around it. After a month I brought in a cake, just to say thank you, and how well the 24 hours notice was working. That really did boost it along.

Go for it

[RosalieM]

Kel, if you are only in Monday and Thursday, then on a Monday morning you should have every request for every prac Tues, Wed AND Thursday on your desk when you walk in. There should be no pracs for Monday with such limited time. You need to be able to plan your days to get stuff done. Some require 'sitting time' so they can be done first and others fill up the time while you wait etc (but I'm sure you've worked that out already!). So, no time for last minute pracs in those situations. On Thursdays when you come in you should have already prepared Thursday pracs on Monday (because they've given them to you by Monday morning )so again, you need Friday, Monday (and even some for Tuesday if they can manage it) on your desk by first thing Thursday morning. With such limited time I don't think it is fair to even consider asking for a prac on the day! And I would definately say no to shopping orders that haven't been placed early. Probably nothing I've written is a new thought to you, but sometimes it's good to hear it from someone else and to know you aren't being too pedantic!

[smiley]

Kel,

I try, busy as I am, to pre-empt some teachers by doing what Voice does, and camping on a teacher's desk until I get some prac orders. It is always easier when, for example, all of Yr8 is doing the same prac, coz I just go to said teacher and say "WHEN are you doing the Yr8 prac". Sounds like babysitting I know, but it makes your life easier in the long run.

[vlclabbie]

Thanks Guys!

Ahhhh so I'm not being too pedantic & Hitlerish! I have thought that they would like the same treatment if the situation was reversed & they expect kids to have done their homework in time!!

I will try my note (have also thanked them for keeping the lab so tidy!) & give it some time... do the cake bit if it's going well..... & if not then I'll do some 'camping out'!!

Please let me add too that I generally have really thoughtful lovely staff & MOST of them are organised... just a couple who spoil it. And then you feel bad accepting the "good" teachers requests late (although they usually have a good reason) ... & that's when the "naughty" teachers catch you bending the rules!! Goes to show that you'll go the extra mile for the polite ones though!

Thanks for letting me vent.... & for the advice!

Cheers Kel