Topic: The Teachers' Thread

[TepidT2O]

I'm hoping being 34 means I'm a bit hardened to them, only this week beforehand I'm completely dialling back the swearing I've noticed I do a lot

Cheers though, already been assigned my mentor so should be a fun introduction.  I've already worked with some sixth formers previously but 20-30 13 year olds are a different prospect!

Who do you find worse to teach?  Boys or girls?

Boys can give it but they can take it too...  they don't really resent punishment or giving them a tough time..

Girls ... you've got to be a bit more careful and subtle..

[cornishscouser92]

During the mock exam period near December, we lose our sports hall - our 'all weather pitch' isn't any use because it floods when it rains & leaves a brown layer of silt, which is therefore dangerous. So in a gym (think old school gym, apparatus etc) we have 60-90 kids.. Anyone with any ideas on any competitive games etc I could use?

Just preparing in advance after more ideas

[CraigDS]

Dodgeball

[TepidT2O]

50 hour week so far and we haven’t reached Friday..

Je Suis fucked.

[Mutton Geoff]

New head is an anus...

Your one or all of them?

[Mutton Geoff]

Boys can give it but they can take it too...  they don't really resent punishment or giving them a tough time..

Girls ... you've got to be a bit more careful and subtle..

Allowing for the fact that Girls are more mature by year 9 so  in general easier to persuade in the classroom, boys are still very immature at year 9 so need to be dealt with slightly harsher as Tepid states:

[CornerFlag]

Week one of training done.  My mentor knows what she's doing but god, she's harsh on some of the kids!  Can see we might butt heads on when to implement the disciplinary procedure.

Also noticed that while it's often the same kids who are misbehaving, those that do seem to be treated more harshly than those who might do the same thing but might be a first-time offender.  Normal?

[TepidT2O]

Yeah it can seem that way...

You have to be careful that you are fair to kids.  But then again you have to be fair and have a classroom where kids can learn.

There’s different ways of doing it though. When I first started teaching there was a woman I worked with who used to regal us with tales of her NQT year.

Her mentor heard some kids referring to her as a complete bitch, and he told her she’d go far.  She told this as a positive story.  That’s not what I went into teaching for.  She seemed to positively dislike kids.

Then there was my mentor Roger.  He was second in science and had the best discipline I’ve ever seen.  This was one of the worst 50 schools in Britain, and the man never raised his voice, he just sighed, and glared at them....  Another NQT asked him what he’d do if a girl started brushing her hair in his lesson.  He was seeking advice about what we all thought was a very low level issue.  He replied ‘I don’t know, it’s never happened’.  It was a bit dispiriting really, the classroom next door to me had the entire class run out, they ran into my classroom and out of my fire escape, and the head of science caught a kid smoking weed in his lesson.... and Roger had never even found a girl brushing her hair

Anyway I’m rambling...

[Oscarmac]

The trick is to treat everyone completely differently, whilst appearing to treat them all the same.

[Mutton Geoff]

One old teacher used to say never smile till Easter 😬

[UntouchableLuis]

One old teacher used to say never smile till Easter 😬

That's a line that you hear countless times on your training year - usually it's 'Don't smile until Christmas' though. I think there's some truth to the sentiment in the sense that you have to go in extremely hard for the first 2 months with a new class I would say. That's something I learnt in my NQT year. I'm not naturally assertive so I did try and win the favour of pupils through smiling, joking, being lenient. Completely doesn't work with any class other than maybe a 6th form class. Even top set year 7s who are usually dream classes can take the piss if they work out you're too soft, and they always do at some point.

I'm in my 4th teaching year now and 4 weeks into this new school year I've not had to give any detentions at all. All my classes know they can't piss about. How have I done this? Expectations, routine and praise. You have to be utterly relentless. Even stuff like kids coming late, interrupting you even once, you have to clamp down on it, let them know it's rude and explain why it's rude. The minute you accept that then it's a hard way back.

You'll never have perfect classes - there's usually one or two per class to keep your eye on but stamp them out quickly and it makes a lot of difference.

[CornerFlag]

In regards to the 'not smiling til Christmas/Easter' bit, every single one of the teachers who've mentioned it have said how it's pretty much complete bollocks to do it, and how to keep the kids onside a much better method is keeping the kids friendly without being their friend.  Even the worst kids need the gentle touch in terms of improving their behaviour at times but the strategy fully depends on the circumstances at the time.  There's one kid who pretty much walks about with a ruler and will use it as a weapon (not in a 'beat the fuck out of someone' way but prodding and poking constantly) so even though I'm a trainee with four days' experience I've already made it clear that I have no problem with seeing it in the classroom but I expect never to see it in the corridors, which apparently won me over with the class teacher I was with.  Prevention being better than cure and all that.  Good kid but thinks he can be as rough with the other kids as he can with his siblings at home.

[TepidT2O]

You have to remember that these guys have taken years to build up their reputation and repertoire.

What you might see now is not necessarily what you would see when they first started at the school.

[TepidT2O]

Lost my bloody voice..

Never happened before...


I’m just grunting and pointing now... (little change I’m told)

[rakey_lfc]

Lost my bloody voice..

Never happened before...


I’m just grunting and pointing now... (little change I’m told)

Apparently its known as differentiated questioning to challenge the Higher Ability Pupils! Ofsted love it

[TepidT2O]

Apparently its known as differentiated questioning to challenge the Higher Ability Pupils! Ofsted love it

Year 13 were in hysterics....

Maybe those years of taking the piss out of them have come home to roost??

[cornishscouser92]

Just got my laptop from school and thus school emails. I've unlinked my email from my phone after 42 emails in a single day.

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

Just popped in to say you teachers are heroes. My mum was a teacher and I saw how hard it is (she wasn't in a good school!) and a few mates have gone into it and find it difficult. Saints, the lot of you (most of you anyway, there's always some bastards ).

[CraigDS]

GF has just gone into her second year teaching. Taught A-Level in her first year at a really good college but was only on a maternity cover contract, but got a job at a great school teaching Y7/8/10 and A-Level this year.

She's just heard from QTLS that her submission (not sure what it's called!) was picked out as one of the top 10 in the country, plus just before her head came to her and asked if she'd join their advanced teacher group (again, not sure if I've called that by its correct name!). Apparently she's their youngest teacher they've ever asked.

To say she's buzzing is an understatement 


Echo what Sam said above too - no idea how anyone teaches, would fucking kill me!!

[Skidder.]

Have a trial by fire at teaching drama to 7-14 year olds over the weekend (cover) and am looking forward to it - it has been a while mind you, but I think if I can get past the first 10 minutes and keep their attention, then I will be okay.

Pretty nervous, not gonna lie, as this could lead to more work and the pay is above excellent.

Have my plans down, but wondering if there are any resources that drama/english cover teachers use.

[CornerFlag]

I hate this.  Head's just not in it at all.

[TepidT2O]

I hate this.  Head's just not in it at all.

How do you mean mate?

[Lady_brandybuck]

I hate this.  Head's just not in it at all.

I know the feeling mate. I am exhausted already and we are nowhere close to the end of this bimester. It's been a tough year even when this group of kids, so far, aren't little shits, except probably one or two.

[CornerFlag]

How do you mean mate?

Just not enjoying it, I'm only preparing 8 lessons a week but it's sending my anxieties through the roof when I think I'm half-arsing the prep work.  I'm feeling like I'm missing seeing my little boy grow up or being as involved as I could be with the amount of paperwork tied in with the assignments in uni, plus my mental health is suffering and making my physical health suffer too.  Had depression before and been great recently but can feel the start of the tipping point kick in so I'm just wondering whether it's worth continuing, already feel like when the time comes as an NQT at the end of the year I don't want to go on and teach.

[tommy LFC]

Haven't been in this thread for quite a while. I'm now teaching abroad and really enjoying it. I've got Year 1 kids, only 12 of them!

The thing I miss most about teaching at home is the structure and long term, school wide. Most things outside my classroom seem to be done on a whim here! It's been over 4 years (on and off) now and I'm starting to make plans to go back.

[TepidT2O]

Just not enjoying it, I'm only preparing 8 lessons a week but it's sending my anxieties through the roof when I think I'm half-arsing the prep work.  I'm feeling like I'm missing seeing my little boy grow up or being as involved as I could be with the amount of paperwork tied in with the assignments in uni, plus my mental health is suffering and making my physical health suffer too.  Had depression before and been great recently but can feel the start of the tipping point kick in so I'm just wondering whether it's worth continuing, already feel like when the time comes as an NQT at the end of the year I don't want to go on and teach.

Are you enjoying the teaching, the interaction with the kids, the bits in the classroom?

[CornerFlag]

Are you enjoying the teaching, the interaction with the kids, the bits in the classroom?

Pretty much, though leading the class does take me out of my comfort zone quite a lot.

[TepidT2O]

Pretty much, though leading the class does take me out of my comfort zone quite a lot.

It does, and that can take a bit of time to get used to...

Hang in there, you haven’t been at it long enough to experience the joy of teaching.  Don’t worry too much about the box ticking on your course, and make sure that you get a school that doesn’t just require you to tick boxes.

When you’ve taught a gcse class and you se them get their result... you see the rewards of your actions then, and it’s quite something.

[CornerFlag]

It does, and that can take a bit of time to get used to...

Hang in there, you haven’t been at it long enough to experience the joy of teaching.  Don’t worry too much about the box ticking on your course, and make sure that you get a school that doesn’t just require you to tick boxes.

When you’ve taught a gcse class and you se them get their result... you see the rewards of your actions then, and it’s quite something.

Gonna try, prepped the lessons for Monday, only one on Tuesday and two for Wednesday (and two of those are on space, my real love) and then helping at a prize day on the Thursday so there's not a lot this week, plus I'm going to try for an appointment with a GP regarding the mental health aspect that it's affecting.

[CornerFlag]

So yeah, I'm on anti-depressants now.

[UntouchableLuis]

So yeah, I'm on anti-depressants now.

Whatever you need for your health mate. This is a profession that can take a large toll on mental health - there's a lot of constant worries and anxieties that are often out of your control.

[Oscarmac]

Mind yourself mate!

[CornerFlag]

I'm trying, just hard to juggle a lot of things.  It's one of those, I don't want to waste anyone's time by keeping it going when I don't have the heart to carry it on as a profession, and the levels my depression can go I don't want to be subjected to that too.  But the wanting to teach and make a difference is still there, just everything else that comes with it and the effect it has on me (and I'm sure others) is just becoming too much.  I knew I'd bring the work home with me, but the level of paperwork is climbing, the uni side of things is already me playing catch-up, it affects things at home.  If there wasn't so much riding on it, I'd have said 'fuck it' a long time ago.

[JamesG L4]

I'm trying, just hard to juggle a lot of things.  It's one of those, I don't want to waste anyone's time by keeping it going when I don't have the heart to carry it on as a profession, and the levels my depression can go I don't want to be subjected to that too.  But the wanting to teach and make a difference is still there, just everything else that comes with it and the effect it has on me (and I'm sure others) is just becoming too much.  I knew I'd bring the work home with me, but the level of paperwork is climbing, the uni side of things is already me playing catch-up, it affects things at home.  If there wasn't so much riding on it, I'd have said 'fuck it' a long time ago.

For many teachers, the hardest time is both the PGCE or equivalent year, then the first year as an NQT. All I can say is it does get easier as you get more experienced. It’s a very idealistic vocation, but the actual chalk face is so tough it can be exhausting to reconcile the initial optimism with the demanding work in the classroom.

I’m ten years in and love the job, but make no mistake, whilst it gets easier it never gets easy. Watch your mental health, remember you are still learning and be kind to yourself when things don’t go to plan.

Work on becoming robust - thick skin goes a long way in teaching.

[McrRed]

It's the season for Xmas parties. What are your experiences of affairs, contretemps and indelicacies?

[TepidT2O]

It's the season for Xmas parties. What are your experiences of affairs, contretemps and indelicacies?

My first head had an affair with the SENCO who was also on the SMT.

every one knew, even the local authority inspector who came to see us asked if he was still knocking her off....

Very little otherwise..

Oh, apart form the time the deputy head of English tired to lick red wine of my crotch,... she was very very very drunk...

A long time ago that...

[McrRed]

My first head had an affair with the SENCO who was also on the SMT.

every one knew, even the local authority inspector who came to see us asked if he was still knocking her off....

Very little otherwise..

Oh, apart form the time the deputy head of English tired to lick red wine of my crotch,... she was very very very drunk...

A long time ago that...

Now that's what I'm talking about.

Wine? I always avoided the scurrilous gossip. But now I find it have a taste for it.

[CornerFlag]

For many teachers, the hardest time is both the PGCE or equivalent year, then the first year as an NQT. All I can say is it does get easier as you get more experienced. It’s a very idealistic vocation, but the actual chalk face is so tough it can be exhausting to reconcile the initial optimism with the demanding work in the classroom.

I’m ten years in and love the job, but make no mistake, whilst it gets easier it never gets easy. Watch your mental health, remember you are still learning and be kind to yourself when things don’t go to plan.

Work on becoming robust - thick skin goes a long way in teaching.

Working on it, two weeks left of the term then I'm in another school.  I struggle with changes so it could go either way if it's a good or bad thing.  On Thursday I had three lessons, and tried to give the lower-ability year 7's some fun activities (stand up and imagine you're molecules) and it went fairly badly when they were 'vibrating' as I raised the temperature and they thought it fun to knock someone over (thank god no-one was hurt) so I just ended it there and then and made them copy off a handout.  The supervising teacher apparently could see the relief in my face when it was over!

[cornishscouser92]

Hi all,

Just a question: I'm currently training and I've just had my alternative placement phase review, they've given me some very contradictory feedback in my standards and gave me an 'adequate' rating in my placement engagement.

I really, really disagree with it, should I mention in to my professional mentor at my home school?

My worry saying something is I will appear as the bitter person who can't take criticism & I'm questioning professional judgement as that is incredibly far from the truth.

Cheers

[TepidT2O]

Yes, do.

This quite often happens... it’s often bewildering to both parties...