BBC News - Teachers' unions vote in favour of strike action over workload

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crl6xr76xkdo

Here's hoping for real change to come from this!

I've just had my inset day at my new school as an ECT1. It's a school with an EAL majority, predominantly students from Pakistan and the surr region, with 29 different languages spoken at home.

I'm absolutely papping myself about name pronunciation. I'm from a town where there were two kids of colour in my entire year and I'm going to get it wrong because I've not come across a huge number of these names before.

How can I help myself with getting it right and remembering the pronunciation across all my classes?

You have to report suspicion of having a knife to the DSL 👍 thanks government, I never would have realised!

Also the Cass review/social transition stuff... don't get me started

I'm thinking of starting a Fantasy Football league for my students to join if they wish. All I would do is have the code on a display for them to join the league with when they aren't in school. There is no avenue for communication, they can't message me through it, I can't message them through it.

The only information they're able to see is my first name (which I don't really care about) and what team I've picked for that game week and vice versa.

Would this be fine to do?

Hi,

I’m joining a new school next week and want to be set up by the end of tomorrow but it’s looking unlikely. Would it be weird to text the head and ask if I can bring a helper to do some admit for me?

I don’t want to make a weird impression but I have a teacher buddy who would be willing to do some displays for me tomorrow whilst I sort out the first week books etc

Don’t we all suffer the same old conversations over and over again anytime we return from a break?

“How was your holidays?
Yeah good relaxing what about you?
Did you do anything nice?
Can’t believe we’re back already…
Went by too quick”

I don’t want to come across rude to any of my colleagues but I despise these types of conversations.

Anyone got any creative solutions for this?😂

Perhaps better questions/responses or advice for escaping these conversations without coming across as too unsociable…

Anyone got any tips for asking to leave at half term rather than the end of term?

What is communication like between you and your job share partner? Do you talk much? Is it via emails or do you have a phone call or do you meet in person? And how often?

Thank you if anyone can help!!

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone knows where the eligible schools list is for this year? Last year it was on the gov website but I can't find it this year.

So here’s the thing…. I moved into my classroom last year and had to give it a deep clean as it had been a bit unloved. Through the course of this year I have not been cleaning it as I believe it’s not my job. A cleaner goes in and hoovers but nothing else. Desks are never clean and the windows, shelves and skirtinga are covers in dust and cobwebs.

When I raised it with my HoF, I was told that she never has a problem as she does does it herself at the end of each day to keep on top of it.

Surely it’s not down to me? As someone with ADHD I barely keep on top of the household chores at home and so I’m not bloody doing it at school!

Hi everyone,

I'm 14 years in and have been a HOY for 5 years. I teach a core subject at secondary school (Independent).

I go back tomorrow and a lot of my summer has been plagued with worry and anxiety about going back. It's mainly down to my HOY role which I no longer enjoy, is getting harder and harder and I simply don't get enough time in my timetable for it.

Does anyone else feel this way? Particularly middle leaders. I just don't know if I have the capacity any more to juggle all these plates. I also have a 2 year old kid at home so that's added a new layer where I feel I'm heading for burnout. The thought of trying to teach good lessons, mark, set homework, manage pastoral issues, deal with parents, manage a tutor team etc is getting me down.

What advice could you give me? Also, if I do decide eventually to drop my HOY role, how much notice do you think is reasonable so the school can find a replacement?

Thanks!

Nothing explicitly stated. Casual clothes acceptable? (ECT 1 for reference).

I know that nothing is ever finished in this job, but for my own peace of mind, how much is 'good enough'? At what point can I say 'it's as good as it's likely to get' or 'as much as I need to get done'?

For example, I've got most of the first 1-2 days back planned . . . but I was hoping to start on Tuesday with 2 weeks of planning done, and that won't happen now. So I'm feeling lowkey guilty about relaxing on a Sunday afternoon (and staying up late earlier this week) and it is very difficult to get that stupid teacher guilt to shut up.

I’m stepping up to the role of Chair of Governors for our LAB across 2 Primary Schools in our Trust.
Would be great to understand if there is anything that previous Chair’s have done within your setting which have been beneficial in supporting the Head. Our Executive head is under a huge amount of pressure and I want to make sure I’m doing a good job from the start.

I'm wondering if there is some kind of statutory requirements for schools to run the weekly CPD session?

Teachers are thoroughly trained and, if they are any good at all, should be constantly thinking about how things are going, and making incremental improvements, in a self-motivated fashion. My genuine belief is most teachers want to be good, so they do this, and their personal reflection is better for them than most things, and that they would ask for help otherwise.

There are a lot of "extras" we do, without extras money. Why do we also have to have these weekly sessions?

Furthermore, I rarely have one where it was really helpful. Often the speaker seems unprepared, or failed by the facilities.

Or, is it just the tool used by SLT to shove the latest ideas from their wheelhouse down our throats?

I've agreed to help out a nearby school, as their sole Spanish linguist is about to leave with nobody to replace them. I'll have a small exam class in their classroom, and me calling in via Teams from many miles away.

I never did live lessons during lockdown, I always used pre-recorded video as I had a newborn at the time. This is obviously far from ideal, but does anyone have tips to make the best of teaching a class in a room via Teams?

Just a curiosity really - what are people’s experiences with this? I did my teacher training in state school during Covid so the setting wasn’t quite usual. Kids stayed put all day and teachers moved around.

Since then I’ve worked in two different private schools and have never had my own classroom - current school is a big site so often I’m arriving after the kids and just have to adapt my teaching to whatever room I’m in. Technology can often fail when I get there so that’s another 5-10 minutes of faffing around after that. It’s not a massive issue but definitely not ideal - I’d love to be able to use dynamic seating and move tables around without using up too much class time, and be able to display the work my classes do! I’d like to have a stash of spare pens in a drawer and know they’ll still be there next lesson!

I went to state school and remember all my teachers having a specific room. Is this a private school thing? An old buildings thing? If I were to move schools again, having my own classroom would definitely be a priority.

I am just starting my first year as an ECT with my own Year 2 class. My school is pretty small and laid back, rural, not a lot of money, but really great people (I was in it during my PGCE year)

I'm finding my feet post PGCE, and one of the things I'm struggling with is actually knowing when to do things- my PGCE year was frantic, so it's about finding a happy medium now.

I planned basically the whole of September over summer, but now I'm realising it isn't all going to work for a variety of reasons. That's fine, I can adapt it- but how far in advance should I be planning things? I know what topics and units I need to cover form now until the end of the academic year. I have the school's medium term planners, but that's basically it, there is no bank of lesson plans or anything.

Should I be doing more? Less?

i’m about to start my ECT year as a secondary english teacher and one thing that is stressing me out is board displays.

My inset is tuesday, so i wanted to try and go in tomorrow and do my room up a bit but i have no idea!

I can probably find some ideas online but i have no clue how people actually make them!

Do i have to go and buy a backing for the display from a shop?
Do you use like microsoft word to make the font that you print out in colour?
Do you use staplers or glue to put it up?
would i need to buy a laminator for posters?

Literally any tips or help on doing these ahead of tomorrow would be amazing !

If someone could describe how they do it in layman’s terms that’d be great . thank you

Hi all,

I’m feeling really stuck on this issue and would like any insights yall may have to offer.

I have a full time cover position for the 1st half term in September.

I am due to begin a course in September that requires me to attend 1 day per week.

I mentioned this to the school while I was there before the summer holidays and that I was seeking a part time position instead but they didn’t have any available at the time. When they offered me the position for the 1st half term, I also explained that I would be attending my enrolment at the end of August so won’t know the day of week or my start date for the course till then.

So here’s my dilemma, I have enrolled onto the course now and will definitely have to miss a day of work each week.

Currently, I am not in the financial position to turn down this position as I’ve been out of work due to health and been unable to secure a permanent position for the past year. A friend mentioned maybe calling in sick each week for the day I’ll be studying but I feel really uneasy about that, I don’t think it’s fair or ethical(?? dunno the right word). But because the position is only for a half term and my current (dire) financial position, I’m deeply considering it and feel really stuck. I’m also considering speaking to my consultant at the agency I was booked through to discuss this but I’m unsure if that is a good idea. I expect the school will ask about this in September but they might not as the school is veeery busy.

I really don’t want to lose this position because I dunno how I’ll survive financially but also don’t want to be dishonest with the school.

Do you have any advice on how to approach this? Should I lie to the school and call off sick one day a week or should I tell them and risk not having work/income?

TL/DR: should I call off sick weekly to keep the position so I can attend uni each week or tell the school and risk losing the position and income indefinitely?

Hi everyone,

l'm an ECT RE teacher and I'm looking for advice on how other teachers explicitly teach GCSE Religious Studies writing structures, particularly for students who struggle to know what to write beyond a basic point.

I'm trying to develop a really clear, memorable structure that students can learn almost like a formula, but then expand and adapt depending on the question.

I've been following Peel but have noticed students still act clueless as to what that means despite modelling it. Part of me thinks this is learned helplessness, but if it's so wide, perhaps it's my explanation that isn't the best??

How do you teach students what the exam stems are actually asking them to do?

Would really love some advice!

Almost the start of the school year! INSET day coming up. Why do SLT think its a day for them to give us random quotes , inspirational books they read over summer, or PowerPoint presentations on whatever has inspired them. We are not students, we are adults and just want to get on with our planning, know what the school direction is for the year and pastoral issues and what support is available for pupils and ourselves.

Three schools in and they all seem to have the same theme, will INSET days ever improve?

Update: thank you for all of your replies and insights into INSET day, too many to reply individually 😆.

It looks like most schools schedule in some/little time for prep work but will still spend a lot of time sitting in a large hall going through slides!

New school next week, let's see if there is any improvement to the last two.

Good luck all for next week, and enjoy the last few days of the holidays. Wishing you all a successful new school year.