So, there aren't enough teachers to fill the vacancies, not surprised.

Oh my god (yes I said it), YES! Absolutely 100% I would give up the amount of holidays if I didn't have to do anything on an evening or on a weekend. That would be impossible though unless they gave us smaller classes and/or employed more teachers. I work 8-6 in school every day (plus more at home on an evening and weekend) so 9-5 would make a lovely change even with less holidays.

I always compare our work schedule to interval training. It is bursts of full on working 60 hours a week then a holiday followed by the same again. Same as when you are doing interval training you take the first few seconds of rest to recover and get back to feeling normal (being unwell as soon as the holidays start) and the last few seconds mentally gearing yourself up for the next intense session (planning towards the back of the holidays). One week off sounds lovely to non-teachers but in reality Monday and Tuesday are spent recovering/being unwell/winding down and Thursday and Friday are spent worrying/planning/catching up on paperwork. There's only really Wednesday that feels like an actual day off.

 

How many years ago did you leave school as teaching has changed tons in the past 10 years alone. How would it physically be possible to be on the p**s every night and doing school placements which are massively intense? When I was training, everyone on my course was up until at least 2am every single night planning not partying. Planning a single lesson takes 2-3 hours when you are first starting out, when you have 5 lessons to plan a day (4 page lesson plans) plus 150 books to mark on an evening, plus 'reflections' (a4 page) on each lesson (load of b0llocks!), plus resources to make then anyone who finds time to even eat their tea never mind party then good on them I say. Most people on teaching courses find that they can't hold down a part time job whilst on placements as there simply isn't time so they don't have any money to party even if they somehow had the imaginary time in which to do it.

 

This with nobs on. It's perfectly possible, at the same primary school, to have a year 6 teacher who isn't all that good (there are a few out there, not many, but a few) but every pupil in the class exceeds the government targets for maths in their sats, everyone passes and a number of them get really good grades, because it's a really bright class.

A couple of years later there's a new teacher in year six who is enthusiastic, committed and just an all round fantastic teacher, but a number of the pupils just miss out on the expected grade, because in this particular year quite a lot of the children struggle and haven't got the same aptitude. The teaching of maths this year has actually been far better, the time and effort dedicated to each child has been much higher, but the results are poorer because there wasn't the same natural talent.

Suddenly, jobs are on the line, of both this fantastic teacher and the headteacher who replaced a poor teacher with a very good one.

 

The other thing is they get marked down if kids are off - if they aren't there they can't pass tests to meet targets, so targets not met.

As you say - jobs are now on the line. All makes for a good educational environment....

 

Oh this was in the 1970's, I'm an old codger now

 

You obviously didn't see the 'about as much basis in fact' comment which meant that it was a load of boll0cks

 

Our lass goes to work come what may. She was once having an asthma attack, couldn't breathe and I had to physically restrain her from getting in the car, ring the school to say she wasn't coming in and take her to the hospital. If it snows she opens up. If the roads are closed, she'd walk to open it up. 7 miles. She's devoted to the point of being mental. When she opens up on snow days a lot of parents don't or can't bring their kids in. It's a rural community, there's kids coming from quite a way away in small hamlets that are more or less cut off by the snow, or they live down little tracks or on farms, but she makes sure it's open for the kids that live in the village. She'll get a maximum of 50% attendance throughout the school on such a day, often much less. This severely impacts the attendance figures for the year and takes the school below the government targets, for which she gets in trouble. If she closed the school it would have no impact on attendance figures as it would be counted as though everyone is there. If the school is closed there's hell to pay from parents and disparaging articles in the local media, if the school remains open attendance figures are shot to **** and Ofsted come down throwing their weight around.

They simply cannot win.

 

Generalised Targets. Most pointless thing ever in education, leads to bad practice and situations you've outlined there. But at least the govt of the day can say they are 'doing something'

 

Teachers summed up in a nutshell. My wife gives everything to her school. Whilst I was watching a programme on Star Wars last night and posting about my A-level coursework and tits she was in the other room working. Till late. Like every other night.

 

Yup. Gone at some ridiculous hour in the morning, back home way past the time everyone else gets home and then sat planning, marking, doing figures etc.

However, there is an alternative explanation to all this. Our wives might not like us very much!

 

Well I was sent home this morning. My wisdom tooth was impacted so I had my tooth removed yesterday around 12ish. I went into school at 1:15pm for the afternoon session (it was my PPA so no direct teaching) and our fun 'twilight' meeting until 6pm (our second meeting of the week) even though I was dribbling blood and my mouth was numb. I went to work this morning pain-killered up (which are doing nothing for me) and got sent straight back home as everyone thought I was for crackers going in. I did have a little melt down though (due to no food and about 3 hours sleep in the last 48 hours) which might have had something to do with it!

 

Exactly this. When education becomes a commodity, students become consumers who have to be catered for and indulged. It is an ideological shift

 

even English has a big shortfall:

http://www.theguardian.com/educatio...chers-new-schools-crisis-uk-trainee-shortfall

 

12% English

11% Maths.

 

Good point well made. Can't blame em really. If only she'd gone in to a career where my unlikeability had driven her to making us rich.

 

We've advertised 3 times for a teacher to cover a maternity period and twice received no applicants and the 3rd time received applications from 2 people - of which neither were qualified teachers!! We also had huge problems trying to find 3 permanent teachers last year, we wanted experience but ended up taking on 3 NQTs (and 2 of those were on placement at the school where our new head came from).

 

Amen to that.

 

Irony levels approaching critical.....

 

Bang on.

Thankfully (I think) my wife got out after 18 months. 4 years training, 1 year NQT & then that's it. Doesn't want to do it because of the impact it had on her life, relationships & even health. I'm happy she did so because it's a hiding to nothing.

Nothing but respect for the mental that do it. Deserve (and I mean it deserve) at least double what they get for half the hours they do.

 

What's she moved on to ?

Asking for a friend...