Any teachers around?

[Martha200]

Not really about me, but my 'little' sister NQT, has just (well officially tomorrow) starts at her school and she spent her time in the holidays or inset day, as the school printers were down doing her displays on her printer, as she needed them done but of course it was her ink, paper etc. Is that something she should accept or is it possible to get something back in return? She hasn't complained but I feel a bit sorry for her as I know she is a strapped for cash at the moment and the effort she has put into it knowing the school still expected her to do a display etc but not have the facilities to help her seems a bit off.

Curious to know if many teachers pay for things out of their pocket a lot of the time now?

[kennythekangaroo]

Yes. A little bit here, a little bit there but it all adds up. I don't print much at home but do some. It's buying the odd poster/pens/pots/book/ingredients/stickers etc that add up more. I claim back things that cost over about £5 but not the little things. I do spend less than I did as an NQT (obviously not a conscientious).

[twentypence]

I would say for her to replace a ream of paper and a printer cartridge and take the receipt into the school.

I work PT in a school and do my lesson plans, and handouts at home as I don't have a school laptop - I just claim for 1 cartridge and 1 ream of paper a year and they are fine about it. I also do the same for some charity work I do.

[AbbeyA]

I pay for quite a bit. I try to print at school, especially colour but it often doesn't work out that way. I just tend to supply the small things, e.g. if I wanted to do potato prints I would take in the potatoes and not think to claim.

[Caz10]

spend a fortune and don't get anything back

no-one would dare ask in our school, and although i think they should, i am not brave enough to be the one that starts!

there are umpteen threads about this on TES - some people spend a fortune, others refuse...certainly in our school you are expected to have an amazing looking classroom but nothing given to you to help do that...

If she is NQT and doesn't stay in that school next year tell her to make sure she puts her name on everything she has produced at home and takes it with her at the end of the year!!

[Martha200]

Thanks for your replies

Knowing my sister she wont say a thing, but from what I've heard of the Head already or rather her description of, I want to encourage her to test the water a bit and start out with a confident request.

I know she is old enough and all that to look out for herself, but still I can't help but try and be helpful if I can

Hey, Caz10, how is your baby doing? Not so little anymore now?! (sorry, I remember you distinctly from the bf threads, and were a great inspiration in my own journey with bf (which didn't last too long, but reading your updates etc, did help me considerablywith my ds who is a little younger)

[Caz10]

Hi Martha! Thanks for asking, and what a kind thing to say, glad I was of help, I always thought I was just on here getting help from everyone else so glad I could pay some back!

dd is 9mths and - gasp! - still bf-ing!! I can hardly believe it myself! She does get some formula during the day when I am at work but it hasn't seemed to affect me still feeding her morning and night.

Your sister's dilemma is a very common one unfortunately, and I think too as an NQT you feel pressure to have an all-singing all dancing classroom. She can use the excuse of being new, ask the head to clarify school policy for her. It's one of these areas in schools I think heads conveniently turn a blind eye to, and it stinks to be honest, e.g. we have to show the head what we are going to laminate (control freak) and he says no to most of it, then we get pulled up for having poor displays etc.... As I said, just make sure she takes it all with her, it pays off after the 1st year then you have boxes of stuff you can just whack up in your next classroom.

[fizzbuzz]

Why is she doing displays?

That is one of thejobs identified in recent workplace reform that is NOT the job of a teacher.

We have a display technician in our school, and all printing/paper etc is funded through a school budget.

I don't know anyone in a staff or 150 in our school, who would print off stuff for display on a home printer. Preparation and stiff, yes, but not display stuff. We are advised to print off as much of our stuff at school as we can. But if that is unavoidable, we can get a ream of paper and a cartridge from the school

[Caz10]

fizzbuzz, no such ruling up here in Scotland!

Do all schools have someone to do their displays?? !!

[fizzbuzz]

Are you sure??? I thought Scotland was usually ahead of the game in all things teachery

Am going off to investigate union website

[Caz10]

to cat64 at the ream of paper in handbag! Done that before, but been soooooooo scared!

Teaching is a bit of a weirdy profession for people getting all possessive and funny over stationery isn't it?

[fizzbuzz]

number 8 here

Doesn't say anything about not applying to Scotland.....although I know things can be different up there. But it was a national agreement....

[Caz10]

Aah we are all in EIS union, also all Scottish Exec guidelines etc.

I like the word "routinely" put in at the top!!

[AbbeyA]

I love doing displays so it isn't a job that I want someone else to do.

[fizzbuzz]

Caz10, have just re read your posts. What you say on them is really shocking.

I cannot believe you ahve to ask the head about whetehr to laminate something or not

Isn't he paid a head's salary to deal with bigger issues than this????

Is it not a nice place to work? We just submit anything for lamination that we want (Well, I don't, I teach DT and we have 3 or 4 laminators in our dept).

It sounds quite scary for you If our head dared to say anything about any diplays the unions would savage him to bits! But he wouldn't say anything anyway.....

This sounds very like work place bullying to me.....

[fizzbuzz]

Yes, I am secondary. I meant I couldn't believe you had to show anything you wanted to laminate to your head. Surely he must have more important tasks to do?!! Like dealing with naughty children

Does he rule by fear?

[Caz10]

No, he is just a bit of a saddo control freak tbh - and our budget has been cut by a huge amount the past few years, we still have no new jotters etc atm. It's a lovely place to work, but there is just no spare money and we can't be wasteful with the resources. I think an NQT a few years ago laminated everything that was standing still and used the whole year's supply for everyone in her 1st couple of weeks!

I totally agree with cat64, esp in smaller schools, we have 1 classroom assistant (TA I think) for 7 classes! If you submitted your laminates to her she'd whack you round the head with them! .

You can give her photocopying, but it's far quicker to do it yourself, and we all have our own codes anyway.

[fizzbuzz]

Well, if it is any consolation our repro technician is similar.

He is fantatical about people using the wrong colour paper for stuff. As I work in a very large secondary school, we once had a colour copier. However only he was allowed to touch it, and you had to give 2 months notice or something. It never got used.

He has also been known to boobytrap the stationery cupboard, even though he is the only person with a key for it.

[Caz10]

what is it with people in schools and stationery?!

the lady in the office where I used to work would ask "how many?" if you asked for paper clips!!!

[twentypence]

The temptation must have been there to say 72 or something and watch her count the things!

[Martha200]

Just popped back to say my sister found your advice all very useful that I passed on.

Apparently her Head has a thing about displays and gave an inspection to all the staff on their first day my sister even had a list of instructions on how displays must be displayed, because this woman is so particular (I believe this stems from the last ofsted report somehow) My sister has a TA who is thinking about training to be a teacher and is keen, so she plans as he has a brain and trusts him to take on the displays. Meanwhile she has enjoyed her first few days of proper work with a nice sounding class of children and parents who aren't hassling her (yet and is frustrated already by the hand in ones class plans 2 weeks ahead of carrying them out, as she just has met the children and no idea of their individual ability so has this feeling it will be planning and re planning all the way so very time consuming.
(guess you ladies can empathise.)

Caz10 - so glad the feeding thing is going well and with being back to work.

[Heated]

Hand in lesson plans 2 weeks in advance!! That's unreasonable imo. If someone is going to observe me I will do a lesson plan, otherwise what the heck is a planner and a scheme of work for? Talk about creating work for the sake of it.

Not all schools are like this tell your sister. Glad to hear her classes are ok.

[Littlefish]

Martha200 - handing in plans 2 weeks ahead, or in fact, planning 2 weeks ahead is bad practice in my opinion. It means that you are not adapting your ideas as you go along to cater for the children's achievements, difficulties or interests.

Where I'm working, We are encouraged to create a broad plan for a week with a clear starting point, based on our knowledge of the children, but to review it each day and alter the next day's work accordingly. Our plans are all on display in the classroom, but are covered in handwritten notes, deletions and additions.