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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to think that not being allowed to sit down whilst teaching is insane!

157 replies

Supermummy88 · 11/10/2024 21:31

Good evening all,

I’m a head of department in a secondary school where the work load has become horrendous. We have a new senior assistant head and he has made some awful changes and has increased work load by about 50%. Last week he made a complaint that he saw a number of teachers sitting down during lessons and that it’s not acceptable and that we should not be sitting down at all during any stage of the lesson apart from doing the register. I physically can’t stand for hours, but he doesn’t seem to care and thinks that teachers are not doing their job properly unless they are consistently circulating the classroom. I’m very close to giving up teaching completely and finding another career and I feel this has given me more of a reason to just leave.

What do you all think about this?

OP posts:
Readmorebooks40 · 11/10/2024 21:40

Absolutely ridiculous. I teach P2 which does require me to be on my feet most of the day but I still need my desk to collect and jot down the kids dinner money, to hear readers, to mark and make notes when the kids go home etc. Even just somewhere to put my stuff. Plus physically some teachers will be unable to stand for long periods of time. Your head sounds awful. Terrible for staff morale & well being.

Philandbill · 11/10/2024 21:39

Union advice?

liquidsquidli · 11/10/2024 21:38

In world at a school like that. It's bollocks. I didn't last long. Especially when the subject directors and SLT sat down all the time.

I can see presence is needed. But do I have stand for two hours in front to 4 6th formers?

The only thing you can do is leave - teaching enables numerous Power crazed lunatics who delude them selves with quack pot theories and applaud their own brilliance whilst denounce everyone else as incompetent

bzarda · 11/10/2024 21:37

Totally stupid. What about when you're live marking under the visualiser? Or helping a student in the front row? I think the mark of strong behaviour management is a teacher who can control the room from her chair. Not everything has to be all singing/all dancing to be effective. Not to mention the practical issues for those with hidden disabilities or other issues - I spent most of my third trimester doing sitting down teaching because I was so tired and physically uncomfortable.

sunstreaming · 11/10/2024 21:34

Depends on your subject. BUT I would say that if the students are busy writing/inputting on computers or solving problems, they can be very much 'put off' by the teachers looking over their shoulder. Sometimes I think Sen Management are sooooo keen to make their mark/impact, that they forget the actual reality of how to get the best out of students.

Thewildthingsarewithme · 11/10/2024 21:34

Yeah this was the deal in my last school, teach from the front, stood up for questioning/instructions etc and then circulating the rest of the time, I’ve been out for four years and probably won’t return

Dramatic · 11/10/2024 21:33

Sounds absolutely ridiculous. One of the best teachers I had at secondary school barely left her chair.

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