Staff Room!!!

Day 2 sounds like an eye-opener!

It's always interesting to get joe public's pov which essentially you are providing before you get too used to it!

If that SEN class is a EBD group you might have some of the toughest students to manage all in one room together!

It could be useful to see this group or some of the students with other teachers to see what they are like and then you can decide your parameters.

Do the school do the strike/tally system where names go up on the board and if they accumulate so many they are sent out?

Have the school booked you on a classroom management course? There are ones designed especially for cover supervisors. An assertive discipline course would also be beneficial ime.

Thankyou ladies. I get the impression that I won't have to cover SEN lessons for a while on my own, so I'll keep an eye out for them and hopefully once I get to know them, it won't be quite so bad!

I was really shocked at how little respect they gave the teacher and she kept looking at me, worried! She also apologised at the end of the lesson. I was already getting vibes from the TA before the lesson that it was going to be bad too!

They were out of control! One was sitting at the piano in the corner, thankfully he couldn't switch it on, so it wasn't noisy, but he just would not get off it. Another took the door stop and was just thumping it on the table. One insisted on keep pressing the 'next' button on the presentation the teacher was trying to do. That, with at least 8 children flitting in and out opf the room, it was really quite horrid. Tell me this isn't the norm? I'm used to little people crying if I shout too much!

One way to get quiet is to tap into what some primaries do, and stand there with your hand raised, until they al put their hands up. Looking at your watch is a good one, but difficult in the last lesson of the day.

We changed our day from 2:1:2 which was hideous to 2:2:1, which worked better,as at least you get 4 decent lessons in, and only one is a waste, and even then it depends on the group.

SEN classes are always difficult, as it depends what their particular special needs are. I taught 1 class of SEN year 10s and kept them in year 11. There were about 11 of them and I had 3-4 TAs and the HoD peering through the door to see if I could cope with them. They all passed their GCSE with me, once we had established who was boss.

With SEN you have to be on the ball all the time, and how you seat them can also make a difference. Giving time limits for a task can help, and making the instructions very clear and simple.

This may be an horrendous class and the teacher may normally take that long to settle them. Ask her what the deal is with the class, she'll tell you.

ohhhh lots of typos - sorry!

Our day is split 4 lesson am and 2 pm. This is ok but p6 they are shattered. I used to work in a school that had 4 period ibn the morning, 1 straight after lunch and then assembly & reg. It was brilliant because any probs during the day could be followed up during assembly/reg time. Also it meant that when the kids were at their most tored they could have bit of quiet time in Assembly.

OK, Day 2, question 2!

How long to you give a class to get quiet before you call in re-inforcements?

I've just sat in on a Year 8 class for the last period and they were hideous! Admittedly, they were all SEN of some degree or another, but they were truely awful. It look the teacher nearly half an hour to even start the lesson, but the 2 TA's spent most of the lesson following students in and out of the classroom, who just refused to listen.

Another question!

How does your school split its timetable? We have 4 lessons in the morning and 1 in the afternoon. The last lesson, going on only 2 days experience, seem to be a complete waste of time, because they have no attention left at all!

That's all happening tomorrow apparently. The school is in special measures atm and we (5 of us) are their first bunch of Cover Supervisors. The HR lady that was supposed to be with us today, had to do interviews for TA's all day, so we were kinda left to just observe. Not the best start, but I think there are an awful lot of changes afoot and the only way is up I suppose!

Trouble is, my dd goes to the newly awarded, Outstanding school in the borough and I know what they stand for, so I'm trying hard not to make comparasions!

Have they also given you a copy of the rewards and sanctions policy and has someone talked you through it? It's good to know what systems are in place so you can use them confidently.

*little control, not contract!

Thanks Heated. I've seen the countdown tactick twice today, very effective! Funny isn't it, how the one who did that, never raised her voice once and the guy who had little contract, kept shouting! They weren't naughty, as such, just loud!

Our can only be kept back for 10 mins too, so I'll bare that one in mind! I suppose you have to find the fine line between being friendly and being in charge. Hopefully that will come.

I did see one or two choice lads, who just flatly refused to do anything, other than get on everyones nerves. The teacher started by trying to get them to do something, but just ended up ignoring them and getting on with the others. One lad was pulling things off the wall and banging his foot constantly on a filing cabinet. I wan't to knock his head off frankly, but it was just ignored!

Stand and wait in a purposeful manner, looking at your watch, but don't say anything...

Or, stop everything they are doing, pens down etc, and make them sit quietly for 3 or 4 minutes. Make sure they are completely still and silent before starting anything else.

I find Y7 more wearing than any other year tbh

Oh congrats on starting the job. Sounds like not a bad first day.

Practice breathing fire!

With the last lesson of the day you have the sword of Damocles hanging over them because they want to leave on time. You can't keep them back for more than 10 mins at my school but it is a very looooong 10 mins!

Year 7 are also like puppies and respond to simple instructions. Counting 5 down to 1 where everyone had to be sat in their seat, silent, sat upright, facing you works.

Getting to know names (and there are names you'll get to know!) is good as you don't then do the scatter-gun approach, but pick them off one by one.

God, I sound evil, but often humour, jollying them along and rewarding the good helps. My good ones always leave on time which of course is all of them

Hello. I'm new to secondary education, so I was hoping for some pointers over the next couple of weeks! I've just started as a Cover Supervisor and today was my first day! I have observed a yr 7 class today and for all but one of their classes, they we perfectly behaved. Sadly, it was the last lesson that fell apart, so I thought I'd found the perfect kids!

So, clearly, its the teaching that isn't effective, otherwise they'd have been little so and so's all day. OR maybe it was last lesson of the day syndrome?

My first question of many, I suspect is, 'what do you do or say to keep order or restore order, when necessary?

Thanks for your help!

Had her OFTED report today, got mainly 2s and they even said nice things about her Head that none of the parents like!

dd1 had meeting with governors as part of school council! She awas really proud but said they asked hard questions about the local community???

Oh crikey Nymphadora, that sounds worrying!
The boys primary (NB) had their Ofsted report published this week: Outstanding overall, Outstanding in every section, and Outstanding in every subsection except one!
Dh is Chair of Govs, so obviously we are delighted.

Very loooong week.

My kids school has been OFTEDed this week and dd1 has said inspectors were in loads of her lessons, doesn't sound too good for them, loads of stuff was getting checked on and most of the parents I spoke to had slated the head on the questionnaire.

Happy Friday everybody!

blimey that was a long week and there was an INSET day on Monday!

only 6 more to half term and at least my year 9 were all industrious and motivated when the Head 'popped in' period 5!

I need another cup of tea.

Elasticwoman - we have lots of Plymouth Brethren in our school. They are not allowed to eat in front of the other children. Do use computers and watch videos if part of curriculum though. They are all, withour exception, really lovely children.

We don't have any appraisals, the excuse/reason being that there is 40 of us and only 8 teachers or 3 SMT to do it

I am supply teaching primary and secondary, and also have some regular supply work teaching in a school for Plymouth Brethren. I'm confident they won't read anything I say about them on here, because they regard the Internet as the work of the devil. They don't have tv, radio, recorded music, and discourage tertiary education for their children. All the girls have long hair and none of their women ever wear trousers, so I am required to wear a skirt to school.

I'm a TA in secondary (one year into job). I have had 1 but to be honest it didn't serve any purpose at all & was just a (badly designed) paper exercise

In our school all staff (including all support staff) have two 'performance management reviews' (i.e. appraisals) every year.

Just found this thread. I'm a TA in a village primary. Just started back after Easter break. Seven weeks to get through now.
I have a question about appraisals for TA's. I have never had one in 4 1/2 years and neither have any of my colleagues (except teachers) Is this normal?

Soooooooo hard going back to work. Have been ill over hols (still not really better from last illness really) and am knackered now so who knows what I will be like by the end of MAy!

I am also organising staff night out for Sat and NEVER again, turned into Pita chasing people up all the time.

I have my HLTA assessment next Monday and still have work to finish for that and will be in a flap by then. And no idea what I am doing in Sept yet, if I stay where I am I have asked for a floating role (odd days in different classes) and an extra day a week. Which will be getting organised soon BUT am hoping to leave and just waiting for jobs to come up!