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Original poster

Am I thinking too deeply about this, or do I have a good point?

38 replies

MaureenMLove · 28/02/2009 15:18

I am a cover supervisor. A teacher has left and he has two classes that need covering each day. Both are English Yr8's and both are very very heavy on the SEN front, either mentally, socially or behaviour wise. They are very difficult children, but I seem to have struck up an understanding with them, so since I am in charge of organising cover each day, I have opted to cover these classes myself.

Due to circumstances beyond the schools control (i.e. end of financial year and no money!) I cannot hire a supply teacher, so I will be taking these classes up until Easter.

Anyway, I spoke to HOF yesterday and she is sending me all the cover work for the next five weeks. They were going to be reading a novel, doing a bit of creative writing off the back of it and finishing with a book review and a poster for the wall.

I have just received an e-mail from her, saying there has been a change of plan and they are now going to write their autobiographies! She even says, 'starting with what their childhood was like'

Some of these children are majorly f'ed up because of their childood. I'm not sure I want the responsibilty of the potential fall out to this! Their max TMG's for this year are mostly 3 with one or two 4's. Should I suggest this topic is not such a good idea or shut up and do as I'm told?

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kickassangel · 08/03/2009 00:28

have skipped to end of thread, so may just be repeating things other people did. tis 'bad form' to change plans so suddenly, the faculty should have plans in place for the entire key stage, but it sounds like you're 'fire fighting' not into long term planning. my sympathies, i've been there.

i led ks3 english so had to do all the planning for this. we did auto. writing (tis compulsory at some stage of the key stage) & used 'boy' by roald dahl as a lead-in. there's also 'my father was a polar bear' by michael morpurgo. boy is quite a long time ago & he did some mad stuff (operations on the kitchen table) and it's in short chapters so you can pick & choose. my father is about a kid who didn't know his father, so could relate to some of your kids.

i know you're not supposed to plan, but there are downloadable resources you can use. not sure if it's still available but 'the grid' from herfordshire is excellent (they were talking about making it a subscription)

hope that helps

Original poster
MaureenMLove · 08/03/2009 00:13

Here it is.

Oh and thankyou Tigermoth. That is definately my school and although I'm a very small fish there, I can assure you, that we are moving in the right direction. We're not actually governed by the council anymore. The foundation that we belong to, have 4 VERY successful schools across SE, one of which got their 2nd Ofsted outstanding last week and they were as low as us 5 years ago.

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Original poster
MaureenMLove · 08/03/2009 00:09

Janeite - I take their bus passes off them! I also count out the pens and count them back in at the end. No-one leaves the classroom, until I've got them all back.

Thanks for the comments again. I did start another thread on Friday, as it all came to a head with me 'teaching' them. I'll link it to here.

We've been doing really basic autobiography stuff tbh. They are drawing and writing on coloured paper for each topic of their lives that they want to include and I'm going to make books out of them before the end of term. They seem to respond well to the drawing and coloured paper thing. Even a girl that usually doesn't do a thing. Drew some lines on her paper and was happy to write a whole page, because she was allowed to write in felt tip!

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janeite · 07/03/2009 15:06

Just noticed I lost a "p" earlier!

janeite · 07/03/2009 15:06

Our lot normally need to be surgically removed from their hats! I often teach barefoot so a lot of my pupils slip their shoes off as soon as they sit down anyway.

I had to give a couple of Yr 11s a packet of felt pens each the other day, as they would have been unable to do their H/W without them and said they had none at home.

Loshad · 07/03/2009 15:02

last school i was at they would leave without hat or coat(or more usually would have neither), however if you offer them a choice of hand over phone or shoe - they always opt for leaving shoe and they do pick them up at end of lesson. am now at school where nearly every child has pen/pencil and bliss - coloured pencils. many even have own rulers/calculators etc saves so much time so can do much more teaching.

janeite · 07/03/2009 14:53

Re: pupils without pens - I have discovered the ideal way to get everybody penned up and ready to work, without you spening a fortune in pens every week! Just give them a pen and take away their hat or coat. You get all of your pens back at the end of the lesson and no time is wasted in nagging, them trying to borrow from friends, wanting to go and buy a pen from somewhere else etc. I know it doesn't teach them to be be any more organised or independent but it saves an awful lot of fuss!

The Autobiography APP is quite a tricky one iirc.

Blu · 07/03/2009 14:53

Maureen - I think you were absolutely right to question the idea of an autobiography, and the fact that at least one child has declined or been unable to complete certain sections bears this out.

Part of my work centres on drama with young people, and we have strong guidelines around ethical practice in either ,mining, young plpe for personal stories, or asking them to expose themselves. Also - it is not appropriate fo untrained tachers to delve into areas which are 'therapeutic'.

I would say FICTIONALISE the autobiography: write a model autobiography of an animal or fictional character. They may well include details of own lives, but under the thin veil of fiction. It protects them from the reactions of other pupils, apart from anything else.

tigermoth · 07/03/2009 14:43

maureen, I know the school - I went to an open day there a few years ago for ds1. I think your school is meant to be strong on arts subjects. ds1 took the 11+ and is at a grammar school and in theory this is where ds2 could go, but I'm not at all sure he'll pass the 11+. I think it's harder to pass now, anyway, as I believe there is more competition. It's good to know your school has improved - I was impressed with the facilities and now I know you're on the staff, it's gone up in my estimation even more
I think ds2 would probably be in the average sets if he went, so would have more teachers present by the sound of it.

Original poster
MaureenMLove · 06/03/2009 16:15

Oh, I'm not sure Tigermoth. It starts with a W! I'd be bloody furious too! Whenever DD tells me she's had a substitute teacher, I grill her for how long!

Thing is, the school has many good aspects and if your DS is an average student, he will do perfectly fine there. What year is he in now? It is very much on the up, despite what I say! Promise!

The trouble is, the teachers that go off sick are the ones that have low set groups and can't handle it, then they have to start the process of hiring again and times are hard in education too. Very basically speaking, if people don't pay their council tax, because they are out of work, schools don't get the budget they need for teachers. So despite people thinking a job in a school is safe and people are always crying out for teachers, that is not the case.

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tigermoth · 06/03/2009 09:20

I saw this thread yesterday and it was a real eye-opener for me. I had no idea non qualified teaching staff at secondary schools were asked to do so much teaching!

Roisin and Maureen, I'm sure both of you could more than handle this role but as you say, it is not your job. And as a parent, I would be worried if non qualified staff were taking a class with my child in it, for weeks and weeks on end.

Maureen, I think I know your school - it's one that I am considering for ds2.

roisin · 05/03/2009 17:59

Ha ha! Joke's on me. We have a teacher off atm for an undetermined period. They've been unable to find an English supply teacher atm, so - without consulting me - my HoD has asked for me to be put in to cover all the KS4 classes (9 per week!) if at all possible. I'll do it for a week, and HoD has agreed to support including doing some teaching with the yr11 class.

I still can't help thinking that if it were my children in that class I'd be cross and frustrated.

Original poster
MaureenMLove · 04/03/2009 15:46

I am, but in my own sweet way!

We started with a brain storm on things about us, likes, dislikes, best moment, worst moment etc.

Did the definatiion of biog and autobiog, then today they've been designing their front covers, having discussed why famous people have chosen to call theirs what they have. E.G Why did Katie Price call hers Being Jordan. Why did David Beckham choose, My Side.

We're going to do a take on family trees tomorrow. Draw a tree and put the important people in their lifes on it.

Strangely, I've had to set cover work for tomorrow because I'm interviewing all day!

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roisin · 03/03/2009 17:19

Well we've just seen a sneak preview of the staffing structure of the new academy, and our jobs aren't on it!

So are you teaching the autobiography unit to these yr8s after all? I hope it goes well.

Original poster
MaureenMLove · 02/03/2009 21:42

Well, I told my boss what I had in mind and he just said, 'good call, I think you're right, copy me in on anything you do!'

I was going to e-mail the Deputy Head in charge of English, but I decided it was a face to face conversation. I saw the YR8 pastorial co-ordinator first, to see if she thought I was doing the right thing too. She knows these students better than anyone. She was in support.

The Deputy was supportive too and very grateful that I'd taken the time to think about it, but at the same time, I made it clear to her that I didn't think it was right, that these students where being left with me! I told her that 2 of their core subjects now had Cover Supervisors as long term teachers. She winced!

We have agreed that since I've got a relationship with them and I have already had them today for the start of the topic, I will continue until Easter. After that, I will have a non-qualified teacher (not a lot better, but it's a start!) to support me for a few weeks to let the kids get to know her, then she will take over and I'll support her for a bit, then leave her to it!

We can't do it any quicker than that, because they are so vunerable.

So, we started the topic. We did a broad overview of what an autobiography is discussed the difference between that and a biography. Then we did a brain storm on things like, my favourite day, my worst day, my pets etc etc.

I gave them the homework set, which was to research a bit of their family tree and ask a member of their family (or carer) for a story about them, when they were little. Most took it. One lad, was quite cross about it though and refused to do it. I just said, 'ok, fine, you don't need to.' Another said, 'I don't know anyone that knew me when I was little.'

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roisin · 01/03/2009 09:47

We're in a difficult area as well, and getting kids to bring correct equipment is a nightmare. We had a focus week earlier this term with 5 mins extra each registration. Every child was logged whether they had:
a pen, a pencil, a ruler and a school bag.
There were prize draws at the end of the week for students who'd managed 100%. And mass detentions for persistent offenders.

But once the week was finished we slipped back into normal mode.

Original poster
MaureenMLove · 28/02/2009 22:49

Nope! Teaching union rep just says 'oh, OK, I'll see what I can do.'

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Original poster
MaureenMLove · 28/02/2009 22:48

She's all about attendance figures and looking good Roisin. We have a staff briefing before school every Friday morning and yesterday I told my boss I was too busy to go and I wasn't interested in how many students were in last week! He was shocked, but tbh, he totally got where I was coming from!

You know, half the kids don't even arrive to school with a pen to write with! What's all that about? It is a school, with a high percentage of below average social background, but not even a pen? Why are the form tutors not dealing with this?

The students are checked at the gate for correct uniform and phone calls home if its not complete, but the form tutors are meant to check each child has a bag full of essential materials and they just don't. The begining of every single lesson is spent finding pens for students! It's bloody ridiculous! I feel like a small branch of WHSmiths!

I can't single handedly change the way it's run, I just have to put up and shut up to a certain extent. Trouble is, I actually love the work I do and if I can be intrumental in getting things right, then that's good for me and my standing in the school. I know I am valued. I have a good relationship with the Head and I believe she values my input, because things do change on my advice, but I'm only a lowly CS, with no school experience at the end of the day and it shouldn't be down to me to get it sorted.

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roisin · 28/02/2009 22:37

Don't your teaching union reps throw a complete wobbly at this stuff? Ours would go wild!

roisin · 28/02/2009 22:36

What a nightmare!
I can't believe they got out of special measures from some of the things you describe.

Original poster
MaureenMLove · 28/02/2009 22:29

That's exactly what they are suggesting Roisin! The e-mail said, the teacher that was taking the Yr7's, from this teacher that left, would send all her work and planning to me, for me to deliver to yr8. It gets worse. The 'teacher' is an unqualified teacher. She was one of my CS's until Christmas!

I just don't think anyone cares enough. What can I do though? At the end of the day, I can moan and whine about it, but it'll still need covering and it's my job to make sure it is. These kids are now activity asking me if I am going to be their teacher! They are such a vunerable bunch. (all 21 of them in each of the two classes I take)

Basically, as you know, we have only had CS's since I arrived in April last year. Since then, I have taken over the running of the department that I have created really. We will be a team of 10 by the end of this term. I'm interviewing this week to get us to 10. I have told the Head that our aim is to be attached to departments and assist when no cover is needed and take intervention groups when needed.

I can see that this is the way forward to get us out of the ridiculous state the school is in. It really is in a bad state. We came out of special measures in December, which is great, but tbh, from Sept to Dec, it was all hands on deck to make it happen and now we're out, no one cares again. Teachers are dropping like flies, because the behaviour is so bad and its those lessons that we have to cover. We can't get teachers to stay! They know, as well as I do, that CS's are probably parents that need a job and won't walk out as easily as a teacher can, so they use us!

Last term, we were scheduled to do over 200 covers a week, with only 6 CS's before anyone rang in sick! I complained that it was just not right and I managed to get them to let me get half a dozen long term supplies in. We still have over 50 a week though.

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roisin · 28/02/2009 22:10

big big sigh
This is wrong. You know me, you know where I stand on CS and qualified teachers, and this is not meant to be a TES-style rant against CS. But this is very, very wrong.

I know you do a great job. But it is just not appropriate for you to teach a class for this length of time, especially not a core subject.

These students need to have some of the most experienced staff working with them. If they are on L3 now or borderline L3/L4 there are a whole variety of reasons why they might be there. Some of them might well be capable of 'getting up to speed' this year - ie maybe 4a by the end of the year - and going into other sets next year. But a term spent 'coasting' is not going to help them.

I would be complaining to the highest level if this happened for my boys in their school, and therefore I would not feel I was acting with integrity if I agreed to undertake such work myself.

Recently I was complaining because 4 staff were doing a course for a whole half term - same day each week - and we were regularly covering one lesson every week for them. So, for example, a yr10 class was only getting their English teacher for 2/3 lessons for a whole term. I don't think that's acceptable.

How many children in the classes btw?

PS I completely agree with what you're saying about the work though. Recently someone passed me some information about a competition where children wrote poetry about bereavement, from a personal perspective if they had that experience. They were suggesting it might be good to use in cover lessons. Yes, like I want to have a class of 30 kids in emotional pieces because I've been getting them to trawl over whatever bereavement has affected them most recently! Bonkers - some people are clueless

I know there's an APP for yr7s on autobiographies. Is that why they're suggesting it?

Original poster
MaureenMLove · 28/02/2009 19:02

Thankyou ladies. I would be a teacher Tilly but if the truth be known, I haven't got a degree and I'm not sure I've got the strength and energy to be bothered with doing one and becoming a teacher, despite being at a school where I could do it! TBH, I love my job too, because I'm in charge I get to pick and choose lessons and also do the admin side of stuff, which I thrive on. I'm good at organising and I work well under pressure.

Anyway, they have got a teacher lined up for after half term, but I suspect by then, I will feel even more precious about them and nip in to support him/her!

These are great ideas and I think now, I might go with it, but tweek it here and there. I will let the HOF know I think re-writing their lives mightn't be the best idea and so we will be going slightly off track. Because these kids are so vunerable, I think they'd really warm to some insight into me and also I have a DD the same age, so we have a connection.

I might get them to make a folder of work, instead of work in an excerise book. Lots of glueing and sticking and photos. I'm begining to think this might just work!

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badgermonkey · 28/02/2009 16:59

Yep, I've used 'Boy' too! Hmph, and I thought I was so clever for picking out that Bryson extract myself . I'm always aware that children may have had troubled childhoods so far so I really try and avoid anything that might stir bad stuff up for them. I do family trees sometimes but I stress that it's THEIR family tree and THEY choose who they consider 'family' - it's not a historical document, it's about who's important to them. So if they want to leave people off, or add people who might not be 'family' (like the unmarried partners of parents etc) then that is entirely up to them and I won't ask questions about it.

magentadreamer · 28/02/2009 16:57

I'm horrified that they won't have a teacher for half a term. Have you got another teacher lined up for after Easter? As others have said things like school trips to remember,My 1st day at high school etc might go down better than actually having to do a more personalised autobiography.

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