I am a teacher (secondary) AMA

[Piggywaspushed]

The atmosphere has become toxic on MN in the last few days with insults and generalisations being flung and teachers becoming increasingly defensive , aggressive probably and anxious certainly.

I am using this board to reach out and answer in a calm non AIBU way any questions you might have about what I and my colleagues are doing, how I am feeling, what my concerns and fears are, what my hopes are, perhaps to share a fuller understanding.

I work in a very large state secondary and DH in a large private secondary so can also answer questions about the two sectors.

Just as a rider, any aggressive posts or questions I will just sail on by : I don't want an argument. I had no sleep last night as it is!

Ask away...

I'm a university lecturer. I teach many students who simply did not connect with schooling for whatever reason. Many dropped out or were school refusers. They come to my classes and they need some remedial help sometimes, and some can't cope, but many really flourish. I loved school and flourished there, but thinking back, it was partly the content that was taught (but don't ask me anything about maths or physics), but mainly that many passionate teachers inspired me. Do you agree and do you think that claims of children 'missing out' are overblown and mainly linked to standardised testing and meeting metrics?

Thanks Piggy. My y11 has SENs too (autism and SPLDs) so I have contact with a lot of other parents of DC with autism and many are much happier off school as it is stressful. Mine loves his school and was very anxious about it closing but has settled well at home, however I'm a bit worried that after 6 months off it will be hard going back.

He is at a special school with very small class sizes but they also have very small classrooms. So logistically it's still going to be very difficult.

I know that school in itself causes stress to many ASD children. I do keep trying to say this on other threads when the opposite is assumed. I hope it all works out well for SEN children.

Hi Spartacus, I certainly feel the desire to get year 10 and 12 back is based on an unwillingness to 'lower standards' or change the exams.

I do think student wellbeing is genuinely at the forefront of many parents, leaders and teachers mind and actually some of the decision makers. But they do keep rattling out sweeping statements about lost learning and well being without providing nay evidence. This is the trouble when you have CMOs and scientists repeating education data.

It's a very complex issue, for sure!

But they do keep rattling out sweeping statements about lost learning and well being without providing nay evidence. This is the trouble when you have CMOs and scientists repeating education data

I agree. Learning has become quantified and measured. It is very sad.

It's so difficult for everyone at the moment but throw an SEN in on top and it's hard.

Expletive similar concerns with my Ds. He is now settled in Lockdown. Going back will be difficult and I think anxiety for him will be huge. He has very limited support at school so I feel like we are going to be on our own with this. He struggles to engage with academic work at home so an online start to year 12 would be hard for him. I guess it really is just a wait and see situation.

Piggy thanks for the reply. I'm sure your students and their parents appreciate all the work you are doing to help them. 💐

Thanks for this thread Piggy. Do you know if there have been any discussion on whether there will be changes to how GCSEs will be marked next year ? I think year 10's have missed alot of teaching and I'm wondering whether this will be taken into account, and also there is no guarentee schools will reopen in September.

Have another question too. What is the purpose of the proposed face to face meetings for year 10's ?

Thanks again.

I have to say I think the teachers in both my DCs schools are doing an amazing job at such a difficult time. I really feel for them all trying to plan for return, it must be hugely difficult.

@YetAnotherSpartacus you've made my day

I hope in a good way, Rocky! I've just been watching this all unfold and thinking that there should be so many good opportunities for children and young people to learn through this crisis - about themselves, about government and politics and international affairs and this has been so overlooked. I actually find it sad and perplexing.

To be honest my main concern is not the going back itself but the fact that the y11s are stuck at home now with dwindling motivation (hopefully starting 6th form stuff after half term will revive things a bit) and the prospect of another 6 months at home with not much prospect of holidays, jobs, anything to fill the time. Also that they may be expecting business as usual in September but it can't be really.

Thank you for this this thread @Piggywaspushed

My DS will be moving up to secondary school in September. As an English teacher, are there any skills/habits that are not taught at home or in primary schools that you wish your incoming Year 7s would arrive with?

Also, probably too soon to tell, but how do you think Covid-19 might affect transition to secondary?

Rockysma... I teach up to year 13 and have a year 13 form, I agree with the OP, forcing year 11 students to do school work is a lot of stress and effort for you and not the most productive for them. I've been encouraging year 11, 12 and 13 to focus on what they are interested in going into in the future be it university or career. There are loads of online courses, MOOCS, even via Groupon (I'm doing my first aid top up through St. John's ambulance and sign language levels 1 and 2 through Groupon for £16). These are the sort of things that will look brilliant on a cv/ reference and they may be more motivated as is focussed on their future not qualifications they now can't influence. If they are hoping to go to sixth form, they could start preparing for their chosen courses as well.

@Piggywaspushed thank you for starting this thread :) Tis very much needed x

Hi All. Thanks again for the nice words. Just been having a snooze...

I wish we knew about year 10s. I am anxious about this too.

I don't always have faith in the government to make sensible decisions but I do trust exam boards. I think they will have discussions with Ofqual once we get a much clearer sense of how much learning has been affected, especially if there are more lockdowns.

As for the 'face to face' meetings, lots of schools are interpreting this in different ways. This is because there ahs been NO guidance so far!
In fact the DfE guidance on younger children has confused secondary leaders . I really can't even guess at that but the head of a School Leaders Union has suggested sort of academic mentor meeting sin very small groups. Not sure what that means.

Sorry violet. I hope you are managing.

Another question! At the start of lockdown it was proposed that year 11s might have a chance to resit in September, my DS has kept working on maths and English just in case as suggested by school, he particularly struggles with English. However nothing has been mentioned for weeks now and I assume that's just not going to happen. Have you heard anything further about this?

Hi super I only teach Year 9 upwards so am not an expert here. I do know children are often viewed as not being 'secondary ready' form reading I have done and there was a lengthy maths chat going on on a teachers' forum a while back! I think with English a lot is literacy based so children not having read lengthier texts and forgetting how to read for pleasure and write creatively because they have been so drilled. I see discussion about that online. Also, there is a vocabulary gap which widens form year 6 to 7 and again that is about reading , reading in context and so on. Try and get a year 6 reading in this period , if you can. I love tom gates and Wimpy Kid ect but if it's a boy try also to up the ante to books with more complex sentence and paragraph structure.

the DfE guidance says normal transition activities will not happen, so the focus should be on maths and English schools and secondary readiness. I feel a bit for year 6 expecting fun! I have read about schools planning virtual transition days, though.

No expletive. I think that will be interesting! I did read that they were contemplating narrowing it down to just A Levels plus GCSE core (so maths and English should be safe). It's a good idea to keep going, in case!

Hello,

Can I ask how much training the average secondary school teacher receives around SEN please? I know you can't speak for all of them but generally speaking. Do you think you would be able to tell the difference between a badly behaved child and one with SEN eg autism given that a significant number are undiagnosed?

Thanks

@YetAnotherSpartacus

Your posts are very refreshing to read. I have a child who I feel fits your description of those who couldn't engage at school but to well now. He's autistic and very intelligent but just unable to engage with formal learning. He has been home educated since age 8 and is starting college in September in a specialist autism programme and I hope for him to study at degree level in the future, he is certainly capable of it. It's good to hear that there are many others like him

Hello, you are right that this is patchy. It caries form area to area and I think academisation etc hasn't always helped as LEAs used to do a lot.

I have a particular interest in under and misdiagnosis of girls. Ygritte so, I am hopeful I would be bale to, yes. Schools are such data driven and fraught places that sometimes we don't give things enough of our time, which is always regrettable.

I have a particular interest in under and misdiagnosis of girls. Ygritte so, I am hopeful I would be bale to, yes.

Love this as I have an autistic dd as well who completely glided under the radar through primary until the wheels fell off entirely in year five - I hear this is a common year for things to take a nose dive. Fortunately I had spotted all was not well and got referred and a diagnosis by age 5 much to the confusion of her school who really couldn't see the point as she was so compliant and well behaved. They did once year 5 hit though and it was a difficult few heats but she's now doing fab in secondary school now with a EHCP. Thanks for replying

Years not heats

That's great news Ygritte . Well done you for pushing. It's hard.