Teachers - notice period is this week to leave at Christmas

[Workyticket]

I'm on a Facebook group for teachers looking to get out

Notice has to be in by the end of this week I believe (I'm FE so different) and there are so many teachers putting theirs in.

I know that @Noblegiraffe is usually the one to start these threads and some people think she exaggerates

We're in the shit people - already in crisis and way more will be gone at Christmas

Email your MP, back teachers striking when they (inevitably) go out and be prepared to start forking out for stationery etc to send your kids into school with.

It's a really sorry state of affairs. I don't think most parents realise how bad it is and how difficult the job has become. Coupled with rising prices for bills etc.

You can't just take longer doing the work as above - if you need to prepare 5 lessons for the next day, every day you need to do that - not just skip a few lessons while you plan.

I live how people talk about ‘the private sector’ as if it is some fancy, ultra demanding space programme for only the best of the best.

Instead of what it really is- every job not directly employed by the government. So literally everything from working in a chip shop to bring the CEO of an Oil Company and everything in between.

‘private sector jobs are more demanding’. What a ridiculous sweeping statement.

I mean, I don’t have to work because of DH’s salary but I love my job. Once I stop loving it and the pressure gets too much then I’ll quit and actually spend time with my daughter. So I really don’t feel the pressure of the private sector breathing down my neck.

I left three years ago. Best decision I've ever made.

I’m not disagreeing about education being on its knees but I really find seeing thread after thread about the cost of living crisis juxtaposed with this one odd. I mean there is literally no other job I could walk into that would be paying me what I earn as a UPS teacher (plus give me all the holidays off saving me in childcare). I could absolutely retrain or start a new career but I would be taking a massive financial hit at a terrible time economically. So, are all these teachers who are quitting financially sound on much lower paid jobs or even without one at all? If so they’re not representative of much of the country right now. Or is there some industry that pays 38k (uk average wage for teachers) for term time only hours as the starting wage that teachers can just enter into? It would also need the kind of pension teachers get. If you can tell me of a few of these career options I’d like to know about them for if I do ever want to leave teaching (though I don’t at present).

I've planned for years to be able to take the financial hit to retrain. It's not a throwaway flounce. We've all worked hard to enable each other's success and happiness at work. It's my turn now. The 3 year period it will take to get close to my ups3 is worth my mental health.

OP it was a bit difficult to work out what you meant by "these threads". It sounded like you meant 'threads telling teachers how to resign' (as per your title). However I suspected you meant "threads designed to demonstrate the truly awful state of schools at present'.

Any teacher on UPS (in reality) can hand in their notice anytime and we’d snatch their hand off - they can leave at the end of this month if they want to, the sooner they leave the sooner we can get an advert out and replace with an NQT.
All adverts so far that I’ve put out (multiple sites) have been well applied for and successfully backfilled - including HT & DHT posts.

Teachers don’t need to try and walk into a job with an equivalent pay. For those of you thinking about leaving but worried about about money, watch this video from a popular fb group:
If you don’t want to click on my link (understandable) then just type in the title on youtube or a search engine.

Any teacher in UPS (in reality) can hand in their notice anytime and we’d snatch their hand off - they can leave at the end of this month. The sooner they leave the sooner we can get an advert out and replace with an NQT.
All adverts so far that I’ve put out (multiple sites) have been well applied for and successfully backfilled - including HT & DHT posts.

No drama here - only savings to be had.

@1000yardstare that’s great. As a lone parent I don’t have that luxury and I’m sure a lot of two adult households also wouldn’t be able to take the financial hit. I actually wasn’t trying to be flippant, I just don’t know what career is going to pay what I get paid alongside the pension and holidays. Whilst I appreciate its not enough to keep everyone in teaching the time with my child and extended family is very valuable to me personally and another career would mean finding childcare year round (which is pricey but would also be emotionally hard for me and my son).

❤❤❤❤

I absolutely do this now. 10 years in, I am a great teacher, outcomes and student feedback to support this claim. I don't do any of the nonsense i used to, they would not find as capable a teacher within my specialism if they tried. I am not lazy, I work really hard at the stuff that my gcse/A level students need. I haven't been pulled up on anything wither because the stuff I willingly ignore is tick box exercises that I know they just want to be able to say they do.

WetLettuce2

Except that isn't in line with the numbers reported from schools or the requirements of the contracts for teachers.

I assume you're not London based? My school can't get UPS teachers for love nor money. Or any competent teachers. Any UPS teacher leaving will be leaving a gaping hole.

50. Teachers other than a headteacher 50.1. A teacher may be required to undertake the following duties: Teaching 50.2. Plan and teach lessons to the classes they are assigned to teach within the context of the school’s plans, curriculum and schemes of work. 50.3. Assess, monitor, record and report on the learning needs, progress and achievements of assigned pupils. 50.4. Participate in arrangements for preparing pupils for external examinations.

Whole school organisation, strategy and development
50.5. Contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of the school’s policies, practices and procedures in such a way as to support the school’s values and vision.
50.6. Work with others on curriculum and/or pupil development to secure co-ordinated outcomes.
50.7. Subject to paragraph 52.7 supervise and so far as practicable teach any pupils where the person timetabled to take the class is not available to do so.
Health, safety and discipline
50.8. Promote the safety and well-being of pupils.
50.9. Maintain good order and discipline among pupils.

Management of staff and resources
50.10.Direct and supervise support staff assigned to them and, where appropriate, other teachers.
50.11.Contribute to the recruitment, selection, appointment and professional development of other teachers and support staff.
50.12.Deploy resources delegated to them.

Professional development
50.13.Participate in arrangements for the appraisal and review of their own performance and, where appropriate, that of other teachers and support staff.
50.14.Participate in arrangements for their own further training and professional development and, where appropriate, that of other teachers and support staff including induction.

Communication
50.15.Communicate with pupils, parents and carers.

Working with colleagues and other relevant professionals
50.16. Collaborate and work with colleagues and other relevant professionals within and beyond the school.

So that's what a teacher who is "working to rule" would have to do. Not a lot of scope for quiet quitting. Like I said, it would be the nice bits of the job like clubs and trips that would go.

That's sad I hope you find more rewarding jobs.

I hear you, and would never judge, but find lots of people who think I'm just lucky have no idea. No idea how dedicated i am, no idea how ill the adults in education can make each other and no idea how much I could have damaged my family had I not called stop and got some help. The financial trap is real and my dh and I had some frank conversations that ended with.... as long as I contribute... why do you care where the money is from? Teaching, cheese counter at sainsburys, loo scrubbing, only fans? Teachers are great at people pleasing and hosting imposter syndrome. I just learned to say no.

I wonder if that 'necessary hours in order to discharge' etc clause means as we see fit though Noble rather than any and every hair brained demand they make for the way they want it done? Surely they'd have to prove you weren't effectively discharging your duties to plan and report etc and do your job effectively rather than just you hadn't done in it in the new time consuming and utterly redundant format they decided would impress ofsted and landed on everyone despite it being massively time consuming and unnecessary?

You're right. The "any other duties" is neither a carte blanche for management nor an open-ended series of tasks for teachers. You don't have to do anything at home or work the weekends or the "holidays" when the school is closed.

The difficulty is the 1250 hours which is never tracked so making working to rule harder to do. As a contrast, in Victoria it's 38 hours per week. That's it. Working to rule is a very effective in these circumstances and easier to do.

The same could be done in England though: no extra classes/clubs, take nothing home. What it takes is the will to do so, and the union backing and yes, I've done it so not just gassing here.

I should have been clearer. The list of duties are things you can be required to do, but if they don't fit into the 1250, then they cannot be required to be done.

You don't have to do anything at home

No, but we do have to do the tasks specified in our contract. The only condition is that beyond directed time, the headteacher cannot specify that they must be done in school. Therefore they can be done at home if the teacher wants.

That's not true, we are required to work additional hours to the 1265. It says we MUST work them.

We cannot stop at 1265 hours and say job done.

I've been working as an unqualified teacher for the last few years as they couldn't recruit for a teacher that went on Mat leave and I was working as a TA. Really I should be starting my teacher training this year but I don't enjoy teaching (love working with children though). I handed in my notice in July and have had to wait until Christmas to leave, fortunately my new (non- school) role is happy to wait. I'll miss working with teens but will volunteer at DD sports clubs and other groups instead.

My department already have 3x long term supply in place and the school can't recruit for our dept or others for love nor money.

The opposite to my experience
The new ETC processes are cumbersome and they cant have a full timetable
Experienced teachers are like gold dust

UPS doesnt automatically transfer to another school

Thats not what the contract says.

I’m newly qualified and employed at the FE college I had my placement in (previously an LSA)
I have made it to half-term.
I’ve done other jobs. Jobs I loved (bar work) and jobs I hated so much I couldn’t bear the mention of them (DWP).
I have never been happier ❤️ I love being there. Love my colleagues. Love my subject. Love every last one of my students. We moan like hell about the shitshow of admin and annoying SLT missives. But then we crack on and I feel in my little team we’re a pretty content bunch.