Head teacher

[HtotheS]

Headteacher has said that if our lessons don't improve in 6 weeks she will put us on a probation type period?? Has anyone else heard of this before? AIBU in thinking she can/can't do this? I have been observed and have been told I have 'areas to improve'

Have you discussed the specific areas with HT and do you broadly agree or disagree with their observations ?

'OTT' to contact your union when your job is being threatened?

If you wouldn't contact them then, when would you contact them?

You could also ask for this discussion to be moved into 'The staffroom' - the area for teachers and other school staff.

HT needs to follow proper procedure, but of course if you need to improve there should be mechanisms to make sure that happens or you have to leave - no-one wants inadequate teachers.

In most industries this is completely normal, if you're not performing, you're told what you need to do to improve, appropriate training and monitoring is put in place, but ultimately if you're not up to the job, you need to do something else.

If you feel you are being unfairly targeted and that this is personal, that's different, but at least teachers do have the support of strong unions.

h to the s... no current advice... but good luck. I have seen teachers being "targetted" by heads without adequate support to improve and it is not pleasent. I hope that you get the information you need to know what the heck you arre supposed to improve.

OK, I speak here as a teacher who has just had a really shitty time with lesson observations and a management team with an agenda......

Get in touch with your union, ask for written feedback from the lesson observation, ask for a TIP - Teaching improvement plan and ask exactly HOW the SLT is going to support you over the next few weeks so that you are not at risk of capability.

20 odd years a teacher, always considered Good, often Good with outstanding features. Then had a bad lesson - I hold my hand up and say I crashed and burned but sadly it was in front of an ofsted inspector. Got an inadequate - deserved but NOT the whole picture. Was treated really badly by SLT, observed loads, criticised loads, given no support and driven to the edge of reason by it all. Contacted my union, just to give them a heads up.... made it public that I had contacted them ie mentioned it 'in passing' in the staffroom where those in the pockets of the SLT were listening in. Had a lesson obs, changed NOTHING about my teaching AT ALL and got a Good....

Union. Just let them know what has been said.......

What never said. Especially the stuff about keeping it public "in passing". They'll shit a brick. A lot of this stuff goes around because the so-called problematic teacher is encouraged to keep quiet.

Keep it all in writing. They hate that too. If things are said to you, immediately email back to say: Hey, this is just to confirm what you said, etc.etc

English teacher of six years here.

I wouldn't regard that as a biggie. Need to improve is the new Satisfactory I'm afraid and they are just imposing what the Government are dictating. Six weeks is the standard period of time to set targets, get some training and support and make improvements. If your lessons are lacking then you're probably feeling a bit uneasy yourself - take the help and support! In our school thud free you up to go and see others in practice.

Nasty feeling I know, but IMO it's fairly standard.

danebury, I was freed up to observe. The teacher who was rated as excellent, taught a lesson I observed where several groups of students were noted as saying: I don't know what to do. Unsurprising, as the teacher was so-so. This was independently observed by another teacher who concurred with my observation. The lesson was rated as excellent.

WTAF.

Later I heard a student describe that teacher as "the HT's bitch". Which was about right.

Have no confidence in the efficacy of observations.