Work

[HtotheS]

I've been back at work since July I'm a teacher. I've been mentally unwell diagnosed with bi polar.

I've only just got back into the swing of things when we have a local authority review.

I did okay but some areas of my teaching needs improving.

I've been given 3 quite hefty targets that I'm getting observed on in the next 6 weeks.

I really feel under pressure about it. I know everyone needs targets but I feel I need more time to get back into work and get my head around how to be the best teacher I can be.

AIBU in thinking I shouldn't have these targets? The headteacher by the way thinks I an easily meet the targets.

I just feel the pressure and feel anxiety over it

The targets are all a bit general aren't they? Could your line manager help make them more specific?

'differentiate work for [pupils] in [class]'

'develop spreadsheet to track attainment of [class]'

Etc.

If the children aren't making progress this year then that shows that something is going wrong and as their teacher you owe it to them to ensure they get the best education possible. If you can't offer that then for their sake go back off sick until you can.

Okay I'm not a teacher but here goes, my opinion on this matter...

OP you must be able to see that those 3 'targets' are what should be expected of any teacher. Targets 2 and 3 are virtually definitions of 'to teach'.

Is it that someone is describing them as 'targets' that is frightening you? Or is it that someone is going to assess you that is what is causing this fear? If you are up to the job you have nothing to worry about. If you aren't then you need to address this urgently, you cannot fail the children who have been placed in your care to learn.

Speak to your GP and your Headteacher.

I was really fired up for the inspection and although I have areas to improve it did go well. I think it's just the thought of being observed all ten time and I'm worried that I won't be good enough. I'm really trying my hardest, I'm just scared its not good enough

What ATruth said. They read more like aims than targets because they're not really specific or measurable. How will you know when you've achieved them?

I think you'd probably feel less anxious if you had some properly measurable targets because you'd know exactly what was expected of you.

If it was me, I'd have a word with the head to try to pin them down a bit.

They are fair targets. However, you could say that the HT has stated the goals in a general way so you need help with how to transfer these kind of abstract targets into your planning and classroom practice.

POint 1 1. Differentiation.

• this is something you can think about at home whilst doing prep, before you're observed. Plenty of time to do it and stay calm. Get ideas from colleagues about how they do this in their planning / classroom work and try it yourself before you're observed.

1. To be accountable for pupils attainment, progress and outcomes.

• as posters before said - learning plans, monitoring, record-keeping, collating evidence. Has your school got any pro-formas / monitoring sheets for this? You should be doing this anyway and yes it's a lot of work but get your systems in place and plan what you're monitoring and measuring, when, and how. How do your colleagues do it?

1. To impart knowledge and develop understanding through effective use of lesson time

• is this a lesson planning issue? do tasks and activities meet your lesson objectives? have you got learning objectives clearly stated?

Break the targets down into concrete and practical ones, think about how you can address them in planning and classroom work and you should manage ok. Above all, seek help. You've presumably done all these things before the attain QTS so you can do them again.

I teach adults not children but HTH.

Thanks for the advice

Thanks for the advice

Of which you won't follow a single word.

How do you know that?

To be fair this is a discussion which has occured regulary on here yet you appear with similar problems over again so you can surely understand why people feel like any advice is falling on deaf ears?

I don't think I have posted about work issues especially not targets

Oh pull the other one.

Sorry that I have seemed to offended so many people!

'Offended' is the wrong word. But you do post continually about the same thing, more or less, and now you've name changed but that's the only thing that has changed. You do get pretty much the same advice over and over but clearly you're not listening because you come back with the same problem again - maybe with a few small details changed.

Do you really not see why people get exasperated with it? You've had the benefit of advice from some really well informed people and seriously now - have you ever followed any of it? Honestly?

You have posted about work many a time, all your posts suggest you are not in a position to cope with work. People have given you advice over and over agin yet you never seem to follow it.

People on MN are great at giving advice and some of it is actually useful but it gets to a point where people will just get fed up on saying the same over and over again. At the end of the day you need to take control of the situation (with support of course) and do what is best for you, your child and the children in your care.

As harsh as this may sound think of it this way, when your Daughter starts school would you want someone who obviously wasn't coping with the demands of teaching teaching her?

I've just and a look at your other posts and am HR qualified.

You really should not be at work. It appears that your current state of health is affecting your capability at work.

If you carry on working, but being unable to meet what are very reasonable and standard targets (they are really NOT 'hefty' as per your original OP), then you will go down a path of disappointing your Head and the parents. Depending on school policy (am not a public sector expert) the next step will be what in the private sector we call a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) - you may already be on the school's equivalent of this. If you fail to improve then you could find yourself dismissed for capability, and that would mean you will struggle to get another job, even once your health improves. This whole process would be deemed quite fair (so long as it is done sensitively and as long as they have made as many adjustments as is reasonable to help with your MH issues)

So, you have to do something and cannot keep burying your head in the sand over this.

You have two choices:-

1. If you are able, work out how to reach these targets and carry on working, but upping the game. This means accepting that a lot of the issues will go away when you start dealing with them as opposed to stressing about them
2. If you are not able to face this, then you are currently not able to perform at the required standard because of health reasons and you need to get signed off so that you can deal with it properly and come back to work able to teach at a more appropriate standard

It sounds as if you have had a really rough time of it over the last year. It sounds awful. But only you can fix it, and that means you have to face it and deal with it.

Goodness this is a bit of a saga isn't it?

Why do you think you shouldn't have these targets? As everyone says, they are what any teacher should be doing, and are not remotely 'hefty'.

If you are back at work you are basically saying you are fit to be doing those things.

If you are not fit, you need to get yourself signed off.

Are you seeing a doctor regularly at the moment?

No not seeing a doctor. My support worker thinks I should think about the targets rationally and continue with working.

I don't really want to be signed off, how long do you get signed off for typically anyway?

Until you are well enough to your job properly.

I agree with Badgers

This whole thread is pointless.

Go to work and do your job properly

Don't go to work and stay home

Get a job in a supermarket or somewhere where you don't have as much pressure and you don't affect anyone else's life.

These are all things you've been repeatedly advised to consider but you just keep starting the same old threads and ignoring everything people advise.

How long is a piece of string? Depends on the condition and the circumstances really, including what the job is and how the condition affects it. Why don't you want to get signed off? Is it because you genuinely think you are well enough to do your job adequately (which would include doing what those targets are), or is it a money thing (not sure what sick pay you'd get), or something else?

Is your support worker a medical person? Thinking about the targets rationally sounds like good advice, but my concern would be whether you are able to actually do that at the moment.

If you think it's unreasonable for you to have been set them, and think they are 'hefty', then you have a distorted view of them at the moment anyway.

I would suggest a trip to the GP if you're not seeing a doctor at the moment, having a chat with him/her and hearing their view on whether you are up to your job at the moment.

Supper worker is an occupational therapist

When your a teacher it's not always about what you want it's about what is right for the children

I'm not an inadequate teacher. She had lots of positives about my teaching including a good relationship with Children and she said they were keen to learn. I just need I get my head around these targets. Thanks for all your advice

I think given your medical condition you may have to accept you are no longer in the right job. I don't think you can reasonably expect schools to accept and accommodate a teacher who can't meet those targets and tbh they are targets I would expect any teacher to be able to meet.