to ask WHY in the name of Gove are teachers striking again?

[loftyclopflop]

DD's school is closing on 1st October because they have chosen to strike. Is it over pay, pensions and conditions? Did they achieve anything by striking a couple of years ago other than massively inconveniencing a lot of parents?

I know Gove is a twat but do they really expect to change anything by taking the day off?

I agree Parker and I hope that I did not come across as criticizing staff who choose to work at home rather than school. As I said up thread , once a week I am one of the latest in and one of the first to leave. No one would criticize that choice and you certainly do not have to check with anyone before leaving on the bell.

It's difficult isn't it - I know some of our staff probably feel that I make them look bad because I'm in the school building longer than they are - I'm usually first in, last out.
I see that as being my choice - it means I do less at home. Also, circumstances in my life mean that works best for me.

I think another issue with teaching is we are all lumped together in one amorphous lump where as there are so many different jobs all with differing demands and requirements.
I couldn't do Arisbottle's job and even though I'm in the Primary sector and technically trained for it I'd struggle to teach Foundation Phase.

I suspect most people coils do my job , I am very much your average Joe and seem to cope!

Could

We had an Ofsted inspector come in and tell us that Ofsted wanted us to teach as normal without need for all-night planning sessions during an inspection. But then said that a teacher who e.g. got the kids working out of a textbook needed to examine their teaching practices.

He also seemed confused when it was suggested that it was unrealistic to expect a child who had made less than expected progress in primary to make the same amount of progress in secondary as a student who had made better than expected progress.

I honestly hate Ofsted and think it is a bunch of bollocks. But we spend so many hours trying to dance to their tune. Or what we think their tune is because they never actually bloody say what they want.

I don't think most people could do my job. I've seen too many teachers fail to do my job to believe that.

At the monkey we are looking at target setting being informed by the rate of progress a child made at primary - although of course the problem with that is the overinflated key stage two grades.

Me too giraffe - however the proportion of people who think they could do it is probably high

A student teacher once said to me 'you make it look so simple, but when I tried to do the same I realised how hard you were working'
I think that sums it up - as a teacher you are doing things all the time even if it doesn't look like it and they seem insignifigcant, in fact often they are pre-emptive but they still need doing

Aris, if you are teaching monkeys I definately couldn't do your job!

Lol, I am going to give up . I meant to say at the moment.

noblegiraffe: "I think planning Ofsted-style lessons all the time is unsustainable."

The HT of an 'outstanding' primary near me insists that all lessons taught are outstanding. Over 50% of the teaching staff left in July - complete burn-out.

Aris, I'm primary in Scotland. We are moving ( or should have moved) away from topics being taught. Instead we have lists of Experiences and Outcomes to cover. Each year you should respond to what is happening in the wider world and plan your learning accordingly. Also subjects luke social studies include a lot of pupil choice in what is taught. At the moment it does not look as if I will redo any of last year's topics. That is a mega workload on its own. I am taking the same stage again but have so far hardly reused anything as the class are so very different. I also have to mark everyday, all work. I couldn't have a marking party weekly or it would have to be an all nighter! I go in at 8 and leave at 5.30. I always take 30 mins for lunch. I then work at least 2 more hours each night. And the really fun part? I'm only 2 days a week but I work on average 2 hours a week on the 5 days I'm not there. I'm averaging 30/31 hours a week and am paid for 15.5 of them. Primary colleagues are drowning in work. . I have no stage partner so can't share work that way. I have a learning assistant 2 afternoons a week but she is there to support pupils, not to do my photocopying, laminating, displays, etc. All those lovely jobs are mine alone.

Can I just ask:

Why do you do it?

Has anyone looked at your jobs and identified the changes that benefitted either the children or you - and those that are a complete waste of time except to the government?

Can you, as part of your union action, refuse to do the time-wasting stuff?
Or have you already tried?

Because we exist in a culture of fear, Tanith. Basically.

Just because everyone went to school a lot of people think they know all about a teachers job. I must admit until my daughter became a teacher I didn't give it a lot of thought other than ' a nice job , good hours, lots of holidays' OMG were my eyes opened!!! The arguments we had about the hours she worked - at school and at home - weekends, and going into school during the holidays to clean and sort the classroom ready for the new term. In fact some of the time I am sure she is actually working for or near the minimum wage. Unfortunately you will never convince ' jo public' that it isn't the cushiest job on the planet.

tanith for me as a teacher that is the most frustrating thing, that changes seem to be rarely based on any actual evidence that they will work. Most teachers I know strive to be better and better at what they do, but when you are dictated to change after change seemingly based on nothing (or at the moment based randomly on Gove's personal school experience years and years ago) then it is frustrating and demoralising.

I don't think it's the cushiest job on the planet but it's by no means harder than many other jobs.

I think there are misconceptions on both sides- laughed hysterically at the perks you think those in the private sector get.

Whilst I don't agree with all Gove's changes I do with a lot(getting rid of Outstanding for those schools where teaching isn't,last minute inspections,focus on progress to name but a few.

Every sector has to ring in changes and progress.Every profession has good and bad workers.Many sectors have workers with demanding hours.

If unions focused more on campaigning against free schools,longer term times,school day etc I 'd have more sympathy but instead they focus on things that just affect teachers not children eg pensions which have to be more realistic,performance related pay(which everybody else has) and work load which in this market everybody else has.

Strike action has to be about pay & conditions.

I'm a parent as well as a teacher, & tbh the other things you mention probably make me angrier.

But we aren't allowed to take industrial action re: free schools, Cackademies etc.

Tbh if people are treated badly I support them
My dc attend state school so I'm interested ofcourse
I won't play daily mail bingo, 2 of my very close friends are teachers and several family friends I have a true understanding the pressures as a friend/ employee/parent I do however struggle with the notion they are more hard done by than everyone else, which is a minority noise which gets published
I don't support striking as a direct action and result it merely supports blackmailing
I would wholly support my teachers by campaigning etc but truly against the standards myself and friends in other professions hVe to achieve isn't that different
I have had a chance in pension
I have to do more hours with less team and same money
Friends in other jobs are having to take pay cuts or shift reductions
So, to answer the 'do you routinely suggest people give up work question' no, but I also strongly believe in taking decisions which are right for you, if te stress, pay and conditions have got worse and not for you you don't have to stay
Many many of us face this
If actually its a job you need to work etc then you dot give up
There are still v v few jobs offering the security flexibility and perks of a teaching role, it's down to individual if trade of is worth it
That is all

Homework is a problem. My last boss insisted the books be handed in on Monday morning, marked and given back with the new tasks at the end of the day. WTF? When was this marking supposed to take place? I'm surprised none of the parents questioned it.

I used to bribe the pupils with house-points if they handed them in early so I wasn't spending the lunchtime I used for organising things for the afternoon marking books.

Retro - unions are supposed to focus on things that affect their members. That's what they are for.

Surely the role of the Union is to fight for their members?

I don't agree with what Gove is doing, but as I'm reading along, I am nodding along and seeing (in my not unusual job) that I have longer hours (including contact) and less holiday, and less protection (although there's no real job security these days, teachers are in a bad position and so is everybody) in my private sector job. I think the strikes are good and necessary though, and teachers do a very demanding, tough job (as do many) and deserve better conditions and pay as a result of this.

As an aside- is there anything for children with FSM on strike days? I don't know what to do as our school is going to be striking and I'm stuck.

Anais - I'd be but the depressing thing is how many people/teachers have to work that way. So more that experiences like that are becoming increasingly frequent.