Teacher attitude

[grumpyteacher1]

Have name changed for this as potentially a bit goady.

Read a few comments today about teachers wanting an 'easy' ride at work so looking at supply, for example. Also saw a comment about going back to teaching a couple of days for 'pin money' basically.

AIBU to think that this isn't the attitude you'd want in a teacher either as a colleague or as a parent?

I get that it's a hard and demanding job but is it one you could or should do half heartedly? Does hoping to go on supply imply a half hearted effort or is it just a defence mechanism.

Should note btw that I'm in Scotland and we don't appear jut now to have the same level of bullshit that our English colleagues have at the moment.

The actual standing in front of the class bit is only one part of teaching. The rest is important too

So, your child’s teacher is diagnosed with cancer at Xmas of year 11. The subject is a shortage area. The school has to cover their lessons indefinitely. They need a subject specialist today until they don’t need a person (post holder resigns or dies).

This is my current contract. Those year 11 classes and the year 10 classes I have taught were lucky that they got a subject specialist in front of them the day after the other teacher left. I know one school I have worked in on and off has been trying to fill a vacancy for 3 years now. They were even luckier that my experience was up to date and I knew the new specs and that my behaviour management skills are solid. I have tracked their progress, liaised with the HOD, phoned parents, written reports. I STILL do not have the stress of a permanent job BUT I do know that if I don’t perform to satisfaction, the school can ask for someone else and my job is terminated tomorrow.

What exactly is it you want schools to do when their teacher’s get sick unexpectedly mid-year? Are they expected to keep staff on payroll ‘just in case’? My life is infinitely easier than it was but that doesn’t mean I don’t care or am only doing half a job.

Well if they're shit teachers and they hate it the best place for them is supply, that way they will have minimal impact on the kids they teach as they only teach them for a couple of days rather than a whole year or more.

Leave them to it.

I had an auntie who was a Wee Free. Similar attitude to the perceived indolence and backsliding of others, only alleviated by her joy at the thought of The Judgement to Come.

One who freely admits they can't be arsed and don't care

So the supply teacher says that at in the staff room but has done a decent job with the kids. Why is that so awful?

For one thing stop talking to people on here as if you are still in the classroom! Better still go and work on your lesson plans for next year.

It is the same as happening in nursing and medicine (and many of the other HCPs). It is because of all the superfluous rubbish that is dumped on top of doing your job, and so having less time to do the essential and important part of your job well- all whilst being pushed to do more with less, so ending up doing more of the paperwork/bt in your own time (for which you are not paid). Of course planning and improvement are important, as is managing the service and so on. But so much of the paperwork is there for the sake of it, and so that politician's and management can go on about improvements and what a huge difference they've made to results/waiting times/patient outcomes/reduced spending etc etc.

I think few people go into teaching or medicine or nursing etc thinking it is easy. I think even fewer think it is easy once they've had any experience of doing the job.

But I expect supply IS easier in some respects- perhaps less so if a long-term supply, as I assume you would have to pick up many of the aspects that a regular teacher would such as detailed lesson planning and all the marking/setting tests etc.

It is similar to bank nurses and locum Dr's. In some ways it is easier, in terms of workload- you turn up, do the work required on the day (to the best of your ability, not half-heartedly) and then go home. Job done. You don't work hours and hours of overtime for free, you don't do any of the management and the reems of paperwork and background work etc.

Many people do it so they can go home at the end of the day without worrying about all the work not done, the paperwork to catch up on etc etc. In that sense it is easier, doesn't mean they don't do a good job on the day and work hard. And it gives them greater flexibility.

At the moment I can't be arsed as I am tired, have had a shit year personally and am counting down the days til O finish. So according to you I am a shot teacher but you know what -I don't give a flying fuck what you think.
You are judging people and have no right to.
I have never sworn on a thread before but there is always a first.
What is more disappointing is that you are a teacher!

I teach in Scotland too OP and have taught in 4 schools over the last ten years. I can honestly say the teachers who genuinely don’t care and want an easy life are incredibly rare. You are really in the wrong job if you want an easy life, even if it’s supply or part time. I am p/t and between my job share and I, our class really get their monies worth, we both put in lots of extra hours.

Do you as a parent or as a teacher come across teachers who just don’t care on a regular basis OP?

I

And if you are a teacher I'd judge you for your lack of emotional intelligence.

Short term supply teachers in Scotland are expected to:
(a) teach assigned classes;
(b) correct work, as part of ongoing classwork;
(c) maintain a record of work;
(d) contribute towards good order in the school.

That's it

OP, how do you feel about other 'cover' workers? Do you think that bank nursing staff are not giving their all or that they are disadvantaging the patients?

What about temp office staff? Are they a bit lazy or just not cut out for a permanent position?

Does it really matter what the motivation is for a teacher choosing to do supply? At the end of the day they are fulfilling an important role by covering sickness etc. Yes, of course, there is less pressure on them and in return they don't have job security.

I hope that you are fortunate enough never to find your job too much to cope with and that you will always be willing and able to do it 'whole heartedly'.

Oh fgs OP. Supply teaching is an essential job. Schools can't do without supply teachers. Who the hell do you think is going to become a supply teacher apart from teachers who can't or don't want to commit to a permanent teaching job?!

Those people might have any number of reasons why they can't or won't take a permanent teaching role. That doesn't mean they are workshy dossers.

Short term supply simply does not require the levels of commitment, skill or drive that 'proper' teaching requires.

There are lots of jobs in the world, some easier, some harder. Why on earth shouldn't people take easier roles if it suits them? Work to live, not live to work. Not that supply teaching is easy in many ways.

As well as being a TAAT this is highly unusual in being a goady OP about teachers written by a teacher. If a serious discussion was wanted there is the Staffroom section, not AIBU.

Never met a teacher, full time, part time or supply who freely admits they can’t be bothered. Don’t think they would be employed for long if they did. Please don’t tell me what/who I know. ‘Even’ in Scotland, where I teach, (supply on long term contract if you’re interested) teachers ime don’t sit around chatting about how they have chosen the path they have simply for an easy life.

I think someone giving their whole focus as a supply is better on occasion than some poor sod run ragged all year round.

My sister is having a baby soon, and for her it's a clear choice between burn out or doing part time whilst her own child is little. She made herself physically ill with the strain of last year.

My MIL is retired but is a WASPI so is doing supply for additional income. She's a good teacher though and enjoys it.

Pippity

Me either. Teachers joke. Supplies mainly sit quietly in the staffroom. OP has built a whole thread around slagging off a few (one?) teacher she 'has met'. At the end of term when teachers are frazzled and she herself has just broken up for the Summer holidays. As I said, not very emotionally intelligent, for a teacher

sorry, me neither

Not RTFT because you lost me when you, a teacher, if you are a teacher, thought it was OK to change names in case you attracted adverse attention. FFS. Have the courage of your convictions, why don't you?

People's motivation for work is nobody's business. It's how they do the job that matters.

There is only one question for you: how would you detect a less than "committed" teacher? Oh, hang on...it's how they do the job.

And it is a job.

Again I'm not in England so I'm afraid I have no clue as to what's going on at the present time.

Have no knowledge of working through an agency - not even sure they are a 'thing' - in Scotland as have never heard of it.

I don't know if it was a good idea to start a thread criticising something you know so little about outside of Scotland.

I'm also finding it hard to believe that you are a teacher of any kind OP.
Your questions indicate that you haven't a clue what is expected of teachers. Your lack of emotional intelligence is astounding.
You seem to think that the only good teachers are those who live and breathe it 100%, Who pour their heart and soul into it 24/7.

If we assume quite a few supply teachers do supply because they 'can't be arsed', and if we accept that the OP is right that there is no place for those people in education, then obviously all the lazy supply teachers should resign.

Small snag in the plan, though, OP. Who is going to teach the cover lessons? Next time I am ill, who is going to take my class? Gandhi?

Snurk Pengggwn :o