Teacher wellbeing days for shopping

[ForAMinuteThere]

Nope - this isn't a bash. I saw an article in the Fail about it and wanted to add some support for the teachers of this world.

I am a non teacher. It looks hard. One day off for shopping is a nice gesture.

I expect mixed responses but personally, I think teachers staying sane and feeling worthy can only be a good thing.

(This isn't my first post, have NC)

Haven’t seen it. Is the school closed while this happens?

No, lessons are covered.

Haven’t read the article but teachers do a bloody difficult job for little respect and even less pay.

It seems like everyone thinks they know all about teaching, having gone to school at one time or another.

(I include myself in that group I guess!)

I suspect it’s a lot harder than it looks.

I'd copy and paste it if my phone wasn't being an idiot, sorry.

I don’t blame the teachers for it but I don’t like it, to be honest.

Presumably this was an INSET day? I suspect it wasn’t quite as specified in the Daily Fail. Many schools are increasingly focusing on staff wellbeing and using staff meetings or INSET for this but it’s likely there will have been some kind of structure to the day. There may have been some team building activity, or meeting about wellbeing followed by time to do something for yourself. Definitely worth giving time to staff wellbeing, particularly at the moment. If you don’t agree then try watching ‘School’ on BBC2.

A day off for shopping? They are very well rewarded for what they do! They finish work just gone 3!

Saturdays, Sundays and Amazon. I am very respectful of the difficult job teachers have, but it's an absolute piss take

I worked in a school where everyone got a Christmas shopping day, it was covered by SLT. It was really appreciated and all staff felt supported by the head and worked hard for them.
If I ever become a head I would do the same!

I think I read a school did this last year - the head was giving each teacher a day off and s/he covered the lessons that day.

It’s obviously extra work for the head but also beneficial for them as it gives them chance to see more of the students and get to know them a bit better. If a head is willing I think it’s great and would support the same at my kids’ school.

Having just watched the latest episode of School on BBC2, it's clear we have a serious teacher recruitment crisis. Staff morale in lots of schools is low, and they're dealing with ever increasing cuts and higher than ever stress and anxiety in their students. I think a day off for wellbeing is the least teachers deserve.

Sonlypuppyfat - some school might finish teaching then (I finish at 16:10), but then there's books to mark, lessons to plan and resource, tests to mark, data to input, parents to phone, detentions to supervise, clubs to run, meetings and training to attend...

We really don't finish at 3pm.

They finish work just gone 3! Meanwhile in the real world...

Sonlypuppy I really hope you are joking! dH is a teacher and works 7.30-6 every school day! I’d love him to finish at 3 to come home and help but he has marking, clubs, meetings etc etc.

I know it’s prob no different hours to plenty of other jobs but please be under no illusion that they finish at 3pm!!

Xpost with cabbage!

@sonlypuppyfat was that a joke?!

Teacher here. This is never going to go down well with the general public, especially those that think we finish at 3 . Schools are scrabbling around for ideas on how to retain staff and keep qualified people teaching. This is probably not the answer.
More lenient marking policies, a supportive behaviour support system, less data driven meetings and less scrutiny would!

I have a friend who's a headteacher and she gave her staff the 'day off' as an inset. She said the time would be met with meetings after school throughout the following month. The fact is that teachers work far longer hours than 9-3 (on average, I'd guess at 8-6/7, I certainly ended up doing 14 hour days at one point), and if they're using their 'free' time as work hours, then surely the balance should be able to swing the other way occasionally.

Nice idea but there is no money to cover lessons by a qualified teacher
If children have to strive for 100 % attendance , why should teachers get a break ?
Years ago we used to have a someone come into school to give us a neck massage at lunch time ( we paid for it ) now you are lucky to get a proper break

Well, yes, but if the school is closed that does cause a certain amount of inconvenience and before everyone jumps down my throat, I know schools aren’t childcare but still, finding childcare for those random days for many of us is a real headache. Fair enough for professional development but for shopping?

My DS high school does this, although school is closed! It’s a pissctake tbh, why can’t teachers do it I’m at the weekend or evenings like everyone else?

They finish work just gone 3!

I don’t know how you figure that. I had a half-hour discussion with two teachers at DS’s (small, local, not private) school at 4:30 yesterday. I was lurking by the front door around 5:30pm when I saw one of them leave.

And the lessons presumably don’t prepare themselves! Or do teachers just walk in and say, hmmm, what shall I teach today? Oh, I know! 💡

Well, yes, but if the school is closed that does cause a certain amount of inconvenience

The school doesn't close for the day so no inconvenience to parents / carers.

He personally covers the teachers on their days off, with other non-teaching roles also covered internally within the school.

‘As a result, no teaching time is lost for any child and there is no disruption to the day-to-day running of the school,’

I think it's a great idea.

Teachers cannot take a leave day to do Xmas shopping etc like others can and can't finish before the Friday before Xmas because school is open! They also spend far more time than the ridiculous hours they already work this time of year creating carol concerts and Christmas plays for the parents to enjoy.

Why begrudge anyone some time to just be human and do everyday things whilst relaxed.

They used to do this when I was a child back in the 1960s. We always had a Christmas shopping day in the run up to Christmas.