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)

Dorsetdays

I think that you are doing what you are saying others are doing, ignoring things that don't fit your narrative.

@BoneyBackJefferson
If you mean picking up the bottom set classes so my team don’t have too, then yes I cherry pick.

Boney. What am I ignoring? I’ve never said any stress teachers suffer is only due to long hours.

What else?

Dorsetdays

You are ignoring the teacher bashing threads.

It would be wrong to say that all teacher threads bash teachers but it is also wrong to say that they don't exist.

Yes, that is the particularly unpleasant thread I am referring to. I didn't find it very balanced. It was designed to tecaher bash. You know it was.

I am one of the teachers that says I do not work massively long hours (probably about 45 hours whihc is blewo average for a secondary teacher). I have also cited my DH who definitely doesn't but definitley does suffer from anxiety and stress.
I don't think hours worked are particulalry helpful to the debate aorunf teacher wellbeing but it was (surprise!) a non teacher who raised hours first on this thread! Notwithstanding, a recent (government) survey did fins that teachers work longer hours than any other public sector worker, even when averaged out across a year.

hiphoray since you are back , do tell what time your school's day starts if you rock up at 8.30. This astonishes me.

Excuse typos...

Boney. Nope, I never said that either but please don’t let the facts stand in the way of your story.

You claimed there are threads on here every day that bash teachers. I simply said I don’t see those and certainly haven’t come across them on a daily basis.

You then referred to a thread from a week ago which actually wasn’t particularly ‘teacher bashing’ anyway as many posters disagreed.

You’re however still ignoring the fact that not all teachers work long hours and those that have come on here to confirm that have been either conveniently ignored or called a liar...

I am definitely not a teacher basher.

But I don’t think any thread where there is some element of being critical about teachers is teacher bashing.

@piggy
8.50

No, I agree but I think only GPs and MILs get in the neck (not quite) as much as teachers on here. And a thread which fantasises about all the awful names you could call a public servant who is only enforcing (maybe somewhat petty) rules (so they themselves don't get in trouble), is teacher bashing by anyone's definition.

Dorsetdays

You claimed there are threads on here every day that bash teachers.

I didn't

but please don’t let the facts stand in the way of your story.

8.50 is late. Is this a comprehensive school?

Hiphoray123
If you mean picking up the bottom set classes so my team don’t have too, then yes I cherry pick.

Whatever your intentions you cherry pick.

dorset that was me, not boney.

But I have confirmed I don't work long hours and no one has called me a liar!!!

Dorsetdays

You’re however still ignoring the fact that not all teachers work long hours and those that have come on here to confirm that have been either conveniently ignored or called a liar...

I haven't ignored anything, nor have I called anyone a liar.
I once again refer you to your own post

don’t let the facts stand in the way of your story.

Piggywaspushed
I've worked reasonable weeks for the profession and utterly ridiculous hours in the profession.
Reasons for retention and recruitment are complex and it's never something that gets properly debated on MN.

Whatever your intentions you cherry pick
They are picking so their colleagues don't have to pick up shit. That's someone who is looking out for their colleagues. Why try to spin is as a negative?
In our school it's common for those of us in leadership roles to take more tricky groups so that others don't have to. It's also common for us to field a lot of flack and the ridiculous complaints etc so that colleagues don't have to spend hours following things up. That's good leadership and good leadership goes some way to helping staff to have better balance.

Boney. I wasn’t meaning you had personally called anyone a liar just that you had ignored those posts and the fact that those people were being challeneged. You also said that I was ignoring the teacher bashing threads...which I wasn’t, just saying that I don’t see these on a daily basis.

(Apologies if I got the original message mixed up but you referred back to it as that’s what I was originally responsing to when you said I was saying there weren’t any).

Boney
I pick up the classes that I know will have discipline issues so my less experienced team members can focus on their teaching with the less disruptive classes. I also make sure they have some a level teaching to give them the experience they need to become good all round teachers.
I can see you are insinuating that I must take all the ‘good’ classes for my self and leave the rest to others.
I do not. And if that is your experience then that is an example of poor leadership.

I think it’s a great idea. I did 2 tours of Iraq over Christmas as a soldier and both years our usual guard duties were covered by senior ranks/officers so the more junior ranks got a proper day off. It was appreciated!! I work for the public sector now and at my work we all get half a day Christmas shopping day to take anytime in December.

@Maisypops
Thank you! That’s exactly what I do. I filter out all the rubbish so my team can focus on what’s really important- teaching.
And if I think they are working too long hours I’ll do what I can to minimise that e.g buying in resources so they don’t spend hours preparing lessons.

Hiphoray123
I know what you mean. We take on some more tricky classes to free up colleagues to concentrate on what matters like teaching and learning.
We also try to take the pressure of newer staff by giving them almost entirely nice classes so they can develop and settle as a teacher too.
It's part of being a leader.

Yes maisypops!
That’s exactly right! We are the same person! 😀
I was complete shafted when I first started teaching and got all of the tricky classes while the experienced teachers took the nice classes.
I swore I would never do that when I became a leader.

This is my school in the news. I'm chair of the PTA there. It's a small village school with four teachers. I can see how this incentive won't work in bigger schools, however it is a great incentive. Our teachers work really hard to plan interesting and informative lessons for our 120 pupils, we are very lucky to have them at our school, and if giving them a day off in December keeps them healthy and happy, it doesn't do our children any harm. The head teacher covers the classes and as it is such a small school he knows exactly what each child is capable of, where they are in their classes and how to teach them. With staff retention levels at a low and wellbeing and mental health assistance being needed more by teaching staff I think it's great to give our teachers a day to reconnect with family and friends or shop or even just have a lie in!
Children thrive best with continuity of care, if giving one day per member of staff means we keep our awesome teachers at our school for longer, what's the issue? I'd rather give them a day than have them burn out or be signed off sick for a lot longer than a day.

Well, that's all very nice but that isn't the spirit in which you joined this thread hip which was very much ' no one needs to wrok long hours/ I earn lots of money/ teachers aren't stressed / wellbeing humbug'

I am glad to hear that isn't what you really think.

Still surprised you , especialy as a HOD (of a presumably mammoth department), rock up 15 min before school but that's your choice.