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)

@vikkiwatts

I think it’s a brilliant idea-good on your head!

MaisyPops

There is also a difference between picking up low ability classes in core subjects and ones in options subjects @ Ks4.

In KS5 all the kids have chosen to be there (for whatever reason).

And hiphoray has been very good at not saying what they teach.

And hiphoray has been very good at not saying what they teach

Any guesses?

Haven’t read all of this but a few points to consider for those who question the difficulties of teaching and to think about WHY these might be the case:

Over half of NQTs leave within five years of qualifying.
All schools are different; however it is the norm for staff to attend up to two meetings a week after school hours and do a club. Most schools expect things like parent meetings, performance management and pupil progress meetings to take place after school.
Many job adverts currently offer to pay a new appointment at any point on the main scale and also on the upper pay scale, whilst some job adverts offer negotiated pay. This is despite having poor budgets.
There is a desperate need for headteachers. Look up the education pages and see for yourself.
Recently got life insurance? Teaching is deemed one of the worst professions for sickness and stress.

There are many more points that I could make but the above, if thought through thoroughly raise many serious questions.

As one poster stated.....fast forward a few years and a significant number of children WILL be taught by unqualified teachers, cover supervisors, outsourced specialists and teaching assistants. Some already are being taught this way.

For all those making unqualified statements about the profession: become a school governor and at least get SOME idea about the issues teachers are facing on a daily basis.

Instead of trying to imply that because another teacher doesn’t work long hours they aren’t doing a good job, why don’t you use the opportunity to learn from them and perhaps explore ways in which you might be able to do the same?

Comes across as slightly bitter.

Well if it’s not English, it doesn’t count does it!

There is also a difference between picking up low ability classes in core subjects and ones in options subjects @ Ks4.

There is a difference, but judging comments from colleagues I've heard suggests that some my lower core groups have been easier than some of their option subjects. I wouldn't say ks4 options subjects are automatically easier.
hip might not have 'proven' themselves enough to some on the thread but they have some relevant points.
As a leader, I do my best to help colleagues out and reduce their stress. I can't change the big things but I'll do what I can to help them feel appreciated and valued.

But dorset, I keep saying I don't work long hours! I am not bitter! Teachers can work whatever hours they like or need to work. Couldn't be inclined to judge. More likely to judge the martyr tendency, tbh. But hips first post was not suppportive of her profession.

But I am also not a HOD so don't need to sort cover for absent staff before school.

Piggy. But why does every teacher have to agree with whatever other teachers say on here in a show of ‘support to their profession’? It’s not a pack mentality.

Piggy. When you make loaded comments such as ‘rock up to school 15 minutes before it starts’ it comes across as being a tad bitter...

hahaha! I am sure when I left today at 3.30 plenty of people felt I 'sloped off'

Piggy
I did not mean to come across as unsupportive. I think that there is often little balance in these type of discussions. Potential teachers will often hear two extreme impressions of the profession. Either the ‘ lazy teachers/ no respect for them’ or the ‘martyr teachers who work every waking hour’ it’s important that graduates also understand that teaching is very challenging but eventually an experienced teacher does not have to work the extreme hours that they did when starting out.

I worked as a teacher for over 25 years and would be too embarrassed to take a shopping day when having 13 + weeks of holiday compared to rest of population only getting about 6 or 7 weeks each year. There is really no need for it as teachers are just as capable of online shopping as rest of population.

Dorsetdays

Once again you are reading in to my posts something that is not there.

This is a thread about workload, well being etc. Hiphoray maybe relieving some stress by taking lower ability classes but the workload generated in those classes (such as marking) is very low.

Hiphoray's first post was very 'I can do it, if you can't' etc.

why don’t you use the opportunity to learn from them and perhaps explore ways in which you might be able to do the same?

Why would I when I am happy with my workload and hours? Just because I take umbridge at others attitudes doesn't mean that I martyr myself for the cause or don't help colleagues.

I freely admit that english, maths and science have a greater working load than I do in my specialist area, the difference is that I respect that and don't try and pass my workload off as the norm.

I’m struggling to understand people that are so strongly against this. The head is covering so no impact on child’s education, teachers are exhausted at this time of year and have worked long hours with parents evening / Christmas productions/ fetes / discos etc . It is just a tiny way of trying to make staff feel appreciated , isn’t that what a good employer tries to do and don’t we all want to work for a good employer? ( I know it’s not enough and not what everyone wants but the point is someone is trying to show some appreciation). I don’t have anything against someone else having something that might make them feel appreciated especially if it is no impact on me!

I think dorset that is mainly because hip is being so evasive. But never mind. She has convinced me she does care about her colleagues, so I am appeased.

I think many of us would still egnuinely liek to know where this work life balance has been achieved, on really high pay, in the current climate.

I once told a room of collegaues that I tried never to take marking home when we were discussing stress and work life balance. The next day the head called me to his office and bolocked me.

Now, THAT I am bitter about!

It’s not about Christmas shopping, it’s about staff well being which as I’m pretty sure everyone knows is rock bottom

And you can tell I am tired out : my typing is worse than ever!!

Behaviour decline is my point of stress. Not the hours.

Ahh piggy that’s the difference!
The school I work at is very supportive, committed to reducing administration tasks and does not micro manage the leadership team. No one would ever be bollocked by the head like that.
We have a very low staff turnover as result.
I am very much aware that this is not reflective of all schools.
And I agree, it’s poor behaviour and lack of respect that is very stressful.

Boney. No idea what you’re on about now. My previous post was in response to Piggy not you but if you want to read into it and think it’s was about you then knock yourself out..if the cap fits and all that

We used to get this in health (well half a day), long gone now.

I used to work at a school where the head did this and it was soooooo well appreciated. Real morale booster especially at this time of year when you spend so much of your own time making Christmas show props, costumes etc etc on top of all the usual workload. 35 hour working week.... in our dreams! HT and DHT covered the classes which the children loved.

@italiandreams lots of people are busy at this time of year not just teachers.

I put in extra hours getting events ready, preparing materials to send out, arranging meetings and so on.

There just seems to be this aura around teachers that because what they do is for children , it's much more valuable.

It's their career that they've chosen to go into.

Lots of my friends get a big Christmas party (paid for) and Christmas presents from work I don’t think anything other than ‘good for them’ as it doesn’t make a difference to me so why do people have a problem with this when it makes no difference to them but might just make a teacher feel a bit valued. The children are taught by the head , the teacher is a little less exhausted . Surely we should be trying to make things easier for people to do their jobs and feeling valued is part of that. ( Agree that might not be what everyone wants but it’s pretty hard to please all the people al the time, it’s the gesture ) .

There just seems to be this aura around teachers that because what they do is for children , it's much more valuable.

No, I think it’s their scarcity that makes them more valuable.

Not that some schools treat their staff like assets at all though.