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)

'What a cheek to fine parents for keeping their kid off for a day'

Does this actually happen? One day? I thought it was for longer periods of absence. Ours is 85% attendance over 6 weeks, or 5 days off for a holiday (or other unauthorised reason)

What a cheek to fine parents for keeping their kid off for a day, and then chuck in INSET days and shopping days for teachers when it suits

There it is!  You win the gold star for not having a f'ing clue about what you are talking about or how schools work!

Pupils have to attend school set number of days every year. That is the law and every school is the same.

TEACHERS are in school MORE DAYS each year THAN THEIR PUPILS

Therefore your little cherub IS NOT MISSING A DAY OF SCHOOL WHEN THERE IS AN IMSET DAY.

My school was closed for a shopping day yesterday. We have a given amount of time for INSET (in service training). We choose to do some of that after school hours so we can have this day off. The school would be closed to kids anyway, we just choose to use our time differently.

As it happens I spent most of the day marking assessments.

Firstly, I have known other organisations to do this too, but people seem less worried if say call centre staff get a shopping day.

These shopping days aren't a 'right' but the fact that some schools realise it will benefit staff wellbeing and make arrangements for them is a good thing. The teachers will be giving their time elsewhere - some schools that do this use one of the INSET days but in return the staff attend training in the evening. I know of one school that did similar but instead of it being a staff benefit they pooled the INSET days to add a week off to May half term allowing parents to take advantage if cheap holidays. Strangely no one complained there (I believe the staff only gained a couple of days as a few INSET days also took place in the additional week off).

For those arguing that teachers can do all their shopping in evenings and weekends...

• would it work for you if next week your children don't have prepared lessons / do any work that required marking? This will allow the teachers a full weekend and week's worth of evenings to prepare for Christmas.
• or, perhaps stop any after school activities happening in evenings or weekends? This would include....school discos, parents evenings, concerts, school fairs, fundraising bingo, curriculum evenings, meetings about residentials (actually no residential school trips as these also require teachers working during the evening).

Accept it as it is intended. Some head teachers have identified a way of making their teachers' life a little bit easier at this busy time of year, to give something back in return for the 'over and above' things they do, and improve morale.

My DC's secondary school used to shut at lunch time at the end of term to enable them to 'celebrate with colleagues who are leaving us'. I cannot think of any other publicly owned body that would be allowed to do that. We were never allowed to close our doors to over 1000 patients for an afternoon because we wanted to go to the pub with people who are leaving.

Children have no choice yes that’s because they have a human right to education and schools are trying to uphold that right. There are kids who are desperate to be in school in less developed countries but they have to work instead.

It seems inefficient and a bit of a silly token gesture.

The profession needs to treat its practitioners like adults and put into practice proper measures which will cut working hours without impacting pupil attainment.

How about schools setting out policies against gorgeous-looking Pinterest-worthy classroom (beautifully decorated stuff everywhere, elaborate wall displays being constantly changed etc.)? Most of this has no impact on pupil attainment or is actually negative (because it is distracting).

How about schools taking a serious look at marking policies? Most marking is a huge waste of time that does not improve kids' work--whole class feedback can substitute for a lot of marking.

Every school should have a centralized whole-school discipline program so that teachers do NOT have to waste time chasing up kids and supervising detentions.

There needs to be some serious discussion about getting some high-quality textbooks into schools esp primaryteachers in England spend insane amounts of time reinventing the wheel, fighting with the photocopier, scouring Twinkl for stuff to download. Higher-performing education systems universally use textbooksthey reduce workload and free up teacher time for working one-on-one with struggling pupils, helping them to catch up or keep up.

And so on.

It's the sort of initiative that will have the DM and its followers frothing..

What really needs examining is the scale of the teacher retention crisis in this country.

@sonlypuppyfat dislikes teachers and says so at every opportunity. She hasn't worked for years and has no idea about employment issues in any area of work anyway.

I saw a Visa advert the other day trying to encourage people onto the high street to do their Christmas shopping. All this ‘just order your stuff from Amazon’ advice is killing actual shops.

Teachers being given a day when they can get into town instead of ordering from Amazon wouldn’t just benefit teachers.

I leave school at 3. I arrive at 8.30. That’s so I can see my kids off in a morning and be there when they get home. But I work part time and spend my days off working. And I normally have two bags full of marking with me to do in the evening. So yes people will see me leave early. Doesn’t mean I’ve finished work.
As long as kids are in school the required number of days I don’t see the issue. If they tagged the day in to the holidays nobody would notice.

Only if all professions could have this too. Teachers aren't the only ones who work long hours or do overtime or have a stressful job or do additional work at home to prepare for the following day at work.

I'm not a teacher, but I've nothing but respect for them, they definitely don't finish at 3 and they aren't paid amazingly considering they are responsible for the future of our children! A day off such as this is a nice gesture, I don't begrudge them it.

And yes teacher recruitment is a massive issue. How many if your kids are being taught by a stream of supply teachers or non subject specialists? I want a decent graduate with subject expertise. Nothing wrong with trying to make it a more attractive job.

I think we should do whatever it takes to get teachers to stay in their jobs. I certainly wouldn't do it for the pay they get, the hours they have to work and the stress they are under. If someone is prepared to, then let's reward the fuck out of them.

They are very well rewarded for what they do! They finish work just gone 3!

Don’t be a tw*t.

Teachers aren’t the only ones at all or who work long hours etc. Other places of work should have the same perks for staff. I think most agree with that it’s just this particular thread is about teachers.

kokeshil 123 well said.

Our school had one day last year in November. It was put down as 'inset day ' but one of the TA's I know told me real reason for it. They are
Not doing it this year and adding it all on after Christmas instead.
I guess it's hard for working parents as it's another day to find childcare for.
A lot of schools are in charge of their own holiday rules these days I think.

I think it is find. Teachers need all the support they can get. Been watching school on BBC 2 and it is hearbreaking the stress teachers are under.

Schools have 5 inset days during the year. Some can be ‘converted’ by several evening twilight sessions giving staff a day ‘off’ -it could be that?

There is a massive teaching retention problem-the odd Christmas shopping day isn’t going to cure that, but it might help a bit.

Something has to be done to help the situation in our schools if you want your kids and future generations taught by qualified professionals. What solutions are there?

They finish work just gone 3!

Oh right so its the magical fairy that marks all your kids books

Its the magical fairy that writes all your kids reports

Its the magical fairy that sets out the classroom for the day

And teachers just walk in ti a magically layed out classroom with magic lesson plans and perfect children is it. Ohhhh ok then

Its the magic fairy that you meet on parents evenings is it?

Its the magic fairy that runs extra curriclar sports and drama projects is it?

Its tje magic fairy that accompanies your children on school trips and residentials is it.

Bloody hell i wish the school my mum worked at had a few of these magic fairies. It would have been nice to have mum finish work at just gpne 3

I guess it's hard for working parents as it's another day to find childcare for.

No, it’s not.

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

I'm not a fan of the day off for shopping and teachers already get grief about how much time off they have. I think they're underpaid and undervalued. Most work incredibly long hours. I can understand the temptation to acknowledge them in this way. If they are not lesson-planning and arrive in the nick of time and leave at 3pm, they should be sacked - but I've never seen this!

I might not have worked but all my family are in full time employment

Fair enough, Purple.

I agree with regards to marking policies and I'm against elaborate displays, though they're big on them in the school I'm currently in. I can guarantee the children barely ever look at them, unless it's a working wall or the display board I have behind my desk to pin on things they've brought in for me.

When I was in school, there were no displays at all. We had a world map, a times tables poster and a couple of grammar reminders. I feel that displays are for inspections and parents/visitors and one good work board and a working wall would be sufficient.