Difficult manager - help!

[UnaCorda]

I have a relatively new, young (20s) manager who is really pissing me off. Soon after he arrived he took the best part of my job for himself. He has now been promoted to head of section.

Part of my job (I am freelance) involves finding my clients from various locations. On several occasions recently they have not been there. I have had to ask assistance from various people to help me find my clients, and have fed back that it makes it very difficult for me to do my job in these situations (it is not the clients' responsibility).

I will admit to being frustrated and fed-up as these scenarios have increased in frequency, and have expressed this on one or two occasions; however, I have not shouted, lost my temper or otherwise behaved "unprofessionally".

I have now been told off by this manager for not being able to find my clients, even though this is not (ever) my fault and even though I have eventually managed to track them down and fulfil their appointment in all cases. (He has suggested I should substitute an alternative client in these situations, although this is usually not practical or even not possible.) This has made me quite stressed and I was signed off work for a short period.

It is probably worth stating that several other people who do my job have had similar experiences both regarding finding clients and interactions with this manager. He is not popular with my immediate colleagues and has upset or annoyed most of them one way or another.

So, how do I manage this manager?

Sorry, I have just reread your OP. This is a school issue. Could you raise it with the head to be mentioned at a staff meeting?
Also, It’s probably too late for this term but for sept could you print out a list of who has a lesson & on each day so the class teacher can put it up in the room & it should remind them each week. That’s quite simple and not so time consuming for you. It won’t completely solve the problem but might help.

How many lessons do you teach a day and how many classes do they come from?

You don't manage the manager, you manage the situation.

You have a school problem ..
Phone the school the day before...
Tell them which children your teaching and times...ask for class location ....
They should be able to tell you if a trip for s planned..... Child is ill....
Advise parents if they don't inform you 24 hours in advance you will expect payment...
There you can now inform manager....
Upon entering School check if children all present and no room changed .. .

OK, so you're a peri.

When you sign in, ask at reception if there are any classroom changes or trips that day. If anybody is going to know about trips, it's the person who deals with all the phone calls and letters.

Go and fetch the children. Teach them.

If you can't find one child, get the one from the end of your timetable. When you take into account their age, it's unlikely anybody will kick up a fuss about it if, by some miracle, it's exactly the same time as last week. If you were talking about KS3, it's more likely that somebody will notice that, but a bit a communication with the HoM would get you copies of each child's timetables, so you can find them easily and spot whether you're taking them out of Maths again.

At the end of your teaching, try to get the 'missing' child.

The person responsible for music should be able to give you details of scheduled trips in advance.

Do you have contact details for the parents? Most peris are given them, as gradings aren't arranged/paid for by the school.

Changing teaching days is easy. You send/the school sends a message to the parents saying that Violin/Piano/Guitar lessons are now being held on Thursdays, for example. There should be somewhere in music where the timetables are on display for 11+ students - find out if there are and if so, walk the child to the board and show them.

You aren't required to make up lessons where they are not rearranged in advance - having parental contacts would make it easier for you to know in advance if somebody isn't going to be there/email changes to lesson times. Or use their practice book to pass on messages (slightly less reliable, especially as they sometimes get forgotten). such as writing at the end of the lesson 'Your next lesson is at 10.30am on Wednesday 17th July', for example.

It's not the manager being difficult by the sounds of it - it's part and parcel of being a peri - although Music Services/companies can be a right PITA and getting a good reputation and going direct can work much better for you.

In any case, it's the end of term now. Everything could change by September, especially if people haven't paid to renew lessons.

Are you coming on the same day each week but just rotating the times?

Yes, although if there are whole-day trips or activities I have to change the pupils' lesson days.

people are making it difficult for me to do my job

No, they’re not. People (teachers) are doing their jobs (teaching children) and in doing so need some flexibility (going to computer rooms, gym, etc). If you’re changing class time each week, how on earth would the teacher know what to tell you?

One simple solution though, would be to ask if there could be a school policy of notes on doors if a class has gone elsewhere? I teach (secondary) and am required to leave a note on the door to say where we are if I take a class to a different room.

How many lessons do you teach a day and how many classes do they come from?

Around ten. Probably ten different classes. Maximum of two from the same class.

You don't manage the manager, you manage the situation.

I was trying to manage the situation with lots of forward planning and communication. Part of the problem is the lack of support. I'll think through the suggestions people have made to see whether any of them might work.

people are making it difficult for me to do my job

No, they’re not. People (teachers) are doing their jobs (teaching children) and in doing so need some flexibility (going to computer rooms, gym, etc). If you’re changing class time each week, how on earth would the teacher know what to tell you?

One simple solution though, would be to ask if there could be a school policy of notes on doors if a class has gone elsewhere? I teach (secondary) and am required to leave a note on the door to say where we are if I take a class to a different room.

There is a school policy of notes on doors if a class has gone elsewhere. The problem arises when teachers don't follow this policy - which happens frequently. That's what I mean by making it difficult for me to do my job.

When you sign in, ask at reception if there are any classroom changes or trips that day. If anybody is going to know about trips, it's the person who deals with all the phone calls and letters.

I'm afraid that's not the case in this school. The receptionist is not involved with either trips or classroom changes.

You aren't required to make up lessons where they are not rearranged in advance

This isn't always the case either.

If you can't find one child, get the one from the end of your timetable. When you take into account their age, it's unlikely anybody will kick up a fuss about it if, by some miracle, it's exactly the same time as last week.

Yes, this makes sense. It's not always possible, though.

What I perhaps haven't made clear is that it's not the scheduled changes which are the real problem (they create enough of a headache, but I can get round most things with planning) but the unscheduled ones which aren't communicated.

I’m still not clear why this is your manager’s fault? What’s his role? Head of department? Which bit of your job is he now doing?

Ok well speak to the head and agree new rule - if you go to collect a child, the class is gone and there is no note then the child doesn’t get taught. Hunting all over the school is ridiculous.

OP, this is my old line of work. It sounds like both you and your manager are both over complicating things. Yes, chasing down kids is hard work as a peri, especially at the end of the year, but generally it should be manageable.

You need your timetable at least the day before. You need to liaise with the classroom teachers/reception about the timetable first thing so that everyone knows who is where. The teachers aren’t moving the kids around without a plan, the staff will all know about trips etc, or other activities. Any clashes/absences can then be addressed in the morning, before any issues, and the kids jiggled around to accommodate. The teachers will send the children to you if they forget, or you can go to them to collect them from the right place.

It’s usually a good idea to leave a slot or two spare at the end of the day, for any rebooking/catching up, but this may not be possible if you don’t book your own lessons.

Sorry, cross-posted here. If Reception don’t know where the kids are, the school has bigger problems than missed music lessons. Speak to whoever manages extracurriculars, ask them to pop messages in the registers.

So the person on reception doesn't know a thing, you've got the only peri contract in the world where it doesn't matter if they don't turn up all year, you have to make the lessons up and it's impossible to get the last kid on the list ever, but now it's not always possible?

This is my day job. Well, part of it - and I've done it from both sides of the equation.

I suggest you would be more suited to proper freelancing, rather than music service/umbrella organisation work - download the Musician's Union contracts for payment by the school and payment by the parents - you'll see the terms about making up lessons (or not) - and then you won't have to deal with people nicking your favourite school and can operate the no notice - no lesson change policy quite freely.

And you'll get a far better hourly rate, as those places are charging somewhere in the region of 45 - 55 quid an hour minimum for the simplest shared lessons, whilst you're probably getting somewhere around 22, Go solo and you are quite free to go for MU hourly rates or at least negotiate something more in keeping with what the true price of your teaching should be - especially if you could get work with the local private schools/higher attaining students.

It sounds a bit 6 of 1 half a dozen of the other. The teachers need to use the system and communicate better but so do you/your manager. Changing time and sometimes days is very confusing.

Can't you just email timetable at the end of the day before/early doors the day of teaching? Then collect children from where you've confirmed they'll be.

Or keep to a set date/time and those who can make will. Maybe arrange to meet after lunch/break in the same place so all the kids come directly.

Can you look for another job if he's a bit of an arse and has taken the best part of yours?

Our music peris email the parents the night before to remind them to remind the children when their lesson is.

Where is the master timetable of peri lessons? Is it somewhere obvious in school?

Who is your manager? (What is their role?)

OP is it possible to get a teacher's mobile number and communicate that way? Maybe this is a breach of regs though???? I'm not in education so I'm not honestly sure

So the person on reception doesn't know a thing, you've got the only peri contract in the world where it doesn't matter if they don't turn up all year, you have to make the lessons up and it's impossible to get the last kid on the list ever, but now it's not always possible?

I don't think I said any of those things.

Where is the master timetable of peri lessons? Is it somewhere obvious in school?

There is no such thing.

Who is your manager? (What is their role?)

Director of Music (head of department).

It sounds a bit 6 of 1 half a dozen of the other. The teachers need to use the system and communicate better but so do you/your manager. Changing time and sometimes days is very confusing.

Agreed. If I could stick to the same time and day I would, but we are told to change time every week and we have to change day if the class is not available (school trip, etc.).

Or keep to a set date/time and those who can make will. Maybe arrange to meet after lunch/break in the same place so all the kids come directly.

Lunch and break(s) aren't at the same time for all children. This is one of the difficulties.

OP is it possible to get a teacher's mobile number and communicate that way? Maybe this is a breach of regs though???? I'm not in education so I'm not honestly sure.

No, teachers will be teaching classes so won't answer mobiles.

So stick up your timetable in the staffroom as a start.

We have a master music peri lesson timetable up in ours and the office.

If it helps email the teachers the night before with the children you require and at what time. Ask the office for a copy of the master timetable to help with this.

Also don’t forget to email the parents each week with a reminder that if their child is not prompt then they will miss part of their lesson. This normally does the trick. All our peri teachers do it.

So stick up your timetable in the staffroom as a start.

I'll try that.

What I would do is to set up a group email for the teachers of the pupils you need to take out of lessons and send them an email/text 24 hours in advance of a list of the pupils you have and where they are to be collected from, requesting them to inform you of any changes. Copy the Manager in. Make sure you set the emails up so you get notified when they have been read.

When you arrive put up the days timetable on the notice board and when you leave put up your next days timetable in the notice board.

That way you can be seen to be working with the teachers and the Manager