To think secondary schools could scrap the tutor period?

[padthehallways]

I think most schools are like the one I work in, with a twenty / thirty minute tutor period either in the middle of the day or first thing. Once a week assembly.

Ours is currently first thing, and once a week we don’t have it and finish twenty minutes early.

Do we need it at all? Once a week assembly for each year group, so once a week in a bit earlier.

Maybe in my naive utopia I’m thinking it would reduce school traffic a bit with staggered starts, give teachers a bit more time (yes teacher bashers, we do need it) and reduce another layer of stress.

Perhaps I’m being naive.

I am assuming others are following a similar line of thinking to me.
You are probably a perfectly competent, mature English teacher.
You comments on tutor time however are bordering on belligerence with a lot of immature foot stamping about it being pointless, maybe you have spent too long hanging out with Y10. I'd have expected you to present a more comprehensive and researched argument.

At my school the idea was hat you had the same tutor throughout. Tutor I had in years 7 & 8 was clearly completely disinterested in tutor time, so we responded in kind. Her indifference was clear.

Then she was swapped for a different teacher who actually seemed interested in us as individuals and have a shit, so we in turn we’re much more engaged with her.

Not all teachers make good tutors. I don't think they should be forced to do it as it just leads to resentment of time lost for the teacher and the kids will can tell if their tutor can’t really be bothered with them so just dis-engage and miss having the opportunity to build a positive relationship offer a period of time with an adult that gives a shit about their lives.

Apologies for the typos

@padthehallways

That’s fine, but then why the barbed comments?

Not embracing the pastoral side of teaching with full force doesn’t make me a bad teacher, disinterested in my students. Nobody likes every aspect of their jobs, and nor should they have to. All we need to expect is professionalism. Personally, I prefer the pedagogical side of teaching.

But I do feel form time is not a particularly useful aspect of the day.

What barbed comments?

The only person that has named called on this thread is you when you called someone an arse.

No-one has called you a bad teacher.
You’re perhaps not the best form tutor, but some teachers aren’t. Just like some teachers are good at teaching practical subjects and some aren’t.

Your inability to acknowledge the points anyone else makes does make me wonder why you bothered with the thread though as you’re blatantly not interested in other opinions.

Our school just goes straight into classes. I find it very weird.
I've no idea when the kids actually get to see their pastoral teacher.

If you’re ‘reading’ my comments with that sort of tone, @Postdatedpandemic then that’s what comes across, but at the risk of once more being accused of petulance, why?

Why read that into comments, when I am just trying to have a perfectly pleasant discussion?

It’s interesting to read other views. I acknowledged extremely early in the thread that staggered starts wouldn’t work. However, I haven’t read anything particularly convincing re how essential tutor time is. So we have different opinions.

But what you are doing is making this personal. It isn’t.

When I was at school tutor time was one of the best bits of the day. Like a little coffee break between the work. I would have hated it to be scrapped.

I gave up teaching after 13 or so years because I fucking hated it. Why not try that?

Why would I do that, @CathyTre?

Well, because you seem to hate it too?

We have two form times a day. One is great. 2 is a massive waste of time (usually )

You don’t think kids having a regular space when their personal well-being is the priority, rather than their academic progress, is important??

Lots of rosy romantic views about what actually happens in form time here. The one where the same tutor has them for 5 years and knows them really well is a good one. When schools are struggling to get the same maths teacher to teach a class for a year, the idea that form time is a little haven of stability is generally not the reality.

I don’t hate it, @CathyTre

Perhaps a brush up on comprehension skills?