Teachers!

[MsFannySqueers]

So retired/ex teachers are being asked to consider returning to the classroom because of possible staff shortages in the New Year. Is this something you would do?

@ChloeDecker

I have yes, I refused to mark in the way my school asked. It took ages, it was a waste of time (kids don’t read feedback anyway). I was asked to take on more (unpaid) responsibilities for digital learning, I refused.

So, didn’t make much difference then.

Who are these ‘people’ you speak of whose support you needed?

The electorate for a start…

It made a difference to my job.

The electorate - so the general public?

But what difference does that make to your job?

Some examples (although you are coming off as very rude and relentless!):

A parent who has second thoughts about their initial approach with a problem
A person who considers which way they vote
A person in a job role that happens to make some useful change
A member of the government who reads and considers their approach (wishful thinking probably but there has been evidence that the government reads these threads on schools)
And on and on….

The fact is, you have no idea what posters on here have or have not done but your assumptions can be quite damaging if people read them and assume teachers have the same conditions in all parts of the UK.

The electorate - so the general public?

Those eligible to vote, specifically…

Is this a quiz in which I am being scored!?

It made a difference to my job.

But not to others’ jobs which was the original point and in England, that would put you on Capability and then put. I know. I saw it happen

@ChloeDecker

But what difference does that make to your job?

Some examples (although you are coming off as very rude and relentless!):

A parent who has second thoughts about their initial approach with a problem
A person who considers which way they vote
A person in a job role that happens to make some useful change
A member of the government who reads and considers their approach (wishful thinking probably but there has been evidence that the government reads these threads on schools)
And on and on….

The fact is, you have no idea what posters on here have or have not done but your assumptions can be quite damaging if people read them and assume teachers have the same conditions in all parts of the UK.

I asked what you’ve done yourself to change your working conditions - your whole argument boils down to ‘I need validation from the public so they vote a different way and with a bit of luck we’ll get a new government who prioritises teachers’. Which makes me think you do actually see some truth in what I’m saying.

@GettingLardy

I retired at 55 in the Summer. My life has improved so much by no longer being in a classroom. I would never go back.

I'm thinking of doing the same at that age: can I ask if you have another income stream, @GettingLardy? I can tutor, but I hate that and I really want to move away from teaching entirely. I was thinking of selling up (south east) and going somewhere cheaper then using spare rooms as an airbnb.

Teachers can’t change their working conditions because the government won’t listen to them. They may listen to parents who are the major voting stakeholders in education. Parents are often unaware of the issues. Telling them the issues means they are more aware and may be motivated to take action.

Reply ‘urgh you just want validation from parents’ 🤦‍♀️

@noblegiraffe

Teachers can’t change their working conditions because the government won’t listen to them. They may listen to parents who are the major voting stakeholders in education. Parents are often unaware of the issues. Telling them the issues means they are more aware and may be motivated to take action.

Reply ‘urgh you just want validation from parents’ 🤦‍♀️

Why would they be motivated to take action for someone else’s job?

I don’t know @Pumperthepumper.

Maybe because a school is more than a teacher, it’s a community where parents, pupils and teachers are interconnected. Better working conditions would mean more time spent with the pupils.

Because their kids are the ones getting the education from those teachers in short supply?

You know, parents quite like their kids and want them to do well.

I know ex teachers who would under the right condition

A lady taught supply at our place for 2 years and loved it. It's a massive college and she happily flitted around covering her subject across multiple departments. She loved it and was happy. The students were happy.

They said she couldn't work supply longer than 2 years and offered her a job. She left within 6 months as it was a return to everything she hated - observations paperwork etc

@motherrunner

I don’t know *@Pumperthepumper*.

Maybe because a school is more than a teacher, it’s a community where parents, pupils and teachers are interconnected. Better working conditions would mean more time spent with the pupils.

But nobody will prioritise that. The general public do not see that as their problem. And they won’t for as long as teachers continue to complain about the lack of validation they get.

Ofsted were back inspecting for the Autumn term , I experianced it first hand ! Hell on earth would be putting it mildly , god help all of us if they put those inspectors back in any school ! 😬 (I work in a great school )

I’m not sure teachers should be taking advice from someone who hasn’t even spotted teachers being called workshy.

Someone who does not have their finger on the pulse of the issues.

I’m a specialist in a shortage subject. I wouldn’t return because I wouldn’t trust a school to honour my requests.

Once more: I. Do. Not. Want. Or. Expect. Validation. From. The. Public.

I do my job to the best of my ability. If I see a misconception on social media about an aspect of teaching, I will attempt to set the record straight.

The end.

I suppose I’m seeing it more as a favour really.

If I went into school to help out and then got told ‘your OFSTED lesson wasn’t good enough!’ I think I’d just smile and say cheerio, then!

@noblegiraffe

I’m not sure teachers should be taking advice from someone who hasn’t even spotted teachers being called workshy.

Someone who does not have their finger on the pulse of the issues.

Oh I’ve spotted it. It came from our old friend ‘the general public’. My point is, who cares what they think? And the answer is: people who need that same public to take responsibility for someone else’s job.

Michael Wilshaw stated that teachers should be prepared to sacrifice their lives. He has freely stated his own family were not happy when he went back before (when there was magic tape etc). He is going back to his own past school on his own terms and/or has some kind of martyr complex. It's not the same.

Instead of bickering about workload and teacher optics on here , we should ask the question 'would you want your 60+ year old DM/DF/ DP [delete as applicable] in a school right now?' 37% higher change of inaction than any other workforce? Note that wasn't in the spiel...

We had three retired ex teachers working for us - one as cover , two as TAs. They have all left because of Covid concerns. Putting their own health first is completely understandable.

of inaction

infection but inaction also works.

It came from our old friend ‘the general public’.

It comes from the government too. You didn’t see the fabricated ‘Boris battles the unions to do x’ type stories that were bollocks too then?

The idea that parents don’t care about their kids’ education because teachers complain is super-weird.

I’m sure a parent who spent ages agonising over secondary school choices would be interested to know why their kid is being taught maths by a PE teacher and the school doesn’t offer computer science. We’ve certainly had threads complaining about this on MN where the parent has needed to be told that the fault is not with the school.

@manysummersago

I suppose I’m seeing it more as a favour really.

If I went into school to help out and then got told ‘your OFSTED lesson wasn’t good enough!’ I think I’d just smile and say cheerio, then!

But Ofsted wouldn’t be seeing it as a favour. They have not even been putting in issues with staff absence due to Covid, in their recent Ofsted reports to schools inspected in the last month.

Besides, did you cut your maternity leave short to go back and help your school out as an additional member of staff? I would hope that you didn’t but it does raise the point that it’s interesting that those who are saying teachers are doing themselves no favours are also not ones putting their neck out either

@manysummersago

I suppose I’m seeing it more as a favour really.

If I went into school to help out and then got told ‘your OFSTED lesson wasn’t good enough!’ I think I’d just smile and say cheerio, then!

If lesson observations had been used as a tool to destroy your credibility, confidence and career, you would probably see it differently and not want to put yourself there again to help anyone out. I know lots and lots of people like this, sadly.

Chloe - I didn’t but tbh I wouldn’t have been totally against the idea had it been needed (it wasn’t at the time - I went back September.) I’d probably have agreed to do one or two days a week had I been able to get childcare.

However, I’m not really saying that anyone should or shouldn’t. I just feel that OFSTED is a bit of a nonsense to be upset or worried about - IF you have already retired and you’re literally doing a favour. As I say, in those instances if someone tried to tell me that I needed to do whatever nonsense other than teach I would just walk away.

@Appuskidu

Teaching is unique in that we all need endless gratitude from the general public about doing our jobs

I don’t need endless gratitude from the public, I would rather not be slagged off though.

I just wanted to be left alone to do my job.