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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To find this incredibly frustrating, not sure if I'm overreacting

7 replies

Caribou1 · 05/07/2022 11:21

I have posted about my job yesterday, I've started recently teaching English as a foreign language and the first few weeks were great.
There have been a lot of new arrivals this summer and the school cannot accommodate everyone, so some of us have been moved to another building temporarily which is fine, but it doesn't have facilities so we have to go back and forth between buildings (5 mins walk).
There is only one photocopier for around 12 teachers now, we used to have 5 teachers. One female toilet for God knows how many people. Yesterday it was completely stuffed with paper and wouldn't flush, disgusting.

This morning I waited 5 minutes for one teacher, only to get started and be asked right away 'Are you going to be long?' by an impatient new teacher.
So you feel like you can't get everything done.

There are constantly new students arriving which is great, but for instance this morning halfway through my lesson the coordinator arrived with 4 new students out of the blue, I had no books or copies for them as I didn't know they were coming. It looks really bad on my behalf, but if I'd known I could have prepared work in advance. It throws the lessons out of sync too.

What would you do about these things?
I lose time in the mornings now by having to lug equipment back and forth too.

OP posts:
Caribou1 · 05/07/2022 11:23

I meant she asked me how long I was going to be on the photocopier, not the toilet* lol

OP posts:
Doona · 05/07/2022 11:25

I used to teach ESL and it was like this! People always want the photocopier just before class, and students come and go all the time. The toilet thing is weird though. Aren't there lots of female students?

Caribou1 · 05/07/2022 11:27

Normally there aren't many but we've had an influx of female students, so there must be nearly 40 now in the building!

OP posts:
Doona · 05/07/2022 11:31

Caribou1 · 05/07/2022 11:27

Normally there aren't many but we've had an influx of female students, so there must be nearly 40 now in the building!

One toilet for 40 people doesn't seem enough. I'm sure there are regulations about it.

PAFMO · 05/07/2022 12:27

Sounds like every summer school in the ESOL world.
We've got one photocopier and there'll be 20 odd teachers come Sunday. Our office rule is that unless there's an "emergency" any photocopies (which should be used in any case only rarely) need to be done the day before. Lessons should be planned the day before in case of absence, so that whoever stands in for the absent teacher goes to the tray and gets the materials out.
This is your second thread today about your job.
Speak to your DoS about the issues you're having.

PAFMO · 05/07/2022 12:34

Wrt the new students coming half way through- it's a rolling enrolment school clearly, so arrivals on Monday to be tested and then into class Tuesday?

Do you get any CPD? Any staff meetings?

It sounds (in all honesty) like many ESOL gaffs.

If you've got a CELTA, then this summer especially, the world's your oyster. Find a better one.
Maximum class sizes
Staff Meetings daily with your DoS
A syllabus that you are working to
CPD sessions weekly

You won't necessarily get paid for planning time- that's not how teaching of any kind operates- but you should at least have time to get organized.

At our school for example:
Arrivals Sunday
Testing and Induction for students Monday AM
CPD session, class allocation and planning with pair teacher Monday pm
First classes Tuesday AM.

Etc etc.
(Sorry I've conflated both your threads here a bit, but you're clearly unhappy)

SmileyPiuPiu · 05/07/2022 12:35

It doesn't sound like this is the job for you. Life is too short, can you find a job elsewhere?

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