Teachers who paint their classrooms themselves in school holidays

[Cloggyy]

I’m against.
I can see the young ones think this is a really great, but will soon regret it when they realise that this means budgets are adapted so that everybody is expected to do it. Also when they have preschool school-age children and can’t just go and work in time when they’re supposed to be resting. My main point is that although they feel it’s their holiday to do what they want in, it actually has a knock on effect with other colleagues

What do you all think? am I a moaning curmudgeon? :)

Are you a teacher? Not being goady, I'm just wondering. I'm hearing some colleagues recently taking a stand against going in during the holidays, they believe it devalues our profession- which I see. However, it also puts a bit of a dampener on the enthusiasm of NQTs and the like who might want to go in over the holidays to sort their classrooms. Either way, we weren't given any time for prep before the end of term or during in service, so I went in for a couple of days in the holiday. If I tried to paint my classroom my HT would flip.

“How lovely of those teachers to want to make their classroom joyful and welcoming. I'd love a teacher like that for my child for sure.”

These ‘lovely’ teachers are setting a ridiculously high bar in terms of workload and professional expectation which is why there is a very real teacher retention crisis. Why can’t people think further than the end of their nose? 🙄

I'm going In this week to sort and paint my office. Sadly, the budget doesn't cover it and I would rather it was spent on the kids

I've only seen US teachers doing this and don't know if it's about trying to become social media famous or if it's because they are young and keen so have the energy to put the extra effort in.

I also wonder if their students follow them online? I saw a lot of videos where teachers tried to design Covid safe classrooms that didn't look clinical (eg the plastic shield between each desk looked like a car windscreen)

Teachers shouldn't have to use their money on classroom supplies but I also wonder if anyone has watched these videos and changed their minds about the stereotype that teachers don't do much. It's not a belief that I have but there is an assumption by many that teachers have lots of holidays )

I agree op.

Were they in the UK? I only ask as I’ve been seeing a lot on social media about the teacher retention crisis in the US (which appears to be even worse than ours) and the pressure on teachers over there to spend literally thousands of dollars on kitting out their classroom which was left completely empty except for a few tables and chairs. The one I read about had no cupboards and no resources of any kind. It was crazy.

Hold on- what!?!
this is a thing!?!

I work in education and I’ve never heard of teachers going in during holidays and painting their classroom. That’s not part of their job role, surely? Or it is where you live?

We only did it when our school flooded so the kids would be able to get back in sooner. Otherwise it was just the usual going in the holidays to sort out backing for displays, peg names, tray names, books general clean and tidy etc etc

As support staff I had to go in for 5 days over the holidays, first year my head of department had me sanding desks. After the first day I said no.

But they should give prep time. Teachers needn’t be martyrs

Yes UK

Totally wrong, I'm focussing on H&S first. Who signed off working at height? Yes, teachers come in before the start of term to set up their classrooms, and that's busy, but it should be the caretaker who does this sort of thing.

Before I used to work in education (no, I'm not a teacher), I moaned about holidays and half terms, but it's one of the most intense sectors I've worked in, and both teachers and children need space from each other every half term, else there would be an explosion.

Absolutely this.
I went in yesterday for A level results. The site team are painting my room and the one next door this summer. It's not my job to do it. I certainly shouldn't be climbing ladders to do it. I'll put my posters back up at the start of term... but I'm on holiday. I'll go in for GCSE results next week but that's it.

I’m surprised that the schools business manager would let them- give mine his due he would have been horrified and said insurance if you fell? Not in your job description. Clearing to paint that’s another job.... a teacher could do.

I think you've missed the point of the training days – they are for training, not decorating!

I've never worked in a school which has given us classroom preparation time in our training days. We usually doing safeguarding, first-aid course you curriculum initiatives etc. I have always gone into school for a few days in the summer holidays to prepare my classroom – I see this as part of my responsibility as a professional to have everything ready for the new how old are children in September. I've never painted though!!

I completely agree that teachers should not be painting their own classrooms, school should be doing this through their maintenance budget but in reality that is a very tight budget and teachers want to be able to have a lovely learning environment for the children...

I personally wouldn't paint my classroom, I actually don't have my own classroom so don't have the option anyway! But if other teachers want to make their work environment nicer so be it. It's no different to buying stationary or games or a plant for a classroom to make it better, which a lot of teachers do. And it will have little effect on budgets, I doubt the headteacher or department for education pay attention to if a classroom is painted or not to decide on how much money to give them.

I'm starting a new ft teaching job in September after years and years of supply and peripatetic bits and bobs and I'm really excited about the job and having my own classroom! So I had been seriously thinking of going in over the holidays to work on the displays, but have decided not to - not least because I wouldn't have a clue yet where to get the stuff I'd need!

I have never in all my teaching career heard of teachers going in and actually painting classrooms though

I did it a couple of times in the 90s and 00s - I was young(er) and foolish then (although I did have a young family) and it was to cover graffitied walls. I was told in no uncertain terms that there was no money for decorating. Although it made my working conditions pleasanter, I take the point and I wouldn't do it now.

Feeling guilty reading some of the posts as this was exactly what myself and some colleagues did. Mind you it was about thirty years ago and our school was dreadfully underfunded and the classrooms were in a terrible state. It made all the difference to the teaching environment. I never thought about the knock on effect on other colleagues because it was the whole department who volunteered and we were the only ones in crappy huts.

As long as it’s not expected and a teacher is doing it out of choice then I don’t see the problem. They can still just choose not to have a freshly painted classroom when they do have pre schoolers or they lose the enthusiasm.

Even as a TA I have chosen to go in in the holidays to do things that will improve our classroom or that will make my job easier and better. The only real effect it has is the benefit for the people in that class and I don’t see why that should be sacrificed just because a few teachers are paranoid that their heads will go crazy and demand it from them too.

Haha! As a child of a teacher, as well as a teacher myself, I can say that whenever my mum was in school, I was there too. I was a master of the laminator and the paper cutting. I'm sure other children of teachers will have the same stories.

I've painted classrooms. I'm not a teacher though, just a parent.
When my children were at primary school the PTA arranged working parties every summer and the residents of the village decorated, did gardening, fixed leaky toilets, repaired the railings - whatever needed doing really. Sometimes the staff joined in, but not always and nobody thought anything negative if they didn't.
Of course it shouldn't be necessary but sadly it is.

I've escaped teaching now.

In two of the schools I worked in pre-Covid, the heads were starting to expect teachers in during the holidays to get their lesson planning meetings out of the way! They seemed shocked and disappointed when I wasn't available🙄The last week of my summer and half terms were not for extra bloody meetings.

There's enough ridiculous expectations heaped on teachers as it is.

When?
If it's before the kids are in then it's the holidays.
If it's once the kids are in then it's both too late and can't be done because the kids need teaching.

I've gone in to do my classroom displays / decluttering - I am lucky to have a designated (SEN) classroom
It was my choice but as a 1st year ECT and with Open Evening on the 22nd I feel as if I should make the most of my free time now!