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? :)

I would say schools should be actively preventing this.

Have they risk assessed the method of work? Is the teacher COSHH trained? Is the paint safe and suitable? Etc etc.

Risky

I've heard it all now!

What about results day? Transition? We also have a day where kids with SEND can come in during the last week to re-familiarise themselves with the school environment, look at their new timetables, see their new form room etc and I think that's really important

Results days are optional.
In my school transition happens in the summer term.
SEN students also have their own tour in the summer term.
If you're main scale or UPS, you can't be directed outside of term time.

Love this. 🙄
We get “teachers are lazy and work shy” but also mugs if we go in during the holidays.
I wouldn’t paint my room but I spend a fair amount of time and money making it look nice and ensuring the children have various things that will help them. I’m not a mug. I just enjoy it and I don’t see why I should stop because someone else doesn’t want to do that. I don’t judge them. It’s my classroom and I spend a lot of time in it.
The constant criticism is horrible. So bloody judgy. Just let people live their lives.

I've not seen teachers painting classrooms but I have experienced 'going above and beyond' from some younger teachers who sometimes have little else going on in their lives. They don't realise that it makes other people look shit just for trying to maintain a work life balance.

Results day may be optional for most staff but someone has to be there! It would be a bit shit for the kids, especially the ones who didn't get the results they hoped for if none of their Teachers turned up to support them or celebrate their achievements.

Transition mostly happens in the summer term for us too but there are a couple of activities put on for the new year 7's over the holidays too and they find it really helpful, especially the most vulnerable students.

I'm not talking about new SEN students, I'm talking about existing students, for example those with Autism who find coming back after a long break really challenging. The kids and especially the parents really appreciate it as it can be really tough for them to persuade kids back in after the long holiday.

These things are not "directed" but the majority of staff recognise that they benefit the whole school community and want them to continue.

My, secondary school, head did mine one year. Another year he managed to remove supporting walls from the music block. Decent chap, infuriating at times but his heart was in the right place.

I made new work benches in my workshop one year.

I take the op’s point but I don't think others felt under pressure to do similar.

I've never heard of this ever happening. It doesn't make anyone look lazy it makes that person look crazy. You always get teachers whose entire life revolves around work, let them get on with it and move on, a fresh lick of paint has zero impact on teaching.

Agree. It's so..... neon, loads of self care posters, massively distracting borders and pretty displays that do bugger all in displaying actual learning.

@neverbeenskiing

You will always get at least senior team and a high number of teachers going in on results day, because it's their results as well. I'm going in next week for GCSEs even though I've left the school last term, but I wouldn't necessarily avoid booking a holiday that clashed for instance.

Organised transition events should be in the summer term or voluntary paid overtime if they are in the holidays. If the school can't afford to pay staff for their time then it shouldn't happen.

I pick up the rubbish outside my houses and the neighbours. I also weed the same stretch of road and have brushed it after workmen left mud all over the place. In fact I do many such things.
It costs nothing to do a little bit for the local community. If a teacher wants to decorate their classroom so it's more to their taste or they just want to do a good deed then good for them.
So many people here criticising; maybe get off your *** and do something similar yourselves instead of complaining about those that do.

I've never known a teacher to paint their own classroom in my 25+ years of teaching.

I do know lots of teachers, mainly primary, who go in and get their classrooms ready for the new academic year, doing displays, furniture layout, etc. It's often coming out of their own pocket too sadly.

There's no time at the end of the start of term normally, and if moving classrooms - which can happen a fair bit - it can be a pretty big job.

But there simply isn't time in term time.
Displays often can't come down til the last day of term, at the earliest and need to be up and ready for the children's return in September.

I am a teacher and I have never heard of this. I can't think of any teacher I know who would have the time for it.

I have sadly painted my classroom as it was in desperate need. It is pretty much expected in my school though. I agree with your sentiments though, OP!

Anybody who paints their work place is bonkers. I'd also question if these teachers are actually insured to paint and decorate.

I don't understand why displays need to stay up to the last day of term either. I certainly have memories of displays coming down in the weeks before summer.

Nobody should go into work during their holiday. As a teacher myself, other than a few small jobs, I take my summer break in full and expect my children’s teachers to do so too.

Gosh. I know a lot of teachers and all go in in the holidays to set up their classrooms/plan with other teachers etc. There is no other time to do this for them and it has always been the expectation that it’s done in the holidays by their schools (basing this on 20years and different areas of the country). I have known people to paint over the years, but this has been very rare and agree 100% that they shouldn’t need to do this!

It's teachers who have nothing else in their life to do or are doing anything and everything to get brownie points for helping them climb the ladder.
I go in to do displays as I don't gave time during the actual term time.
I've never painted walls but it does appeal to me.. but we're never guaranteed to stay in the same teaching room.
Your classroom is your office. Not a typical one. It's where you spend a lot of your time so you're entitled to do as you wish within reason.
Saying it makes others look bad/lazy is rubbish.. it makes you feel insecure that's all.
If their life is that empty let them get on with it.

Teaching is awkward though, isn't it.

The school is open for pupils, so no time to paint. If a business like, say a cafe wants to paint, they have to close to customers. Schools won't do this. Because the argument is that they're empty of kids for 13 weeks of the year.

So, paint in the holidays. But teachers aren't paid to work in the holidays. So pay someone to do it. But there's no money.

This is all to do with money. Schools should either pay someone for regular upkeep and if that involves painting, it involves painting. But they need the hard cash.

Pay teachers two weeks more salary and expect them to work one of the days of each half term and a week in the holidays. But they need the hard cash. And the will, I'm not sure many teachers would be jumping for joy at the idea. But then, it may mean there's no more working for free in the holidays, teachers are recompensed for all the work that they do invariably do in the holidays (albeit not painting classrooms usually). It also removes this idea that by some people painting their own classrooms means that other teachers will be expected to do similar in their free time, because there should be no working in their free time as this system corrects that.

I have been in for half a day... I have my own two kids and no inclination to spend my holidays back in school.. I'm a bloody good teacher and do enough extra!

There's a recently qualified tik tok teacher who is really pissing me off at the moment with her "advice" to ECTs when she's only been teaching 2 or 3 years herself!! Gives me the rage!

@Cloggyy , you mention a classmate who went on to be a painter and decorator. How will they feel when they can no longer make a living from their acquired skill, because the expectation is that their job can be made redundant by a "volunteer".

Many moons ago, back in the dark ages (late 70's early 80's) at secondary school I remember a bunch of us students and parents plus a fair few teachers painting walls in the school.

@neverbeenskiing Results day isn't directed unless you're SLT or admin. Some teachers go in, I'd estimate 20%.

The transition stuff is done before or after summer. Not a chance would I be in school doing that. If SLT want it, they can be there.

INSET days in good schools should include personal prep time. No one should be expected to be in school during the holidays.

I've seen this done a few times in my 23 years.

It's always done by young, commitment free teachers. Thing is, by doing this (and all.the other extra things they do) they set up expectations in the minds of head teachers that those of with full adult commitments can't match.

In 10 years time they'll have left teaching (because of the workload) and their legacy will be unreasonable expectations of what is possible that those of us who are staying are stuck with.

Hate to say it but I every case these have been women. I've never seen a male teacher do this.