Page 7 | To want to walk out of this school today

Coronationstreet · 2022-09-07T06:00:56+00:00

I'm only covering a couple of weeks' leave as a supply teacher so my last day is a week on Friday, but even that seems impossible. The year 7 and 8 classes are good. Not perfect,but manageable. 9 are ok. Year 10, it depends. Year 11 however are absolutely despicable. It's a massive top set, 34 of them. Didn't even have enough desks yesterday

Original poster

Coronationstreet · 08/09/2022 08:48

When their male head of year walks in they all absolutely s* themselves. It's frustrating! I think I'm not going to crack it, I'm here for just over a week now.
I will just keep using the behaviour strategy but ultimately they know I'll be going.
I've already been offered another role by my agency for afterwards, however I'm wondering if behaviour will be the same!

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Twiglets1 · 08/09/2022 08:56

I'm a teaching assistant and the pupils are always badly behaved for cover supervisors as we call them in my school. Plus certain pupils are badly behaved and a bit wild for 95% of the permanent teachers.

I can't tell you how many teachers and cover supervisors have asked me, what am I doing wrong? Why are they like this in my lessons? and the answer is No it isn't you, they are like that for (almost) everyone.

SurfBox · 08/09/2022 09:00

There is a myth in teaching that once you become established/be in a school long term behaviour gets better, it doesn't always.

I've seen teachers ( and been the teacher) for years in a school who couldn't control certain classes. I've seen teachers then come in new and control groups I and other established teachers couldn't.

Original poster

Coronationstreet · 08/09/2022 15:29

I had another class, also year 11, who were absolutely vile to me today. Seating plan didn't make any difference, they just turn round and talk. They kept answering me back, literally screaming at me, one called me love, one asked me if I'd had cancer as apparently I look like I've had it? Almost sadistic behaviour. Sadly tomorrow will be my last day, I can't do this for another week

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Original poster

Coronationstreet · 08/09/2022 15:30

I'm just scared to go to another school in case it is the same.

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sashh · 08/09/2022 15:50

I did a lot of supply, there are lovely classes out there but there are also more like this.

Chalk it up to experience.

I'm not above bribery, take in some sweets and split them in to teams, put all the good kids in the same team.

When a team gets 10 points they get a pack of sweets. To get a point they have to ask you a question in the mfl.

You might like to give a handout which tells them the rules and has the phrase, 'miss can I have a point please?

Let them work out they can ask for 2,3 or even 10 points.

Another one is to get them to go through the alphabet with one word in the mfl for each letter, the first team to get through the alphabet gets sweets.

Twiglets1 · 08/09/2022 15:57

Coronationstreet · 08/09/2022 15:30

I'm just scared to go to another school in case it is the same.

Try primary?
Or grammar schools or private schools

Original poster

Coronationstreet · 08/09/2022 15:58

This is a so-called high achieving school, yet this is the behaviour.

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FrankRattlesnake · 08/09/2022 16:16

if this school is an academy, in the south and is famed for teaching mandarin, I’m not surprised. Maybe high achieving but I haven’t heard any good things about it.

SirSamVimesCityWatch · 08/09/2022 16:24

Not all schools have shit behaviour. Try another one, see what it's like.

How experienced a teacher are you, op? Just trying to think of the best advice to give you.

LuffleGro · 08/09/2022 17:11

Effic · 07/09/2022 22:39

For all the teachers on here …. please stop blaming ‘SLT.’ Violent and disrespectful behaviour is not caused by ineffective SLT any more than it is caused by inadequate teachers. This horrible rhetoric, which has been partly driven by our useless unions and partly the useless govt, is so divisive and has been intentionally created to cover up the ineptitude of our unions who consistently fail to gain any influence or traction with the govt who have decimated all of the services that support special needs and social needs that can have any impact on children and families. Parents are responsible for there children’s behaviour and the govt is responsible for supporting those that need additional help / support services.

SLT do not have a magic wand …. what on earth do you think a group of teachers who have often been promoted because they are only one to put their hand up can so to ‘enforce’ behaviour. They are no longer covered by 1265 and only entitled to 28 days holiday and often all for the princely sum of a couple of grand. The children will tell them to f* off as much as they will tell the teacher. The only thing SLT can do is remove them (if they will leave?) and then what? There are often multiple children behaving like this… how many SLT do you have? Suspend or exclude them? Yeh right ….and be met by a wall of threats from ofsted/LA/various SEND advocates quoting the disabilities act at them 24/7. And parents who absolutely will not accept under any circumstances that their child is in any way in the wrong. It’s never mr their child and always some one else’s (usually the school’s) fault.

Please don’t join in with the split our profession even more by supporting this nonsense rhetoric that the issue here is school leaders. It is not.

I used to work in a school with dreadful behaviour, the leadership changed and so did the behaviour. It was like a different school (same children). Leadership, most specifically the head, can make an enormous difference. Having a clear, effective and consistently applied behaviour policy is everything.

PaulGallico · 08/09/2022 17:38

You are a supply teacher - that is why it is hard. However the good thing about supply is that you dont need to go back tomorrow. You do seem to be on MN very close to the start of school and literally a few minutes after the day has finished - makes me wonder how genuine you are and this is not just school bashing - we have had quite a bit of this lately.

Original poster

Coronationstreet · 08/09/2022 18:00

Yeah sorry, I just made the whole thing up 🙄
I'll wait a minimum of 5 hours to go on after the end of the school day next time 😂 ffs

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SunnyD44 · 08/09/2022 18:22

The good thing about being a supply teacher is you can get to know which schools have proper support systems in place.

The school I work in now is much lower paid as it’s paid pro rata (so don’t get paid for holidays, lunch or overtime etc) but I have not left, as the support I have in place is truly amazing and students’ behaviour (and my MH) is so much better because we have such a strong team.

Of course there is bad behaviour still but the students have consequences and we have a very good ‘on call’ system so they have 3 strikes and are immediately removed which they hate.

This school sounds completely inadequate and I wouldn’t be staying there under these circumstances.

fetchacloth · 08/09/2022 18:40

cansu · 07/09/2022 07:25

This is on SLT. They need to sort it so you can do the job. I would tell them that unfortunately the behaviour of this class is not on and you will not be able to complete the two weeks.

Absolutely and that's why SLT get the big bucks.😏
You should walk away OP it's really not worth it and that school don't deserve you.

PaulGallico · 08/09/2022 18:58

@Coronationstreet yes, I think in real life you would wait a bit and not report on MN just before 9.00am and just after 3.15 - you would be too busy at both the start and end of the day. Maybe getting off MN and moving to a different school might help.

Bedknobsandbroomsticks2 · 08/09/2022 19:11

You do know that schools start and end at totally different hours and that teachers have free periods? And God forbid they are allowed to use their phone before/at the end of the day!
What a bloody weird thing to say

Hesma · 08/09/2022 19:15

I feel your pain OP, I was a cover supervisor for 7 years working mainly between Maths and MFL (I have French and German degree). The difference between behaviour in the 2 departments was marked and I don’t miss it. Don’t stay if it’s that bad.

PaulGallico · 08/09/2022 19:23

@Bedknobsandbroomsticks2 - you really think that teachers post about their difficult classes on MN before, during and straight after school - now that is weird.

Bedknobsandbroomsticks2 · 08/09/2022 19:25

Teachers do get breaks you know. And what time of day should they be posting exactly? In the middle of the night?

Motherworldly · 08/09/2022 20:13

My suggestion would be to try supply teaching in a primary school instead of secondary.
You are with the same children all day and have a chance to relate to them, and they don't act up because you are a supply teacher.
I worked in London schools on supply before retiring and was also sickened by poor management at secondary level.
One inadequate head told a trouble maker that his poor behaviour in class had made me cry, which was a lie, as I was angry.
This head had so little understanding of the boy's thinking process that he did not realise that the boy would have been delighted to hear it.

IndiaRose22 · 08/09/2022 20:22

Not every school is like this!! I did supply for 7 years as the only teacher of my subject often (when on longer term placements). Don't go to the schools you don't want to, it's so easy to say no, please do if you don't want to go on a job. Sign up to more than one agency if necessary. I definitely had schools I wouldn't go to, one where the students were wheeling each other around on trolleys, out of the classroom, and when SLT came they just laughed and joked with them 🤷🏼‍♀️

StaunchMomma · 08/09/2022 20:34

LuffleGro · 08/09/2022 17:11

I used to work in a school with dreadful behaviour, the leadership changed and so did the behaviour. It was like a different school (same children). Leadership, most specifically the head, can make an enormous difference. Having a clear, effective and consistently applied behaviour policy is everything.

Show quote history

SLT in my last school were the very definition of evil. Bullying, vbelittling bastards of the highest order.

They ran the school on pure fear. Everyone lived with the dread of falling out of favour and becoming the next target. There was ALWAYS a target, some of which were outstanding teachers.

Teachers have committed suicide while on leave with stress, female staff are routinely told they can only take HOD roles if they agree to not have a baby and, well, I could go on and on but the point is there will be MANY teachers here with similar tales of poor treatment of both pupils and staff by SLT.

And yes, they SHOULD be able to command a certain presence with pupils, especially to help out new staff/ supply/ NQTs.

StaunchMomma · 08/09/2022 20:35

I QUOTED THE WRONG COMMENT!!!

I meant to quote the pro-SLT rant, sorry.

Veryverysadandold · 08/09/2022 21:51

OP I have been in v similar position, glad you decided to leave. At the moment there's a recruitment crisis, never have I seen so many job offers in September (agencies email me constantly haha). This is great for you because it means you can have high standards- if you feel uncomfortable anywhere just leave, there will be more work. There are better schools. Oh and I taught for a long time- kids always say they behave for their normal teacher and they're strict to make you feel bad- it's usually lies and there's a reason their normal teacher is off!