Teacher strike

[Amber76]

Are the Teachers living in a bubble? They've just had a week off for mid term and Christmas is on the horizon....according to Richard Bruton (on todays rte news) if they agreed to work one extra hour a week the whole dispute would be over (regarding supervision and subbing).

Surely supervising students during lunch breaks should be considered part of the teaching job and not an 'extra'? And couldn't Teachers do their own class preparations while supervising classes?

I don't have any sympathy for them. Or perhaps i don't get it.... anyone here support them?

If i had a child in Leaving Cert i would be furious.

As for striking for equal pay for newer entrants i'm a bit meh....apparently the Landsdown Agreement will increase these teachers pay anyway from 2017. Teachers can earn income outside normal teaching hours via grinds, supervising and correcting State exams, summer camps, etc.

Do the Teachers have public support?

Surely supervising students during lunch breaks should be considered part of the teaching job and not an 'extra'? And couldn't Teachers do their own class preparations while supervising classes?

Teachers don't supervise classes, they teach them. You cannot teach while simultaneously planning and preparing lessons.

Most teachers work through their lunch break everyday, I'm lucky if I've got time to eat. If I had to supervise pupils at this time that would mean having an hour less to get all my work done.

Today at lunch I:
-marked assessments and in putted the data
-finished prep for afternoon lessons
-ate a chocolate bar
-spoke to two children about their behaviour

I left work at 6 and worked at home from 8-10pm. I haven't got an extra hour to give.

Why don't you become a teacher op and see how you feel about it then?

And do class prep while supervising classes?! Are you having a laugh?

'Surely supervising students during lunch breaks should be considered part of the teaching job and not an 'extra'? '

No.

The teachers at our school haven't striked in the years I've had children at the school and I really wish they would. They are teachers who never stop, it's obvious that they are passionate about what they do and it makes me so sad to see the hoops they have to jump through.

I can't fathom how they do what they do but I really wish they didn't have to.

I'm with you op. I have huge respect for teachers. It's a tough job and most of them are fantastic. But there are also many perks and a fantastic pension that private sector workers could only dream of. We cannot afford crazy public sector pay increases. If the deal was good enough for the other unions I can't see why it isn't good enough for the ASTI. Giving in to public sector pay rises will see a further erosion of services, many of which are still in tatters since the recession. I think they should get back to work (and the real world where we all do more hours than we are paid for)

Do Teachers teach when supervising classes? Not being goady - a genuine question. Eg. If the French Teacher is sick and the Maths Teacher (who has a free period) goes in to supervise does the Maths Teacher teach? Or do they give them work to do while they supervise such as write about something specific in french or do an exercise from book?

If I am asked to cover a lesson I actually have to teach it. Even if it is a longer task, it is impossible to leave them to their devices while they do work in order to do something else.

What a well-informed post. Why don't you put it in the staff room forum as well.

Surely supervising students during lunch breaks should be considered part of the teaching job and not an 'extra'? And couldn't Teachers do their own class preparations while supervising classes?

No.

I have a class of thirty Reception children. Would you get much done if you had 30 five year olds to supervise whilst they ate/played in the playground.

I already spend all but ten minutes of my lunch hour preparing lessons and that's without supervising anyone. Your post comes across as very goady.

This strike isn't in relation to Reception aged children - its at secondary level. So 12 to 18 year olds.
How can you teach a class though if you've been asked to substitute? Teacher couldn't have work prepared for it and its probably not their subject? As in earlier example - if Maths Teacher is asked to cover what should be a French class what might they do?

Be given work that the students should be able to do, but will require teacher input to ensure they understand the task and stay on task to complete it. Cover lessons are often much more difficult than your own lessons precisely because you haven't planned them, yet you are still responsible for progress and behaviour in that lesson.

Is this a piss take?

Would you prepare a meeting whilst covering and leading a meeting? It's a similar equivalent.

Most schools are not going to have 30 teenagers sitting in silence while someone else takes the lesson. They're also going to need input and guidance.

I must live in a different world to you op.

Fair enough - I see its not possible to do your own work while supervising a class.

However for the sake of one hour a week (supervision and sub) is it really worth all the confusion and upset being caused to students this week?

Teachers have the best interests of their students at heart. They absolutely would not strike unless they were at the end of their tether.

You're also taking an exceptionally small view of what the strike is over. It's about excessive work load as a result of new qualifications, not the issue you cite.

Teachers (in Ireland ) wouldn't last a month in private sector.

Imagine only getting 22 annual leave days a year?

Imagine performance reviews 2/3 times a year?

No pay rises

No guaranteed pension plan

Expected to work a lot of unpaid hours

Can be let go at any time

Teachers should appreciate what they have and not punish innocent students

Erm those things all apply to teachers in England and Wales now.

Apart from the holiday, obviously. Shan't go into the whole teachers aren't actually paid for holidays thing now.

Any teachers I know in UK appear to be under a lot more pressure and stress and work longer hours than irish teachers.

I agree Wheeler. When I tell my people in the UK how early the schools break up in Ireland and how young kids in primary finish at 1.30 they are in shock.

Don't forget the tax free lump sum on retirement teachers receive.

Actually, teachers in England seem to be under a lot more pressure and stress than teachers in any other country in Europe. It doesn't make it right, though. In fact, they seem to be having a bit of a problem recruiting and keeping teachers in England. That's certainly going to affect the standard of education there, and not something any other sane country would wish to emulate.