Some advice needed - from fellow teachers and interested parties!

[Moomin]

I've recently started at a new secondary school (I teach English) after working for 10 years in my previous job. I left my last job very reluctantly after a HUGE fallout with the new Head who was extremely sexist and stopped me increasing my hours to stop me going for a promotion (my old job in actual fact).

For 11 years I've held management positions: 2nd in dept, acting HoD twice and have worked p/t since the dds were born, still on management points, pro rata. Until the Head took over and made it clear he didn't like part-timers having management responsibilities, I've had a big hand in how the dept was run, from mentoring staff to writing much of the curriculum and producting most of the paperwork (booklets and guides) that the dept used.

I got my new job at very short notice and I accepted it to get away from the twattish Head, to work at a school more of less next door to my house where an old friend is Head (it wasn't 'jobs for the boys' as such, he knows I work hard but the difference is that he's very family friendly and has let me work 3 days).

BUt after all that time in management, I'm finding it sooooo hard keeping my tongue between my teeth on how the dept is run. Their attainment is down but they feel that the Head is being unreasonable in asking them to try to improve things. Their curriculum is all over the place and has so much room for improvement and this is just the sort of thing I've been working on for the last 3 years esp. But I know they are resistant to change and I'll make myself very unpopular if I start suggesting changes, esp as I'm a 'nobody' now . I know things will improve eventually and my time will come again, either here or somewhere else, but it's so frustrating sitting on my hands!

I am someone who can't sit on my hands and it tends to get me promoted. Perhaps though give it a term before you start giving orders.

Although hvaing said that if they know you have been in management they must be expecting you to be vocal and perhaps that is what the want.

i know how you feel, i 'started again' after moving south because of dh's job. i've also just gone part time (stil at 87% though) & keep finding things i want to improve. i have the interest & desire to be a HOF but know that dd needs me more right now - she has just started school herslef now.

i keep remind myself - on my death bed will i think 'gosh i'm so gald i got xxx policy into place' or 'i love my beautiful daughter so much'.
?
sadly, it's the fate of the part timer, and newbies, to sit in the corner & say nothing.

without knowing the personalities, it's hard to give advice, but i would try a softy softly approach. can you just write a few SoW & give the HoF a copy, just to show them what you've done - i have done that as i go along for a new syllabus. you have to put the lessons together yourself anyway so it doesn't look too much like you're taking over, just trying to share your good ideas.

I started my career in industry, where everything is developed by the entry level and then simply agreed by the higher ups. I could not adopt the state school culture of waiting to be told what to do. Looking back, I was probably a major PITA.

I think if I were in your shoes, Moomin, I would voluteer to do a few tasks - but not all of them. Enjoy being able to walk away at the end of the day.

Moomin,

If you want to intervene, TIMING is the key. Its a bit like Psychoanalysis where a skilled analyst may have to wait a couple of years before saying something, cos they have to wait for the patient to be ready.

In this case you describe the staff as denying any need for change. (And their resentment at the boss is partly shooting the messenger) Its only when they get to the point where they understand that "something must be done" and therefore start to form the question "what is to be done?" That you can act with a plan ready.

In practical terms what can trigger this is an outside inspection. An ofsted can do this; but its usually a bit drastic if one has to wait for that.

Worth checking when the next Ofsted is due, tho'.

Thanks

I'd make such a shite analyst! I'd be shaking my patient and slapping them ('C'mon, get it out!'). Patience with work-related stuff is not a virtue of mine...

They had an Ofsted recently which came out as Good with Outstanding features. The dept's results at KS4 are OK but not so good at KS3 and Ofsted picked that out. The SATs results were worst ever but all the papers have been sent back to be re-marked as they were just all over the place (aimed at SATs, not at the dept this time!). BUt they have kind of seen this as an 'excuse' to defend themselves and aren't looking much deeper into the curriculum. The school has a good catchment area and the results are fine, but then so they should be, with the parental support and so forth. Thing is, their results could be fantastic.

Before the present Head took over the school was floundering and he has turned it round massively. There are lots of staff there who have been there for donkeys years and things are just quite old-fashioned and slow compared to what I'm used to.

You're all right though, I need to bide my time and slowly introduce things bit by bit. And I also need to keep in mind that I really don't want to leap back into f/t too soon. The dds are still very young.

Is there anything you can do on your own, eg work in a particular way, develop a strategy for a your subject that you can put into practice in class (not so eas I know with national crriculum but...) - and then when you have got results, use them to help you propose a change? Would also help you to focus on doing something instead of feeling frustrated.

Moomin - I spent 6 years as head of year (180 kids in year group so no mean feat) and it was made clear to me that if I wanted to reduce my hours, then I would no longer be able to do my management position pro rata.

At that point, I was happy to give it up as I was under a great deal of stress. I found it difficult to take a back seat but the hardest thing I found is that my opinions are not valued anymore as I am not part of the 'management'.

Last year, I deliberately kept my mouth shut, more so to give the new head of year, who was new in school and who i also trained with) a chance to find her feet. This year, however, I am making my mouth go and sharing my ideas again.

I keep telling myself that there wll be time for me again. The daft thing is, I think my current job share partner and I could do an amazing head of year job share. We are similar in many ways but have slightly different strengths.....

I share your frustration!!!

moomin - how is ther value added? it sounds similar to our school in terms of staff demographics....

Could you think about taking on one particular project - offering to do something, but just one thing - and then do it brilliantly?

I'm in a sort of similar situation myself, and the way I'm approaching it atm is to act like a consumate professional, do the things I've been given to do to the highest standard, not hide my intelligence (or reveal my impatience!) and move forward in baby steps. And develop the best working relationships with staff so that I am working with them not against them (as could so easily be the case).

My job was highly dysfunctional when I took it over, and very nearly defunt, so when I talk about baby steps I mean it...!

IT's maddening isn't it?!
I keep thinking back 1 year when I was working 2 days a week in a dept that was lively, innovative and fun where I had a real say in everything that went on and I was mentoring the younger staff. It was the ideal job... excpet when I told the Head I wanted the 2nd in dept back over 3 days, which everyone in the dept agreed was totally do-able for me, including the HoD. New Head didn't agree, I went to the Union over his comments, he backtracked and said 'of course you can apply, Moomin' but then 'Except we don't have any capacity for you to increase your days unfortunately' knowing full well that I couldn't do the 2nd in dept on 2 days. Still makes me absolutely MAD . He made the mistake of telling another member of SMT that he suffered from shocking piles once and it got back to us.... well, I hope they go septic.

BUT, onwards and upwards. Yes, a project is a great idea and I've started one already which the HoD is very pleased with so far. I aim to finish that by Christmas and then I can look about for the next thing to keep me out of mischief. Another thing that bothers me, though, is thinking others in the dept view me quite suspiciously, possibly because I know the Head (but haven't traded on that at all - I'm not stupid); possibly because they know I've been in management before and they think I'm sniffing after their jobs/roles.

... BUt I spose I am in a way

popsycal - their value added is good and getting better. It was awful before.

Moomin - I have started doing little projects and then presenting people with them

I was thinking of presenting my project at Christmas via a show in the performing arts block for all staff and SMT, entitled "LOOK AT ME, AREN'T I GREAT- the Musical!"

What do think? They surely won't hate me if I do this?

A good way of making a bit of an impression is to try to get incvolved in 'working parties' if you have those at school. We often have a new policy to introduce/revise and you can sign up to become part of it. Does your school do similar? DO they have an active cross curricular LAC policy??

Talking of making your mark, in my first year of teaching, the school decided to do a christmas show where teachers could sign up to do a little 'act' with a group of kids. It was all very low key.....and there was I with my 'stage school/ex theatre child' head on doing a big xmas themed number with cute little year 5 pupils. After the dress rehearsal, they got moved to the finale spot

then in my 2nd year of teaching, i got ask to run a literacy summer school - the head had not realised the magnitude of what it entailed. Anyway, I went all out and got loads of recognition from the inspectors at the LEA.......... then the next term I got asked to apply for head of year.

So I guess if I want to get myself noticed, I am capable of doing it

Go for it, Moomin. I am currently planning a low-key 'comeback'

Good plan!
LOL at your performances - were you pushing the kids out of the way to get to the front of the stage?!

The working party idea is a great one as well. My last school had working-parties for all kinds of gubbins which I regularly got involved with. I think I'll wait til after Christmas and see what's going then.

We also get heavily involved in the TFL Awards, whatever they are - Teaching for Learning? They are national awards for projects and ideas teachers can develop, show evidence of and receive recognition for. The project I'm working on would qualify for that so when it's finished it has to go via the Head and SMT before sending it off. If I make it all-singing and all-dancing with bells on, that won't do any harm.

Glad I started this thread now. I was feeling a bit despondent yesterday and I feel a bit more fired up now.

(Bet rest of the dept are all mumsnetters and they PROPER hate me now they've read this and worked out who I am )

glad you are feeling better. Been thinking today how I can raise my profile a little. Feel like the management have been treated with kid gloves for a while after having a very stressful period in autumn 2005.