part time teachers HELP with parents evenings on days OFF

[GordianKnot]

ok so i do three days
parents eve always on day off
dont mind dointg EXAM classes at all, but in KS3 is complusory subject so its tough titty really.
so i said " are you goign to pay me or not expect me in"

teh solution they propose is that my LOVELY HoD reads out what i write down

dont know what do do

We have annual appraisals with targets for the next academic year. It is a fairly rigorous process and taken seriously

yup, that's pm alright

Cat, I agree that it is all about give and take. You do something above and beyond, and it gets remembered. So, when you need a favour, it is granted. Hopefully, you don't do it in a calculating, keeping score, way, but just when you can.

In my job before teaching, the company was really into a fashionable training course at the time called Seven Habits of a Highly Effective People. One of the key concepts on this course was of an 'emotional bank account', where you have to make deposits before you can make a withdrawal. Helping colleagues out (doing the green room during a Saturday evening drama/musical performance) would be a deposit, but this enables you to have some time off when they cover for you (attending an event at your own child's school). Working to rule makes no use of the emotional bank account and does not give you any benefit, as well as no downside.

I have always been of the opinion that if I am able to help a colleague or friend, then I will. The cost to me is usually repaid many times over. I like to keep a healthy balance in my emotional bank account.

If a school's budget is so tight that they can't afford to pay part-time staff for parents' evenings, then if the part-timer doesn't want to work, their colleagues have to stand in for them. If there comes a time when the part-timer wants a favour (eg to attend an event at their own child's school), why should their own boss agree?

We have a policy in our school that any kind of personal leave has to be covered in-department. If close colleagues are not willing to do that cover or jiggle their own timetables, then the personal leave is simply not granted. You have to keep your colleagues sweet. You don't know what is around the corner.

What comes around goes around.

Thing is, MmeB, you work in an independent school. In a state school, there would be no thought of colleagues covering for each other in dept so that one teacher can have personal leave. Why? Because one of the things state school teachers no longer have to do it to cover for colleagues' planned absence - schools employ cover supervisors for that. That's nothing to do with give and take or looking out for everyone's interests, it's something which has been put in place to ensure that teachers are able to teach. Independent schools don't work to the same rules, so many of your arguments are academic (pardon the pun)

I do however see what you mean about the emotional bank account, and I guess the things that needs re-stating is that the vast majority of teachers do pull their weight and do do the extra stuff - they just don't appreciate being forced to do things they are not paid for. I am (I have said this several times) part time. However, on Tuesday afternoon, I will be staying late to help out at the school play rehearsal, because I want to. I did extra break, before and after school duties last week because Ofsted was in and I wanted to help out - no one asked me to. I really do think most teachers are like this, whether they
teach in state or independent schools, and whether they are full or part time.

......er....

Surely the simple answer to OP is to have parents eve on different days of the week?

Our college is mostly part time teching staff, and most who are part time are either lookng after children or teaching elsewhere on days off.

Last year every single evening event (not jsut parents eve but opene evening etc etc) were on tuesday. This was higlighted as a problem partly as several staff were attending night classes (I missed 7 orchestra rehearsal for example)and part time staff were coming in when they had finished day of work elese where etc.

Next year college is hoping to rotate days so that part time staff are inconvenienced less. Big difference between staying late on a normal school day than having to travel to work on a different day to do 3 hours parents eve.

"In a state school, there would be no thought of colleagues covering for each other in dept so that one teacher can have personal leave. "

Hmmmm...? There are no supply teachers for parents eve!!!

You need to read the whole thread. No one suggested that supply teachers cover parents evening.

I also thnk attitude can make a big difference. Anything over directed time (which is most of the time) we are asked as a favour to the college.

"Please would you mind attending etc..." This makes a massive difference.

Agree with evil twins though, emotional bank account sounds such a shame. We do the 'extra stuff' out of commiment to excellent care/education fo the children and a want to mke the school/college a good one not beacuse it might get us timeoff in the future.

I speak after one hell of a week. As only music teacher have just come out of 60 week doing concerts after 50 hours week before with rehearsals. Also worked all weekend and next because of inspection. (I am part time, 2 days week) After reading this I considered my motivation: Not pay, not obligation - didn;tnhave to do concert, don;t have to do my best for inspection... Its becasue of the reasons I cam into teaching and also, and this is so important, because I have been made to feel like college is very grateful and I have been thanks. (big bunch of flowers and 1 days over time pay as a gesture of thanks.)

I do think teachin is like camels. We live teaching 24 hours a day, working late eveing, early mornings,through lunch for no extra pay but then have some holidays (when not taken up with prep!!)

Sorry! Should have read thread, too busy with school work

I shall leave, hate these arguments, really piss me off.

Always end up being 'well you get so much holidays anyway'

As much as the idea of an 'emotional bank account' makes me a bit sick in my mouth, I do get the point you are making, MmeBlueberry. You do need to bear in mind that things are different in the independent sector though.

FWIW, I think teaching would be an awful job if you didn't like the kids and weren't prepared to make any extra effort for them. You would be truly miserable.

The problem is when a school relies on staff goodwill in order to keep functioning. Because sooner or later, goodwill runs out.

This is why legislation is in place.

It is ironic, mme, that you think 'emotional bank account' is such a good management-speak term (the industry example) even though a long explanation was necessary, but you feel the term 'performance management' (the education one) is just empty words so is sneered at.

MC, emotional bank account isn't real. It is not an actual keeping track. It is how people feel, which is actually quite difficult to argue with.

TE, I didn't think you would like the EBA concept. Lots of people who took the course felt like that. Just as well you didn't do the full four days.

PD, I think EBA is a lot easier to hazard a guess at its meaning the PM. Besides, if I haven't heard of PM (or any other government buzzword), why is that such a big crime? At the end of the day, I have a rigorous performance appraisal, and that is what counts.

As for cover, I worked as a supply teacher before taking up this permanent three years ago. Teachers doing cover was alive and well. They did the usual routine of checking the cover board each morning and picking up the work. The school did have cover supervisors, but not enough to cover every eventuality. Imagine having to get a supply teacher in for a couple of lessons because the teacher had an emergency dental appt! We don't do supply teachers or cover supervisors at our school because we expect our students to be taught in every lesson, by a subject specialist if at all possible.

OK MmeB, perhaps it's time you stopped arguing your POV on this thread, since it is very very clear that your experience and/or knowledge of state education is at best, out of date.

Not doing cover started a couple of years ago. Supply teachers are still used, but schools are supposed to employ cover supervisors to deal with things like dental appointments. The school I work in employs 4 full time cover supervisors, and therefore staff do not need to cover each other's lessons. Obviously if a colleague is going to be absent, it is her responsibility to set appropriate work, so that the students are not disadvantaged. It was decided (by the government) that covering colleagues' lessons was not an appropriate way for teachers to spend their time, and so it has gone, along with bulk photocopying, invigilating exams, chasing absences and a number of other tasks. Independent schools do not follow the same rules, and therefore you wouldn't need to know about them. So banging on about how you DO know becuase YOU do it in your school or that it MUST happen because you DID it a few years back is somewhat pointless.

BTW, long term sick leave is still a supply teacher's job - cover supervisors are there for the day-to-day stuff - a couple of days' sick leave, meetings, courses, appointments and so on.

MmeBlueberry - I think you'll find that supply teachers and cover supervisors actually do teach lessons.

I wish we had some at our school. They'd certainly have done a better job than me at the French lesson I covered last week (I'm a science teacher).

Four days?

Fucking hell.

Did you get paid for those four days, perchance?

EBA must be a very tricky industry concept

Yes, it was a four day course (in a swanky hotel), and the real stinger was that you had to take the fifth day off so that you could absorb the info. It was paid, of course. It's a bit out of date now, although I do remember it really well (I did it in '89 or '90).

As for cover, I was pleased when I was a supply teacher that I would cover any planned absence (cover supervisors are the scourge of career supply teachers, lol). I did my best to teach the lessons within the confines of the cover work that was left. I was fortunate to have the favour of the science department so they actually left me proper lessons, with practicals, to do. As a former supply teacher, I have a very strong opinion about what makes a good good cover lesson, so try really hard to leave any bad cover work.

In our school, we try to have subject competents do the cover, just so that pupils are not left copying from text books or working in silence. If I am asked to cover a French lesson, I teach it - do all the speaking and jumping around with hand signals etc (am exhausted afterwards - don't know how MFL teachers do it every lesson, lol). If it is a planned absence, I will go through the lesson plan with the teacher first.

Fascinating though all that is, MmeBlueberry, I can't help feeling that we are moving away from discussing the issue and towards discussing the minutiae of what happens during cover lessons in your particular school.

Once again, there is legislation in place to deal with this issue.

Funny how legistlation only affects teachers in the maintained sector.

I am not a legal expert, but do find this quite .

Not that I like to be called up for cover, I do enjoy teaching lessons outside of my subject. It gives me a lot to think about. I really value my time as a supply teacher because I could see how other subjects and other schools operate. Being a supply teacher is not often a career highlight but I think almost any teacher would benefit from the experience. For me, one thing is that I am secure in my decision to educate my own six children privately, and also I have been able to experiment with my teaching style (from disciplinarian to touchy-feely).

Why is it funny? You choose to work in the independent sector. This thread has been something of an education for you though, I would imagine, MmeB - you now know about the burgundy book AND Performance Management.

"Funny how legistlation only affects teachers in the maintained sector."

Please tell me this is a joke.

Did you not realise that when you opted out of the state sector, you opted out of the protection that its legislation affords?

Really?

I teach in a state school that follows the rarely cover agenda but we still do the odd one and wil volunteer to cover for one another .

The thought of me being a union hating head teacher pleaser is very untrue. In a previous job I was the union rep and made huge changes. While in teaching I went public over management bullying which resulted in huge changes. I was the only middle manager in a previous school a number if times to say to a head that the workload demands were too high and to refuse to toe the line. The one time I refused to follow union action was over displays in the classroom.

I for one would never teach in the private sector, for the very reason tethersend states.