I am a teacher in a school - is this right?

[TTlover]

Hi all.

I am a primary school teacher (UK) and after the racism that has been happening in the football, I taught the children in my class a lovely lesson on equality.

The children then made equality posters and anti racism posters.

We then went to put the posters up around the school.

The head teacher approached me and asked all of the children to take them down.

I feel really upset by this. It wasn’t an issue with the blue tac on the walls as there are always posters going up from other classes.

I had to turn all of my children around, ask them to take their posters down and then come back up to the classroom with the children confused.

Perhaps I should have asked first, but I really didn’t see it being an issue.

Did I cross the line? Now I feel anxious.

It depends.
If they were referencing ‘Black Lives Matter’ then that is a political group with the aim of de-fundimg the police and promoting anarchy, so you should not be promulgatimg that.
What was the learning objective?

This seems odd.
Where are you that the end of term is not for another 2 weeks?

You seem to have an agenda that the nature of the posters was the HT's concern, but since you did not ask, that seems a very strange assumption.

Are you just trying to be provocative?

I assume it's an issue of consistency, being nearly the summer holidays and the fact that you didn't ask for permission. Did this also happen at a time where you were supposed to do something (planned) else?

[quote Orf1abc]@Unfinishednam Equality and anti racism is not a political agenda.[/quote]
It's become one.

Regardless of the issue, I think it's a bit rubbish of the head not to explain why. It's that anxiety inducing pattern of

• Don't do that
• Why not?
• Because I just told you not to!

It doesn't foster understanding and it makes you feel like a told off kid who doesn't know the rules they're meant to know.

Make sure you get a clear picture of why the head made the decision that the posters couldn't be up. It could be that the walls need to be clear for a new display, it could be that the head is secretly racist, it could be that you accidentally overlooked a school rule. In any circumstance, it's no disaster so I hope you're not feeling too anxious about it.

Thank you @TheFoundations x

They should have asked you to take them down away from the children but there are loads of possible reasons they’ve asked for them to be removed. Are they decent-looking posters? Did you stick them up neatly etc ☺️ Or maybe, as another poster mentioned, some of the children have referenced political groups on their posters. I doubt your head actually wants to undermine your anti-racist message.

I agree that you should be given space to put up anti racism posters, and can't see why you were asked to take them all down, seems a bit off.... might well be the head is knee jerk uncomfortable about confronting race issues and that's not good, and could well be why he made you feel anxious. But still a bit surprised you just went and put them up all over the school, surely space is allocated to different classes, themes and such? Don't you have to clear that with someone?

You just need to find out what the exact problem is.

However I personally would not put posters or work up around the school I work in (or previous ones) without asking first. Your own classroom sure do what you like but not communal areas.

Also, whilst it's absolutely bang on to discuss this issue, maybe in a circle time or class assembly time, it may well not be the topic in your schools mid term / long term plans for this part of the year. Therefore you've gone and put posters up that aren't on topic, which isn't really acceptable. By all means lead that session, great, good on you, but that's your own class time, not the curriculum at present for your whole school.

Are you quite young?

Just thinking that this is the kind of thing I might have innocently done in my early twenties assuming it would be ok because it was for a good cause (and antiracism / equality is enshrined in law so I wouldn't have viewed it as political or contentious), whereas now I would ask in advance and have agreed it with the head because I know there are various reasons why it might be an issue (even if I still might not agree with all of them myself).

Don't overthink it. Go and have a calm conversation with the head, find out why, then learn from the experience.

Erm, because you didn't ask the Head first?! I used to do what I liked in my own classroom (obviously within reason and sticking to guidelines) but I wouldn't have dreamt of putting anything up in the school corridors without asking permission first.

(S)he should have supplied a reason. As it's impossible to be in the other side of the 'Racism is vile' argument, I'd hope somehow relates to the general 'putting up of 30 posters in the least full week of term' thing. It shouldn't be controversial to stuck up an anti-racist poster otherwise.

Anti-racism is not a political agenda in itself. Either you are for racism or against it, there isn't a middle ground of "Well, it's ok sometimes."

“I taught the children in my class a lovely lesson on equality.”

You only need to look on this site and Twitter to see that there are different versions of “equality”

It depends what’s yours was.
What resources were used, what co text was it placed in, how old are the children, etc etc

More info needed on the lesson, the lesson plan and L.O., etc.
What subject on the timetable was it taught in? Obviously it’s not on the curriculum so is it something parents may get angry about if there’s evidence of it on the walls….
Not being funny , just trying to get an understanding of the context .
Presumably you have a syllabus to follow man’s this wasnt on it , and is widely open to your own personal interpretation of what you’ve taught

@YarnOver

You just need to find out what the exact problem is.

However I personally would not put posters or work up around the school I work in (or previous ones) without asking first. Your own classroom sure do what you like but not communal areas.

Also, whilst it's absolutely bang on to discuss this issue, maybe in a circle time or class assembly time, it may well not be the topic in your schools mid term / long term plans for this part of the year. Therefore you've gone and put posters up that aren't on topic, which isn't really acceptable. By all means lead that session, great, good on you, but that's your own class time, not the curriculum at present for your whole school.

Yes, exactly. I'm sure it's just something like this.

We all make mistakes and misjudgments, what matters is that you learn from it for the future. Don't stew on it.

I'd assume that you could have put them up in your classroom but are meant to check before using the communal space. I can imagine it being chaos if lots of teachers put up 30 pieces of work in the hallways.

@Bettyboopawoop

The last few weeks of school consist of taking everything off the walls and leaving all walls bare and you are going round filling them up.

In my 30 years' experience the walls are cleared in the last couple of days. We always kept working right until the end of term - no elaborate displays going up but I can't see the harm in posters stuck up with blu tak. You need to ask the HT.

@TheOrigRights

This seems odd. Where are you that the end of term is not for another 2 weeks?

You seem to have an agenda that the nature of the posters was the HT's concern, but since you did not ask, that seems a very strange assumption.

Are you just trying to be provocative?

We still have this week and next week left.

In Yorkshire.

@Orf1abc

Equality and racism aren't political but if a child includes the words "black lives matter" on their poster, it is a political movement when used in this context. It's a political hot potato (black lives matter vs all lives matter) that schools don't want to get involved in except in a controlled situation eg debating society etc. I know to most of us wouldn't have an issue but the head teacher and governors need to stick to the rules which include impartiality and giving all opinions.

I do know people heavily involved in an "all lives matter" movement who would be first at the head teachers door to complain. Let's just say we are no longer friends! (Also anti mask and anti vaccine, for additional context).

You definitely need to ask ...and let us know what the Head says!!
Posters sound fab, maybe the kids can put them up in their front windows instead??

'Equality and racism aren't political but if a child includes the words "black lives matter" on their poster, it is a political movement when used in this context.'

That's a fair point.

There could be all.sorys of reasons - that space was about to be used for a different purpose i.e. a leavers display for the year 6's or new starters stuff for the incoming reception class.
The walls had been cleared for decorating.
It's school policy that corridors are used on rota basis by different year groups at different times or only used for school wide special topic work.
That teachers need seek permission from SLT first to make sure each class get a fair crack at it or a dozen other reasons. You need to ask the head.

@Doghead it is wrong of you to suggest that I am getting anything out of it.

As I have said before, voicing my issues with strangers helps me with my anxiety and to sort my thoughts. If you don’t want to be here, don’t listen.

I have no hidden agendas - I wouldn’t even know politics if it hit me in the face !

To answer another qusetion - where I am in Hampshire/West Sussex we don't break up until 23rd July.