tough young teachers

[theladyrainy]

I watched this tonight on the i-player. Even my 12 year old was wincing.

6 weeks training and then send graduates into schools to take classes, including Y10/11 pupils who are studying for their GCSE's.

Not a channel 5 reality TV idea...this actually happens.

Clawdy, Moist is a bit like calling someone a pussy or gay (in the more modern sense of the word). For example:

DS1:I wanna watch X
DS2: No man it's boring
DS1: You're moist

or

Ds: Do you wanna go Nando's?
Friend: I can't my mum says come home
DS: moist!

Got distracted by Moist. I watched this with my Dsis, who is a hardened secondary school teacher of 30 years. We both agreed that the kids were fine, just standard behaviour, I don't think there was any truly challenging behaviour.

It didn't appear to me that any of them did that badly considering how new they were and how little training they had. It was definitely felt in our house that some of the participants need to lighten up and some need to toughen up.

The RE teacher clearly had no experience of kids like Caleb, even outside of his professional life. Caleb has some issues but seems to have turned it around a bit and probably just needs to be managed correctly, its a shame he's been put with a teacher who doesn't yet realise that.

"Claudenia's first science lesson goes with a bang, but it's not long before she's reduced to tears at Crown Woods College in Eltham"

Yup sounds like things haven't changed...

I thought the same about Caleb. The last thing he needs is a teacher who can't manage him.

Caleb reminds me of my DS3, I hope his other teachers are better and thank god for his mother!

Poor Meryl, I suppose she isn't doing great but she hasn't had much support. Hopefully she will get some help.

Eatyourveg, I disagree teaching is just a job to me . I certainly don't have a vocation but am a skilled teacher .

But philoslothy as a skilled teacher you are no-doubt putting in far more than a 9-5 not just so that you get your work done but so you get it done in such a way so as to get the very best out of the students you teach. That's not something someone can do properly if their heart isn't in it surely? Perhaps vocation is not the right word - what I mean is that its not a job you do because its a job - you have to want to do it in order to do it properly. Its not an easy job my any stretch of the imagination - its tough and sometimes very tough. Does that make sense?

Yes Caleb's Mum was brilliant with him.

In the second episode, I didn't have much sympathy for Caleb. I thought he was rude and disrespectful, and I didn't see how his teacher was to blame. He seems like a very angry young man whose problems go far beyond his behaviour in school.

I really liked Caleb and his mum, she was great. He really wasn't that naughty, and the teacher's overreaction just shows how unsuitable the combination of privileged high academically achieving teachers and kids like him can be.

Meryl - clueless and didn't care, her attitude was so flaky and the way she spoke to the kids was awful.

Maybe my expectations are unreasonable but dd is due to start secondary school soon and tbh I wouldn't be at all happy if I knew she was being taught by graduates with 6 weeks' training.

I still liked Caleb after the second episode. He is challenging, but not that challenging, he behaved poorly but nothing particularly shocking or that I wouldn't expect most teachers to be able to handle. He comes across as very frustrated, whether that is down to school or something else I don't know, but he's clearly bright and capable of engaging but like I said he's challenging. I think the teacher just has no idea how to handle him, look at Caleb with his mum, he is someone who needs diffusing rather than battling.

Maybe it's because I can see one of my DSs in him but I really felt for him and just wanted to go in and help him help himself.

I think some of the editing is a little unfair to Meryl, they said her higher sets have been doing well. I can't quite understand why you'd give a brand new teacher a set you know to be 'difficult', especially if she's going to be there for two years.

I thought that Polka.

I also thought it was sad that Meryl was devoted to teaching and would give a life of service honing her skills but 30k a year privately educated Harrow boy will clearly do his stint,add it to his CV and get some high flying job elsewhere.Teach First will lose both.

I think Meryl would do better trained the Bed way(obviously not secondary) and gradually left full control with plenty of classes to observe,support and lectures along the way.She was tiny and needed to build confidence.Out of interest how many lessons do Teach First candidates get to watch themselves?

The sense of entitlement and confidence that they had the world at their feet and were guaranteed well paid jobs by the friends of a Harrow boy at uni was shocking.Clearly a very privileged education guarantees you things as most grads these days are well aware there is buggar all out there for them.I knew the unfairness but hadn't seen such graphic evidence of it.

Sorry I thought Caleb was dreadful as was his mum.I felt for the teachers and the kids but not a lot for him.He was clearly selfish,spoilt and constantly told by mummy that he was an angel.Having only recently been allowed back into mainstream his behaviour was clearly a huge issue.He also obviously also had anger issues.

Sadly when Caleb has realised that such behaviour doesn't get you jobs and he won't be earning waaaay more than everybody else but the reverse the penny might drop.

Why is it a bad thing, necessarily, to not be "devoted" to teaching? I am just musing here - I cannot personally see the harm in trying it out for a couple of years and moving on to something different.

Meryl only appears to own one dress!

Because it costs a fortune to train teachers up and 2 years is nothing,you're still learning.You learn more every year you teach.

I'd prefer my kids were taught by those who had a little more than 2 years experience and who had slightly more commitment than using teaching as a stepping stone.

Oh and maybe Meryl doesn't have rich parents who can bankroll her.Maybe she has student loans to pay off and can't afford a new dress.

Hopefully Meryl will gain in confidence and succeed. She seems like a very pleasant young woman. I was put off by her glottal stop - as was her headteacher - and by the lack of preparation. Also, how can you be a good English teacher if you aren't passionate about reading?

Interesting to see that she is a Catholic, but her boyfriend was a reverend, so I am guessing C of E?

Campaspe - I agree! She needs to learn to pronounce her words properly. I thought the Head and the other SMT guy's approach and comments to Meryl were spot on.

Blimey Retro the observation about Meryl's dress was in agreement with whoever pointed out about the editing. Student loans or not I assume she doesn't actually wear the same outfit seven days a week which suggests strongly to me that a lot of filming took place on one particular day.

I do think people have the right to decide what they want to do with their lives: there will always be people who stay in teaching, in the same school no less for the duration of their working career and some who will move on and both are absolutely fine. It is fine to train as a teacher purely for the holidays IF that is what somebody wants - what matters is their effectiveness in the classroom, not their reasons for being there.

I posted this in staffroom and thought I'd copy it here as (I want to contribute but can't be bothered to re-type a similar post and) I'm keen for people to know the right facts about TF and my/my DDs experiences so far rather than the edited TV show's portrayal of it which is obviously primarily for entertainment...Sorry it is so long...

'I've worked with TF students in my primary school and my DD is joining next year, she has wanted to go into teaching for years and having got to final year looked at the options, financially she is very tight and TF offer a good deal in terms of no training fees and a salary. DD suits the on the job style, and I can see she will be OK as she has done loads in schools, with children and is very organised and passionate. I would not be recommending her to do it if she hadn't had the experience, didn't have the passion or the necessary skills.
I hope she will be OK and able to enjoy it (remembering how horrific teacher training was at times!). DD is worried about the mixed views of TF (lots of love/hate) and really doesn't want that to impact others' judgement of her as a teacher when she starts. I do hope she gets a supportive school with staff who are open minded and don't jump to negative conclusions if they aren't TF fans. TFers are so varied, as are PGCE/other routes. Equal advantages and disadvantages off all IMO.
Some of my trainees have been fantastic, far better than ones who had done PGCEs traditionally or BEds, others struggled and it took a lot of mentoring and support. Our school put a lot into supporting them though and were successful- others don't and the outcomes are much more dependent on the TF student themselves. Yes in all honesty there are some who seem to miss the charity's point and must have just parrot learnt things for the assessment centre (which DD found very rigorous and tough so not sure how Meryl got through!).

Was pleased with the show, very realistic but a few editing things which annoyed me. And very frustrated by the lack of support Meryl was shown to be getting, yes she was a bit hopeless but there should have been much more support and someone should have checked the lesson plans. (Probably the way it was editted though)
Glad they showed Sophie (although she didn't seem to know much about teacher's dress!!) but she seemed excellent and very in control.'

'All the official stats I've seen say TF has a 95% completion rate (and I hate comparing but for info PGCE traditional route has a 86% rate.
After the 2 training years it is 65% retention rate for the most recent cohorts (PGCE retention rate is 63%) so barely different.

As I said in my post, I am level-headed about TF and see its pros and cons (And same with other routes- I did the trad PGCE route) but it does grind on me all the misconceptions which I find very unfair and unjustified. That article sums it all up brilliantly'
[dailygenius.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/youre-my-teach-first-my-teach-last-my-teach-everything/]

There are many fantastic TF teachers, as Sophie seemed to be one year on, equally there are many amazing teachers who entered through other routes. All the routes suit different people and have different positives and negatives, it is important not to generalise trainees based on what route they are doing.

Thanks Dalmation,really interesting.

Sorry Rainy didn't realise that was what you meant re the dress.I have to say I do think retention is important so Dalmatiins figures are encouraging if they're fairly similar.I was under the impression that one if the things Gove wanted to address was retention so wondering if TF is doing what they wanted in that respect.

I agree with Meryl's pronunciation but it's a sensitive issue.

of and edited sorry I must look like an awful teacher who can't check typos!!

dailygenius.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/youre-my-teach-first-my-teach-last-my-teach-everything/

Also I mean Chloe not Sophie when referring to the second year girl with blonde hair.

Ah pressed send too soon, sorry I'm being a bit hopeless!
It is also important to remember there is a big shortage of teachers, especially good ones or ones with the potential to be good, who are willing to go and teach in schools like the one shown. TF are attracting very good graduates, putting them through a rigorous assessment centre checking they have the right leadership, humility, commitment, resilience (and other) skills. It isn't all perfect, but it is doing a lot towards trying to get graduates into teaching who wouldn't otherwise, to get them into the areas which most need teachers and who have the potential to be brilliant teachers.
Whether it is good in the long run or not, we will see. One thing that worries me is it is expanding a lot. Up to 1500 teachers starting this summer compared to 700 two years ago. I worry they are being less selective and getting more people in who aren't there for all the right reasons or with all the right attributes.

I often mentor trainee teachers and the programme reflected the ability, naivety, and hopes of a trainee in week one of a pgce placement. The difference being that the pgce student is eased into the ethos, atmosphere, social demographic etc of the school more slowly so can begin to adapt.

all of the trainees on the programme would be fine if given support and training. I especially liked the maths? Teacher who played chess with the student. He has a better understanding of building relationships with pupils than I did at that stage in my career.

I thought calebs attitude was shocking and his mum weak and ineffectual. I also disliked the attitude of senior staff as portrayed in the edits we saw. Feedback was poor and not SMART and if a class doesn't behave for you as a student teacher when slt are in the room then that tells you all you need to know about that school.

I agree riskit about how the students behaved with the head and deputy in the room, very telling.
I like the maths guy too, ex-Harrow I think, but he seems to have a real passion and be very calm and collective. Meryl goes into panic mode and then everything falls apart. I do not blame her though and I hope we see her getting more support to turn things around.
With Caleb, I did feel sorry for him. He seems to be right in the middle of the cycle of poverty, low ambition and low aspiration. We don't know his circumstances so IMO can't judge his attitude. From the limited evidence we have seen, I'd be trying an approach of sitting down with him in a completely non-confrontational manner, helping him understand the link between school and GCSEs to the future.
He needs a set goal e.g. I want to work as a sports coach, and then to be helped to find smaller achievable goals to get him there. His disruption was not all that bad compared to what it could be, yes it isn't acceptable but I don't think a confrontational approach gets anywhere. I really hope he finds his way soon. When he was in tears I think that showed his vulnerability and feeling of hopelessness even if he was trying to be strong and fight against it all.