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Original poster

tough young teachers

130 replies

theladyrainy · 10/01/2014 20:53

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.

OP posts:
Grockle · 23/01/2014 17:29

What time is it on? Must log in to twitter

BatmanLovesRobins · 23/01/2014 20:19

10pm, apparently...

GW297 · 23/01/2014 20:36

BBC 3 9pm

soul2000 · 23/01/2014 21:51

I don't believe what I am watching , taking kids on a pheasant shoot. it might as well be a (PEASANT SHOOT) what are they trying to do "Show how the other half live. The worst though is the comment from the Harrow educated "PRAT" I messed about at school too ( the difference though was I had a 30k PA education) .....

BatmanLovesRobins · 23/01/2014 21:56

Oh, by crikey, the Head and Deputy at Meryls' school are wet, inept sorry excuses for senior management. One of the other trainees made a good point when he said you'd never give a child a massive list of targets and say, go on then, get on with it...

fizzly · 23/01/2014 22:08

This interview with Meryl on the Teach First website is worth a read. Outstanding by year 2. Good for her.

DalmationDots · 23/01/2014 23:09

Really liked today's episode. The pheasant shooting was a bit odd, thought there were other things he could have done with Zak which would be less controversial. The messing about at school comment was a mistake but he wasn't to know. He was trying to relate to him but Zak can easily start to look up to Nicholas now, think 'he used to mess about, it is OK' and start playing up even more. The trip was a science teacher's scheme, not Nicholas' though so doubt he had much choice over the activity. It was very 'how the other half live'.
Thought generally, apart from Meryl (who seems to have got there now), they all seemed to be doing well and have come on leaps and bounds since Sept. I always find the weeks runnign up to xmas is when my TF and other trainees really change and start relaxing, have their rules in place and themselves established.
When they come back after xmas it then all gets easier in some ways as the children (used to having teachers who only stay a term or are supply and so never sure if a new teacher will stay) are happy to see them back and start enjoying the routine and consistency. But more challenges then pop up and new hurdles.
DD is feeling much happier at her choice to go for the TF route, she can see it is going to be very hard but, as I said to her, any route into teaching is hard and that first year is incredibly difficult whichever way you've got to it. The big learning curve happens in that year, as we can see on the show, and there isn't all that much that can prepare you for the practical side of it all.

GossamerHailfilter · 24/01/2014 07:59

DS (12) thinks the geography teacher is the best teacher.

I was giggling at the lady who was getting upset that Charles (?) couldn't find an arab Joseph. How did she expect him to sell it to year 10?

Retropear · 24/01/2014 12:57

Harrow boy is growing on me,liked his loyalty to Meryl.Got the impression he sees something in her in the same way he does with his pupils.His observation re her list of targets was spot on too.

Soooo pleased to hear Meryl got a distinction.I get the impression her college are a lot more supportive of her than the school.Made me laugh the way her tutor seriously had no answers re the appalling behaviour,wasn't a whole lot of help.

I agree with the posters re the school allowing that kind of behaviour to go on.It's like they want to pile all the blame on Meryl and they've just thrown a lamb to slaughter.What is the point of her teaching that class,surely you build up to the challenging classes? Don't get what the point was of chucking her in there in her first few weeks in school.

Retropear · 24/01/2014 13:03

Enjoying this series but slightly worried re the emphasis on how the other half live.It's making me slightly uncomfortable,it's as if all the kids are regarded as peasants.

Also you don't need a private education to be a good teacher.It's kind of giving the impression at the moment that you do.Are we not going to see Meryl's old school?HmmShe was on fsm and her mum worked all day and did another shift after that.Would be interesting to learn a bit more.

As annoying as the Miss Perfect 2nd year teacher is I did think she was good in that discussion with her class re what they think of as regards living in London.

Zhx3 · 24/01/2014 16:32

I'm glad to see Meryl improves. You can see how passionate she is about teaching, and it would have been a shame to lose her. I'm not seeing huge amounts of support from the SMT at her school tbh, and she seems very likeable.

I think on her interview she mentions how surprised she was by the children who didn't think that education was important, and I kind of want to get hold of a student like Caleb, and make him understand that the teachers can only get him so far, he has to do the rest of it himself!

I thought it was a shame to see the interviews with Claudenia last night, where she was saying she might not have gone into teaching, with hindsight.

Campaspe · 25/01/2014 21:46

Am pleased to hear Meryl turns things around. At the risk of sounding naive, I am really shocked at the bad behaviour she is expected to deal with. And the TF expert interviewed about Meryl talked a load of rubbish.

I thought the HOD who told the RE teacher off for his lack of enthusiasm was really patronising. I think you can tell they don't like each other.

DalmationDots · 26/01/2014 16:49

When Meryl was shown with the Year 8(?) class who did the poetry recital she was great at interacting with them and they obviously were doing well in her class.. I do wonder how much it is edited to show her with one extremely badly behaved class most of the time.
Having heard what you can be on 'cause for concern' for, that one class would be enough for her to be on it. It is a shame we aren't shown more of her with other year groups where no doubt she is probably more successful. I am glad she gets there, her passion is so clear.
The SMT at her school seem really weak.

I agree about the RE teacher going on about her play. She was incredibly patronising and unrealistic expecting a year 10 boy to be jesus. I didn't get her obsession with the need for an arabic boy as well. I agree with her about Charles needing to show his personality more but that will come in time as he gets more confidence. In some ways I am glad Charles stood up for himself on that one.

morry1000 · 30/01/2014 21:09

looking forward to the "Field trip"...

Littlemisstax · 30/01/2014 21:21

What are the crowns all about?

Shartibartfast · 30/01/2014 21:42

The field trip is sooooo reminiscent if this week's 'Bad Teacher' episode ( a repeat, I think), where Jack Whitehall took his class to the ink museum/ farm....

morry1000 · 30/01/2014 21:43

He must watch "Bad Education" every week , its totally freakish the similarity between them....

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 31/01/2014 00:54

If anybody had brought those into one of our classes littlemiss we'd have all gone Hmm I think we'd have felt very 'babied'.

The editing's a bit odd. They didn't show Meryl's problematic class this week, but showed a class of Nick's that I'm not sure we've seen before who were harder work.

DalmationDots · 31/01/2014 11:16

I agree it all seems very edited. They showed Meryl very briefly with a lovely younger class you were very engaged. But make out she can't control any class, in reality it seems she just is struggling with one or two classes.
For Nick, seemed to show his 'good' classes lots and are now focusing on his more difficult ones.
I noticed chloe changed outfits three times in one 'lesson' during an earlier episode!! So much editing going on.

Retropear · 31/01/2014 11:44

Yes we said that re the crowns,my dc 10,10 and 9 would have a fit if they had to wear a glittery crown.

fussychica · 31/01/2014 18:03

Glittery crowns for secondary pupils - WTF?

nikkihollis · 31/01/2014 18:37

I just could NOT believe the crown idea! What IS she thinking. The poor lad who was called out to go get one. They're self-conscious enough at that age without having to wear a flipping crown!

Walid seemed to get so much out of the residential trip. It will be interesting to see if the experience helps him reign in his silly behaviour in class a bit. I had a big silly smile on my face when the kids who got C and above were told their exam results.

MikeTheShite · 31/01/2014 20:14

I was very shocked they showed the family living it one room and have to admit its reinforcing the peasant vs other half lives with aspects including that and the field trip mentioning new york etc

Retropear · 31/01/2014 20:20

Agree Mike it's making me feel very uncomfortable.Like who gives a shit re a year in New York,I'm sure we'd all love to be privileged enough to do that.Can you teach?That us all parents want to know.

My dp did his A levels in a year at night school after being written off at a shite school before getting into a red brick uni.His parents were really poor and neither had a qualification to their name.

Now that I find impressive.A year in a prestigious NY uni not so much.

MikeTheShite · 31/01/2014 20:27

here here retro! I know which id want to be encouraging my DD!

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