sending in lesson plans when off sick or other, special, leave?

[overthemill]

just a quick poll really. My school expects staff to send in lesson plans /cover when sick. Has to be by 7.30 am. So when I'm really ill (which I have to be to phone in) I also have to provide a lesson and send it in? Obviously I have lesson plans at school but not necessarily at home. So I have to get up early and think something up. If it's planned leave that's ok (eg hospital apt) but when unwell? It's also an expectation for other leave, eg if off unpaid when own kids are ill.

Is this normal and is it reasonable? My sister's school doesn't expect this btw.

[clam]

I agree, silver. I always said I'd never work for such a Head. But I appreciate it's not always that easy to move.

[ColdFusion]

If I had written lesson plans, they would not be suitable for cover work as the would inevitably involve practical work or IT.

I would never plan a lesson that meant students were doing silent, independent work - but that is what is needed for a cover lesson.

I struggle with the concept of suddenly wake up ill /demarcation and being totally unable to contribute to work in every situation. Surely real life isn't like that.

I am SMT responsible for cover and only have one member of staff who consistently doesn't "get it " wrt to lesson work-setting expectations (fortunately her HOD has mastered the dark art of being in two places at one time). Everyone else seems to care enough about their classes to set work intra-vomit. We might have to wing it for period 1, but are usually on task the rest of the day.

[clam]

Fgs, it's got nothing to do with "caring about our classes." As I've already said, there are plans on the system with sufficient detail on them for cover, and any additional detail can be provided by the parallel class teacher. As I do if she's ill.

I reserve my right to be ill in private at home!

[SilverApples]

That's SMT clam.
It's how they think, and teaching has run on guilt and blame as long as I've been in the dance.

[clam]

You're probably right.
But I've been SMT (pre-kids) and would never have dreamt of hassling colleagues in this way.

[ColdFusion]

Tbh, your posts reflect the attitude of don't touch me, I'm ill.

Is there ever a circumstance when you are unwell but willing to work? Is there a middle ground our is it always fully well or totally ill?

[clam]

I've already explained that I was willing to work whilst signed off with a broken leg. I hobbled in much sooner than the doctor advised in order to do admin work out-of-class.
I've also said that a well-run school (and remember I'm talking Primary, and acknowledge that Secondary might be different) should have a system in place for staff absence. Ours has. And besides, with the exception of my broken leg, I'm hardly ever off ill, so I'm arguing a hypothetical here.

[ColdFusion]

If you have been in a professional job outside of teaching, you soon realise that the world doesn't stop work doesn't go away when you are unwell. It really doesn't. That is what life is like in the real world.

Of course colleagues take into account the suddenness and severity of your illness versus your general work ethic and make allowances. Any professional would expect you to make contingency plans ie set cover for a minor ailment.

My non-teaching DH was unwell last week. He got an emergency GP appointment in the morning followed by a prescription, and was emailing before lunch. He pretty much did a 5 - 6 hour day. This was a necessity to keep his project on track, and because colleagues were relying on him, even though he felt like %^#*. It's what professionals do. They put their work/projects/clients before themselves.

[Orangeanddemons]

But what have we come to, when people are expected to work when ill?

[EndoplasmicReticulum]

I do have my lessons planned.

However it is not possible for them to be used by cover teachers as many of them will involve practical work.

So yes, I have found myself firing up laptop in between visits to toilet to throw up in order to come up with an alternative.

[clam]

Pisses me off when people make sweeping generalisations about "the real world" when they want to make a point.

And I resent the implication that somehow I'm unprofessional because once in a blue moon I might have the misfortune to be ill and create a minor problem for the SMT to have to deal with.

My experience of friends in this "real world" you talk of is that if they feel the slightest bit off-colour they 'work from home' and take it easy for the day. That's a luxury teachers can't afford, and the vast, vast majority of us stagger in to work regardless, even when we really shouldn't be spreading germs amongst the workforce, not to mention the children.

[Orangeanddemons]

Y y to staggering in. It's easier than setting cover

[loopybear]

I teach I a primary. I always set room up night before and draft planning is on my clipboard. School principle so if your off there is an outline of what you'd do x

[ColdFusion]

Sorry to burst your bubble, clam.

[TheFallenMadonna]

In secondary schools, the plans are not on the system, and it is not SLT setting cover, it is HoDs, and they are usually pretty busy. Last year I was Head of a core department, with 4 missing staff to cover. I taught 20 lessons (hour long) per week myself, and wrote another 40 odd of cover. And my colleagues wrote another 20+.

Silver lining - we have cover lessons on the system now!!

My DH works from home when he is ill, in the "real world". He was sending emails the day after surgery for example.

[clam]

What?

OK, name me what sort of jobs you're referring to in this "real world" and explain why a professional teacher doesn't appear to count as belonging to this rarefied 'club.'

[ColdFusion]

I guess a teacher doesn't belong to this club because they shirk professional duties. The key thing is to keep the ship on course. If you don't play your part, this doesn't happen.

If you are truly incapable then your colleagues will understand and rally round. If you have a minor ailment, you should do as much as you can. Only you know how much this is. But at the end of the day, you have a responsibility to your students. If you don't feel this, do you really feel comfortable calling yourself a professional? Do you think that teachers should be on the same parapet as other professionals? It's a serious question, from someone who started her career working for a blue chip. Teaching was quite a shock to the system, and not in a positive way.

[Donki]

DH is a professional (Clinical Scientist). When he is ill he is NOT expected to work from home. It would be impossible, anyway. No microscope at home, and you can't take patient data home to work on.

[ColdFusion]

Wow, TFM

You were teaching 20 (presumably out of 25). .8 is our standard allocation, without additional responsibility.

If a teacher called in sick at 8am, and you had your own P1 class, it would have been pretty difficult for you to set cover for them, as well as teach your own class. Hopefully, you don't have a tutor group as well.


Sometimes I wonder where these magic cover setting fairies come from.

[ColdFusion]

donki, your DH is not a teacher. Students don't just disappear by magic when the teacher is absent. They are very much there and need to be catered for.

[SilverApples]

It's why any SMT worthy of the name plan a head for possibilities, including LT and ST illnesses and have an effective system in place before it is needed.
Like they do in industry.
Plans made up by a vomiting teacher are not going to be as coherent and precise as those created in advance by an unstressed and fully-operational one. With appropriate resources.

[TheFallenMadonna]

I lost my tutor group in order to be able to organise the cover every morning, yes.

But writing it took rather longer than the 20 minutes that freed up!

[chibi]

teachers shirk professional duties? really?

i may as fucking well, apparently everyone thinks i do anyway

[Viviennemary]

I think this is just not on and never used to happen. If a teacher knew about an absence and left work then fine. It's another jumping through hoops exercise which has now apparently become the norm. I agree with contacting the union.

[clam]

"I guess a teacher doesn't belong to this club because they shirk professional duties."

Seriously?!! You're a teacher, yet can seriously offer this as an argument?
I'm still waiting to hear of jobs/careers that count as "the real world."
And I will point out, again, that I rarely, if ever, take time off work, so I would like you to project your frustrations with what are presumably some of your less dedicated colleagues, elsewhere.