Strugging NQT

[januarysunsetfire]

Hi.

I've just had a message from the NQT in our department indicating they are hugely struggling with the workload: primarily marking but also planning and genera organisation.

Everything they are struggling with is pretty much the professional standards, and to be honest I don't know what to suggest!

Any advice? :)

I'm an NQT on what sounds like a similar timetable, save that I have 3 massive year 11 groups. I don't want to sound ridiculous- but I don't work at the weekend. I get to work early, I stay til 6ish, I get all my work done at school. Marking is (mostly) always up to date. This is because my timetable is light!! I dread next academic year. What I'm trying to say is that he really should be up to date, and if he's not is he trying to be lazy, or is he stressed and therefore cannot simply 'get the work done'

God i find it hard when people struggle when tbh they have life easy.
I know NQT year is a relative shock but IMO at this point they need to get another job

agree that often the route cause is laziness

Did you have to fill in some sort of NQT form for him at the end of term? One for the county- if so, did you write that you think he might not meet the standards?

I think if I was confronted with a big pile of marking on Monday, I'd expect to see a lot of it done and if it hadn't even been started I'd be asking questions about exactly why in the two weeks available it had been left till the last minute. There's being stressed, then there's taking the piss.

I had a crap NQT as a colleague and I helped them out by observing a lesson, giving suggestions, easy to implement ones like 'get then to tuck their chairs under the desk at the end of the lesson so the room isn't a tip for the next class coming in' and it was really frustrating to see advice not acted on. Made me wish I hadn't spent my time bothering to help!
It was after Christmas that concerns escalated and comments started to be made about not passing NQT year if no improvement. They were gone by Easter, told that if they didn't leave voluntarily, with the ability to complete their year in another school, they would fail and never be allowed to teach again.

Is your NQT permanent or on a year contract? Basically, if you don't think they should be in teaching, you need to be making moves now to either encourage them to look for another job (teaching in a different school or otherwise), or collecting evidence to fail them.

If you let them bimble along getting inadequate observations and being super stressed about planning and marking on the easiest timetable in the world, then you may end up with a permanent crap colleague next year on a full timetable taking up your time and energy. Competency wouldn't be any fun to organise.

You've been gentle and they still can't hack it. Don't rescue them, it's time to get tough.

The softly-softly isn't working, but then neither does being a bit sterner with him. I did have to reprimand him about something last term, and I was pleasant about it but did make it clear it wasn't acceptable and I didn't want a repeat of it.

It all just seems to go over his head. I do feel for him, but I'm the one mopping up the mess, constantly.

he does a 13 hour day most days! In at 7, out at 6

Isn't that 11 hours?

He sounds like he has got it very easy and isn't putting his back into the work at all. I think you need to ratchet up the pressure a bit this term and further next as he is going to have to cope with a much busier timetable next September. To be honest he sounds idle. What on earth is he doing with all those hours? Selling stuff on Ebay? Researching holidays? Writing a novel?

Year's contract.

I have stated my concerns all along but there have been other concerns in the department hence why he's slipped under the radar to a large extent.

It can be easy to treat an NQT a bit like a PGCE student with all the support and positive encouragement that a student would need at this point.

But they've passed their PGCE year, applied for and got a job, which they are being paid a not insubstantial amount to do. They shouldn't be this much of a burden on their colleagues.

Is he very young?

How have his lesson observations been?

Noble - not that young, late twenties.

Saadia - not very good. 4's and 3's.

Unfortunately, because of the PGCE he did, it isn't a case of him passing or failing the year (I know everyone will probably be baffled at that, as am I! But it is what I have been told!) However, he has a reduced timetable because of concerns with his performance. So he is in his first year teaching but not a "proper" NQT (I know, I know!)

I just don't know what to do next, I really don't. I know, theoretically, he could just go at the end of the year but I have a feeling there may be a push to keep him and I cannot go on providing this level of support and input, I think I'd have to resign myself!

Stop taking up the slack, get him to produce a weekly planner that covers all the work that needs doing, and review it weekly with him. Honestly, with people that are bad at time management, you have to get them managing their time. Do not do half his marking for him, and do not get drawn into taking pity on him.
And as I said earlier, tell him to stop doing elaborate and bizarre stuff and get the nuts and bolts sorted.
Don't get emotional, take it back each time to 'where are you going to fit in x, how many books can you mark in this free lesson, when are you going to do y? What did you do that afternoon when you said you were going to do z, as that hasn't been done?'

How do teachers like this get through training? Who passes them? I wouldn't mind betting he is faffing about during times before and after school and not really using the time effectively.

He may be suffering from stress but at some point a line has to be drawn. I know colleagues are trying to be supportive but what about the poor pupils he is teaching- they only get one chance at an education. If he has been given this level of support and still isn't improving capability has to be the next step.

I feel for you- I have been supporting a teacher on the inadequate/ RI border for the last six months. She seems to want more and more and more support which I give her but then on the morning of an observation she swans in fifteen minutes before the bell and then claims she can't remember what she has planned... Then of course we get all the boo-hooing/ everybody hates me etc. that follows the inevitable bad lesson judgement.

I know offering mentoring is important and part of the job of SMT but what about our planning and work. What about our stress levels?

Thanks Ribena, that's helpful :) The problem with the 'bizarre' stuff 9) is I don't know he has done it until, well, he has done it!

Right. So, here is the plan:

1. Establish when his non-contact periods are and devise a system for what I want him to do in those non-contact periods.

1. What is a reasonable amount of time to be working evenings/weekends would we say? You see, for me it varies: sometimes I'll do nothing, other times I'll do a lot.

1. Plans a week in advance?

I think at this stage what we (I) expect are:

• Planning (not elaborate lesson plans but the l/o, an outline and the resources)
• Marking: books marked up-to-date in line with the school assessment policy which is books to be marked every fortnight.
• Marking part 2: assessments to be marked within a week of children completing them.

Anything else anyone can think of? Thank you for letting me vent!

I would not do his marking for him...he needs to learn that the job is stressful and time consuming but can be manageable. If he can't manage on this extremely low timetable then he just won't cope at all in the future. I think you need to start making noises about this not being the profession for him.

Brigit I know, tell me about it.

The problem is, in terms of the hours spent in school, he is a "hard worker" but vital, important things aren't done. The other thing that drives me to distraction is the FUSSING - he asks a question, I give a polite answer (usually "no"!) and then he keeps ON asking, as if "I'll phrase it in a different way and see if she says yes!"

I know Antoinette but I think the issue here is that it simply won't get done due to the enormous backlog that's built up: I'm thinking if I sort that and then start the year with a clean slate, making it clear it will not happen again, then that at least means he can get his non-contacts sorted.

Also, I think not doing his marking over the holidays should be cause for a disciplinary. There is NO excuse.

Can you get him to observe a lesson with a parallel class, then get him to teach the same lesson to his class? So he can see how it should have gone, how it goes with his class, and the sorts of lessons colleagues are teaching? (no elaborate things, just a bog standard lesson).

He needs to clear the backlog. Honestly, this would be non-negotiable for me. He has until tomorrow morning-if he starts now he can get 12 hours done. Surely with only 4 classes 12 hours work will clear it!

I've done that giraffe thanks :) he has observed several lessons in and out of the subject area.

Antoinette - possibly, it would be harsh though and I certainly can't be giving formal warnings in my role and I doubt SLT would. It's interesting to know some schools would, though.

What did he do before teaching?

You definitely need to start making 'maybe you should go back to that' noises. Stop being so supportive about cracking teaching and start suggesting that maybe it's not for him. So it's not a complete shock when he gets the boot!

In fact, I would rather organise cover for his first couple of lessons so he has time tomorrow morning to finish the marking if necessary. Doing the marking for him sends the message that he always has a get-out.

I think in the first instance, I'd be contacting him today and telling him he needs finger his books marked up to date before returning to school tomorrow.
It's unacceptable for him to be contacting you and telling you he can't do the work when he still has a day to get down to it!