Can you be told how to/how not to teach?

[sanityisamyth]

I am an experienced teacher who has moved to a new school. I am using a lot of tried-and-tested (and proven) resources that I have spent HOURS putting together. They are quite photocopying heavy but they avoid the need for an additional exercise book. My HoD has told me that I need to use the resources that the school already use but I find it nearly impossible to teach like that. Also, one of my classes has already been given these resources so teaching them in a different way makes sense to me. All of my resources for the rest of this term and most of next term have already been copied - I don't want to not use them as it would be even more of a waste of the budget. What would you do?

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I think it is probably important that you show willing to work consistently with the rest of the dept, tbh. I also think it was a bit daft to photocopy months' worth of resources, before you knew the students and the school ethos. Also, presumably you adapt resources for different classes and maybe even individuals, so how did you know they would be relevant?

Perhaps some of your resources will be useful and can be slotted in or used to support what the HoD needs you to do - use them as a tool, rather than as the absolute be all and end all, I think.

[noblegiraffe]

Photocopying is expensive, budgets are short and I think it is entirely reasonable for a HOD to request that you use existing resources rather than spending a load of department money making new ones.

[rollonthesummer]

How many pages of photocopying (approx) are you talking?

Worksheets are very much frowned upon in my school and are considered lazy.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

'Worksheets' can mean many things though. I make nearly all of my own resources, and gear them explicitly to the needs of the class at that point in the unit. It takes ages and is certainly not lazy. Relying on a textbook, or on somebody else's resources, would be the lazier option. But if the photocopies are just endless sheets of questions or something, then, yes, it's lazy then.

[noblegiraffe]

Calling textbooks lazy is one of the reasons teaching has such a stupidly high workload. Latest news in is that if the uk went back to using high quality textbooks, education would improve.

[rollonthesummer]

Yep-I've just posted a link to that!

[sanityisamyth]

The booklets I've been asked to use is simply photocopied worksheets from the exam board. The ones I have written have got lots of AFL built into them - telling students to use whiteboards and writing feedback down, they've got glossaries in for students to write their definitions in for the topic, worksheets for extension work, results tables for practicals, writing frames for coursework skills etc.

[rollonthesummer]

I doubt you can go against your hod-they'll observe you, tell you you're crap and put you on capability! Or is that just what my management does?!!

[sanityisamyth]

I have a horrible feeling you might be right rollonthesummer. I think I'll give the kids an unnecessary exercise book and use up my booklets as they're already printed. Interesting to see what the mock results will be like ...

[noblegiraffe]

Sounds like you could project a lot of that onto your whiteboard? So you could still use it, but save on photocopying. Kids could have a glossary section at the back of their exercise book, kids who need writing frames could have the odd one photocopied etc?

[makeitabetterplace]

Frankly, you can do what you like but if your school, who pay your wages, dont like it then the will get rid of you. Fair enough.

[Lovelydiscusfish]

You've got to do what the head of department asks you to, really. But why not explain to him/her about the copying costs, and ask if they would be happy for you to at least trial some of the resources (I know you've used them successfully before, but trial them in this new context), and maybe ask them to come along and see them in action, and they might change their mind? I think a cooperative, conciliatory approach is the way forward here.
It's hard adapting to someone else's way of doing things when you're an experienced teacher, I think! And done subject leaders are more micro-managing than others. I do feel your pain!

[sanityisamyth]

The booklets are all integrated with my IWB. They're not worksheets that can be copied. The glossary is only a page or 2 and structured so already in alphabetical order for students to find words quickly. I dunno. I'll see it how it goes with the existing resources I suppose

[Justtoobad]

Use your booklets, ask your HOD to do a presentation at a staff meeting about your resources, they'll probably love it.
Also scan in to the computer all your resources and save them as a pdf.
If it works use it.

[Yangsun]

Doesn't your department have schemes of work? If it does (and I'd be surprised if I'd doesn't) I don't know why you would think that you could shoehorn in resources for a different setting/based on a different SoW without reference to the HoD in the first place. In a new setting I would want to spend at least a term becoming familiar with the SoW and existing resources. If there was a gap I would talk to the HoD about resources I had that might enhance learning in that area. It seems a bit arrogant and not very team spirited to come in and do your own thing with no reference to anyone else.