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Original poster

Should I help?

36 replies

Notsuretoday · 18/12/2014 22:25

I taught a year 10 class last year which is this year being taught by a colleague. They need to do some controlled assessments and she has asked me to help her prepare them. I am torn between being a kind and helpful colleague and saying why should I, it's not my class anymore. I do have the time because I'm very part time.

OP posts:
pieceofpurplesky · 18/12/2014 22:27

Were they supposed to do them with you?

Dragonlette · 18/12/2014 22:27

How much help is she asking for? If she just wants to talk through how to teach them then I would do it. If she wants you to go into the classroom and help her deliver the lessons, unpaid, then no I wouldn't be doing that.

Original poster
Notsuretoday · 18/12/2014 22:30

They did ca's with me last year but some underperformed so the plan is to set them a different task related to the topics I taught them. She wants me to work with the students in preparing for this.

OP posts:
BackforGood · 18/12/2014 22:51

I suspect if you are "very part time", then you are paid very small part of a full time salary too....

In those circumstances, no, I wouldnt be doing more of the same job in the same school.
Advice /looking over a lesson plan / support for someone with less experience, yes, but teaching for free, no.

Original poster
Notsuretoday · 18/12/2014 22:57

She has more teaching experience than me but my subject knowledge is better. And yes, I earn pittance Grin

OP posts:
rollonthesummer · 18/12/2014 23:01

No- that's taking the piss! Why can't she do it?

pieceofpurplesky · 18/12/2014 23:03

If they underachieved with you then you do have some responsibility ...

Original poster
Notsuretoday · 18/12/2014 23:05

This is what I'm wondering purple, though there are good reasons why they did which imo were not down to me

OP posts:
Original poster
Notsuretoday · 18/12/2014 23:07

What if I had left though?

OP posts:
Dragonlette · 18/12/2014 23:11

We don't do CA in Maths, but back when we did coursework I took over a class with absolutely crap coursework which needed to be redone. There was never a question of asking the previous teacher to help out with that, even though she was still at the school and part time so she would have been in the same situation as you.

If you had left the school then she wouldn't be able to ask you to help, so she shouldn't be asking you to help now if she has responsibility for the class.

pieceofpurplesky · 18/12/2014 23:22

I would help - I would feel responsible (and I know why kids underachieve - I am the intervention person in my department) I would just feel I was letting the kids down if I didn't. I would offer to look at lesson plans and help her with specific targets based on what each child did in the last CA.

Springcleanish · 18/12/2014 23:27

Children under performing in CAs rarely lies with teacher. In my class those under performing are due to laziness on their part, lack of concentration in class, not caring and / or over inflated targets. This is not my responsibility but theirs or those who set the targets. Targets which mean I am told to spend night after night forcing D grade students who couldn't care less to come back after school and resit CA's, whilst those who got a C but would love a B and always work hard, are left to just get on with it.
You feeling obliged to coach these students into their target grade is just symptomatic of our target driven system.

Sorry... Rant over. Phew.

Original poster
Notsuretoday · 18/12/2014 23:30

How can I say no without sounding "off" though?

OP posts:
BackforGood · 18/12/2014 23:53

Well just say - "no, I'm only 0.3 (or whatever you work) I won't have the hours to be able to do that - if it helps I don't mind casting an eye over your initial planning if you want to email it me, if that will help?"

States clearly you are on 1/3 of her salary and therefore that's why you only do 1/3 of her hours, but still makes the offer of support.

noblegiraffe · 19/12/2014 00:41

Would you do it if you were paid? If yes, then you need to say 'if you can ask for the budget to cover for me to do some intervention lessons, then I'm up for it'.

If she says unpaid, then just say 'er, no thanks. Don't want to start working unpaid, slippery slope and all that'.

Original poster
Notsuretoday · 19/12/2014 06:48

I think my main bugbear is that she wants me to do work with the students via email through the holidays, when one of the perks of being part time and earning pittance is that I don't need to do any work in the holidays!

OP posts:
cansu · 19/12/2014 06:57

I think tbh she is taking the piss. If she was asking you to come into class and perhaps work with some individual students I would do this of I could. But working over holidays is really OTT. She should be asking HOd to give her some help if it is required.

SunnaClausIsComingToTown · 19/12/2014 07:02

Explain to her that the reason you work part time is because you want your holidays free from work responsibilities. You have other things that you need to do in the holidays so won't be available.

rollonthesummer · 19/12/2014 07:09

I think my main bugbear is that she wants me to do work with the students via email through the holidays,

My earlier point still stands. She's taking the piss-why can't she do this rather than you?

Original poster
Notsuretoday · 19/12/2014 07:13

She's making it sound like we're splitting the workload, with me doing the work with those who are resitting on topics I taught them, her working with those doing ca's on this year's topics

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 19/12/2014 07:57

You're not splitting the workload, she's offloading some of her work onto someone who isn't paid to do it.

It's not your class any more!

SunnaClausIsComingToTown · 19/12/2014 08:37

Ask her if the HoD has authorised extra payment for you to do it in school time.

Original poster
Notsuretoday · 19/12/2014 09:25

I'll just have to tell her... Why is it so hard to say no?

OP posts:
thecatfromjapan · 19/12/2014 09:49

That's a good question. But, what I have been learning recently is that it gets easier with practise.
It's all about boundaries an the socialisation of women to survive through being nice. But you are working, for money , as a professional and an expert. It is OK for you to be professional, polite and a team worker, rather than someone who has to be ultra-nice and boundary less.
Your colleagues will work fine with you if you say 'no' to stuff, which you will learn the more you do it.
I'm only just finding this out, after years of being a bit of a doormat. It's a relief, actually.
I read your post and it really resonated with me.
Good luck.

thecatfromjapan · 19/12/2014 09:51

Practice.

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