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The staffroom

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

What shall we change?

6 replies

Sleepymorningcuddles · 12/02/2015 21:33

I'm changing:
Class sizes (38 year 3 not good)
TAs being sent to "training" sessions on using the whiteboard when they could be working with a child (perhaps figuring out the whiteboard together).

OP posts:
roaringwater · 17/02/2015 16:46

monthly learning walk weeks with SLT, governors and external consultant. Can we change that?

CharlesRyder · 17/02/2015 21:20

I will cut class sizes to 16 in KS1 and 20 in KS2.

I will extend the school day to 8.30 - 3.30 but insist that there are 4hrs a week of quality PE taught by specialists.

Hypotenuse · 17/02/2015 21:22

I want the child's happiness put first, not test results. How can we do that Sad

Hypotenuse · 17/02/2015 21:24

Oh and!! Ban enforced dialogue marking every week for every child. I teach 300 kids for heavens sake, that's 24 hours of solid marking!

maskingtherealme · 17/02/2015 22:31

Class sizes to a maximum of 20 - 5 groups of 4 work great.

Planning NOT to be handed in.

Marking to be simplified - KS1 do NOT understand 'written feedback' and actually does not improve standards. They find it difficult remembering what they had for breakfast or what the did the day before never mind remembering the 'up-levelling' they did in every lesson!
Written feedback given to those who clearly need it - i.e. lack understanding or didn't achieve. Extension tasks to 'uplevel' are unecessary as this can be achieved in the next damned lesson!!!

Book scrutinies to be once a half term - limited to 3 per subject and forms the basis of 'monitoring classroom practise'.

Observations ONLY to be done if book scrutinies flag up an issue. When observations do take place, no more than 3 per year and no longer than 30 minutes and focus MUST be agreed before the lesson between SLT and class teacher. Also must NOT be graded. Singular words mean very little - detailed and focused discussions of the strengths and areas to improve have far greater impact and maintain a class teacher's dignity.

Assessments to be done termly NOT half termly. How the hell do you show 1 point progress in KS1 every 5/6 weeks as this is what happens - pupil progress meetings held the week before the children break up!

Staff meetings hed ONCE a week.

Head teachers to always consider the health and well being of staff when implementing changes to the workload and consider how this impacts on their work/life balance.

SLT who do not have a regular class responsibility (i.e. no class or PPA cover) to HAVE to prove their teaching worthiness during OFSTED inspections and on an annual basis by the LEA. Too many 'fast track heads' go into HEADSHIP after just 8/10 years teaching and then spend 20-odd years as a head with no teaching commitment! How can you advise on 'best practise' and 'constructively criticise' if the practise you are lecturing about has not been practised by themselves???

I may think of others soon!

Doowrah · 21/02/2015 15:02

Heads arranging ad hoc evening tours/visits in the name of professional development and expecting part-time teachers to attend. Especially as in the course of one particularly memorable year I learnt absolutely nothing and was going on these things all the bloody time. In the end I did ask if I was going to learn anything that couldn't be answered by a 5 minute YouTube video....the silence and black mark against my name were audibly and visually deafening.

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