Are there other jobs where you are micromanaged and fear for your job the same way as teaching at the moment?

[Letseatgrandma]

There appears to be the belief at the moment that if teachers aren't continually watched, observed, assessed and improved that we will not do any work! Where did this belief come from. I am sick of people looking through my books, studying my data and watching me teach. The assumption is always that I'm fine at the moment, but that 'you're only ever as good as your last observation' so watch your back!

My DH has a 'normal' job in the city. He's a graduate and has a job with decent pay and some stress, but it's not even within the same league. His boss would question him if he did nothing, I'm sure-but there's no assumption that he needs to be watched. I'm sick of it to be honest.

Are other jobs the same on a daily basis-with the threat of SMT and Ofsted ever present? The feeling that if you're over 30, you're very expensive and frankly just not valued any more.

[ArmchairTraveller]

' I don't think it will be too long before I have to wear some kind of camera/voice recording device about my person while I go about my duties'

I think videoing surveillance of classrooms to be used as monitoring/assessment devices are in the future, but definitely on the way.

[wannabestressfree]

I have had two RI's on my last two observations...
First one was last lesson before we broke up and they deemed me too strict and not allowing freedom of thought.... This was despite me teaching poetry and us all wearing Halloween costumes.
Last one was observed by the head and she noted a lack of humour with my bottom tens. I always use humour..... They weren't so keen to perform with her there.
Means loads more obs until I get the good. Was gutted last week :(

[IoraRua]

It depends on where you do the job.
I teach in Ireland, we've some paperwork yes but it's not heavy. Observations not a thing unless the department is in inspecting. Nothing like the UK, thank feck!

[VikingVolva]

I've has this in office jobs, call centre work and (memorably) in a volunteer role. That was the one I thought 'stuff it' and walked out!

Saying that 'teachers are not uniquely stressed' is not an attack on teachers (though I find it is often taken as such). It's a fact of life for so many other occupations.

If you had less stress before, then you were lucky compared to those where it's been pretty continual for ages. That'll go down like a lead balloon in this topic, won't it?

[jellyfrizz]

Ripening you do know that you can complain about any public service without waiting for a text asking for your opinion don't you?

Yes! noblegiraffe writing things down doesn't mean they have happened. If you don't trust people to do their jobs why would you believe what they write down?

[jellyfrizz]

viking I've worked in a good few jobs before teaching, including a call centre.

I think the difference with call centre work is that what you are being judged on is very clear, with teaching it changes constantly so you never really know if what you are doing is what they are looking for (which may not align with what you believe to be good teaching).

With teaching, you are also judged on things that are out of your control - as an extreme example I have a child in my class who is on roll but has never turned up to school, I will still be judged on their results in my performance management.

Like Pacific said earlier about being a GP, the elements of a teacher'sjob that make the biggest difference just aren't measured or recorded anywhere such as building resilience and independence.

[rollonthesummer]

I agree. I was clearing out some school stuff from years ago and found an old observation feedback form from about 10 years ago. I'd got an outstanding for the lesson.

I hadn't mentioned learning objectives, success criteria, there was no AFL/talk partners, mini plenaries, it was taught in ability groups (unpopular in the same school now) and there wasn't a mention of response writing in green! That same outstanding lesson would probably put me on a 'support' plan spiralling towards capability if I were to teach it now! Did those children learn? Yes-they did. Many of them are at university now.

That's what is slowly killing me-the belief that some muppet who's never taught in his or her life gets to decide how I teach on a minute by minute basis and can literally end my career if I don't jump as high as I'm told to, despite me knowing it's no good for the children in my class. How can 'outstanding practice' become 'requires improvement' or 'failing' on someone else's say so within just ten years? It's the same lesson?!

Something is very wrong.

[ottothedog]

Its also counter productive. Micromanaging people in creative type work, which i count teaching as, leads to worse not better outcomes.

[rollonthesummer]

Yes, I agree. What's daft is that if you got rid of the huge numbers of non-teaching SMT there now seem to be, there would be plenty of money available and no one to 'watch' teachers obsessively and make their lives a misery. Everyone would be a winner!!

Crap management are responsible for a great deal of misery.

[FuckinNamechange1]

It's all going wrong. Have done the call centre thing, it was shite but at least I had defined hours. Became a teacher and no longer had any time I could call my own. Left and now work closely with the NHS and social services and I really feel for them, same old shit, micro management, accountability and no acknowledgement of their professionalism. I would never go back to a public sector job in the current climate. But hey, just look forward to the long holidays ( preparing lessons) and your gold plated public sector pension.

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

Ha fucking ha ha.

[rollonthesummer]

Ha ha!!

[Owllady]

Yes civil service!

[Foxyloxy1plus1]

Video surveillance in classrooms is here.

In a very short space of time, there will be no classroom teacher beyond M6. Teaching will become another short term career. The pension will be meaningless, the stress level untenable.

[Whensmyturn]

I left teaching a couple of years ago and have worked in a few different environment. It's blissful in comparison with teaching. I'm treated like an adult again!

[PacificDogwod]

Ripening, I do not wish to be seen as defending the indefensible: rude/incompetent/socially inept GPs/teachers/plumbers/insert profession of your choice need all the feedback they can get to try and get them to improve - I have no issue with that.
What I object to is treating an entire profession (or, it seems, several professions) as if each and every member of said profession is incompetent/rude/socially inept - or even a mass murderer (Shipman - who was much beloved by his patients btw - is what has sped up the process to the micromanaging and defensive delivery of medicine that we are seeing now).
And 'feedback' has always been possible informally (thank you cards/complaints) and now of course online: 'Rate your doctor' sites are all over the place. I am not sure how valid some of them are, but they are there.

As a friend who runs a hotel who makes it a matter of policy to not read TripAdvisor as he finds there are too many malicious posts and goes by comments left in guest books or given in person - I'd rather speak to the people I have so much to do with. I want to help; if I can.

I am quite sure the vast majority of teachers want to teach - I think we all just wish we'd be left to get on with what our job is.

Oh, and we do send text reminders of appointments and invitations to flu vacc clinics etc, that is provided people remember to keep us updated with their changing numbers….

[Ripeningapples]

I have made a written complaint pacific - new gp practice and some of the doctors at excellent nut it's very inconsistent. Complaining has troubled me and I imagine I'm now that patient. What I wouldn't do is post on the internet.

[rollonthesummer]

It annoys me so much the spin the government put on these professions. Teachers are lazy and work shy-only working half the year 9-3 and can reuse plans from last year anyway. Doctors can't be arsed to work outside 10-4 because they're all playing golf.

All this from politicians who nobody really ever holds to account-they just get shuffled on (Gove) when one sector hates them enough and who don't work themselves for months in the summer...

[jellyfrizz]

We should lobby for MPs to be graded on their progress in key areas, looking particularly at those who are disadvantaged and making sure they make a certain amount of levels of 'progress' in a year - perhaps employment, income, education, well being etc.

Policies should be differentiated at least 5 ways to reflect the different needs in the area.

[thegiddylimit]

Well I work in the pharmaceutical industry and believe me Ofsted has nothing on the FDA. It takes hours in our manufacturing plant to ensure the paperwork is filled in correctly for a job that would take half an hour in an R&D lab. All work has to be countersigned. If paperwork is filled in incorrectly then the person who filled it in could be sacked. If the paperwork is filled in incorrectly the drugs may have to be recalled, even if there is no evidence that technically anything was done wrong.

We are audited pretty much every week by regulatory authorities or customers, this can involve a group of people standing over you as you perform your job (this has happened in R&D as well as in our manufacturing plant). And we are one of the best in the world at what we do, the level of auditing is standard in the industry and we all take it for granted. It's not about 'trusting' people to do their job (our employees are well paid professionals with degrees and PhDs), it's about being able to prove that something was done properly because what we do is important.

[jellyfrizz]

I'm glad your paperwork is important giddy, I wouldn't mind being micro managed at all if it actually helped the children.

[jellyfrizz]

And they could make up their minds about what they wanted.

[momb]

It is becoming more common across Industry. We are currently trying to schedule the time of senior scientists in a primarily reactive consultative role because the management consultants paid for by the Senior Management team have said it should be possible.
It is frankly insane: people in very senior research roles spending an hour a day typing up what they are doing only to be questioned on why they did it when they did.
There are more people in the department measuring what these people do than there are in the department actually generating revenue.
...and we've lost 1/3 of the senior scientist group in the last 6 months but SMT don't know why.....
Thank F I'm only there one day a week as a consultant. I would go insane under that level of scrutiny.

[momb]

Ha! pressed send and then read the last page. I'm talking about pharma too.....