Activities

[abbieangel]

I work part time, teaching just sixth form in an independent.

New HT ramping up the game wants ALL teachers to run an activity/club/extra curricular class ( activities for us are mid day, not after school)..... leaving aside the fact I do not ever see lower school children and do not know them and have only one period where this activity can be run ( and its unpaid because I am not paid on a fractional contract)

I need to know what I can do?

I do not do potholing, abseiling or rock climbing. I cant canoe and I have never lit a fire ( let alone a forest fire in survival skills).

I am an academic. I am cr*p at sports, dance music and drama - anyway, e have those.

I have no "skills" at all for crafts, art etc. My subject is far too "adult" for year 7 kids. I was never employed for that. I was employed knowing I had nothing else and that I was good at my specialism ( school needed good A level results and didn't have them at the time)

What sort of clubs are run at your school? I just need ideas.

Thanks.

debating, scrabble, board games, book group, school newspaper

puzzle club, wildlife club, photography, around the world (learn about a different country each week), film club, etc.

Strategy club- just play board games, rush hour, chess against a computer etc.

Cup stacking! Look it up - may be called 'speed stacking'.

But board games good too. Or Uno!

Games: Board / strategy / chess
Puzzles: crosswords / quizzes / Sudoku
Current affairs: debating / newspaper

Do you know any languages that the school doesn't teach? Latin, Italian and Mandarin clubs very popular at DC's school.

What doe you yourself do to relax / in the evenings? Could you offer that? i have run gardening & sewing / embroidery clubs on that basis, others I know have done jigsaws, adult colouring etc.

I would go to Uno club!

Teenage reading club held in the library? School newspaper is a good suggestion. Are you any good with computers, film club, photography?

Is it a large school? Every teacher running a club sounds like a lot of separate clubs. Could you pair up and offer to help an other club? Other teachers might appreciate the help and the more help the students get the better/more successful the club will be?

What is your subject, OP? Could you run an age appropriate club for younger dc? Struggling to think of what would be too 'old' to be at all relevant to yr 7s (so something like economics/politics could translate through to Current Affairs?)

Leaving aside sports, DD's small state secondary school has run in different years poetry club (always popular), creative writing club, magazine club, Eco club, astronomy club, Lego mindstorms club, handwriting club (this one is less optional for those referred!), board games club and I'm sure others that I don't know about.

I would come up with something related to your subject. So if its Politics, go for a Debating Club, for example. Something that perhaps touches on the skills for your subject, rather than content. See it as a chance to get to know the very students who may well come to you for A level.

Board Games Club

Colouring in club

Crosstitch club

This is the kind of thing you want- something guaranteed to attract no more than 4 pupils (and no less than 1- you don't want to find yourself drafted into CCF) and that requires no planning and crucially no tidying away. And think yourself lucky you've lasted this long at my school we have to do 2 a week and every other Saturday

I'd do chess, if there is the equipment. It's quiet, different ages can play together, if there is an odd number you can step in. It almost runs itself.

Oh or Film club? A friend of mine does that lucky cow

you don't want to find yourself drafted into CCF

Haha! This ^

I'd second the Book club suggestion.
DD3 (Y9) has been to Russian club this term and loved it.
Debating.
Chess
Scrabble

I know you said no crafts, but my Y13 dd has really enjoyed sewing club this term (never done any sewing before) and has made quirky skirts for her sisters for xmas

LottieDoubtie one warning note, Board Games club is apparantly one of the most popular at dd's school, and the librarian had to read the riot act the other week, and threaten to throw people out, because they were getting so loud

Note taken, but it's ok I don't actually run one (although the one at our school is currently thriving with 4 boys! ).

This board really is making me feel more and more sorry for teachers - forced to run a club in what is unpaid time?

I'm also starting to realise that I made some mistakes choosing a secondary school, based on things that probably make teachers miserable and take time away from them offering their best in the classroom and having time and emotional energy to care about individual students. Damn

Lego club?

Construction club using different materials each week (might be tricky at secondary as you don't have blocks/Lego etc on hand)

Homework club? As in a room open with a few snacks and drinks and a quiet soace for them to do a bit of homework and free up time after school?

"This board really is making me feel more and more sorry for teachers - forced to run a club in what is unpaid time?"

This is an independent school, and it's been the norm for ages that teachers participate in the life of the school like this.

OP: have you made a decision? If not, some other suggestions: Doctor Who club (buy the old series on DVD, watch, discuss), Agnostics Anonymous, Pyrotecnics, Creative Writing, (particular theme) Book Club, Origami. If space, beekeeping or poultry keeping.

"This is an independent school, and it's been the norm for ages that teachers participate in the life of the school like this."

It is also now the norm in most state schools, IME. In the schools I have taught in, all teachers, and a few TAs, run a club every week, sometimes at lunchtime but more commonly after school.

Cooking club? I ran one for KS2 (i teach EYFS) as we all had to do a club too. I am not a particularly skilled chef! But it was fun. We made something easy the first week and i asked the children what they would like us to make over the term. We made a list, i bought the ingredients each week and claimed back. We mainly cooked fun things like sausage rolls, muffins, pasties, cup cakes etc - they were very keen on icing and decorating.

And then there is me... I organise the running of the clubs so need to coordinate outside providers and staff (including me!). It's not easy-and there's always a "why is there no club for ...." Or "its all for the sporty\arty kids" etc! Yet every time I have asked for a parent volunteer-no responses. It takes huge chunks of time to do the phonecalls and the actual allocation of places takes me in to the wee hours to ensure that it is fair and that everyone gets into something. Once that's all typed up...no matter how long I leave it.... there are the latecomers... Then the ones who change their mind...and the ones who don't want in unless their friends get in etc etc!! Aaargh!!!