Squaring 'recruitment crisis' and 'threat of capability'

[Tariqa]

Apologies if I'm being really thick here but:

A) I'm reading about how hard it is to fill teacher vacancies

B) I'm reading about long hours teachers work, with pressure of data/marking policies/lesson plans/paperwork.

Given (A) - would a teacher refusing to engage in (B) really have action taken against them?

[clam]

Interesting dilemma.

I do know of one Head Teacher recently who, when getting a lot of hassle from some County bods about something and who hinted that the HT might want to consider resigning or a 'managed move' or some-such shit, said to them, "You got a queue of people out there wanting my job? Thought not. Come back when you have."

They backed right off.

[Tariqa]

Despite the tone of my OP - I'm a team player - and I get that it'd be a bit crappy to throw a pose and leave colleagues to pick up the slack.

Which is why I digressed to wondering if the HT was really compelled to care about OFSTED.

[mercifulTehlu]

Dh is currently line-managing a Head of English who is not coping with the job. She came from the independent sector and simply can't handle the shit that comes with teaching and managing a department in a state school.

She's not doing everything she should be and is at the end of her tether. If she doesn't quit of her own accord, I expect she will be pushed out sooner or later. The school lost a previous head of English under similar circumstances and has had a lot of trouble recruiting English teachers in recent years. Does that mean they'll go easy on her to get her to stay? Nope. They'll probably just appoint some poor sod as acting HoD and wait and wait until someone eventually comes along to take her place (until they crack and leave too).

I'm an MFL teacher and ended up agreeing to teach some English in one (recently rated Outstanding ) school because there were staffing gaps. I turned up on my first day to find there was no Head of English and three of us were not qualified English teachers.

The recruitment crisis is not regarded by senior leadership as an excuse for letting their staff do what they like.

[rosebiggs]

I'm motivated, well qualified, SEN experience and get on well with kids. '

Can you explain how you are well qualified and what your SEN experience is?
How would that make you an awesome teacher?

[mercifulTehlu]

Of course the HT is compelled to care about Ofsted! Do you think they just invent all this extra workload for a laugh? Bloody hell. Pleeeeease go into teaching OP. It's the only way you're actually going to catch on.
I have a hilarious picture in my head of all the teachers in the country reading this thread and going "D'oh! If only it had occurred to us all to just not do all the paperwork and shit! Thanks Tariq - seriously, we owe you one! Thanks for taking one look at our profession and showing us all the light - we are all chilled out and not overworked, undervalued and miserable any more!"

[Tariqa]

rose

I'm qualified to PhD level in my field, which includes a bit of teaching and I also tutor GCSE on the side. I've also worked in the civil service learning to swim against tides of paperwork .

SEN experience is learning stuff to help my own DS (autistic spectrum disorder). Experience is maybe overstating it - I'd say I'm sensitive to SEN having gone through it, and developed a social circle of other families affected by SEN. I'm not an arrogant academic coming down from my ivory tower.

I think I'd be an awesome teacher because I have a knack of knowing half a dozen ways to explain any given concept - and I find that I can usually get through to people who are scared of maths. I'm genuinely super enthusiastic about my subject - so I'll find myself explaining it with Lego bricks, or going back to first principles or with paper models or with some internet widget demo or with anecdotes from cutting edge research or science history. My research was in the kind of thing that you could turn into a meaningful and motivating activity for a bunch of sixth formers.

I know that subject knowledge is not the main part of the job - but surely a mental quick access database of resources and angles and ideas will help - and I really do love sharing my subject with others.

At the moment I'm doing science writing for a living (popular journalism and helping edit some textbooks).

[noblegiraffe]

What about bottom set Y7 who have turned your Lego into guns and are now having a play fight in your classroom?

[spanieleyes]

Whilst those who don't make guns are on their phones in the corner and refuse to hand them over, your paper models have been turned into paper planes and are whizzing overhead and the children think your "anecdotes" are laughable!!

Do you not think current teachers have a "mental quick access database of resources and angles and ideas" or are you the only one!

[Tariqa]

Tehlu I know that the HTs do have to care - the same as I know I'm unlikely to risk teaching for at least the next five years while my DC are small and after that teaching would be an unjustifiable paycut .

So my local secondary will keep surfing temps and journeymen to fill their physics teacher posts, and I'll be sympathetic from the sidelines, making sure I don't disrespectfully bounce ideas for how to connect the need I observe with what I can (and can't offer). shrug .

Giraffe Well - I'd do my best to engage and crowd-control. Or if I fail, they'll get in a glorified babysitter to take over and I'll resign a quivering mess. double shrug

I'm not saying its a dream job or that I'm the Messiah. I just feel a bit crappy hoarding my skills at communicating my subject - when I can see that there are swathes of kids who have no chance to access the escape hatch that is discovering that you are good at science.

I'm not saying the paperwork is easily avoidable or even pointless. The fact is I only have 40 hours per week to give to a job, and even that would be a stretch in my current circumstances - but 40 hours I do have - and I would acheve better outcomes for the children than rotating non-specialist supply.

[MrsGuyOfGisbo]

I like others mistakenly thought that the Miss Jean Brodie/Robin Williams was all that was required - I had teacher like that myself. But only works when you can be heard above the din... One of the schools I work in is an indie, and that is sheer joy - can do that stuff effectively. The others - no chance

[fourcorneredcircle]

Hey Tariqa I don't know if you have heard, but, there's a shortage of maths teachers. Perhaps you'd like to come and show us how its done.

We are a very hard working, much maligned and almost broken profession but we on the inside haven't given up on each other yet. Sometimes, people come along and try and make us feel extra shit (Not just Gove, Morgan et al. but the faceless internet trolls too) but we're still here. Some of us by the skin of our teeth and the last shred of our sanity. But we're still here. You won't beat us about our way of thinking. Might as well join us, eh.

We, actual teachers, will be here to support you should your Ivory tower sway in the breeze, go the way of it's Pisa predecessor or fall. We'll also be here to celebrate with you should it all go well.

[Tariqa]

Eh? Am I getting dissed there - 4 cornered circle?

I'm not teacher-bashing!

[BombadierFritz]

Oh dear oh dear oh dear
This is precisely the problem with teaching - know alls who are sure they'd be great at it cos its just that easy

Op, from your original post, i think you are confused about why economic theory/supplydemand economics isnt working here?

[G1raffe]

You would need, for example, for each lesson you taught that day to be able demonstrate that each child had made progress so you need some evidence of this. For each lesson you'd need to have written down how you would provide differentiation, you would also need to mark work and make resources or the next lesson. Suppose you had 4-5 classes a day. Thats just the basic work of teaching, before you add on data entry and chasing books that weren't handed in and then contacting parents, attending meetings, etc etc.

I just don't think you could do it in 40 hours a week.

[fourcorneredcircle]

Really? Because if I came on here and spouted rubbish about how I can see your life being easier if I just did it a different way you might feel a bit bashed too.

I've never worked in academia but I recon I could do it - this is how I see it panning out...

Once I get past the three years probation for lecturers I'll start not putting as much effort in or just telling my department head I'm not doing the paperwork they've requested because my 2.1s and 1sts and my teaching quality scores are high enough. I'll bring in a consistent level of research funding every year (a crap level, but consistent), I'll conduct a bit of internationally research and make sure my name's in a few published papers. I'll edit a few textbooks if I get desperate.

Then I'll sit back and tell everyone to "fuck off" when they point out I'm not pulling my weight.

[noblegiraffe]

I work about 40 hours a week. I'm part time, 3 days equivalent, so if you want to work 40 hours you could always look into a 0.6 role.

[G1raffe]

And managing out is happenign mainly to older (more experience but more expensive) staff.

The infant school I chose for my daughter used to pride itself on having a very low turn over and a good mix of older/newer staff. Post becoming an academy I'd say 2/3 of the staff are NQT or first few years after.

[Tariqa]

But that's not my angle at all.

There is a long-term vacancy at my local secondary school in my subject.

Is the vacancy is preferable to a workshy potential permanent teacher like me? I'm sure the supply teacher isn't filling in post lesson evaluations about differentiation and such.

If it is, that's fine. I'll keep ca$$ing in with my tutoring and writing bits.

[larrygrylls]

I think that, in sciences and maths, if you have excellent subject knowledge and curriculum knowledge, it goes a long way. The idea of all pupils making progress in every lesson is nonsense, and (I think) has been abandoned by OFSTED anyway.

The thing is that, after a while, when you know the curriculum and the kids well, you can be a little lazy (although, for me, probably, between 40-50 hours WORK per week (i.e not counting lunchtimes and chatting in the staff room as work). You won't be quite as good as the teacher doing 60-70 hours with the same ability, but you will still be 10x better than the teacher who is doing 100 hours a week but has weak subject knowledge.

It is all a compromise and there are 2 very tough years to get through to get to where I am (and I am in a private school, and I think that is substantially easier).

[BombadierFritz]

No we all think you should do your school a favour and do on the job teaching qual there

Enjoy . . .

(You might start to understand why so many teachers leave for tutoring)

[Tariqa]

I had an amazing maths teacher - the one that transformed me from an all-rounder at GCSE to a maths high-flyer at A-Level.

She was extremely systematic. She spent two weeks every holiday planning solid. She had these massive ring binders for every course she taught with 90 lessons for each class, homework sheets, intermediate tests - the works. Obviously not her first year - so I presume she recycled year on year - and she only taught A-Level, so obviously less range than an average teacher.

She was the one who had an utterly draconian policy on layout for homework. Big fan of swapping books to self-mark.

I felt very secure with her. She just hammered the material out - no gaps, no weird notation changes, no faffing with books and irregular work demands.

[larrygrylls]

Tariqa,

I think you are going in for the right reasons. Give it a go and see what happens. If you like it, you will probably work a bit more, anyway. If not, hopefully you can return to what you are doing.

Teachers who have done other jobs first, in my opinion, are a great asset. You will be a good role model for girls and will be living proof of the flexibility of a STEM qualification.

[Tariqa]

At the moment I'm looking into volunteering not training. However, I'm thinking through the medium term options - since volunteering is ££££ in childcare for my preschooler. If teaching is a dead-duck then I'd probably save my money and go for weekly manicures or summat .

[ravenAK]

I absolutely think you should give it a go, OP.

In fact I reckon it'd make awesome reality TV. Srsly.

[noblegiraffe]

Volunteering? Like, teaching for free?

Yeah, I reckon the school would go for that.