Student 'can only do' 8.30-3.30

[SpringisSpringing]

I'm fairly new to teaching so I really don't know what to do. I don't want to be responsible for failing someone.

It's just not enough time. I don't get the chance to talk to her properly.

She's okay. Not great- but if I actually had time to mentor her she might get better!

But don't you see examples of crazy non-tasks being done in schools too, piggy?
I've seen some of my own colleagues faffing about spending hours on something I wouldn't give head-space to. If you ask them why they're doing it, they might spout something about Ofsted wanting evidence. If Ofsted come anywhere near us, it'll be for one day (in a 2-form entry school that has no concerns flagged) and they'll spend most of that in the office quizzing the SLT about what they've already deduced from our on-line data. If they get anywhere near a classroom to observe actual children, there's no way they'll be scrutinising annotated photos in kids' books against the planning for a given week and demanding resignations or that capability proceedings are instigated.

A fair bit of the stress some teachers are under is self-inflicted through fear.

If it makes you feel better you could point her in the direction of childcare grant from student finance (if she qualifies) they'll cover 85% of the cost.

They might, but they won't be able to magic a provider with availability out of thin air.

Challenge your marking policy. Point out it is too much and ofsted have said they don't expect every piece of work to marked and they don't expect everything to be evidenced. So why is the policy stating that?

If all the staff refused to follow it they'd have a job enforcing it.

Also planning- you shouldn't be submitting that weekly, monthly, termly. It is your planning. It doesn't have to be in a special file, in a certain format. Ofsted say that too.

You shouldn't be doing displays, or anything that doesn't require the professional judgement of a teacher- inputting data for example.

The late workers at my school were always the ones that thought a great new APP grid, paperwork heavy pointless activity.

Yes almost : agreed!

You shouldn't be doing displays, or anything that doesn't require the professional judgement of a teacher- inputting data for example.

Genuine question - who should do this?

he vast majority of TAs are with children to whom they are allocated 1:1 by EHCP / statement.

Class TAs are a vanishing breed - those there are are supporting children in lessons, and tend to be employed for relatively short hours, for example just for English / Maths, and are expected to be with children to boost their progress throughout that time.

If class teachers shouldn't do displays or enter data, no TAs can do it because they are attached to individual children for statutory numbers of hours, and the school as a whole may have 1 member of admin staff and one non-teaching senior manager, who does that? Displays could be regarded as 'optional', with walls being painted plain, and data doesn't need entering more than once a term, but genuinely, who does it?

The vast majority of TAs are with children to whom they are allocated 1:1 by EHCP / statement.

Vast majority? Not in my school. And whilst my TA does a lot of in-class support during lesson time, she can whack a fab display up by the time I've taken the kids to assembly and got back. She's like a wind-up toy on speed!

I input my own data. Takes minutes.

And we're increasingly finding that too much adult support for certain groups can be counter-productive, as some children get to rely on it and stop thinking for themselves.

The school needs to work that out. When I started my NQT year we had an admin/TA in every dept. She did cutting up, making recourses, displays etc.

The school could pay the TA an extra hour after school to do it.

I realise it isn't simple. But it's a vicious cycle, while teachers keep doing more and more, schools have no incentive to change anything. And teachers are leaving because of workload. I work for a teaching union and speak to 20+ teachers a day.

I input my own data. Takes minutes.

So do I.

she can whack a fab display up by the time I've taken the kids to assembly and got back. She's like a wind-up toy on speed!

That would be me - in the absence of a TA, i too can whack up a display very fast indeed.

The vast majority of TAs are with children to whom they are allocated 1:1 by EHCP / statement.

What I mean is, such TAs as we have are allocated 1:1 to children with statements / EHCPs that give them full tine support. Class TAs are a vanishing breed.

I agree. Thats an isaue for the school to deal with. In my school someone is specifically imployed to do marketing and graphics. Displays fall into their job description.

CountDuck,

Do you really think that a (primary) school should be employing someone to do 'marketing and graphics' when we are hard-pressed to afford TAs to work with children except those with full statements??

Who would, anyway, accept a job that takes probably a maximum of 2 hours a week (that assumes around 3-4 displays around the school need changing weekly, which is probably on the high side, and taking my average time spent on a decent display as a standard?), taking all classrooms into account?

No i dont.

But the teachers should NOT be doing it so the head and governors NEED to find someone to get it done.

Dont be a martyr as that helps nobody longterm. S

I love doing displays. I've seen some truly bonkers 'policies' about displays in some schools (no need for that) but I don't think a 'graphic organiser' needs to be employed to put up a nice Spring wall.

Thing is, Count, I want to put up e.g. prompts for children to use in their writing for the next few weeks, following a vocabulary generation lesson. Or standard methods for their Maths. Or word lists for science. The obvious solution is to put them up on a display. I can do that, in 20 minutes, probably with some children's artwork / writing / photos of them doing science too, which will inspire and motivate them.

Or I can refuse to do it because it is a 'display', and have to blu-tack them to the board each lesson, or spend the time correcting those spellings in every science book or something equally ridiculous. Or wait for my turn to have the 'person who is allowed to do displays' - by which time they may be putting up very beautiful finished products, but nothing that helps the children learn...

It isn't being a martyr to say 'as part of my job, what the children see in the classroom is part and parcel of my teaching input, so I will do it, in the same way as I might make a Powerpoint for a lesson'. In fact, it will often mean that I don't have to put the same material in a powerpoint, because it is permanently or temporarily available for reference.

The vast majority of TAs are with children to whom they are allocated 1:1 by EHCP / statement.

It is unusual for our TAs to do displays on their own. My experience is most teachers know what they want to and how they want it to look, and prefer to do it themselves with maybe some support from the TA.

Our TAs are not teachers assistants they are teaching assistants, or rather Learning Support Assistants. They are their to help the children with their learning. They are either 1:1 for a child, or in the morning they are whole class assistants, support various groups with their work, and in the afternoon working across the key stage taking small intervention groups for specific reasons. They have their own resource time, but don't really have the time to do class displays - they'd have to do them after school but as they are paid far less and have a shorter erected time schedule than the teachers many would prefer not to obviously.

All MN has taught me is primary schools are crazy places

They absolutely are. I briefly worked on supply (!) for a school that had weekly book scrunities including topic/worship/ICT floor books and a very detailed display policy.
The head told me they liked the display in the evening then came back the next morning with a list of things to change. Took both TAs a morning to 'fix it'.

3 teachers were capabilitied out. Only one teacher had been there longer than a year. This was a 'good' school.

Aragogh,

That exactly matches my experience. Being told I 'shouldn't' do displays as a teacher makes no sense to me, unless you also tell me who is going to do them instead.

Again, it is a difference between primary and secondary. Primary displays tend to have a clear teaching purpose, and be thought of in terms of the pupils' 'learning environment', which will also include e.g. practical apparatus, equipment they can help themselves to, resources that are designed to support specific children etc, as well as e.g. specific input into the lesson and specific lesson resources such as question sheets.

in secondary, displays seem to be much more static, be up for longer, and tend to be 'decorative / celebratory / to make the purpose of the room clear' rather than being a planned part of the teaching process / sequence.

Yeah, prob a bad example. I mostly did my own displays. Or got students to do them.

But the other stuff- entering data once fine. But lots of teachers are asked to do it multiple times in several formats.

Marking policies that include marking every piece of work, with different coloured pens. Putting in evidence of non written work. Stamping to say 'verbal feedback given'.

Submitting all planning to SLT in a set format, in a planning file.

Display policies that involve micro managing each classroom.

Any work that is created to prove that a teacher is doing what they are already doing.

One thing that gets me in primary school is giving written feedback on work to kids that can’t read. Totally bonkers.

Agreed, Noble. Written annotation to aid later summative assessment or reporting - ie meant to be read by an adult - fine. A pretence that the child can read a careful '2 stars and a wish' list ... indeed bonkers.

I had to do that. I pointed out the children couldn’t read it but I was told to do it anyway.

Unless she is missing a meeting I can't see the problem. If she can do her planning/marking/evaluations in the evenings after her kids are in bed then she would be doing the same as a lot of people.
I would try to talk to her about staying late one evening for your mentor meeting/observation feedback otherwise I think you should leave her to it if she is keeping up with the work.

tom
Being around and checking in with class teachers is part of being a student.

Our training provider make this very clear to trainees.
Trainees should be proactive, seek advice and guidance etc. It is not for staff to have to arrange meetings with trainees beyond the set weekly one with their mentor.

Given the trainee has announced they only stay til 330 I would imagine that has implications for meetings too.

Sadly, there's a growing number of trainees who seem to think staff should cater to their disorganisation, that they only have to be in school when the kids are and only have to talk to staff if staff formally book a meeting. They haven't the foggiest how to behave professionally and seem to treat ITT as an extension of college where 'but i was busy' is a get out.

When I was training- PGCE- I stayed until 4 pm and I was seen as a slacker but I didn't care what everyone thought . The class teachers stayed behind till 5 and were chatting , drinking tea and just faffing around on Facebook etc . Yes. I worked every minute of my break and lunches and then half an hour after school plus an hour before . I lugged all the marking home in canvas bags on the bus . I desperately wanted to be home for my 2 and 3 year old. I would make them tea, bathe them and put them to bed and then work 7-11 or longer if I had assignments as well. Weekends I would get out Lego , colouring / sticker books and other toys and let them get on with it whilst I sat at the dining table working . Again tried to get most of it done 7-11/12 so I could be more present for them . The lack of work life balance in teaching is truly horrific . Nobody cares about the impact on teachers' children .

The criterion is - is she meeting the standards? If so - no problem - she is efficient. and the timing are irrelevant. If she is not meeting the standards clearly you need to raise a cause for concern.
Have you had training in how to mentor a student?