"Support"

[CuckooCuckooClock]

Looking for advice please.
I have had a couple of requires improvement observations and am now being asked what support I need to improve. The observations were unannounced.

I admit that one of the lessons went a bit wrong. But it's mainly due to me getting so nervous because I'm being scrutinised. I'm not an amazing teacher but I'm ok and I do get good results but when I'm being observed I go to pieces.

Essentially I am now on the 'pathway to capability' so will be having drop-in observations every day for 10 days. I'm really nervous and I get panicy when slt come in the classroom. I know it's the nature of the job, and I do love teaching, so I need to find a way to cope and get through this so they will hopefully leave me alone. Well, not alone obviously, but just back to the regular scrutiny.

So how do I get over this and manage to teach to the best of my ability whilst slt are watching?

I'm really after practical advice on how to calm the fuck down so that I can think straight.

Any ideas welcome.

Thank you for your replies.
They didn't use the term pathway to capability. That's my phrase.
They have a framework where if your learning walk observation is ri then you have 2 weeks to improve. And they come back. If you haven't improved then you are on the next bit, which is the 10day observations.
Annoyingly I forgot the policy document at work in my slightly teary state so I'm not sure what the next step is.
I'm physics and head is maths.
Hod is one of these very young types on the climb. He's just a puppet. Lovely as he is.

We are due Ofsted so I guess that's why SLT are so twitchy. And because the hod is inexperienced.

My sympathies it sounds horrible and NOT supportive but stressful. Be very careful and get some advice

Thank you.
I'm trying to remain calm but I am not succeeding and am very stressed.

If you are in the NEU (NUT and ATL) call or email the AdviceLine. They will refer you to a caseworker if you are on a support plan.

This sort of thing is becoming so common. Bloody awful.

Ofsted may well take a very dim view of their grading of lesson observations.

How long are SLT in the room for a LW to come up with a grading??

Learning walk 20-30mins
The follow up observation was the whole hour.

OP, I'm sorry you're going through this. It sounds awful

Are you sure there is nothing else? I say, because as hod I have to deal with complaints left right and centre about 1 member of my team. Both from kids and parents. This teacher is a lovely person, but every time I need to complete movement in groups, it breaks my heart for the ones that end up in there.

I am not for a mins suggesting this is in anyway your situation. But I know this colleague truly believes they are an excellent teacher. Everyone else is in the wrong including the exam boards...(that gets twisted too).

I don't agree with the 10 day observations! I'm sure your union would help with that

I've not been told of any complaints from pupils or parents. Do you mean i might be delusional about my teaching?

I don't think I'm excellent. I have weaknesses like anyone else but my results are pretty good so I don't think I'm that bad. Maybe I am really crap.

Fucksake. Female physics teacher - gold dust - and they’re treating you like crap. They need their arses kicking.

Even if your teaching was rubbish (and their complaints sound spurious), this is not the way to improve it.

Leave now before they break you. It sounds like this set of SLT have it all wrong. What they are doing is not support and they don’t know their arsenfrom their elbow because what they’ve mentioned would not really be picked up by Ofsted, who no longer grade individual lessons.

They need to be thinking about making suggestions and bugging up what you do well rather. And then offering training to support you to improve.

Look for a better school. This one won’t change any time soon.

cuckoo I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply you were delusional and that you're rubbish. Nothing you've said suggests that at all.

I completely agree with everyone that their idea of support is shocking! And like I said, your union will have a field day with it! If they ARE trying to push you out (and you don't jump) they are shooting themselves in the foot.

Is their anyone else in the dept you can talk to? If not the hod? A second in dept?

And has anyone else in the school had the same treatment?

I can't leave now can I? I'd have to wait until Easter.
Plus aren't most places like this? I've never known SLT to not be bullies. I've escaped the wrath before now but I've seen it happen to others.
I don't think the female thing goes in my favour sadly.

I don't know anyone well enough to find out if they've done this to others.
Tbh I'm not sure I'd get honesty from the 2nd in department.
Shit. I feel sick. Must get more gin!

Good point that Ofsted don't grade individual lessons any more. I'd forgotten that. The head actually said if Ofsted saw it they'd give ri. Fucker.

cuckoo email your union rep tonight. Maybe call tomorrow (you say you're off?).

You say you've escaped the sky wrath before. Does this mean you've experienced similar personally? Or just in general?

I do honestly feel for you. I've just had a bad week with this colleague and I'm also worried their impact will come back on me despite the fact I'm banging my head against a brick wall!

How big is your dept?

Is their a particular class they are observing? If you are v nervous in obs, put the emphasis on the kids. Think of tasks that they are doing that require little envolvement from you except walking the room and AFL etc

Aaah, the 'if Ofsted ' card. Sigh. Someone did that in the 'School' programme last week. That is cowardly and bullshitting observation tactics.

Be careful about accepting support you don't actually need. They will take that as an admission of weakness.

I've never experienced anything like this before personally but I have seen others hounded.
There are 7 teachers in the dept and 2 technicians.
That scares me piggy I thought it best to do whatever they say so I look co-operative.
Arggghhh. Why is this so complicated? I just want to teach my lessons without all this shit.
I really can't work out their motives. Unless they have a secret stash of physics teachers somewhere they will not be able to replace me so my classes would end up with supply. Surely that will be more expensive and worse progress. Even if I am a bit crap I must be better than a supply?

Look for another job now. As a physics teacher, there should be lots to apply for. Don’t wait for this bunch of idiots to put you on capability.

Do you really think that capability is inevitable?
I do like this school a lot and I don't want to leave.

I've seen this happen in various schools, and I've noticed that those teachers with the hide of a rhino (e.g.. the teacher that user1471530109 talks about) just let themselves be observed, ignore the hoops they're bing expected to jump through and just carry on as normal, eventually the SLT got bored and moved onto another victim. Some SLT are just bullies, some actually think treating teachers like this is somehow good management (I suspect the latter in your case).

I've seen SLT act like this a lot, and I've never seen a teacher get sacked due to poor teaching and learning, but I've seen many break under the strain and resign. Why they would want you to do this though is beyond me.

So, if you can ride it out, then my guess is they'll just get bored eventually, and the observations will quietly stop. Easier said than done though!

Ok. I reckon I can stick it out whatever they throw at me if I just hang onto the belief that they will eventually leave me alone.
I will call the union tomorrow to see what they say.
Thank you all for replying this evening.

Good luck, Cuckoo . I think you should follow the 'support' but be assertive. Get the unions involved.

I'm slightly annoyed by the insinuation that I'm part of a bullying tactic. This particular member of my team has not had any of the 'support' mentioned by the OP. I'm not interested in hoop jumping. I just want a team that if my DC were to be in any one of their classes that I would be happy and confident in them as a teacher. This is not someone not 'towing' the line. I've had a parent fighting back tears of frustration on the phone to me. And I bloody get why! I'm bloody frustrated and on their side. Said colleague has had loads of training opportunities and observations of other teachers with same groups etc.

Cuckoo. Sorry to derail. Your SLT are taking the piss. Even if you were the colleague I'm talking about, their treatment of you is unacceptable.

user1471530109 I don't think you're part of any kind of bullying tactic at all. But I've worked with the kind of teacher you're talking about and even if SLT did use bullying tactics to try to manage them out, they still wouldn't notice! It would all just go completely over their heads and not affect them at all, whereas the better more caring, conscientious teachers are worn down by it and just resign eventually.

I'm just saying that if the OP can be like one of those crap teachers that doesn't give a shit, then chances are the SLT will get bored and move on (bizarrely).

Hope your union was able to help you @CuckooCuckooClock