GCSE classes

[GrammarTeacher]

Is anybody else really anxious about their GCSE classes this year? I came back from maternity leave at the end of November and I had 6 hours with them before the mocks. The mocks were not good (across the board not just my class). There's a lot of pressure to get them up (some of them need to improve at least 3 grades based on their current performance). We're having extra parents evenings, support sessions, an extra round of 'walk through' mocks as well as working hard in class. There's 30 hours left between now and study leave. I feel sick. Some of them seem to be blaming my absence for their poor performance to their parents whilst not putting in any actual effort themselves. My mat cover was actually very good. I just feel sick about it all at the moment and close to needing to go back on anxiety medication (suffered post-natal anxiety with my first).

I know it's the last thing you feel like when struggling with anxiety but... stand your ground. Put EVERYTHING in writing: if you hear a kid blaming you when they're not making an effort, email the parents with the details of extra curric etc that you have in place and details of how their DC hasn't attended, completed etc Copy it to HOD.
When any pressure comes from within from HOD or SLT or wherever, do similar - polite thanks for the 'support' they are offering by their monitoring of you, a list of strategies you have in place, final polite enquiry for additional strategies that they think might be appropriate and how they feel you might be able to include them and what additional support they will offer. In my department it was known as "fucking back".
Personally, get the medical support you need: if that is some additional meds for now then get them, if it means taking some more time off if you are feeling it's beyond coping, then do that - the kids (and it sounds like underachieving across the dept / school is more about inflated targets than poor teaching...)will achieve what they are going to achieve, with you, with a decent cover or by HOD / SLT providing additional resources.; you, OTOH, have your mental health and your family to protect.

What will happen to you if they don't meet their targets?
My year 11s are a nightmare. I gave them a revision booklet of past questions to practice before the mocks and out of 29 set 2 not a single one bothered to do it.
Fuck 'em I say. But I wouldn't pass my performance management and get my pay progression anyway because no one ever does at my school.
What's at stake for you personally?

For me personally? Nothing other than potentially reducing possibility of promotion or more hours (currently part time). I'm at the top of UPS.
We're under a LOT of pressure to improve these results. The governors are involved. And quite frankly, I don't want my students to throw away their opportunities.

My Year 11s do not give a shit. I am trying to cover my arse by documenting no homework, no class work, phone calls and letters home. Nothing makes a difference.
I can’t personally hammer the content into their brains, so I have resigned myself to keeping up my end of the bargain. If they can’t be bothered that’s in them now.

on them

That's the attitude I need to have. I'm failing at the moment.

My Y11 are driving me mad at the moment! Poor mock results and zero motivation to learn (again not just my class - across the department).

I am trying to make lessons interesting, give them revision materials etc but they don't bother with it. A have quick decision questions at the start of every lesson - I have had one particular recall question on for the last week (as part of the 6 questions) they still haven't bothered to learn the answers. Tasks are met with apathy - any requirement to think means they won't attempt it.

I am keeping a record of things as need to make sure that I have evidence of what I have done (and what they have not bothered to do!).

I hope you all don't mind but it is reassuring to know that I am not insane and it is not just me in this situation. Have an extra parents evening with the 25 poorest performers in the Language mock tomorrow. Not looking forward to it (I will be seeing 5).

It's hard but it's neither your fault or your responsibility.
Your job is to provide decent lessons, assess and give feedback. There's only so much you can do with demotivated kids.

True, I just find it upsetting (and anger inducing) that we have so many students like that. Everyone always assumes that grammar schools are full of naturally motivated students and it's just not true.

My year 11 are doing well so far in maths (my subject), and a lot of them are quite motivated to attend optional revision sessions after school for maths.

What I hear from other teachers is that they aren't doing so well in other subjects. So the child who got a grade 9 in the maths mock only got a 3 in English and 4s in science! Which is appalling! And it's down to the kids, definitely! They "don't enjoy" English lessons, so they don't bother doing any work . Languages are doing particularly badly this year, and the kids just aren't bothered because they "aren't going to need French" for whatever job they want to do. Of course they probably aren't going to need most of what I teach them either, but because they quite like maths they're trying harder.

You have my greatest sympathy. Last year I had a very different group, who blamed me for absolutely everything. It was very stressful.

Some of the issue in my school is that a lot of kids seem to have it in their heads that they only need English and Maths so don't bother trying in Science