Drama llama NQTs - a moan

[PastTheGin]

Before you have a go: I know, I am probably turning into a grumpy old woman but this year’s NQTs are a bunch of drama llamas!

I usually smile and ignore when they know everything there is to know about teaching fresh out of uni and try to be kind and supportive. I was young and enthusiastic once ok a million years ago , too.

Our new intake, though, are different! They complain non stop about SLT, colleagues and students disrespecting them. They take absolutely everything personally. Not chatty enough with them in the staff room? You hate them!!
Nobody acknowledges their superhuman contribution to school life and nobody thanks them daily/hourly for their wonderful work.

I am mentoring one of them, as I have been for quite a while, but this year I am tired of it already. Toddler tantrums are easier to navigate than this fresh hell!

There are some excellent TeachFirsters. And some, um, not so professional ones 🤦🏼‍♀️.

There are some excellent TeachFirsters. And some, um, not so professional ones

We've given up on teach first after several years. Had one good one and a lot of very annoying ones.

I've known some good TF trainees. I've also known by far more who are overconfident in their own abilities, seem to have a TLR by M2 and seem to be convinced they're destined for SLT by 30.

I'm an NQT and I hope no one complains about me like this!
Being new is hard, you have so many questions, you want to be as good as the expectation needs you to be - it's tough! That said, I wouldn't tell people how to do their job and I am quite quiet in the staffroom because I don't know people. I might give my thoughts on behaviour and children because I've had a lot of previous experience - with my own and within school. I hope my team are as genuine as they seem and not slagging me off. But..you know, as long as I feel like I'm doing my best and am being as kind and respectful towards others as they are to me, then that's all
I can do.

gremlin
People aren't saying they have issues with NQTs. They're just offloading about situations where NQTs have been difficult or taken a lend.

Most of us who mentor trainee teachers and NQTs are really patient and know what it is to be new. We're well prepared for the same old questions because we've all been there and we know what it's like. We expect the sharing of old ideas like they're new, because they are new to the trainee and NQT (and we not so secretly think anyone who dismisses enthusiasm in new teachers is a bit of an arsehole). We want you to thrive and develop.

But some mentees can take, take, take. For example, wanting someone to coplan multiple lessons, bitching to mentors about tiny things, being what I heard described as a vampire so always draining the mentor for things they could do alone.
Others are really over confident, they don't ask questions where they need to because they really think they have it all, or they ignore advice from colleagues routinely because they know best (and when it goes wrong they go into victim mode because it couldn't be their learning curve to learn from because they know it all), they talk the talk or try to advise staff who've got a lot more experience and it comes across as rude. They almost talk down to staff on things like behaviour and it rubs staff up the wrong way.

Just like any workplaces there's different types of folk. Because mentoring is an additional extra on top of the day job, sometimes people just need to let of steam a little.

You sound great

Ah okay...I see your point!
I am thankful to work in a really supportive school and feel like one of the team. I hate feeling like a burden but still so much to learn!

Generally, if you care enough and are courteous enough to worry about being a burden, then you're not.

The arrogant types don't feel they have much to learn so don't need to ask questions.
The vampire types are so self absorbed or unaware that they never stop to consider the impact on others.

Being new is hard, you have so many questions, you want to be as good as the expectation needs you to be - it's tough!

It is indeed, incredibly so. We've all been there. Typically people who volunteer with newbies do do because we see the enormous value in it and wish to pay forward the kindness we were shown in that situation.

Sadly there are a few trainees and even NQTs who should be nowhere near a classroom.

And as for SLT, on average they are very poor managers. They are promoted because they are good at managing children and tend to use the same techniques on independent graduate adults, with predictable results. These include obviously fake ‘praise’ coupled with tips to improve, generally called passive aggression in the adult world and a ridiculous degree of micromanagement.

^^^this^^
I'm an NQT with many years of mgt and mentoring experience. I am spending a lot of time biting my tongue, because I appreciate that I need to accept expertise in teaching, but also understand I am being very badly managed!!!