‘Safe pair of hands/ trusted/ experienced’ vs ‘mug’

[LeftHandedDimple]

We’re beginning to talk about next year’s classes and I’m beginning to get a bit fed up. I’ve been teaching 16 years and I’ve only ever been in the one school. The last three classes I’ve had have been given to me ‘to straighten out’. There’s been so many probationers and new teachers with definite ideas, which are applauded by SMT but just aren’t benefitting the children in the long run.

I’m very reluctant to leave because I love my school and it’s all I’ve known. I also think I’d find the same problem in a lot of other schools... Is this just something you need to deal with as you get older in teaching?!

Hi
I teach in secondary but like you, I have been in post in the same school for 16 years.

As frustrating as it can feel, I see the benefits of long standing staff member tackling the more tricky cohorts. You have such a wealth of experience which is clearly what places you ahead of the more recent appointments .
Similarly your reputation both inside and outside of the classroom speaks for you.
Families know you, children know you. You have set expectations which classes will know and likely be respectful of.

If, like me, you love your school then stay, but equally this level of respect (which you clearly have from others) means you should have the opportunity to speak to SLT and request a year of a more straightforward class . Perhaps the change within the safety of your current setting will allow you to see if that's what you want?

Im not sure is this makes sense but I get where you are coming from.

It's not necessarily that they are more tricky cohorts- it's that the HT lets younger members of staff away with these bonkers ideas and then gives them to me to whip them back into shape. I'm fed up of being bad cop.

e.g. flexible seating, extreme emotional scaling, the class who were entirely taught through 'chilli challenges', the ones who were allowed to 'pick a response' to a task...

I know where you're coming from. I suffer from similar in my school. Because my background was in ASN, I get all theses pupils and the other stage teacher gets the more able - every.bloody.year

I'm not sure if I should point this out as I don't want to be seen as being awkward. Fair enough if I got a lot more support in class than she does but I don't - everybody gets roughly the same.

With you first post I was going to say that's part and parcel of being a strong and experienced teacher.
With your second, I see your point as someone should really be saying to some of your colleagues that they need to be accountable for their group's progress.

If you like the school then as a valued and strong member of the school you should be in a position to have an honest discussion with SLT. It's reasonable to say to them that you don't mind having the tricky cohorts, but that as a school can there be some more clarity on expectations instead of a free for all on new agendas that pass problems up the school.

I tend to find I get tricky Year 9 groups who have been allowed to do very little with the expectation that I'll get them caught up ready to start GCSE. every year I wish the people doing low challenge work would be spoken to.

I always get the "interesting" sets to be honest. Although I just spend time building relationships with them and ignoring most of the "fun" new ideas that come down from above as they aren't really relevant to those students. These are the classes I enjoy the most to be honest, no real pressure to hit all of the metrics and just some time to enjoy working with the students and improving their outcomes as much as I can. I asked my HoD about it and she just told me it's because I'm good with them so I would take it as a compliment.

It’s very normal for experienced teachers to be seen as a safe pair of hands for more challenging groups but that doesn’t seem to be what’s happening here.

Sorry OP, but based on your update your school is badly led. The HT is either inept or weak, or some combination thereof. In your position I’d be actively looking for a new job.