The broom cupboard 3 - for briefly stranded republicans

[TheHoneyBadger]

First in tops up the gin supplies and turns on the tea urn.

You are modelling and directly teaching the necessary skills - predict, try, test, problem solve etc. It doesn't mean directly show them how to do the end result - imagine if you didn't show them how to problem solve or methods for doing that or how to test if something works? Then again this just proves that it's common bloody sense rather than some new wonderful method.

@WhenSheWasBad

I rather like the direct instruction stuff.

The school I trained in told me off for too much teacher talk to be fair I do talk a lot

They were also heavy into teachers being a “guide on the side” . I much prefer just explaining the concept, like honey says there’s no so much content to get through. I don’t have time for them to faff about trying to work out for themselves why the periodic table is set out the way it is.

There's some great videos for that

I'm probably going to get in trouble for too much talking and too many you tube videos

You are modelling and directly teaching the necessary skills - predict, try, test, problem solve etc

Training school tried to change my lessons. I was told I was far too explicit in my lessons. Should let the children discover for themselves. I found it made life much harder for me and the pupils.

Life was much easier at second training school. They seemed to have a more sensible approach.

I'm probably going to get in trouble for too much talking and too many you tube videos

Love a good you tube vid. My now ex colleague had some weird YouTube powers, she could instantly locate the most interesting and relevant clip on any topic.

Sorry for having a whinge about my first training placement. They were actually very good. I just clashed with them a little on this one thing.

Whinge away. My first teaching placement was excellent, the first time a teenager was ever really rude to me I was called to the DH office and thought I was in trouble, he had a chat with me then called in the student, told him off and proceeded to call his mother in front of both of us and told her exactly how he had behaved whilst he had to listen to it all and then speak to his mother himself in front of us to confirm that that was indeed what had happened.

I've never seen slt support like that since.

Second placement was a bit shit.

There are some fantastic TedEds for Science. I remember one I used that really livened up a very dull year 8 'Waves' unit and had the kids wowing with it's use of optical illusions and showing so well how what we see is mostly the brain and our experience that has shaped it rather than the eyes and objective reality.

If they start to trust you have good videos they can be quite the incentiviser of if you get through these tedious tasks on angles of reflection and refraction then we have a really good video to watch, but only if there's time.

As a non specialist I needed all the tricks and help I could get.

Actually that and the video where they play a sound at a gradually increasing frequency and I'd have the kids, me and the TA put our hands up at the point we could no longer hear anything were probably the highlights of that unit. Massive respect to you teaching Science - it is so dry and abstract in parts and textbooks are rubbish. So much easier to engage kids in subjects with 'stories' that they can connect and relate to. Those bits are there in Science but too far apart to keep low ability year 9s engaged.

@TheHoneyBadger

Ah but then you are modelling how to problem solve - it is direct teaching but in steps iyswim.

Fair enough! All seems so confusing and unnecessary to me

Because it's common sense and so fundamental to what we do that we don't even unpack it consciously a lot of the time.

Honestly I wish they'd focus on giving support to the teachers who really need it, or supervision to the teachers who are just not doing their jobs rather than teaching all of us to suck eggs but with new confusing language attached.

Then again this just proves that it's common bloody sense rather than some new wonderful method.

Amen to that!

Basically, and crudely, I really just want them to fuck off and let me get on with my job. I really resent the time wasting and bollocks that just gets in the way of me getting on with what really needs to be done.

I'd say when I started in 2002 I had way more responsibility in some ways eg. I wrote my own schemes of work and produced my own resources yet it was way less exhausting and frustrating than the kind of micro management that has maybe been introduced to deal with a small proportion (I don't know MrsH and Rule would know more as they observe a lot of teachers) of teachers who can't/won't do their jobs effectively. Just deal with those teachers. It feels like those bloody nits letters at primary when every parent knows which family it is that never treats them and keeps bringing them back into school but we all have to have a letter lecturing us rather than the head just having the balls to speak to that one family and deal with the problem at source. Or the endless 'healthy pack lunches' letter - just talk to those twats who I see in the shop buying their kids a red bull and slab of chocolate every morning instead of making every parent feel paranoid that maybe the tiny penguin or cereal bar that they put in alongside the healthy stuff in their 8yos lunch box is what is causing offence.

Sorry. Seems to be a ranty day. Haven't had one in ages - must be the proximity of an INSET day bringing it on.

@TheHoneyBadger

Basically, and crudely, I really just want them to fuck off and let me get on with my job. I really resent the time wasting and bollocks that just gets in the way of me getting on with what really needs to be done.

I'd say when I started in 2002 I had way more responsibility in some ways eg. I wrote my own schemes of work and produced my own resources yet it was way less exhausting and frustrating than the kind of micro management that has maybe been introduced to deal with a small proportion (I don't know MrsH and Rule would know more as they observe a lot of teachers) of teachers who can't/won't do their jobs effectively. Just deal with those teachers. It feels like those bloody nits letters at primary when every parent knows which family it is that never treats them and keeps bringing them back into school but we all have to have a letter lecturing us rather than the head just having the balls to speak to that one family and deal with the problem at source. Or the endless 'healthy pack lunches' letter - just talk to those twats who I see in the shop buying their kids a red bull and slab of chocolate every morning instead of making every parent feel paranoid that maybe the tiny penguin or cereal bar that they put in alongside the healthy stuff in their 8yos lunch box is what is causing offence.

Sorry. Seems to be a ranty day. Haven't had one in ages - must be the proximity of an INSET day bringing it on.

And another Amen to that!

Last academic year, we had two members of staff who just repeatedly didn’t do the sims register every lesson. Instead of just dealing with those two, we all had to have the narky emails and announcements over and over again plus ‘training’.
It’s always obvious when they do this as they don’t want the hassle of dealing with the people specifically as they are tricky customers (yet they are happy to approach more compliant members of staff or parents individually) but all this does is make out it is a bigger problem than it actually is!

I really just want them to fuck off and let me get on with my job

This! A thousand times this.

It’s just occurred to me I have to do seating plans for all my classes. With it being bubbles last year, the seating plan was done by the head of years.

Should I just do a random boy girl, boy girl plan until I get to know them?

Massive respect to you teaching Science - it is so dry and abstract in parts and textbooks are rubbish. So much easier to engage kids in subjects with 'stories' that they can connect and relate to

I'd love to see you turning your hand to teaching maths to compare I'm often envious of Science and how they can engage kids with their subject through 'wow' moments and real life stuff!

Alphabetically, Whenshe. Makes it much easier to learn names when you can match where they're sat to the register.

@noblegiraffe

Alphabetically, Whenshe. Makes it much easier to learn names when you can match where they're sat to the register.

That’s so obvious I’m a bit embarrassed it needed pointing out. That’s my seating plans sorted.

Should I just do a random boy girl, boy girl plan until I get to know them?

It may sound like lots of work but I firstly check the SEND register and then ‘seat’ those students appropriately first. Then, I use any prior knowledge if I have taught a kid yet, then the rest.

I tend to avoid boy/girl/boy/girl as blanket approach because I find it is usually the girls who lose most out on that one and also, I try to encourage as many girls into my subject for GCSE/A Level as possible and don’t want to put them off!

I usually do the seating plans in batches when term starts so I can spread them out (with last taught classes done last).

Oh and I find lots of teachers use alphabetical approaches so mine is often one of the few mixed up ones which the Year 7s and 8s usually like a change of scenery at least-sorry noble your way is easier though

I do alphabetical till I know their names by position (and the naughties) then after a couple of weeks rearrange it to learn to match their names to faces.

Obvs check SEN to make sure that you haven't put the kid with hearing problems at the back etc.

Thank you so much. I really switched off from teacher mode this holiday. This is so useful for getting my teacher head back.

I do alphabetical till I know their names by position (and the naughties) then after a couple of weeks rearrange it to learn to match their names to faces.

Obvs check SEN to make sure that you haven't put the kid with hearing problems at the back etc.

Thumbs up!

There are a lot of teachers at my school who don’t really change it or check the SEND register

Amen to all of the above!!

After one too many PA emails and briefing announcements I asked the head why we are using whole class punishments on the staff. We wouldn't do it to the kids so why are we doing it to the staff? Pull up those who need it.

I am explicitly asking our teachers NOT to do alphabetical this year otherwise there is always someone sat next to the really annoying student in every single lesson!

I just randomly generate a plan (after checking SEN/EAL) and have it printed - can’t see it is more difficult than sitting them alphabetically to learn names? It’s still printed plan and names…. Then I change it when I know them after a few weeks and usually change it every half term after that!

Basically, and crudely, I really just want them to fuck off and let me get on with my job. I really resent the time wasting and bollocks that just gets in the way of me getting on with what really needs to be done.

True dat.

Seating plan - I let them sit where they want at the beginning of day 1, but tell them I'll be moving them randomly at any time, and they can't complain about it. I usually end up with girl/boy, and obviously end up with the SEND children in the right places for them.

I move the pain in the arse children around often because it's not fair on the children next to them.

@TheHoneyBadger

Whinge away. My first teaching placement was excellent, the first time a teenager was ever really rude to me I was called to the DH office and thought I was in trouble, he had a chat with me then called in the student, told him off and proceeded to call his mother in front of both of us and told her exactly how he had behaved whilst he had to listen to it all and then speak to his mother himself in front of us to confirm that that was indeed what had happened.

I've never seen slt support like that since.

Second placement was a bit shit.

My Head will do this. For a particularly poor incident of behaviour, parents are phoned on speaker phone with the offended member of staff and student in the room/student bollocking in front of you. It really does make you feel supported.