Setting firm boundaries with management

[BringItInBringItIn]

I am totally broken from this half term already. Our calendar had everything spread out across the year, but 'because of covid' everything from autumn term 1 &2 has been moved to this half term. So since coming back after Christmas we have had: 2x parents evening that finish at 8pm (and another next week); midyear testing for all years that I've had to create the exams for and then mark; full written reports and data harvesting for all classes; yr11 mocks marking, plus finding time for the 11s who were absent to sit the exam before data harvest; performance management observations and subsequent meeting. This is obviously all on top of a full teaching timetable, marking schedule, the pastoral team has now decided that we teach core subjects in form (not my specialism so no resources already made), 2x briefings and 1x meeting per week, and behaviour is getting worse but a growing number of parents are refusing to let their kids come to after school detention now, so we have to hold them lunchtime instead. But the straw that broke the camel's back was yr13 mocks have taken place over the last fortnight, my subject got the last slot on Thursday so I didn't get the papers back till Friday. The deadline for the results is Monday and they've promised parents a full report by Wednesday.

I just can't. I haven't had a day off since 2 days before the end of the Christmas holidays and the thought of spending all weekend parenting whilst having a good 8 hours of marking and report writing makes me just not want to turn up at work anymore. I've tried speaking about the workload (because in previous years they've normally been very good about this and promoting staff wellbeing). Now I'm just being told these are extraordinary times, and we are just waiting for 'the call' so it's stressful for everyone but just to keep going because it will be easier once the exams classes have gone and 'at least dh can take the kids for a bit so I can work at the weekend'.

I want to start saying no but I'm so scared of being bullied out or scapegoated if they try and blame piss poor calendar distribution and management decisions (no one even told us the yr13 exams were happening until 2 days before they started, so it's not like I could have planned for this event) on my ability to cope. How do I approach this?

How active are your union? I'd speak to your rep, see if they can gather opinions about this from other staff members, you can't be the only person who feels this way. Then the reps should have a meeting with SLT to express that this isn't acceptable. If you don't have a strong union presence it's time to start getting organised, this is what they're for.

But you have my sympathies, we're experiencing similar, and the union making a fuss has led to some concessions. Its no fun though, some management are just tone deaf, as if we're not struggling enough as it is at the moment.

1.Email your SLT to say you are not able to hold lunchtime detentions because you are not paid for this time. Say parents won't let their children be given after school detentions. This is SLT's problem. Let them sort it out.

1. All this "emergency" bollocks is just that. It's ALWAYS an emergency.

1. If you are bullied. Call them on it. In writing. Every time. They won't like you for it, but they're fucking you over right now.

1. I hope you are in a union. Use them. Preferably regional.

It is horrible to be overloaded like this, and not easy to stand up, but your position won't change unless you do.

Never ever agree to anything verbally, or if you do, confirm it in writing, i.e. this was what I understand......etc.

I am in a union and we have a rep in school. It fills me with anxiety because last time I used them (when a kid was telling lies about me and they were taking on with her because her mum was close to the governor, to the point i no longer felt comfortable in the classroom with her) they gas lit me and made it seem like I was overreacting and my LM had a go at me for getting my union involved.

What can you not do and get away with?
For eg I never go to briefing. There’s enough staff that my absence isn’t noticed.
Core subject teaching in form - this is totally unreasonable. If they don’t give you resources get a pack or two of revision cards and let the kids get on with it.
The mock turnaround is ridiculous. What will happen if you don’t input the data by the deadline?
In my experience, fighting management has never proved successful. These people generally don’t give a shit about classroom teacher workload.
My strategy is just to skip jobs that no one will notice. Do a few ks3 poster lessons to cut down on planning. Corners need to be cut because you can’t do it all.

I really sympathise. I have 60 mock exams to mark today before I even start planning lessons for the week and we’re having a mocksted next week too. My poor dc will have yet another Sunday being babysat by screens.

I would email SLT and say you’re finding the workload unattainable.

List all the things you’ve done for the last 2/3 weeks and the time spent on them.

Identify extra things that have cropped up recently and which are ‘tipping you over the edge’.

Say that an occasional massive workload week is okay, but when it’s becoming every week it’s unsustainable.

Ask for advice about which of the things you do, should be the areas to cut out/not do to reach a sensible amount of hours. If you’re brave, say that until some things are reduced org Kane away, you won’t be able to respond to any requests for stuff that requires even more time.

It’s really important SLT have a sense of the hours all the extra requests take. There has to be a limit.

In my school, it’s noticeable that a number of experienced and excellent staff are asking to go part time. They do t have small children and often they’ve held responsibilities, but they are finding the expectations are unsustainable and it’s a case of go part time or burnout. Of course, it should be possible to work full time without having a break down or constantly feeling on the verge of one.

Sorry - typo - unsustainable, not unattainable.

Yes to stopping doing things. Not attending the Briefing meeting is a good one. If anyone asks, I’d simply state ‘I’m working 55 hour weeks and finding ways to prevent it getting longer. I’m making some choices about my use of time. By not attending the Briefing, I can do 15 minutes if marking and that keeps my week at 55 hours which is already too much, rather than becoming 55 hours 15 mins.’

All of the extras you’re asked for are all ‘it will only take an extra 10 minutes’ but when there are multiple requests, and these things are rarely temporary but become the norm, and you’re looking at hours of extra work per week.

The other thing I’ve said when asked to do something is ‘That’s fine, but it will mean I don’t mark the Year 10 books. I’m already working 55 hours, so if you want me to do task which will take an extra hour an a half, the time will have to come from somewhere else.’

A number of Heads if Dept also say this now when asked to do extras. They ask their line manager ‘which of the other things I usually do would you like me to reduce/drop in order to do the thing you’ve just asked me to. I am already working so much I can only do X if I reduce something else’.

In all this, it’s useful to keep a bite of time spent on different tasks each week. That’s because often there is no typical week. The mock marking comes a couple of times a year and creates terrible weeks. But then another week, the thing boosting the hours is a staff meeting and a parents’ evening, or it could be a request to make individual action plans for some struggling students, or to update schemes of work, or to engage with some kind of CPD, or report writing, or doing extra duties, or putting together some info for a booklet, or putting time into learning how to use some new IT programme, or…..

I think you need to get other teachers acting with you. If you act on your own it'll look you uou're not coping when others are.

You have my sympathies. I would NEVER recommend this job to anybody.

If your union aren't good, look at Edapt. I switched to them a while back and they are actually helpful. And cheaper as apolitical!

The mocks thing is shit. They cannot set it up in such a way that you have to do it all over a weekend. I know they did, but my school would never do that!

Also you need to make friends with the exams officer if you haven't already.

Honestly? You sound under a great deal of pressure, and on your own you will not be able to change anything. If I were in your shoes I would be off sick by now. There is no way you can reasonably be expected to get those papers marked and reports written and be in school.

Take time off sick. Let someone else stick their head above the battlements and complain about the workload. Do not add to the prssure you are already under. It is already more than one person can cope with.

This sounds mad, you poor thing! Do you have a “well-being” person in school you can talk to? I believe Ofsted care about staff well-being now, so they should not ignore staff raising workload issues.
I would also definitely look at where you can cut corners. Just don’t set detentions, peer mark books, for core subjects in form time (mad!) stick on an Oak video and just don’t do stuff that you physically can’t do!

This sounds very unreasonable. Agree with previous posters suggesting cutting corners elsewhere for a bit where possible or take a day off. Much is that is often just as hard as going in as regards setting cover. Management of school sound like bullies. Try to apply for a job elsewhere when you get a moment of breathing space. I don’t think it will improve if this is their way at the moment. Teaching is a nightmare and it should not be!! Too many managers trying to tick their little boxes.

Depends on how much you want to make a fuss really.
My school is the same.
Union is pretty good but will only raise issues when instigated by staff.
I am currently saying no to a number of administrative tasks. I am spoke to like s**t (via e-mail) and made to feel unreasonable for challenging anything. I know others feel the same but they are not as vocal. However, I do have the ear of a fab SLT and I know my issues will be dealt with. E-mail is a fab trail - I have them all saved and the tone is quite clear.
Covid doesn't help really - face to face meetings and discussions have gone so it seems to me that people think they can e-mail you telling you what to do and it will happen.
I am not an awkward person, I work really hard and my HOD is fantastic. The the pastoral team however, new, young (compared to me!), looking for a fast track to higher things are absolutely terrible.

Polite emails with regretful tone.
E.g. unfortunately my year 13 exam did not take place until Friday so it will not be possible to complete the marking by Monday. Kind regards blah blah.
Then look for a new job.
They are struggling as an SLT and they are passing on their shit to you. They know but don't care how it impacts on you.

It will really help your stress to say No. Actually just say it to them. This is unrealistic, not a reflection of my abilities therefore in order to maintain my professionalism, I say no.

No matter how it may sound in your head, when you are so overladen like this the only thing that stops the stress is articulating your assertiveness with a ‘No’.