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BORED

5 replies

tammie49 · 19/03/2024 18:11

I've been teaching for 20 years and have never thought of leaving before. For the past 6 years I've worked part-time (0.4) and to be honest I think it's that that's preserving my sanity - it allows me time with my children and also to pursue other things. Furthermore, the salary for 2 days on UPS 3 is good and I'm not sure I'd replicate that elsewhere.
Saying all that, I'm finding it so demoralising at the minute. My school has moved to more uniform lessons across the Trust and they are BORING; the children are bored and I'm bored. I try to tweak them as much as I can but there's only so much you can do. I've no idea why they've done it; it's a good school according to ofsted and I'm certain these identikit lessons are impacting behaviour.
I guess what I want to ask is if this is commonplace. I feel like my job has lost all of its creativity. I teach modern languages (well I say languages, it's only one these days as that's been pretty decimated and we're only offering French).

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BG2015 · 19/03/2024 19:32

I've come home from work tonight and said exactly the same thing.
Been teaching in primary for 28 years. Recently went down to 4 days. Im class sharing with a younger teacher, who is lovely but that comes with its own issues.

I'm bored too. Mine is the monotony of the school day and school in general.

I'm 55 and frankly had enough now. Need to move into something else and I'm slowly planning my departure.

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PumpkinPie2016 · 19/03/2024 19:44

That sounds awful! I work in a small trust but we don't do this.

I'm my department, we are centrally planned but make sure the lessons are nice and interesting. I had a great time introducing organs and the skeleton with Y7 today- they had so many brilliant questions about the kidneys.

It's such a shame when trusts/schools take any creativity or fun out of lessons. I absolutely agree we should have high standards but it can be done without what you describe.

All I can suggest is you look for another school if you can.

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tammie49 · 19/03/2024 20:31

Yes, I have been looking but I'm limited by my other bugbear which is the fact that many secondary schools have decided that a good time for teenagers to start their school day is 8.30 (sometimes earlier). It means that (due to childcare) I can't commute more than an absolute maximum of 30 minutes. I saw a job on 0.6 that I was really keen on but it just wasn't feasible as there's nowhere I can drop my kids off early enough and I have to allow my husband to commute if needed as he earns 4 times what I do.
My head of department micromanages us terribly and changes our lessons if they're not what/how she'd teach them. It used to be death by worksheet but now it feels like death by PowerPoint. To be honest- it's a lot of work but I'm tempted to replan a lot of it for myself as I honestly can't teach like that. I LOVE French and I'm bored. How can I expect the kids to be interested?

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Horaced · 19/03/2024 21:14

I feel similar at the moment. Death by White Rose worksheet. I don't understand how worksheets were the work of the devil 10 years ago and now they're all we do.

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tammie49 · 19/03/2024 21:19

I'd like to see the pedagogical research that backs all this up. My children are in primary and having the best time - I love their school. Everything has its place but it's too much. I'm not sure anyone would notice if I changed it. I'm having issues with behaviour in some classes and it's definitely linked.