Terrible mistake

[anatasia]

I started a new job just before Easter and I'm struggling. There's a lot of key stage 3 - six year 8 classes! The kids are hard work particularly the year 9 form who seem really unpleasant. One boy stole something from the desk, refused to discuss it, walked off and went straight to the Deputy Head The Deputy Came to see me and could only comment that the children seemed to be doing nothing when she had been in the room with me. Her comment was that she would set up a restorative conversation I don't know what to do. I feel overwhelmed.

Hi
What subject do you teach? It sounds like MFL or RE or something where all the classes are individual. I had the same 5 Years 9's , two languages and basically all KS3 for French. I left.

My main subject is Geography at this school

The classes have just been rejigged due to poor behaviour in Year 8.

I've had a bad experience with management in the past so am concerned about the Deputy

Hi again

Yes I absolutely hear you. You are made to feel incompetent but at the end of the day it is down to poor management overpromot ed and overpaid. The workload for this many classes is horrendous- the planning, marking and the follow up on behaviour, calls, recording it etc. I had been at my school for a long time but new SLT terrible and I got fed up being treated like an underdog. Keep notes on how you are feeling and you the impact it is having in you as it is like setting you up to fail and is bullying.

Did you leave?

Hi Yes

I have done supply.Not as much money but to be able to walk away at the end of the day is fantastic. No more the dreaded Sunday feeling knowing what classes I had on the Monday.....

Also to be honest with you it had really started to effect my health both physically and mentally.

Good for you for leaving. The behaviour of children in so many schools is disgusting, it's even more disgusting when appalling senior leaders blame it on individual teachers. Restorative chats blah blah blah. They don't work. Best to get out.

I can't decide what to do to be honest. I just have bad vibes about this

It is such a horrible feeling. I don't know what the right answer is for you but I hope you look after yourself through this. Take care.

I’m in a similar situation except I started in September. Despite being an experienced teacher I got given all the worst classes (mostly year 8 and 9) The behaviour is shocking, I’ve been off with stress after I was verbally abused and assaulted. Nothing was done. My head of department is a bully who constantly undermined me and blamed me for the behaviour. I was signed off as soon as it started affecting my health. I am leaving with nothing to go to as yet. My only regret is that I put up with it for longer than I should have thinking it would her better - it didn’t. They haven’t been able to keep supply teachers for my timetable for more than a few weeks either. I would start looking around if I was you.

Thanks for your honesty. It's so difficult isn't It? I'm so sorry to hear that this experience is happening to others. I don't know what to do to be honest. I just can't put up with unsupportive management again.

As you have only just started, you are very much finding your feet and an Easter start is difficult. It could be that the classes have had a lot of disruption prior to you starting.
I started at a school at Easter once and it was really hard at first. That said, while it was never an easy school, I stayed 6 years and was promoted twice.

Do you have a HoD? Can you speak to them about managing so many KS3 classes?

I am assuming that you can use plans for more than one class and just tweak slightly? That should hopefully help a bit.

I would avoid any fancy activities for now. Do you have textbooks with questions in that you can use? Also, it's worth finding a relevant video for an explanation and then kids have questions to answer after watching. Basically, keep it very structured and simple. Silent start, silence during independent work.

With the deputy - again, can you seek advice from the HoD?

HOD is a nice guy but very young and will do whatever management says, unfortunately

What type of restorative conversation does the head have in mind? Why did the child go to her? Are they saying they did not steal from the desk, but you know they did?
Also the Deputy commented that they hadn't been doing anything when she was in your room. Did she mean they weren't doing any work? Or that they weren't doing anything wrong?
It doesn't sound like she is being very supportive either way.

If their only suggestion to address poor behaviour is a restorative conversation, I'd leave as soon as you can!

Thanks for the advice, it's very helpful.