Hope to apply for HOD roles

[ForOliveShaker]

I’m currently a 4 th year English teacher. I have a subject specific whole school tlr, I am a mentor, I have marked for an exam board, I have run several lunchtime clubs in relation to my subject, I have lead the a level curriculum by designing all the sequencing documents and planning all the lessons(unpaid), I have supported the hod with various tasks delegated in relation to the department (essentially 2ic but not recognised for that), I’m part of the lit drive mentoring programme whereby I have a mentor and they support me in relation to developing towards a hod role and I’ve b enrolled in an NPQ which hasn’t yet started, I’ve also been and shadowed a local grammar school to develop my ability to stretch and challenge KS5 students, asked the HOD questions in relation to their role and what they do and how they have created their departmental expectations. We also had ofsted our visit January which I was interviewed for.

I’ve done about as much as I can in relation to developing myself and doing as many things as I can to gain hands on experience to advance in my career.

I would like to apply for HOD roles. Am I ready? Should I wait longer? I’d love to work in a grammar school but sadly there are no jobs available! Thoughts?

In a very unusual tiny school mid recruitment crisis I can see that might be the case. Doesn’t mean it’s a good thing or that normal schools would do the same.

I replied to your previous post then saw the latest. So you did the nqt route not ect?

Understandable. Thank you for the insight🙂

I thought from the details last time you were posting on here you’d only have finished your ect in July. The timeline is getting confusing.

You asked the question 'am I ready to apply?', some people are saying give it a go, others are saying not yet. I agree with those saying a 2ic in another school would be a very wise step at this point in your career (I say this as someone who had, and now regrets, a significant TLR straight out of NQT).

However there is an element of belligerence in your replies which, if you came across the same in an actual interview, could be a barrier.

That’s fair enough. You’re entitled to your opinion. I don’t think tone can be conveyed over a MN post but if you see it as belligerence then I’m not going to disagree and that’s not how I’d conduct myself in any professional setting.

How do parental complaints come into it, sorry I’m not sure why that’s included in the reply as I generally just do my job and make sure I do it to the best of my abilities. I’ll go above and beyond to support the students I teach. I give up my lunch times and I’m the only one in the dept who does this I also am the only one who takes part in the regular interventions that run after school. I also know quite a few of the parents through friends etc.

Im all for understanding complaints, but I’m not sure how that correlates to the post? But fair enough.

You sound like your judging the rest of your department for not doing those things.

They probably have a life outside of school.

To be fair. I have things to do too but because no one else actually does it. I get asked by slt I have said no before and asked someone else to do it, but no one wants to and it seems to be magically placed upon me. I too have things I want to do and have said no or they’ll offer decent incentives if I do get involved so I take it.

Im not judging anyone. This isn’t a post to just randomly pick holes in everything I’m saying. If you don’t agree with its okay I understand your point. But to just find random things to disagree on is exhausting. Thank you for your perspective I’ll keep it in mind though next time I post.

There are grammatical errors in this post too. I’m really tired and dyslexic so please dont pick on me for that I know I’ve made a few mistakes there. So apologies in advance.

You've posted about parental complaints about you in the past.

Is it 4 years of experience you have, OP, or 5? In your other thread, you say 5.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_staffroom/5174904-should-i-think-before-i-start-applying?reply=138605782

Also, OP, I'm assuming you're applying for 2i/c and HOD jobs outside of your current school, which you've previously described as toxic?

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5168149-to-have-decided-its-time-to-quit-and-keep-to-myself?reply=138378930

OP, I'm not sure what you want from this thread. Some posters have agreed with you; some haven't. I think you've been quite snippy to some people who have disagreed - @Hercisback1 and @MrsHamlet are both very experienced teachers who give thoughtful advice. From my cynical experienced POV, you seem to be a young teacher who views the profession as a crusade. It isn't; it's just a job. However, SLT will be delighted to see you take on more and more responsibility, work yourself into a breakdown and then replace you with someone else. Either that, or you'll have a family and realise that your own children are more important than those you teach and scale back what you do.

Apply for promotion or don't; it's up to you. But you need to start looking after yourself by taking a lunch break and sometimes saying 'No' when you are asked to take on an initiative.

OP, I’ve been on a number of your threads. I wouldn’t necessarily describe your tone (which as an English specialist you will know can absolutely be conveyed through any written form) as belligerent. However, you do seem to have a particular combination of wanting reassurance, which could come across as quite needy, and defensiveness when very experienced posters give you an answer that you don’t want to hear. Only you can reflect and consider whether this combination is also part of how you present in real life. Core heads of department need a thick skin and if you struggle with criticism or challenge then you need to address this.

I hope that your multiple threads have given you some of the answers that you need to plan your next steps.

There do seem to be lots of contradictions in your posting history which is why I was confused. Previously you were in your first year of ect in spring 2022 which doesn’t correlate with the details in this post.

I agree with another poster that an English teacher would absolutely see that tone can come across in text-I’m not sure how you could teach the English curriculum without understanding and being able to teach the students explicitly about this.

it just all gets very confusing. You mentioned parental complaints on your other thread on this board hence I was asking and of course it could be relevant to your question here.

people always respond and take time to share their experience with you when you come back to this board purportedly asking for advice but seemingly unreceptive to it. Being reflective and able to take and really consider feedback is such a critical skill in teaching. A competent hod will be more developed in those skills than most and able to demonstrate and pass them on.

There is also a theme of superiority and being critical of your colleagues and thinking you are better, harder working and more worthy than them. That will come across to colleagues and perhaps you have a bit of a blind spot for social cues yourself so don’t comprehend how other people read a lot of the things we are unconscious of or don’t realise we reveal.

All of this really is relevant to your effectiveness and suitability for leading other professionals.

I would suggest taking some time to really observe and reflect on the example of someone who manages their professional relationships really well and is very easy to work with and who gives and takes feedback really well. I’d also reflect on how effective leaders are able to know and share their own weaknesses and appreciate others strengths. Is there anyone you admire at work?

I, for example, am really bad at poker face and keeping my incredulity in the face of really fucking stupid ideas from slt. Particularly I’m afraid to say shiny over promoted people who don’t have the experience to know why it’s a stupid idea or the humility to allow experienced colleagues to express their reservations and allow them input and secure buy in.

Even if I manage to keep my mouth shut in front of these arrogant yet insecure leaders my face may as well have subtitles. I’m often the squeaky wheel who feels the need to express what every other experienced teacher is thinking but is either too scared or too smart to say (never sure which) 😂

I'm, I think, very good, and better than most, with the kids and with parents. I’m not great with the politics and dealing with bonkers management and politics. This is very much a career limiting factor in the culture of most schools. If I wanted to stay in the profession and climb the ladder I would have to work really hard at this and learn from others who have the same thoughts but manage them very differently for expediency and and approval of senior management. I know this but actually I’m not prepared to do it-it’s totally not me and speaking up for colleagues and students is more important to me and my character.

I was aware of their weakness (just one example of my weaknesses despite being a good teacher) and could own it, try and modify it and apologise when it was ott and affected others. I was probably still an annoying bugger though.

In the 24 years since I qualified I’ve seen excellent and terrible teachers, hods and slt. The very worst have often been the too quickly promoted. They are defensive and authoritarian because they are threatened by experience or others having strengths that they should really be utilising but instead stifle and they destroy morale and lose staff.

Take your time. Mature into yourself and the breadth and depth of experience that makes an excellent classroom practioner before thinking of leading others in that endeavour. Also learn to understand and get the best out of students. You don’t mention them in any of this!

Great, generous posts @swallowedAfly. You write very engagingly! I will be giggling for a while about the image of a face that may as well have subtitles

@swallowedAfly I second that praise of your contributions. I, too, am cursed with a face that shows every emotion I feel and an impatience with shiny new initiatives that will be forgotten within weeks!

I know. Tbh I do it to myself in a lot of ways. The lack of breaks is on me not on anyone else. I know that.

Thanks, that’s some very helpful advice. Also, to clarify my students are actually extremely important. While I don’t mention them explicitly, they are the reason I give up some of my lunch times. I do this off my own volition and I do this to support them and their development. If anything, they’d be the main reason I don’t want to leave yet. They’re fantastic.

So OP did you apply for a HOD?

Allegedly they applied, got the job and start this half term...