Caring less whilst still doing a good job

[Lovetotravel123]

Like many teachers, I take pride in my work. However, recently I have been feeling very stressed, partly because I care too much. I care if a student skives my lesson, I care if they sit with their head on the desk, I care if they don’t do homework. People say that I should just continue doing my best but not take these things so seriously. My observations are always excellent. Is there a way of continuing to be professional but accepting that some students will never make any effort? If I could master this then I may stay in the profession longer. Any tips are welcome.

how long have you been teaching?

I care if a student skives my lesson, I care if they sit with their head on the desk, I care if they don’t do homework

not great examples

These are very basic things for a teacher to be concerned about rather than “caring too much”

Three and a half years. Yes, I agree that they are basics that we can expect from students. That is why they bother me. But our school doesn’t have any policy for dealing with this. So, for example, if I tell a student to face the board, and he does for two seconds and then puts his head back on the desk, what should I do?

Your school doesn’t care about pupils skiving?

Colleagues don’t care about homework?

you keep on at him.

”head up”
”head up”

”head up or detention”

and never ever ever bluff

Thank you. That is what I do. They only seem to care when attendance gets very bad, and we don’t have detentions.

if you’re considering not caring about basic things like attendance and homework…. maybe not the school or profession for you

Fair point. But my point is that I do care but nobody else seems to. Maybe I need to teach in a school where there are clear rules and policies so that the students understand what is and isn’t acceptable.

So the teachers at this school generally don’t care about pretty basis tenets of teaching?

That is concerning

And from a purely professional perspective, why on earth care what others are doing and considering lowering to their standards

Of course the teachers care. A lot. But as there are no sanctions, other than repeatedly telling the student not to do something, changing the seating plan, taking away the device, what are they supposed to do? The school has no detention system and the only action available is a restorative conversation.

you said “nobody else” seems to 🙄

You need to find a different school then

but don’t lower your professional standards just because the school management doesn’t have high ones

Ok, maybe that is the solution.

It sounds to me like the issue here is that the school leadership have not put in place effective systems to manage behaviour. Therefore, students are truanting/putting head on desk etc because they have realised there are no consequences for doing so.

A classroom teacher cannot effectively fight that alone. You need the systems there to support you and it sounds like they are not.

Please know that this is not a failure on your part as a teacher, it is a failure on the part of the school leadership team who have not put in place adequate systems.

My honest advice would be, find a different school - look at their behaviour policies before you apply and when you go to interview, try to look at if it is implemented (though can be tricky!).

I would not work in a school where the only consequence for unacceptable behaviour is a restorative conversation. It is ineffective.

Is your leadership team following paul dix? Run. Like the wind. In the opposite direction. One of the most damaging educational trends ever, imho.

Are you by any chance the poster who has started multiple threads giving contradictory (and confusing) information about your career? Your writing seems familiar.

Find a new school with a decent behaviour policy