I left #teaching on Friday. I've had a few days to recover and gather my thoughts, and here they are. I loved the school, loved the children, had great success and was proud of my achievements but after 7 years of giving my heart and soul, I had to stop. Something has to change.
When I joined the school I was impressed with the enlightened attitude to workload, in particular the feedback policy (no crazy book marking, lots of WCF and verbal feedback instead), and behaviour was better than nearby schools... but...
After COVID and the new #OFSTED framework, expectations seemed to ramp up, and behaviour declined. My work days lengthened, while - a victim of my own success - class numbers at GCSE and A-level rose. We couldn't recruit, so I was stretched to breaking point.
It's a fabulous school in a great academy trust, and I have no doubt it's better than most (for behaviour and workload), but it's not for me any more. And that's a shame.
What has to change? Most of this has been said before but basically we must be treated like professionals, like in any other sector (I worked in IT for 25 years). I'm a teacher, SLT should trust me to teach, and take care of the non-teaching things...
SLT please ensure your good staff can thrive by implementing and continuously improving:
- strong behaviour systems with high expectations and clear, meaningful consequences
- removal room for disruption where meaningful work is done while lesson continues for the "other 29" ...
- strong behaviour systems with high expectations and clear, meaningful consequences
- removal room for disruption where meaningful work is done while lesson continues for the "other 29" ...
- centralised detentions and parent engagement for *all* rule breaches, pastoral and academic. One-click and it's done, if it's work for teachers they will avoid it
- Exploit technology to reduce workload - stop sending emails and start using the software properly!...
- Exploit technology to reduce workload - stop sending emails and start using the software properly!...
- Use MIS for ALL data collection, no emails, no spreadsheets. Want data on a subgroup? Make an MIS data collection for it.
- Put detentions, interventions, after school clubs etc on the MIS as sessions and take register as normal. Reduce the number of processes.
- Put detentions, interventions, after school clubs etc on the MIS as sessions and take register as normal. Reduce the number of processes.
- Use MIS for merits and sanctions. Encourage staff to give merit points with a single click on the MIS, aligned to your school values. "Thanks for picking up that litter Iqra, have a respect point". Simple and powerful.
- Use MIS for "report cards" - stop using paper.
- Use MIS for "report cards" - stop using paper.
- Use the channel Posts or Chat features on Teams or GSuite instead of time-limited emails, e.g. for "lost jumpers" or reminders of bake sales. Have respect for your colleague's inboxes and keep email for formal comms only.
- Have a single Sway, Powerpoint or Slides each week for form-time or assembly announcements, all staff to edit this directly to have announcements made, stop emailing form tutors or HoYs!
(In short, listen to your tech leads, they know A LOT OF STUFF about workload reduction)
(In short, listen to your tech leads, they know A LOT OF STUFF about workload reduction)
- Have a weekly pastoral round-up bulletin - allow all pastoral staff to contribute - instead of emailing every time there is an update to Kevan's support plan. (and put Kevan's support plan on the MIS right on his profile where it is available at the point of need).
- Back to behaviour. Please, SLT, ask your most junior staff if it's working for them. Just like the Queen thinks everywhere is freshly painted, SLT don't see behaviour systems working, or failing.
- Have zero tolerance for refusal to give names. Everything breaks without this.
- Have zero tolerance for refusal to give names. Everything breaks without this.
- CPD should focus on doing one new thing well each term. Stop trying to boil the ocean in 13 weeks.
- Every other "CPD" should be self-directed by the curriculum lead and be focused on curriculum, and deliver of it in the department. At least 30 mins every fortnight.
- Every other "CPD" should be self-directed by the curriculum lead and be focused on curriculum, and deliver of it in the department. At least 30 mins every fortnight.
In short, treat people like professionals & give them the tools to do the job. I was once told by an excellent manager of mine (back in IT). "Alan, you know what you're doing. It's not my job to tell you. It's my job to shift any barriers between you and success." /FIN
It's not a SoundCloud but
1. My blog where you can buy my books is here (or buy me a coffee) httcs.online
2. #SupportTheStrikes to fight back against the #ToryCostOfGreedCrisis
Thank you.
1. My blog where you can buy my books is here (or buy me a coffee) httcs.online
2. #SupportTheStrikes to fight back against the #ToryCostOfGreedCrisis
Thank you.
Finally, finally. for self-care I am not on Twitter as much as I was (this rant excluded). Instead I am on that #Mastodon, and you can find me there mstdn.social/@mraharrison or @mraharrison@mstdn.social - I recommend it, it's like Twitter was before the algorithms and Nazis. 😆
@threadreaderapp unroll for me!
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