There were fireworks in and around Westminster and subsequently up and down the country on Thursday 5th November when, remember remember, the current Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, announced that from 2011 sex education will be a compulsory part of the curriculum in both primary and secondary schools, with parents unable to withdraw their children from the age of fifteen. This undoubtedly controversial move is in response to a recently completed independent review of the provision for the teaching of sexual health, values, etc within the current education framework.
"Under the new curriculum, pupils as young as 7 will learn about puberty and the facts of life and 5-year-olds will be taught about parts of the body, relationships and the effects of drugs on the body.
When they reach secondary school, pupils will learn about contraception, HIV and Aids, pregnancy and different kinds of relationships — including same-sex unions and civil partnerships."
As a secondary school teacher at a tough, fairly typical comprehensive school on the outskirts of London, this is a topic relevant to my job that has long since held my interest and I have previously included a post on this blog about sex education for four year olds.
Sarah Ebner over at School Gate Times Online is one of many well-respected voices in the public domain who has written about this issue during the past few days. The comments section following her post gives an interesting indication of the wide-ranging opinions the issue of sex education at school always seems to provoke.
As things stand at the moment, students must be taught the basic biological and scientific reproductive facts. This normally takes place in general science lessons or in specialist biology lessons, depending on the school. In my experience, as a student and as a teacher, this tends to involve a nervous teacher shuffling at the front as (s)he talks to a group of sniggering and often equally uncomfortable kids about things that many of them are already far too familiar with. There is no requirement at the moment for schools to deliver lessons on relationships and the non-physical side of sex, namely the social and emotional consequences and responsibilities that go along with being sexually active. Some schools do make an autonomous decision to teach this sort of thing, often under the umbrella of PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education).
This contentious issue continues to be highly-debated because it seems that those with different opinions will always be poles apart with no hope of being reconciled. For example, under the new agreement faith schools will be obliged to provide information about contraception. On the contrary, though, family groups have welcomed the proposed changes because, understandably, they believe that education about - and perhaps a certain level of promotion of - birth control may eventually lead to an undeniably much-needed reduction in pregnancy rates among British teenagers.
As a teacher with a reasonable amount of experience, I always voice two main concerns whenever I discuss or write about sex education in schools. Firstly, it is yet another example of too much responsibility being placed on schools and their staff, with even more emphasis therefore being removed from already irresponsible parents. Secondary school teachers are specialists who choose to and are trained to teach subject-specific lessons. We do not receive the necessary training that would allow us to deliver proper, well-informed sex ed lessons. There needs to be an agreed balance between home and school, with a shared responsibility between the two. This should not be viewed as an excuse for parents to ignore their role in educating their own kids about sex and reltionships, as is often the case. Those parents who are so irresponsible that they leave the teaching of sex, sexual health and relationships exclusively to the school have no right to comlain about what the kids subsequently learn. In addition to all of this, kids and their parents must receive non-judgemental help and advice relating to the social and emotional circumstances that frequently lead to young people having irresponsible (and often illegal) sex without giving sufficient consideration to the potentially devastating consequences of their chosen behaviour.
The other, often ignored issue that the general public seems to be unaware of is that PSHE is usually considered by most teachers - and by extension their students - to be a waste of time. This opinion is fostered by the fact that no training is provided for staff, schemes of work and resources are either unavailable or sorely inadequate, and nobody within each individual school takes ultimate responsibility for what is/isn't taught. I realise and appreciate that there will of course be schools where this not the case but, without exception, this has been true for every school that I have worked in. In fact, at my current school, all Key Stage 3 students (Years 7 - 9) do not have any PSHE lessons on ther timetables.
Although I could never be described as a fan of Ed Balls, I believe that this proposal is a positive step in the right direction. (Genuine consultation with teachers and parents would have made it even better!). In order for it to be successful, teachers, parents and the government will need to work together to ensure that PSHE and SRE (Sex and Relationships Education) provide helpful, relevant and non-biased information to the children in our care.
Saturday, 7 November 2009
Friday, 23 October 2009
Tweet Tweet
In order to spread my pearls of wisdom on education to a wider audience, I have taken a plunge into the unknown and joined Twitter as MisterTeacherUK. Until very recently I thought that Facebook was a failed pop band from the Eighties so I am slightly frightened by the whole thing because I'm not entirely sure how it works but will give it a go and keep my fingers crossed that my lack of social networking experience doesn't embarrass me too much. I have attached a feed on the sidebar of this page so that blog readers can see my tweets here.
Saturday, 3 October 2009
Spelling disaster
This is the short conversation that I had, during a lesson, with one of my Year 8 students on Friday morning:
Student: "Sir, how do you spell "education" ?
Mr Teacher: "You are twelve years old. I realise that I should help you but giving a constructive answer will force me to acknowledge the question, and my patience can't cope with that today."
Student: "Oh, ok. I know it anyway. It must be e-d-u-k-a-c-j-u-n."
I sat at my desk and wept, wondering if he knew how to spell "despair."
Student: "Sir, how do you spell "education" ?
Mr Teacher: "You are twelve years old. I realise that I should help you but giving a constructive answer will force me to acknowledge the question, and my patience can't cope with that today."
Student: "Oh, ok. I know it anyway. It must be e-d-u-k-a-c-j-u-n."
I sat at my desk and wept, wondering if he knew how to spell "despair."
Saturday, 19 September 2009
From the mouths of babes
Yesterday, I was walking quickly along a concrete path, in a rush to reach my destination and get something done. As I passed two people coming the other way, I loudly and clearly heard one of them say: "I know a guy who has his thingy pierced."
This happened at work. The sentence came out of the mouth of a Year 8 girl student who is approximately 12 years old. More than the words themselves, I noted that I was not even remotely shocked.
This happened at work. The sentence came out of the mouth of a Year 8 girl student who is approximately 12 years old. More than the words themselves, I noted that I was not even remotely shocked.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Is Beadle about?
Our school, more specifically the morons at the top of the tree, are so incompetent and so bloody, infuriatingly stupid that I have finally figured out what is really going on. They are not real idiots, they are simply playing a role- that of fake leaders who are deliberately making insane decisions on a daily basis, decisions that have profound negative effects on the main body of staff and of course on those pesky kids. At every turn, they are deliberately opting for the exact opposite of what they should be doing.
And why? I have realised that our school is part of a tv programme and/or social experiment whereby we, the teachers at ground level, are being tested by the higher-ups to see how far they can push it before one, or perhaps all of us, blow up and choose on of the following options: 1. Collapse from exhaustion. 2. Start crying due to unnatural levels of frustration. 3. Challenge them in a staff meeting rather than have a sly moan among ourselves in dark corners of the staffroom. We are supposed to be oblivious to the parts we are unwittingly playing while the world at large watches, transfixed and of course mightily impressed by our tolerance levels. As the first person snaps and chooses one of the three possibilities, I am convinced that Noel Edmonds or a reincarnation of Jeremy Beadle will rush out from behind the nearest interactive whiteboard, slap the poor sod on the back and announce that s/he has won something of no value whatsoever, perhaps a promotion into the ranks that have driven him/her to terrible levels of narcotic dependency over the years.
The other option, that they are in fact genuine senior leaders of a high school who are being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds to run the place into the ground at an alarming rate while children weep and adults despair, is so absurd that it cannot possibly be true and does not bear contemplating.
As our hopeless leader and, more immediatley, my feckless HOD work on my last nerve, I hope you are all entertained.
And why? I have realised that our school is part of a tv programme and/or social experiment whereby we, the teachers at ground level, are being tested by the higher-ups to see how far they can push it before one, or perhaps all of us, blow up and choose on of the following options: 1. Collapse from exhaustion. 2. Start crying due to unnatural levels of frustration. 3. Challenge them in a staff meeting rather than have a sly moan among ourselves in dark corners of the staffroom. We are supposed to be oblivious to the parts we are unwittingly playing while the world at large watches, transfixed and of course mightily impressed by our tolerance levels. As the first person snaps and chooses one of the three possibilities, I am convinced that Noel Edmonds or a reincarnation of Jeremy Beadle will rush out from behind the nearest interactive whiteboard, slap the poor sod on the back and announce that s/he has won something of no value whatsoever, perhaps a promotion into the ranks that have driven him/her to terrible levels of narcotic dependency over the years.
The other option, that they are in fact genuine senior leaders of a high school who are being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds to run the place into the ground at an alarming rate while children weep and adults despair, is so absurd that it cannot possibly be true and does not bear contemplating.
As our hopeless leader and, more immediatley, my feckless HOD work on my last nerve, I hope you are all entertained.
Saturday, 12 September 2009
Rate your teaching
In April of this year I wrote a post entitled "Behaviour, Behaviour, Behaviour" on the subject of Sir Alan Steer's initial publication of his report "Learning behaviour, Lessons learned", which is a government-funded review of behaviour standards and practices in our schools. Although I was encouraged by a few of Mr Steer's suggestions - early intervention, links between parents and teachers, and recognition for good students - I strongly disagreed with his conclusion that behaviour in schools is good and is improving, particularly as he hinted that bad behaviour is often due to bad teaching. As a general statement, this is a nonsense. It is clear to me, as a teacher who still teaches - unlike Mr Steer - that the general behaviour of school students is in fact in steady decline.
Dr Terry Haydn, a teacher trainer at the University of East Anglia, disagrees with Mr Steer. He believes that many teachers' working lives are severely restricted by disruptive children. Based on his own experiences and on research he has conducted with headteachers, qualified teachers and student teachers, Dr Haydn has developed the following 10-point scale that charts student behaviour in the classroom:
10. Teacher completely relaxed and comfortable and able to work without concern.
9. Teacher in control, but has to exercise some authority at times to maintain working atmosphere.
8. Teacher can establish and maintain relaxed and co-operative atmosphere, but this requires considerable thought and effort.
7. Class bubbly and rowdy. The few pupils who mess around stop when asked to do so.
6. Major effort to establish and maintain a calm atmosphere. Several pupils will not remain on task without persistent exhortation.
5. The teacher feels awkward or embarrassed if a visitor, such as the head, a governor or inspector, comes in because their control of the class is limited.
4. Control is limited and it takes time to get the class to listen. Lesson preparation is about control rather than education.
3. Teacher dreads the thought of the lesson. Major disruption, with children who want to work having difficulty.
2. Pupils are in control. Teaching is ignored, with staff just hoping children will be in a good mood, leaving them alone to chat to each other.
1. The teacher’s entry into the classroom is greeted by jeers and abuse. Such staff have to turn a blind eye to bad behaviour to avoid confrontation. They often wish they had not gone into the profession.
Interesting and at times unnerving, isn't it? Personally, I think it is imposible to choose one particular level. It depends on a number of contributory factors, such as the socio-economic factors of the area where your school is situated, your length of service, the subject you teach, the support or otherwise of the higher-ups in your school- and finally, of course, the particular class you are thinking of as you read the scale criteria. In the past, when I was new to the job or had started anew at another school, I have had lessons that could be accurately described as Level 3. Many teachers would be reluctant to admit to this. Currently, I still endure lessons with certain difficult classes that occasionally fall between Levels 4 and 6, although most of my lessons are either Levels 8 or 9, with the odd Level 10 thrown in to brighten up my week and make it all worthwhile.
My own awful experience at teacher training college - with the exception of the three school placements amounting to eighteen weeks during the one year course, the course was irrelevant and futile - means that I will always be sceptical about the people who train teachers, such as Dr Haydn. I have long since suspected that they are attempting to train others to do a job that they could not do themselves. Having said that, however, it is encouragiong to note that someone who is in charge of preparing the next batch of teachers seems to have some notion of the reality of classroom teaching in this country.
So, where are you on the scale? And how does the answer make you feel about your job?
Dr Terry Haydn, a teacher trainer at the University of East Anglia, disagrees with Mr Steer. He believes that many teachers' working lives are severely restricted by disruptive children. Based on his own experiences and on research he has conducted with headteachers, qualified teachers and student teachers, Dr Haydn has developed the following 10-point scale that charts student behaviour in the classroom:
10. Teacher completely relaxed and comfortable and able to work without concern.
9. Teacher in control, but has to exercise some authority at times to maintain working atmosphere.
8. Teacher can establish and maintain relaxed and co-operative atmosphere, but this requires considerable thought and effort.
7. Class bubbly and rowdy. The few pupils who mess around stop when asked to do so.
6. Major effort to establish and maintain a calm atmosphere. Several pupils will not remain on task without persistent exhortation.
5. The teacher feels awkward or embarrassed if a visitor, such as the head, a governor or inspector, comes in because their control of the class is limited.
4. Control is limited and it takes time to get the class to listen. Lesson preparation is about control rather than education.
3. Teacher dreads the thought of the lesson. Major disruption, with children who want to work having difficulty.
2. Pupils are in control. Teaching is ignored, with staff just hoping children will be in a good mood, leaving them alone to chat to each other.
1. The teacher’s entry into the classroom is greeted by jeers and abuse. Such staff have to turn a blind eye to bad behaviour to avoid confrontation. They often wish they had not gone into the profession.
Interesting and at times unnerving, isn't it? Personally, I think it is imposible to choose one particular level. It depends on a number of contributory factors, such as the socio-economic factors of the area where your school is situated, your length of service, the subject you teach, the support or otherwise of the higher-ups in your school- and finally, of course, the particular class you are thinking of as you read the scale criteria. In the past, when I was new to the job or had started anew at another school, I have had lessons that could be accurately described as Level 3. Many teachers would be reluctant to admit to this. Currently, I still endure lessons with certain difficult classes that occasionally fall between Levels 4 and 6, although most of my lessons are either Levels 8 or 9, with the odd Level 10 thrown in to brighten up my week and make it all worthwhile.
My own awful experience at teacher training college - with the exception of the three school placements amounting to eighteen weeks during the one year course, the course was irrelevant and futile - means that I will always be sceptical about the people who train teachers, such as Dr Haydn. I have long since suspected that they are attempting to train others to do a job that they could not do themselves. Having said that, however, it is encouragiong to note that someone who is in charge of preparing the next batch of teachers seems to have some notion of the reality of classroom teaching in this country.
So, where are you on the scale? And how does the answer make you feel about your job?
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Guest blogging on School Gate
It has been an exhausting year so far and, as is usual for me as we trudge towards the summer term, I am currently bemoaning my career choice and making what will ultimately prove to be empty threats about changing my job.
I have decided to postpone my decision, however, because Siobhan Curious, who writes "Classroom as a microcosm", is currently starring as a guest blogger on Sarah Ebner's School Gate. Her topic? Overcoming burnout and learning to love teaching again. I am hoping that her series of posts can help to inspire me and fill me with the enthusiasm necessary to make it across the finish line once again.
I have decided to postpone my decision, however, because Siobhan Curious, who writes "Classroom as a microcosm", is currently starring as a guest blogger on Sarah Ebner's School Gate. Her topic? Overcoming burnout and learning to love teaching again. I am hoping that her series of posts can help to inspire me and fill me with the enthusiasm necessary to make it across the finish line once again.
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Rose report
Following on from the previous post, this balanced article from the BBC news website has some very interesting arguments for and against the recent recommendations made by Sir Jim Rose.
Monday, 4 May 2009
The computer age
I am very pleased that fomer head of Ofsted Sir Jim Rose's recently published report strongly recommends that computer technology should become an integral part of the primary school curriculum in England.
At last! Someone with a recognised voice in education is calling for more innovative technology to be used in the classroom. This is music to my ears because I have long since been an advocate of increased ICT use in schools. It is 2009 and we should be making full and proper use of the wonderful resources available to us.
Having said that, my happiness was short-lived: Rose also suggests that from 2011 all children should have the option of starting school in the September immediately after their fourth birthday. I disagree with this. To my mind, this is too early and does not allow for sufficient early years to be spent at home and subsequently at nursery. My idea is that attendance at nursery for a minimum of one year ought to be compulsory, with kids starting primary school in the September immediately after their fifth birthday. The secondary school structure could be altered in order to compliment this change, with the complete removal of (the often futile) Year 9 being the option that I favour.
At last! Someone with a recognised voice in education is calling for more innovative technology to be used in the classroom. This is music to my ears because I have long since been an advocate of increased ICT use in schools. It is 2009 and we should be making full and proper use of the wonderful resources available to us.
Having said that, my happiness was short-lived: Rose also suggests that from 2011 all children should have the option of starting school in the September immediately after their fourth birthday. I disagree with this. To my mind, this is too early and does not allow for sufficient early years to be spent at home and subsequently at nursery. My idea is that attendance at nursery for a minimum of one year ought to be compulsory, with kids starting primary school in the September immediately after their fifth birthday. The secondary school structure could be altered in order to compliment this change, with the complete removal of (the often futile) Year 9 being the option that I favour.
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Hunger and Hope
As I type these words, more than 500 million people are living in poverty. They do not have enough money for food and many are dying from hunger. The World Health Organisation estimates that this extremely high level of poverty means that 1/3 of the world's population is underfed and yet another 1/3 is starving.
If you would like to get involved and take action to solve this problem, please click on this link.
If you would like to get involved and take action to solve this problem, please click on this link.
Friday, 17 April 2009
Behaviour Behaviour Behaviour
Sir Alan Steer, former successful headmaster and current government behaviour tsar, has been all over the television, newspapers and internet during the past week since the initial publication of his report Learning behaviour: Lessons learned, which is a review of behaviour standards and practices in our schools. Although the final report is not due to be published until November, his initial findings have prompted comments from various corners of the media, including the bbc news website, Mortarboard, and of course other education blogs.
I did not read all 208 pages but I have read the vast majority of his findings and I certainly paid close attention to the 47 recommendations. Most people seem to have picked up on Steer's statement that behaviour in schools is very good and is improving. He has therefore been heavily criticised for being sorely out of touch with the realities faced by classroom teachers up and down the country. I cannot agree with his statement. Based on my current and previous experiences in several British schools, my opinion is that average student behaviour is in fact bad and getting worse. Also, I am annoyed and angered by the implication that disruptive behaviour is often the result of bad teaching. This myth has been wrongly fuelled for far too long and needs to be quashed, not encouraged.
However, I would like to say that I have respect for Steer's previous accomplishments as a highly successful headmaster and I do agree with and take heart from much of what he has written. Granted, some of his suggestions are rather obvious: All teachers must have seating plans; codes of conduct must be clearly displayed on walls; senior staff must be a visible and effective presence in corridors between and during lessons. These ideas are not exactly revolutionary, yet it needs to be said that even these simple things are far from commonplace in too many schools and classrooms. Such negligence fuels disruption, creates further, unnecessary problems, and is symptomatic of the rot at the core of the education system.
In addition to his finding that general behaviour is good, Steer does concede that "much remains to be done to raise standards" and that there is definite "scope for further improvment." This fills me with hope that he is not as out of touch with the current climate as others believe.
Three further comments that also fill me wth hope are as follows: Steer suggests that "effective early intervention" is critical. I have long since been an advocate of dealing with potential troublemakers at the earliest opportunity rather than giving them too many opportunities to effect a change that is unlikely. In addition to this, he comments that "parents and teachers should work ...with mutual regard." This is certainly a crucial point as it has been my experience that links between schools and the wider community, particularly parents, are not as strong as they could be. Immediate, significant changes are needed in this regard. Lastly, Steer calls for widespread "recognition of well-behaved students and supportive parents." This is absolutely spot-on because far too much time and resources are regularly given over to dealing with the negatives and not enough credit is given to well-behaved students and to the parents who encourage them to learn and to behave well. More praise is needed.
Finally, I am greatly encouraged by Steer's conviction that "poor behaviour cannot be tolerated as it is the right of pupils to learn and teachers to teach." This will strike a chord with everyone who has a vested interest in teaching and learning and I hope that Sir Alan Steer's report will have the desired impact, namely that it acts as a much-needed wake-up call that brings about positive changes in education.
I did not read all 208 pages but I have read the vast majority of his findings and I certainly paid close attention to the 47 recommendations. Most people seem to have picked up on Steer's statement that behaviour in schools is very good and is improving. He has therefore been heavily criticised for being sorely out of touch with the realities faced by classroom teachers up and down the country. I cannot agree with his statement. Based on my current and previous experiences in several British schools, my opinion is that average student behaviour is in fact bad and getting worse. Also, I am annoyed and angered by the implication that disruptive behaviour is often the result of bad teaching. This myth has been wrongly fuelled for far too long and needs to be quashed, not encouraged.
However, I would like to say that I have respect for Steer's previous accomplishments as a highly successful headmaster and I do agree with and take heart from much of what he has written. Granted, some of his suggestions are rather obvious: All teachers must have seating plans; codes of conduct must be clearly displayed on walls; senior staff must be a visible and effective presence in corridors between and during lessons. These ideas are not exactly revolutionary, yet it needs to be said that even these simple things are far from commonplace in too many schools and classrooms. Such negligence fuels disruption, creates further, unnecessary problems, and is symptomatic of the rot at the core of the education system.
In addition to his finding that general behaviour is good, Steer does concede that "much remains to be done to raise standards" and that there is definite "scope for further improvment." This fills me with hope that he is not as out of touch with the current climate as others believe.
Three further comments that also fill me wth hope are as follows: Steer suggests that "effective early intervention" is critical. I have long since been an advocate of dealing with potential troublemakers at the earliest opportunity rather than giving them too many opportunities to effect a change that is unlikely. In addition to this, he comments that "parents and teachers should work ...with mutual regard." This is certainly a crucial point as it has been my experience that links between schools and the wider community, particularly parents, are not as strong as they could be. Immediate, significant changes are needed in this regard. Lastly, Steer calls for widespread "recognition of well-behaved students and supportive parents." This is absolutely spot-on because far too much time and resources are regularly given over to dealing with the negatives and not enough credit is given to well-behaved students and to the parents who encourage them to learn and to behave well. More praise is needed.
Finally, I am greatly encouraged by Steer's conviction that "poor behaviour cannot be tolerated as it is the right of pupils to learn and teachers to teach." This will strike a chord with everyone who has a vested interest in teaching and learning and I hope that Sir Alan Steer's report will have the desired impact, namely that it acts as a much-needed wake-up call that brings about positive changes in education.
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Fair pay for teachers
Almost exactly one year ago I wrote a post about the imminent union strike and another post about the proposed pay increase at that time. The information and arguments I put forward then are still relevant today as the same debate has hit the headlines in various forms over the past week. For example, the bbc news website has reported that the leading teachers' union - the NUT - is demanding a 10% pay increase. This issue always sparks many different opinions and I am always angered by two things in particular: The deliberate lies and misinformation put forward by the government; and the ignorant reactions of people who fail to recognise the worth of a good teacher and who choose to focus instead on a teacher's holiday entitlement. Mortarboard, the Guardian newspaper's education blog, has an interesting post on the topic and the comments section is a perfect example of the many varying opinions that tend to be put forward when the issue of teachers' pay arises.
Last year, the former Schools Minister Jim Knight used his various television appearances and a badly written piece in the Times Educational Supplement to state that the salary of an average teacher was £34,000. That figure was inaccurate and grossly, deliberately misleading. One year on, the current Schools Minister for England, Sarah McCarthy-Fry, is saying that the salary of an average teacher is now £33,000. This new figure is also inaccurate and grossly, deliberately misleading. Traditionally, teachers have never enjoyed public sympathy and have never received substantial public backing. Claims such as those made by two consecutive Schools Ministers will serve only to further dent the fragile suport that does exist. When the take-home pay of all teachers working in our schools is taken in to account, from head teachers through AST's down to NQT's and GTP's, the average salary may well calculate as £33,000 or even £34,000. However, this figure is a gross misrepresentation of the current wage structure of a classroom teacher on the main pay scale, The starting salary for a newly qualified teacher is just over £20,000 and it takes six years of classroom teaching to reach just over £30,000, which marks the limit of the main pay scale. These figures highlight the fact that the average salary being quoted simply cannot be true. It is not within an average teacher's pay scale and is therefore impossible.
I concur with those who put forth the view that many teachers currently working in our schools are incompetent and do not deserve any form of pay increase. I concur with this opinion because it is true- many of my former and current colleagues are bad professionals who do a bad job on a daily basis. Too many of them would struggle to keep their jobs if they were working in the private sector. Their lazy approach to work damages the reputation of the vast majority of teachers who do a wonderful job in increasingly difficult circumstances. It is unfair to tar the many with the flaws of the few, particularly when it is undeniable that every job in every industry has it's damaging passengers. Those of us who work hard deserve a pay increase that is already overdue.
Teachers have been insulted by paltry, below inflation pay rises for a worrying number of consecutive years. A reasonable, satisfactory pay rise is necessary and absolutely deserved. The current financial climate - crudely being used as an argument against an increase -is, in my opinion, irrelevant. Teachers have been handed insufficient pay increases long before the term "credit crunch" became a part of common vocabulary. 10% is unrealistic and the NUT knows it. They are simply using that figure as a starting point. I will never see a 10% increase. All I want is a wage rise that is fair and that does not leave me, as a hard-working and dedicated professional, feeling cheated, insulted and worried about money.
Last year, the former Schools Minister Jim Knight used his various television appearances and a badly written piece in the Times Educational Supplement to state that the salary of an average teacher was £34,000. That figure was inaccurate and grossly, deliberately misleading. One year on, the current Schools Minister for England, Sarah McCarthy-Fry, is saying that the salary of an average teacher is now £33,000. This new figure is also inaccurate and grossly, deliberately misleading. Traditionally, teachers have never enjoyed public sympathy and have never received substantial public backing. Claims such as those made by two consecutive Schools Ministers will serve only to further dent the fragile suport that does exist. When the take-home pay of all teachers working in our schools is taken in to account, from head teachers through AST's down to NQT's and GTP's, the average salary may well calculate as £33,000 or even £34,000. However, this figure is a gross misrepresentation of the current wage structure of a classroom teacher on the main pay scale, The starting salary for a newly qualified teacher is just over £20,000 and it takes six years of classroom teaching to reach just over £30,000, which marks the limit of the main pay scale. These figures highlight the fact that the average salary being quoted simply cannot be true. It is not within an average teacher's pay scale and is therefore impossible.
I concur with those who put forth the view that many teachers currently working in our schools are incompetent and do not deserve any form of pay increase. I concur with this opinion because it is true- many of my former and current colleagues are bad professionals who do a bad job on a daily basis. Too many of them would struggle to keep their jobs if they were working in the private sector. Their lazy approach to work damages the reputation of the vast majority of teachers who do a wonderful job in increasingly difficult circumstances. It is unfair to tar the many with the flaws of the few, particularly when it is undeniable that every job in every industry has it's damaging passengers. Those of us who work hard deserve a pay increase that is already overdue.
Teachers have been insulted by paltry, below inflation pay rises for a worrying number of consecutive years. A reasonable, satisfactory pay rise is necessary and absolutely deserved. The current financial climate - crudely being used as an argument against an increase -is, in my opinion, irrelevant. Teachers have been handed insufficient pay increases long before the term "credit crunch" became a part of common vocabulary. 10% is unrealistic and the NUT knows it. They are simply using that figure as a starting point. I will never see a 10% increase. All I want is a wage rise that is fair and that does not leave me, as a hard-working and dedicated professional, feeling cheated, insulted and worried about money.
Saturday, 28 March 2009
Teaching quotes
The legendary Victoria Westcott over at Classroom Canada recently included a post on her blog entitled "10 of my favourite Quotes for Teachers." This has prompted me to post a list of my own:
"The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds."
ANATOLE FRANCE
"The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn."
JOHN LUBBOCK
"The first duty of a lecturer- to hand you after an hour's discourse a nugget of pure truth to wrap up between the pages of your notebooks and keep on the mantlepiece forever."
VIRGINIA WOOLF
"The world talks to the mind. A teacher speaks more intimately; (s)he speaks to the heart."
HAIM GINOTT
"Teaching provides a way to stay young at heart, to maintain a lifetime of active learning.... It is in every respect a profession of hope."
VITO PERRONE
"It is a glorious fever, that desire to know."
EDWARD BULWER LYTTON
My absolute favourite comes from my favourite book, Jack Kerouac's "On The Road" -
"...he was a teacher, and it may be said that he had every right to teach because he spent all his time learning."
And with that in mind, why don't you start your path to being a teacher by pursuing degree programs in Elementary & Secondary Education today!
"The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds."
ANATOLE FRANCE
"The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn."
JOHN LUBBOCK
"The first duty of a lecturer- to hand you after an hour's discourse a nugget of pure truth to wrap up between the pages of your notebooks and keep on the mantlepiece forever."
VIRGINIA WOOLF
"The world talks to the mind. A teacher speaks more intimately; (s)he speaks to the heart."
HAIM GINOTT
"Teaching provides a way to stay young at heart, to maintain a lifetime of active learning.... It is in every respect a profession of hope."
VITO PERRONE
"It is a glorious fever, that desire to know."
EDWARD BULWER LYTTON
My absolute favourite comes from my favourite book, Jack Kerouac's "On The Road" -
"...he was a teacher, and it may be said that he had every right to teach because he spent all his time learning."
And with that in mind, why don't you start your path to being a teacher by pursuing degree programs in Elementary & Secondary Education today!
Friday, 20 March 2009
The teacher in trainers
At the beginning of the year I included two separate posts on this blog about the silly teacher whose decision to wear scruffy sports clothes to work resulted in his eventual dismissal. I agreed with the school's decision and voiced my opinion that his sacking was completely justified. I still hold fast to that view of things. Many of his former colleagues, however, supported his appeal and we were led to believe that they would have been willing to strike over the issue. An article on the bbc news website today reports that the ridiculous notion of industrial action has sensibly been avoided and that the union and the council have reached a "confidential agreement."
Mr Swain, the former teacher at the very centre of this sorry tale, has said that he was unable to comment on the agreement. No doubt because he was down at the local sports shop stocking up on a choice of rugby shirts to wear to his next batch of job interviews.
Mr Swain, the former teacher at the very centre of this sorry tale, has said that he was unable to comment on the agreement. No doubt because he was down at the local sports shop stocking up on a choice of rugby shirts to wear to his next batch of job interviews.
Friday, 27 February 2009
What about the teacher's rights?
Normally I drive to work and therefore I don't spend much time on any form of public transport. When I went away for a few days during the recent half-term break, I caught a bus and then a train to the airport. I noticed signs and posters everywhere. On walls, windows, cash desks, information desks, check-in desks etc, etc:
"Our staff have the right to work without fear of assault or harassment."
"Verbal and/or physical abuse of our staff will not be tolerated."
"We seek to prosecute anyone who attacks the people who work here."
I have seen similar things in hospitals, GP surgeries, banks, supermarkets and even post-offices. Basically almost anywhere that has members of the public as customers. All of these signs and posters are designed to hammer home one very clear, distinctive message.
My colleagues and I are confronted with verbal absue on a daily basis, as well as occasional incidents of physical abuse. Why are we not afforded the same protection? Are my rights less valuable than those of a doctor, a cashier, a flight attendant, a bus driver and a postal worker? I certainly don't think so. Yet teachers are forced to tolerate the sort of abuse that these other workers would not dream of putting up with. The only possible explantion that I can think of is that we, the teachers and school employees, are primarily dealing with children and therefore the assumption is that these children cannot be held responsible for their actions in the same way that an adult would be. Ok. That makes sense to a certain extent. Perhaps the signs and posters in my class room and around the school ought to read:
"Our teachers have the right to work without fear of disobedience and defiance."
"Constant arguing with teachers will not be tolerated."
"We will seek to prosecute the parents/guardians of those students who choose to verbally and physically abuse the staff who work here."
"Our staff have the right to work without fear of assault or harassment."
"Verbal and/or physical abuse of our staff will not be tolerated."
"We seek to prosecute anyone who attacks the people who work here."
I have seen similar things in hospitals, GP surgeries, banks, supermarkets and even post-offices. Basically almost anywhere that has members of the public as customers. All of these signs and posters are designed to hammer home one very clear, distinctive message.
My colleagues and I are confronted with verbal absue on a daily basis, as well as occasional incidents of physical abuse. Why are we not afforded the same protection? Are my rights less valuable than those of a doctor, a cashier, a flight attendant, a bus driver and a postal worker? I certainly don't think so. Yet teachers are forced to tolerate the sort of abuse that these other workers would not dream of putting up with. The only possible explantion that I can think of is that we, the teachers and school employees, are primarily dealing with children and therefore the assumption is that these children cannot be held responsible for their actions in the same way that an adult would be. Ok. That makes sense to a certain extent. Perhaps the signs and posters in my class room and around the school ought to read:
"Our teachers have the right to work without fear of disobedience and defiance."
"Constant arguing with teachers will not be tolerated."
"We will seek to prosecute the parents/guardians of those students who choose to verbally and physically abuse the staff who work here."
Saturday, 3 January 2009
The scruffy teacher again
I read an article in today's Evening Standard which gave additional details on the teacher who was sacked for wearing trainers and tracksuit bottoms to work. Yet another article on the same topic can be found on the Telegraph's website.
There are several contrasting details across each of these reports on the same story, which makes it quite difficult to establish a concrete opinion on exactly what has happened. My strong comments in my previous post were based soley on the article that I read on the bbc news website.
Having read each of the articles several times, it seems to me that the teacher in question, Adrian Swain, had taught pe and maths for several years and was therefore entitled to wear the aforementioned tracksuit and trainers to work during this time, for clear and obvious reasons. HOWEVER: "Mr Swain... had taken up a new role teaching science and maths." I believe that after dropping his pe responsibilities, this guy simply decided to continue wearing the sports clothes to which he had become accustomed during his lengthy career. And the people at the top of the tree were justifiably against this. He refused to comply even after being given a verbal warning and therefore lost his job as a result. I think that he has been incredibly naive in assuming that wearing inappropriate clothing to work would be overlooked. I think that his comments regarding what students prefer - "Children would much rather have a good teacher who wore trainers than a bad one who was dressed like a businessman" - are rather immature. And I think that he will ultimately lose his appeal, meaning that his sacking will be upheld. He can have no complaints when this happens- particularly if he turns up to the hearing in jeans and a t-shirt!
There are several contrasting details across each of these reports on the same story, which makes it quite difficult to establish a concrete opinion on exactly what has happened. My strong comments in my previous post were based soley on the article that I read on the bbc news website.
Having read each of the articles several times, it seems to me that the teacher in question, Adrian Swain, had taught pe and maths for several years and was therefore entitled to wear the aforementioned tracksuit and trainers to work during this time, for clear and obvious reasons. HOWEVER: "Mr Swain... had taken up a new role teaching science and maths." I believe that after dropping his pe responsibilities, this guy simply decided to continue wearing the sports clothes to which he had become accustomed during his lengthy career. And the people at the top of the tree were justifiably against this. He refused to comply even after being given a verbal warning and therefore lost his job as a result. I think that he has been incredibly naive in assuming that wearing inappropriate clothing to work would be overlooked. I think that his comments regarding what students prefer - "Children would much rather have a good teacher who wore trainers than a bad one who was dressed like a businessman" - are rather immature. And I think that he will ultimately lose his appeal, meaning that his sacking will be upheld. He can have no complaints when this happens- particularly if he turns up to the hearing in jeans and a t-shirt!
Thursday, 1 January 2009
Teacher fired for wearing trainers
Special needs teacher Adrian Swain was fired from his job in east London for wearing trainers and tracksuit bottoms to school. Of course he was! And quite right too!! I read this article in disbelief and almost choked on my muesli when I read it this morning (I have now calmed down considerably and feel able to write about the madness of it in a reasonably controlled manner).
I think that Adrian Swain is a confused idiot. He is not a pe teacher. He wore tracksuit bottoms and a pair of trainers to work. He didn't - and clearly still doesn't - see anything wrong with this. So he lost his job. Even if dressed in the correct attire, he is not the sort of person who should be responsible for a room filled with impressionable minds. How can he justifiably enforce school rules on the students in his care when he is not willing to comply with the reasonable expectations of his employers? My opinion is that he simply cannot. He is a moron and, assuming that the decision was not taken summarily and that he was given opportuninities to make the required changes, he deserved to lose his job.
If his claim that "he wore tracksuit bottoms and trainers to school throughout his 30-year teaching career without any complaints" is accurate and is neither bluster nor exaggeration, then frankly I am astounded that he was allowed to do so over such a prolonged period of time. Did other people not notice? I go to work in a shirt and tie every day, without exception, and would not consider doing otherwise. In addition to the fact that my job requires me to dress smartly, it sets a great example to my students. If I were to roll in with jeans and a pair of trainers, or perhaps a football strip, people would notice. Immediately. I would expect to be asked to refrain from doing so in the future. If I were to then turn up wearing a tracksuit, for example, I would not be sursprised to find myself in a spot of bother. As a matter of fact, I am equally shocked that he was able to hold down a job of any description for this length of time, such is the clear extent of his stupidity.
This clown Swain then goes on to say that "other staff have regularly worn banned items." What kind of school is St Paul's Way? And why are the staff not dressing appropriately for work? He uses the word "banned" and is therefore fully aware of the fact that he is breaking the rules. It is ludicrous! I am amazed that they have the audacity to call a ballot on industrial action in some sort of protest. Expecting teachers and other adult staff members to wear appropriate clothing is neither bullying nor intimidation and these muppets do not have a leg to stand on. Perhaps they are worried that they will no longer be able to saunter in on a Monday morning wearing pyjamas.
Hopefully they will all be sacked and then they can join unemployed Adrian Swain in wearing whatever the hell they like as they lounge about on the sofa watching daytime telly while the rest of us put on decent gear and head off towards paid employment.
I think that Adrian Swain is a confused idiot. He is not a pe teacher. He wore tracksuit bottoms and a pair of trainers to work. He didn't - and clearly still doesn't - see anything wrong with this. So he lost his job. Even if dressed in the correct attire, he is not the sort of person who should be responsible for a room filled with impressionable minds. How can he justifiably enforce school rules on the students in his care when he is not willing to comply with the reasonable expectations of his employers? My opinion is that he simply cannot. He is a moron and, assuming that the decision was not taken summarily and that he was given opportuninities to make the required changes, he deserved to lose his job.
If his claim that "he wore tracksuit bottoms and trainers to school throughout his 30-year teaching career without any complaints" is accurate and is neither bluster nor exaggeration, then frankly I am astounded that he was allowed to do so over such a prolonged period of time. Did other people not notice? I go to work in a shirt and tie every day, without exception, and would not consider doing otherwise. In addition to the fact that my job requires me to dress smartly, it sets a great example to my students. If I were to roll in with jeans and a pair of trainers, or perhaps a football strip, people would notice. Immediately. I would expect to be asked to refrain from doing so in the future. If I were to then turn up wearing a tracksuit, for example, I would not be sursprised to find myself in a spot of bother. As a matter of fact, I am equally shocked that he was able to hold down a job of any description for this length of time, such is the clear extent of his stupidity.
This clown Swain then goes on to say that "other staff have regularly worn banned items." What kind of school is St Paul's Way? And why are the staff not dressing appropriately for work? He uses the word "banned" and is therefore fully aware of the fact that he is breaking the rules. It is ludicrous! I am amazed that they have the audacity to call a ballot on industrial action in some sort of protest. Expecting teachers and other adult staff members to wear appropriate clothing is neither bullying nor intimidation and these muppets do not have a leg to stand on. Perhaps they are worried that they will no longer be able to saunter in on a Monday morning wearing pyjamas.
Hopefully they will all be sacked and then they can join unemployed Adrian Swain in wearing whatever the hell they like as they lounge about on the sofa watching daytime telly while the rest of us put on decent gear and head off towards paid employment.
Teachers banned from using red ink
Apparently, hundreds of schools have barred teachers from marking in "confrontational" red in case it upsets their students. This ludicrous idea was obviously dreamed up by the same bunch of imbeciles who decided that the phrase "successfully challenged" was more appropriate and ultimately more encouraging than "failure/failed". It seems that the world of education has finally lost the entire plot!
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
Seasons greetings
2008, my first year as a blogger, has been interesting and challenging. Although it seems to have passed by very quickly, it has been filled with a real mix of experiences and emotions, positive and negative, in both my working and personal life. The coming year will surely be more of the same, with the inevitable unexpected challenges thrown in along the way: "You have to wait until tomorrow to know what will tomorrow will bring."
I hope that you have all had a wonderful festive period so far and I would like to take this opportunity to pass on my best wishes for the New Year- may it be a happy, healthy and successful one for all of us.
I hope that you have all had a wonderful festive period so far and I would like to take this opportunity to pass on my best wishes for the New Year- may it be a happy, healthy and successful one for all of us.
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
Bad parents
"Poor parenting is the key factor behind the significant gaps in readiness for school."
Of course it is! For a long, long time I have been screaming from the rooftops that the system must hold irresponsible parents to account for their negative actions and their inactions. Innovative technology, superb teaching staff and so-called new pedagogical ideas will ultimately serve no purpose unless certain parents - or types of parents - make more of an effort to raise their children to be well-behaved, articulate people who are able to contribute positively to society.
At the moment, 10% of the students in my school - namely those who are victims of poor parenting - take up 90% of the school's time and resources. And this statistic will be mirrored once these students leave school and stumble, unprepared, out to the world. Incapable of obtaining or maintaining genuine employment due to a lack of social skills and of course a lack of qualifications, this 10% of people will use 90% of society's resources, namely using and often abusing the ridiculous benefits system that exists in this country. This problem, in my opinion, needs to be properly addressed at the source.
Of course it is! For a long, long time I have been screaming from the rooftops that the system must hold irresponsible parents to account for their negative actions and their inactions. Innovative technology, superb teaching staff and so-called new pedagogical ideas will ultimately serve no purpose unless certain parents - or types of parents - make more of an effort to raise their children to be well-behaved, articulate people who are able to contribute positively to society.
At the moment, 10% of the students in my school - namely those who are victims of poor parenting - take up 90% of the school's time and resources. And this statistic will be mirrored once these students leave school and stumble, unprepared, out to the world. Incapable of obtaining or maintaining genuine employment due to a lack of social skills and of course a lack of qualifications, this 10% of people will use 90% of society's resources, namely using and often abusing the ridiculous benefits system that exists in this country. This problem, in my opinion, needs to be properly addressed at the source.
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
BBC news: "Schools seek police aid"
After reading this article on the bbc news website, I am now wondering which Tory MP is using my blog as inspiration!
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Police Academy
Following on from yesterday's post, which mentioned frivolous expenditure amid the credit crunch, I realised today that our school must be wasting a fortune every term on 'phone calls to the local police station. The cops are being called on to the premises on such a regular basis lately that I am on first name terms with several of the officers. In fact, there has even been talk of a combined teacher-police night out during the festive season.
Several students have been caught shoplifting from local premises while truanting from class and have since been banned from the town centre; one Year 10 boy was taken out on a stretcher, with the constabulary in attendance, after overdosing on acid (before 10am); a colleague's car was vandalised for the fourth time since the beginning of the current academic year; and yet another Year 10 student, another truant, was knocked down by a local resident's 4x4 while his classmates trudged through some Spanish grammar.
Perhaps we could do our bit to ease the financial burden and cut down on the 'phone bills by employing on-site community officers, as they do in some schools. Or, better still, franchising the local station and therefore bringing the police under the umbrella of the local education authority. My main concern, however, is that our fearless and anti-social students would simply view this new presence as a fresh target for their abusive rage. I wonder if abusing the police in this way would qualify them for free refloxology treatments?
Several students have been caught shoplifting from local premises while truanting from class and have since been banned from the town centre; one Year 10 boy was taken out on a stretcher, with the constabulary in attendance, after overdosing on acid (before 10am); a colleague's car was vandalised for the fourth time since the beginning of the current academic year; and yet another Year 10 student, another truant, was knocked down by a local resident's 4x4 while his classmates trudged through some Spanish grammar.
Perhaps we could do our bit to ease the financial burden and cut down on the 'phone bills by employing on-site community officers, as they do in some schools. Or, better still, franchising the local station and therefore bringing the police under the umbrella of the local education authority. My main concern, however, is that our fearless and anti-social students would simply view this new presence as a fresh target for their abusive rage. I wonder if abusing the police in this way would qualify them for free refloxology treatments?
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Massaging the figures
I prefer reading books and magazines that suit my own tastes and therefore choose not to read a newspaper every day. Now and again, when I have the time to relax completely, I read the papers at the weekend to catch up on the different sports that I like to follow. I do, however, make a genuine effort to watch the television news at least once each day because I like to, and feel a need to, keep up to date with current events. Every single bulletin that I have watched in recent months has included a significant segment dedicated to the international credit crunch. The ramifications rumble on.
I am earning more money at the moment than I have ever earned before. Which is nice. The problem is that my money is no longer worth what it once was or things that I would like to buy cost more than they once did. Or vice-versa. I am a man of simple pleasures and I have not developed extravagant tastes. I'm not a tight guy, though. I like to eat out and I really like to buy things for other people. Money leaves my pocket easily but I'm not yet worrying unnecessarily.
I do get irked, however, when I see other people being flippant and/or flashy with their cash. This is a common problem at work, of course, and I never cease to be amazed by local eduation authorities who are brazenly wasteful with what is effectively other people's money. For example, as reported by Mike Kent in the Times Educational Supplement: A London LEA recently spent - nay, wasted - £90,000 on two reflexologists to massage the feet of disruptive students. No, I promise that I am not making this up. Granted, the article mentions neither the school nor the authority but I am not surprised to read such a story. In a sector where inclusion and so-called innovative ideas are more important to some people than such things as competetive salaries and having a decent number of decent textbooks, I have no doubt that Mr Kent's article is indeed based on fact and, even more worrying still, that it is simply the tip of the iceberg when it comes to similar tales of waste and bad taste.
Once again, I call in to question the value and purpose of some people with seemingly important roles in education, people whose lack of better judgement causes teachers and students to suffer unnecessarily. In this situation, students and teachers will suffer because, as with the credit crunch, inevitable cut-backs will be made to accomodate for the poor judgement of others. And those of us left holding the fort in our classrooms will soon feel a familiar pinch.
I am earning more money at the moment than I have ever earned before. Which is nice. The problem is that my money is no longer worth what it once was or things that I would like to buy cost more than they once did. Or vice-versa. I am a man of simple pleasures and I have not developed extravagant tastes. I'm not a tight guy, though. I like to eat out and I really like to buy things for other people. Money leaves my pocket easily but I'm not yet worrying unnecessarily.
I do get irked, however, when I see other people being flippant and/or flashy with their cash. This is a common problem at work, of course, and I never cease to be amazed by local eduation authorities who are brazenly wasteful with what is effectively other people's money. For example, as reported by Mike Kent in the Times Educational Supplement: A London LEA recently spent - nay, wasted - £90,000 on two reflexologists to massage the feet of disruptive students. No, I promise that I am not making this up. Granted, the article mentions neither the school nor the authority but I am not surprised to read such a story. In a sector where inclusion and so-called innovative ideas are more important to some people than such things as competetive salaries and having a decent number of decent textbooks, I have no doubt that Mr Kent's article is indeed based on fact and, even more worrying still, that it is simply the tip of the iceberg when it comes to similar tales of waste and bad taste.
Once again, I call in to question the value and purpose of some people with seemingly important roles in education, people whose lack of better judgement causes teachers and students to suffer unnecessarily. In this situation, students and teachers will suffer because, as with the credit crunch, inevitable cut-backs will be made to accomodate for the poor judgement of others. And those of us left holding the fort in our classrooms will soon feel a familiar pinch.
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Saturday, 4 October 2008
And the nominations are....
Victoria Westcott of Classroom Canada has very kindly nominated a surprised and humbled Mr Teacher for the Best Education Blog over at Blogger's Choice Awards. If you would like to agree with VW's nomination, please click here and cast your vote.
Thursday, 2 October 2008
What credit crunch?!
A Staffordshire college has cancelled a four day conference at the last moment after an outcry over the cost- it was due to be held in a four star resort in Marbella.
Click here to watch the Head squirm as he tries to explain things:
Click here to watch the Head squirm as he tries to explain things:
Sunday, 28 September 2008
Death of a legend
"I picture my epitath: 'Here lies Paul Newman, who died a failure because his eyes turned brown.' "
I am genuinely saddened by the death of Paul Newman, who was partly responsible for my love of films. He delivered an incredible number of wonderful, iconic performances and in addition to his acting career gave much of his time and money to charitable and political causes.
Here are some of his most memorable quotes:
"I am not able to work anymore...at the level I would want to. You start tto lose your memory, you start to lose your confidence, you start to lose your invention. So I think that's pretty much a closed book for me."
"I was always a character actor. I just looked like Little Red Riding Hood."
"I don't like to discuss my marriage, but I will tell you something which may sound corny but which happens to be true: I have steak at home, why should I go out for hamburger."
"The concept that a person who has a lot holds his hands out to someone who has less, or someone who isn't hurting holds his hands out to someone who is, is simply a human trait that has nothing to do with celebrity."
"I have never been able to understand attacks upon the gay community. There are so many human qualities that make up a human being...by the time I get through with all the things that I really admire about people, what they do with their private parts is probably so low on the list that it is irrelevant."
"If you're playing a poker game and you look around the table and can't tell who the sucker is, it's you!"
Rest in peace, Mr Newman.
Saturday, 27 September 2008
School Gate @ The Times Online
I received an e-mail yesterday from Sarah Ebner at The Times Online. Sarah edits their educational blog - School Gate - which has now been running for three months. Written from the parental point of view, it is an interesting blog which gives us another perspective on the education system. You can find it from here by following the link on my register.
Sarah was kind (and perceptive!) enough to include Mr Teacher in her most recent post, entitled "The 7 best teacher blogs." I am grateful for being included on such a worthwhile site. The article can be read by clicking on this link.
Sarah was kind (and perceptive!) enough to include Mr Teacher in her most recent post, entitled "The 7 best teacher blogs." I am grateful for being included on such a worthwhile site. The article can be read by clicking on this link.
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Mixed emotions
Although previous experience reminds me to continue to be cautiously optimistic, I would like to say that school has been good so far this year. For example, all of today's classes went well. In fact, two students in my last class of the day actually thanked me on the way out of the door. This is very rare for our school, certainly for my classes.
HOWEVER, my main thoughts this evening are dominated by other students who have recently been absent for the following reasons: Problems at home, truancy, bullying and self-harming. It is difficult not to dwell on such harrowing negatives.
HOWEVER, my main thoughts this evening are dominated by other students who have recently been absent for the following reasons: Problems at home, truancy, bullying and self-harming. It is difficult not to dwell on such harrowing negatives.
Monday, 15 September 2008
Education and Creativity
Sir Ken Robinson delivers an entertaining and very interesting talk on the role of creativity in schools. Much of what he says here has really struck a chord with me.
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