Mr Teacher UK

Fascination Awards

2012-01-18T11:53:00.000Z

I am proud to announce that, as the result of a post that I wrote in March 2010, titled "Jon Venables", this site has been nominated as The Most Fascinating Teaching Blog of 2011. Please click here to cast your vote before midnight (EST) on Thursday 26th January.

Season's Greetings

2011-12-24T10:19:00.000Z

I would like to wish every teacher, staff member, student and parent/guardian a Merry Xmas and I hope that the New Year brings you health, wealth and happiness.

Fair pay. Fair pensions. Now.

2011-11-30T12:21:00.000Z

I won't be blogging today. I'm out on strike for fair pay and better pensions.

World Teachers Day

2011-10-05T13:32:00.000+01:00

Well done to all of the wonderful teachers around the world who do a great job in difficult circumstances.

Top 50 Academic Educators

2011-03-19T12:47:00.001Z

Why has a big red apple appeared on this page? Well, College Finder has included MrTeacherUK in its list of the Top 50 Academic Educators.
When notified of this wonderful honour, I was asked to offer advice to anyone who is considering entering the world of education. I responded with the following pearls of wisdom:

"Don't do it! Seriously, unless you are absolutely determined to succeed as a teacher and you will let nothing stand in the way of the education of your students - rowdy kids, feckless parents, hopeless colleagues and mind-numbingly stupid mangers - then don't even think about becoming a teacher. If the only positive you can think of is enjoying long holdiays, then you are already doomed to fail."

Top 100 High School Teacher Blogs

2011-03-16T17:37:00.000Z

Mr Teacher UK has been included in the international section of a list of the top 100 high school teacher blogs, as compiled by the people at OnlineDegrees.org. Have a look at mine and other entries by clicking here.

"On The Edge"

2010-11-29T12:29:00.001Z

I recently finished reading "On The Edge", written by Charlie Carroll and published by Monday Books.

It is a non-fiction book that tells the story of Charlie (not his real name), who spent a year travelling around England in a VW camper, working as a supply teacher in some of the country's most challenging state schools. What a brilliant idea! Why didn't I think of that?!

The book is immediately engaging. It is well-written and enjoyable and I found it very easy to relate to. Most teachers will identify with the students, schools and incidents that are mentioned. In fact, on several occasions I wondered aloud if Charlie might have been a former colleague of mine. Drugs, violence, profanity, poverty, disrespect and mismanagement, etc. All of the usual problems are included.

I liked it and I would highly recommend it.

Online Degree Programs

Katharine Birbalsingh: The unions's response

2010-11-16T15:57:00.002Z

"No teacher will want to damage relationships with the school community within which the work, but as the experts on educational issues, teachers must be allowed to speak out about the impact of government policies and give their views on the education system."

Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers

Katharine Birbalsingh

2010-11-06T13:57:00.003Z

Katharine Birbalsingh must have known that giving a public speech in order to "expose some of the truths about the education system" would threaten her job and her career. It is a tremendous amount to risk for talking for less than eight minutes. Therefore, I admire her courage for doing so, regardless.

I am not in favour of the fact that she used actual photos and videos of, as well as quotes from, her students, even if she had permission to do so, as has been reported in some sections of the media. Also, criticising a system that had been heavily influenced, at least, by a Labour government for more than a decade in front of an audience of staunch Tories is very far from a difficult gig.

Having said all of that, however, I strongly agree with most of what she said, based as it was on ten years of teaching experience. Kids are unruly and subsequent sanctions are insufficient; exams have become much easier; and in general terms the "system is broken." In short, we definitely need to "glue our education system back together" because it is "in pieces." I know all of this to be true because I have witnessed it myself.

Katharine Birbalsingh came across as being a well-spoken, articulate and talented public speaker. Her opinions were considered and intelligent. I will not comment here on her current employment status because there seems to be a lot of uncertainty surrounding the situation. I will simply say that I respect her decision to speak out and I wish her well in her future endeavours.

Respect On The Road

2010-08-27T11:43:00.014+01:00

The last weekend of summer freedom is almost upon us as children in England reluctantly start to think about school again. They will be back behind their desks again from next week.

The adults, for their part, will be hoping that the recently purchased uniforms still fit as they set about sorting out school runs, car pools and bus timetables. This country’s already overburdened roads will soon be even busier and, therefore, it seems appropriate to offer a timely reminder about the importance of road safety. It is an issue that I genuinely care about, which is why I support AXA Car Insurance’s “I Respect The Road” Campaign, geared towards bringing courtesy and respect back to our roads.

Many people are unaware that the number of fatalities amongst young people caused by road accidents is higher than deaths from other external causes, including those that receive much more publicity from the media. In 2008, 73 children aged 0 - 11 years were killed on Britain's roads. Another 1,436 were seriously injured. 2,222 people were killed on Britain’s roads in 2009, including 81 children. These horrifying figures only scratch the surface of the problem.

There is a need for all those involved with children to teach clear road safety messages effectively and consistently, working together to help children understand and manage risk.

It is hoped that this important initiative will raise awareness of the issue and reduce the death toll. If you would like to find out more information about the AXA Car Insurance Respect On The Road” campaign, click here for the website. You can also link to and “like” the Facebook fan page as well as look at relevant clips on You Tube.

Sponsored Post

Pete

2010-08-02T11:09:00.002+01:00

As I have mentioned several times on this blog, I get irked by the people who misunderstand and disrespect the teaching profession. This is particularly annoying when the comments are based on misconceptions.

Pete is an example of this. He left one comment on the post Paper chase and two extremely rude comments on Peter Pan Week. For reasons unknown to me, he seems to have a strong dislike for teachers and he puts this opinion across by calling me a "fucking gormless, Graduate Failure, faggot." He then makes an unfounded challenge of my qualifications.

I was offended and angered by this, at first, but then I realised that Pete is nothing more than an ignorant, offensive moron. In short, he is a bit of a dickhead. I am sure that his comments would have had more of an impact if he had avoided homophobic content and had managed to spell the words correctly. For example, he tries to attack my education while using the word "dgeree."

Pete, if you insist on commenting on what I write here (thanks for being a regular reader, by the way), then I must insist that you get some manners and learn how to spell properly. Is that ok? Have I put that in easy language that you are able to access?

I'll be back!

2010-07-26T18:02:00.000+01:00

Mr Teacher will definitely be back very soon....

Peter Pan Week: 26 > 30 April 2010

2010-04-21T10:54:00.001+01:00

Great Ormond Street Childrens Hospital has come up with a wonderful idea to raise money: A really fun week of Peter Pan themed fundraising that will culminate in a Guinness World record attempt for the most number of people dressed as Peter Pan! A brilliant idea and a really great way to involve children in fundraising. All the money raised will go to Great Ormond Street.

The hospital is really keen for families, schools and youth groups to get involved. If you would like to take part, their website provides fundraising packs and other resources.

Go on- get stuck in and help them go for the record while raising loads of dosh for a very worthwhile cause!!!!

Paper chase

2010-03-26T17:26:00.003Z

Have you heard the one about the paper shop? It blew away.

Have you heard the one about the paper school? It's no joke.

The education system is awash with pieces of paper. We are drowning in it. On a daily basis, teachers and other staff are being forced to fill in a seemingly endless number of forms. Permission slips, late cards, homework diaries, appointments, agendas, meeting minutes, letters home, lesson plans, test papers, formative comments. The list goes on and on. The most prominent of them all is the non-stop focus on data analysis. Which students are on which grades? Why? Why not? There is a systemic obsession with targets, grades, assessments, progress, percentages, etc, all of which need to be written down. It stems from fear, blame, incompetence, bad judgement, bad management and lack of trust. It is supposed to fuel improved attainment but, in my experience, it does the opposite. Constant paperwork such as this eats at the clock, using up time that teachers do not have. I am not saying that these things are unimportant but they are not the most important.

Filling in forms, staring at numbers and analysing graphs will not improve student attainment. It will not improve teaching standards. Giving staff more time to prepare decent lessons should be the priority. This would lead to better teaching, better learning and better grades. If kids are to fulfil their potential, then their teachers need to be left alone to teach. This seems obvious but, unfortunately, does not reflect the current reality of what is happening in too many schools up and down the country. The focus needs to shift away from paperwork and towards quality lesson content and delivery. A wind of change is urgently needed before things blow beyond reach and out of control.

The Orwell Prize 2010

2010-03-25T10:13:00.002Z

Unfortunately, my entry did not make it onto the longlist for this year's Orwell Prize. I admit to being a little disappointed.

Congratulations to everyone who made it through, especially the fourteen successful bloggers. The shortlist will be announced on Thursday 15th April. I will have my fingers crossed for the two anonymous public sector workers who are on the longlist and therefore still in with a shout of winning: PC Ellie Bloggs and Winston Smith. Good luck!

Mr Teacher @ Teachers TV

2010-03-22T16:00:00.002Z

"Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the DCSF, Baroness Joan Walmsley, comes under scrutiny in this pre-election debate series which challenges MPs from the three main political parties on their education pledges.

Joan takes the hot seat and is questioned over the pledges her party has made, including the pupil premium, class sizes and the Education Standards Authority. She faces questions from a panel of school staff, in a debate hosted by journalist Mike Baker.

The panel is made up of award winners from the field of education: Headteacher of the year Catherine Myers, primary teacher of the year Steve Mills, teaching assistant of the year Trish Gribble, and governor of the year Spyros Elia."

Baroness Walmsley answers a question posed by Mr Teacher, approximately thirteen minutes into the clip.

Jon Venables

2010-03-15T13:58:00.002Z

The unmistakable and unforgettable picture of Jon Venables' police mugshot has been staring out at us once again from daily newspapers and television sets over the past two weeks as the story of his recent re-arrest continues to be headline news. From a media perspective, it will always be newsworthy because the horrific murder of James Bulger will always be an emotive issue, no matter how many years pass.

Venables and fellow murderer Robert Thompson abducted two year-old James Bulger from a shopping centre in Merseyside on 12th February 1993. The CCTV images of baby James being led away to his death, like the pictures of his killers, are instantly recognisable for British people above a certain age. James was senselessly tortured and the discovery of his half-naked, battered body on a railway line, halved by a train, sparked a manhunt that ended with the arrest and subsequent conviction in an adult court of Venables and Thompson, then aged ten. It was a crime that shocked the nation and there were calls from most quarters for the guilty pair to be locked up forever. However, this was not to be. Convicted of murder and sentenced to compulsory life sentences, they were freed at the first opportunity on life licences in 2001, aged 18, without having spent even one night in an adult prison.

The picture of Venables that has recently been in front of us once again is the same one that we first saw when his identity was revealed seventeen years ago. That is because two of the most notorious killers Britain has ever known were granted life-long anonymity on their release, which means that they are two of only four people who have ever been given this level of protection. The others are Mary Bell and Maxine Carr. Creating new identities and setting up new lives for Venables and Thompson, and their families, has cost millions of pounds of taxpayers' money. With the news that Venables has been sent to jail after breaching the terms of his parole, it has been strongly suggested that this money - much of which went towards rehabilitation programmes - has been wasted.

In addition to the outcry over Venables' apparently failed rehabilitation, lots has been said and written about how much, or indeed how little, information should be released into the public domain. I disagree with the public clamour for information. We do not need to know every detail of the current case. There is a big difference between curiosity and necessity. The same tabloids who are demanding to know exactly what he has done, and for his new identity to be revealed, would be outraged and equally critical if he were to be acquitted because of the impossibility of a fair trial. Bloodlust and vengeance, understandable in this instance, must not be allowed to outweigh the importance of a proper judicial process. I do believe, however, that James' parents Denise Fergus and Ralph Bulger are entitled to know every detail about how their son died and about the two people who killed him. Certainly, they have a right to be kept fully informed about Venables' current situation. They deserve full disclosure. Current Justice Secretary Jack Straw - who has struggled to remember James' mother's name - and current Home Secretary Alan Johnson should be ashamed of their dithering and their lack of continuity over the issue. Their hopelessness is overshadowed only by the idiocy of children's commissioner Maggie Atkinson, who recently described James' death as "unpleasant." She should be sacked before she has the chance to resign.

She is not the only person who has been involved with, or who has commented on, this case who should be officially investigated for stupidity. Someone, or some persons, within the parole board are very much at fault. The revelations that Venables breached his licence conditions on several occasions by returning to Merseyside without authorisation, taking drugs and getting involved in public brawls and stabbings before finally being taken into custody for alleged child ponography charges, must lead to some level of formal inquiry. Why was he not immediately remanded in custody once he had taken the decision to breach his conditions? Why was he given several chances before his licence was revoked? Why were James Bulger's parents not notified immediately of his re-arrest? Also, it defies belief that he was prepared and able to access pornographic images of children while supposedly under close supervision. How could this have been allowed to happen? These are some of the serious questions that must be answered.

As for the allegation itself, it is of course shocking and serious. The murderous pair were never fully, properly questioned about the possibility that James' abduction and killing were sexually motivated. They reacted angrily and hysterically when this possibility was raised by the investigating officers. When James' body was discovered, his trousers, pants and socks had been removed - before he was beaten to death - and there were physical signs that suggested he was sexually abused. These facts were mentioned at the trial but have rarely been reported in detail in the media. In light of the most recent allegation against Venables, it is inconceivable that he should not be considered as a serious risk to children if re-released.

The suggestion that Venables could be re-released without charge and then given another new identity is as disgraceful as it is horrifying. In my opinion, he literally got away with murder in 1993 and, arguably, was rewarded for killing James Bulger. He spent eight years at Red Banks Children's Home, only thirteen miles from where his young victim lived with his family. In addition to structured rehab, private tuition, cookery lessons, trips to watch Manchester United and a holiday abroad, among other things, taxpayers' money paid for him to have a TV, a computer and cash gifts for birthdays and Xmas. After eight years of pampering - the likes of which neither he nor Thompson would have dared to dream about while still living with their dysfunctinal families prior to committing murder - he was released, as I have said, without having to endure any time in an adult jail. This was a mistake. Maybe if he had been sentenced to even a minimal amount of time in proper prison, the experience would have deterred him from committing further crimes? Instead, he was released into a world that he did not know and, it seems, where he was not properly supervised. Once again, this raises several unanswered questions.

Venables is no longer a ten year-old boy. He is a twenty-seven year old man. It has been suggested that he is a drug user and a heavy drinker with a violent temper. He is a convicted murderer and a suspected paedophile. He knew the broad consequences of breaching his licence conditions and, in spite of this, chose to do so. He made these decisions as an adult. Therefore, he must face the consequences and, if convicted of the alleged charges against him, should spend the rest of his life locked up in a cell, known to guards and fellow prisoners by his orignal name of Jon Venables.

No ifs, no buts, no nazis

2010-03-13T17:36:00.002Z

"British National Party members will not be banned from teaching.... Teachers in England should not be banned from membership of the BNP or any group which may promote racism, a review has concluded."

This was the headline and the opening paragraph on the education section of the BBC news website yesterday. Prompted, we are told, by the leaked identification in September 2009 of fifteen confirmed BNP members working as teachers, the government-commissioned review was carried out by a man named Maurice Smith. He concluded: "I do not believe that barring teachers or other members of the wider school workforce from membership of legitimate organisations which may promote racism is necessary at present." I am shocked and appalled by this statement, not least because it strongly suggests that hehas written the review while being fully aware of the BNP's intolerant agenda and the possibility that this could be allowed to infiltrate schools and therefore the impressionable minds of schoolchildren. The implications horrify me.

The first problem is that the BNP is a legally constituted political party. I am very much in favour of free speech and I believe that every member of a democratic society has the initial right to openly voice his/her beliefs without fear of persecution. However, if these beliefs advocate or encourage the persecution of other members of the same democratic society then that individual or group of individuals should forfeit their right to promote and practice these beliefs. In short, it is abhorrent that the odious Nick Griffin is at the helm of a legal, officially recognised political party and not, as should be the case, the gagged boss of a shunned, powerless mob. If banning current BNP members from teaching, or banning current teachers from joining the BNP, would currently lead to legal proceedings then there is clearly a systemic problem. The law needs to be changed in order to protect students and school staff from being subjected to the racist propaganda of a mindless minority. To suggest otherwise is to destroy the sense of community cohesion, the gel that holds many schools together.

The second problem is the idiocy of the Labour government's Education Secretary. It is damning and shameful that Ed Balls, who sought the review with the intention of preventing the promotion of racism in schools, accepted the findings without complaint. This absurd decision defies belief and, in a political system that professes to uphold personal responsibilty, his resignation should be forthcoming. Any lingering shred of trust that public sector education workers still had in him following the most recent announcements on pay has surely, finally disappeared. As a brilliantly written article on The Morning Star website points out: "When it comes to recommendations from statutory pay review bodies for public services, the government feels free to ignore as much as it wants, but, in the case of protecting children from the toxic growth of racism, it swallows the lot."

Griffin reacted to this gift from the government by saying: "Today is a good day for British democracy." He went on to make a comment that, on the surface, seems to be perfectly reasonable: "Teachers should... keep their politics strictly from the classroom." He is correct, of course. However, this does not mean that this despicable little man - who has described the country he lives in as "a multi-racial hell-hole" - has softened or in any way adjusted his racist views. It simply illustrates that he is perhaps less stupid than he used to be. Even he will have realised that the review's conclusions are favourable towards his modern-day nazi party and that another offensive quote from himself - such as "I want to see Britain become 99% genetically white" - would do more to hinder rather than help his fascist cause at a time when a former chief inspector of schools, Smith, has set a staggering precedent by giving the green light for teachers to admit to official BNP affiliation and, worse still, for BNP members to apply for teaching positions.

NASUWT General Secretary Christine Keats voiced her concerns at the review: "The idea that a person who signs up to membership of the BNP can simply leave these beliefs at the school gate and behave as a 'professional' when they walk into school is risible... The report is woefully inadequate." I agree completely with what she said. Smith's review is, at best, dangerously naive and he has opened up the very real possibility that legitimised fascists will be legally entitled to put themselves in a position to shape and to influence the thinking of children by promoting, for example, racial, ethnic and religious intolerance.

Schools cannot afford to adopt a neutral stance on this issue. We should be openly and actively ant-fascist. There needs to be a blanket ban on BNP members working in education, as there is for the police force and the prison service. No ifs, no buts, no nazi bastards in our schools.

No thanks, Nick

2010-03-06T17:12:00.003Z

I have always said that Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg is less of an arsehole than the other two clowns and that he may even be one of us, a man of the people, because, like most of us, he will never get the chance to run this country and, like the average person on the street, he seems to have no idea as to how far the condition of schooling has deteriorated. As the man at the helm of what is politely described as Britain's third main political party, because there are two others that the voting public can stomach just a little bit more, he is in a position to promise whatever the hell he likes because he will not win an election and therefore his manifesto pledges will never actually be put to the test.

So, I am not surprised to hear that he is threatening to treat us with a "£2.5 billion education package" in the wake of a miraculous Lib Dem victory. Well, my answer would be thanks, but no thanks, because education does not need more money. It is awash with dosh. There are already enough piles of cash floating around school corridors and lots of it is being wasted, wasted on unnecessary tiers of so-called leaderhips teams being paid mind-boggling salaries to hinder rather than help their staff; technology from the realms of science-fiction stories for kids who can touch-type and beat the end of level baddie every time but who can hardly write their names with a pencil and a bit of paper; fancy new buildings with no walls and big, soft chairs to replace the old buildings that were in need of nothing more than a lick of paint and a little bit of respect; and of course too many teaching and non-teaching staff who are, quite frankly, rubbish at their jobs. It would be remiss of me, also, to get to the end of this post/rant without pointing out that zero-tolerance on disruptive, disrepectful, anti-social behaviour costs much less than two and a half billion punds. In fact, it costs nothing at all.

Having said all of that, if Mr Clegg has made cuts elsewhere and now has an urge to splurge the money burning a hole in his pocket on things that might help kids pass those pesky exams, then perhaps he could start by funding parenting classes for the jobless baby-makers who continue to take full advantage of the all-too-easy quids-for-kids system that is sucking the rest of us dry. You didn't go to the class but went to the matinee bingo instead? Fair enough, but no benefits money for you. Next. You went to the class but didn't bother using the techniques you learned so your brats are still a burden to the school? Well, that was your first and last chance to turn things around so no cash for you either. Ever. Problem solved. And it wouldn't have cost me 2.5 billion to set it up.

MPs' pay rise

2010-03-05T13:27:00.003Z

As the recession continues to bite and most other public sector workers brace themselves for a pay freeze that is in fact a real-terms pay cut, the lying, thieving, hypocritical bastards from Westminster will enjoy a rise of nearly £1,000 in their basic salary from 1 April 2010, taking their pay to an enviable £65,737 a year. This 1.5% increase follows outrage at the MPs' expenses scandal and is certain to provoke a furious yet ultimately futile reaction from alert observers.

Teaching Meme

2010-03-02T09:49:00.004Z

I found this meme on California LiveWire, a blog about teaching in the Golden State. This is not normally my sort of thing but I liked the questions so have decided to give it a go myself:

1. I am a good teacher because... I love to teach. I have a passion for my subject and for the job in general and believe that I am capable of enthusing the students in my classes.

2. If I weren’t a teacher, I would be... a failed writer, an unemployed actor, an infamous adventurer or a reasonably regular recipient of the local pub's employee of the month award.

3. My teaching style is... undeniably firm but fair. I am laid-back and like to use lots of humour when appropriate but do not tolerate bad manners and can raise my voice with the best of them.

4. My classroom is... truly brilliant. I have spent lots of time and money out of my own pocket to get it just right and believe it is the best room I have ever worked in. This is backed up by the students' appreciation of and resect for their surroundings.

5. My lesson plans are... neatly filed in my head and, when I can be bothered, scribbled on scraps of paper.

6. One of my teaching goals is... survival. I seem to be on a career-long tour of Britain's worst schools so getting to the end of each week without filling in an application form for a grammar school is a genuine achievement.

7. The toughest part of teaching is... being able to ignore the morons, the lazies, the lambs in charge of lions, the politics and the bullshit paperwork. Monday mornings also tend to be quite difficult.

8. The thing I love most about teaching is... Friday afternoon. My second favourite thing is watching students whom I have taught for a few years make decent progress in school, on their way to making good choices and beginning good lives. This makes it all seem worthwhile.

9. A common misconception about teaching is... that, when teachers are not on holiday, we work daily from 9 > 3, at best. This really, really winds me up.

10. The most important thing I’ve learned since I started teaching is... to stay clear of the bureaucrats and to ignore the staff and students who keep me down by choosing instead to work with the competent colleagues and the ambitious students in order to make a positive impact.

What's in a name? PART 2

2010-03-01T11:43:00.002Z

In November of last year I wrote a post on this blog entitled "What's in a name?" about an unemployed "mother" of thirteen kids who had vowed to keep getting pregnant until she she had twins. No, I am not making this up. She didn't want to be tagged a layabout scrounger - well, we can't have everything - but was happy to pick up £4,200 every month in benefits. This sort of thing really pisses me of. It always has and it always will.

In addition to setting a terrible example to her herd by imposing upon others the cost of "raising" her children, this lazy cow foisted her ridiculous, selfish judgement onto them by damaging them for life with names that only an idiot could deem to be a good idea: Peppermint, Echo, Rogue, Frodo, Morteus, Artemis, Blackbird, Baudelaire and Voorhees.

Well, it seems that this moron is not alone and that, in fact, her baker's dozen may have got a better deal than many others. For example, spare a thought for Stan Still, Mary Christmas, Hazel Nutt and Carrie Oakey.

In a nutshell

2010-02-27T10:34:00.004Z

Here is a summary of the working week just gone: 1 teacher; 5 days; 39 hours; 24 lessons; 219 students; 4 meetings; 3 subjects; 2 fights; 1 detention; 0 pieces of decent gossip.

Loadsa money

2010-02-26T16:41:00.003Z

This is a free-to-enter competition that will take you hardly any time at all. For the chance to win $200 every month and/or the almost unbelievable grand prize of $5,000, click here and follow the simple instructions.

What? You haven't clicked on the link yet? Why the hell not?! Didn't you get the bit about loads of free cash at the click of a button? Go on, give it a try you silly thing....

Gnawing doubt

2010-02-23T16:56:00.002Z

The past two days at work have been rather strange. Not because we have just started back after nine days off, after which it is always difficult to get back into the swing of things. Not because I am completely exhausted after a very enjoyable yet far from restful half-term away from students and colleagues and among family and friends. And, finally, not even because I saw a shocking display of incompetence today from a cover teacher who should know better. It has been strange, worryingly so, because I have become quite detached from my job. I am putting minimal effort into the preparation and delivery of my lessons, hoping that they will go reasonably well rather than striving, as I have always done up to this point, to deliver lessons that are continually challenging, engaging and exciting for the kids in my classes. I don't care as much any more. I just want to do what I have to do to get through the day and then go home.

During one Year 9 lesson this afternoon, I realised that even I was bored by the so-called information spilling out of my mouth. This realisation, which is of course difficult for me to admit, terrifies me. This is leading me to doubt my desire - not my ability - to teach the same subject year after year. Therefore, for the first time in my career I am considering the possibilty of changing direction by joining another department to teach another subject in the hope that this might rekindle my passion for teaching, which would then be reflected in my lessons. Perhaps I will feel differently next week, perhaps not. I don't know at this stage. What I do know is that I have serious doubts about whether or not things can go on like this before I seek to make proper changes or before inevitable changes are forced upon me.

Charity on Twitter

2010-02-23T16:53:00.001Z

Please take a look at my latest tweets for some great ways to help raise money in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Peter Pan Week 2010

2010-02-05T18:52:00.002Z

Mr Teacher @ The Orwell Prize

2010-02-03T18:10:00.003Z

The full list of entries for The Orwell Prize 2010 has been published, with yours truly among the 164 hopefuls in the blogger category. The longlists will be announced on 24.3.10. Please keep your fingers crossed for me and watch this space....

The 100 Club

2010-01-16T12:50:00.004Z

I set up my blog almost two years ago and wrote my first ever post, Sunday melancholy, on Sunday 20th April 2008. Although I have had a few breaks when I have went a period of weeks or even months without logging on and posting my thoughts and observations, for the most part I have made a genuine, consistent effort to blog on a regular basis. Also, I read other people's blogs and, when appropriate, make a comment. I am still pleased and I still get excited when people comment on what I have written, even when the opinions differ from mine!

For me, blogging is a way to express my views on what it is like to be a teacher, with many posts being specific to my current school. I have become a much more reflective practitioner since becoming Mr Teacher. Also, I have become more aware of and involved in wide-ranging school issues and the political aspects of the education system in this country and elsewhere. Crucially, I enjoy it. It can be cathartic at times, allowing me to vent my frustrations and voice my concerns via a safe, anonymous medium where nothing is expected of me.

This is my 100th post and I have decided to include a list of my favourites from this blog, in chronological order. I hope you enjoy looking back over these as much as I did:

Freedom versus Responsibility Tuesday 29th April 2008: I read an article on the Washington Post on-line site about American teachers who were suspended from their jobs because they had signed up for various accounts on social networking sites such as Facebook, Bebo, MySpace etc. Their profiles, many of them available for public viewing, often consisted of vulgar and sexually explicit content. This prompted me to write a post about the potential dangers of teachers using these sites. For the first time, I realised that if my school or the local education authority ever stumbled on the potentially explosive remarks on this blog, and discovered my identity, then I would almost certainly lose my job and therefore ruin my career. This is something that still concerns me.

Disillusionment Friday 23rd May 2008: I wrote this post after some particularly difficult weeks at work, with incidents involving alcohol, drugs, truancy, violence and resignations. It doesn't make for pleasant reading and, sadly, approximately eighteen months have passed and I do not feel much better about my current job situation.

Strip-tease teacher Sunday 29th June 2008: A supply teacher in England defends his decision to take his clothes off in front of his students. Yes, really.

The academic year looms again.... Sunday 31st August 2008: I wrote this post the day before the start of the current academic year.

Education ennui Wednesday 3rd September 2008: My analysis of some typical, typically boring, staff development days.

Oops! Sunday 14th September 2008: A funny picture of *really* bad spelling.

Death of a legend Sunday 28th September 2008: This is one of the few posts that is not related to teaching and education. I wrote this as a small, personal tribute following the death of Paul Newman, one of the greatest actors of all time.

Bad parents Wednesday 24th December 2008: I have another go at the feckless parents who fail their kids, which inevitably has a negative impact on my job.

Teachers banned from using red ink Thursday 1st January 2009: One of many barmy ideas from the people in fancy suits with too much time and not enough brains.

Teacher fired from weraing trainers Thursday 1st January 2009: This story was widely reported in the press at the time and grabbed my attention. The protestations and arguments from the main protagonist really got on my fragile nerves, so much so that I subsequently blogged about it on two more occasions: The scruffy teacher again (Saturday 3rd January 2009); The teacher in trainers (Friday 20th March 2009).

What about the teacher's rights? Friday 27th February 2009: I argue that train drivers, GPs, bank clerks, supermarket workers, flight attendants, bus drivers and postal workers seems to have more rights and are afforded more respect and protection than teachers.

Behaviour Behaviour Behaviour Friday 17th April 2009: Discipline or, more accurately, indiscipline is the most important and most opften ignore issue in education. It changes everything for the better or for the worse. This is the first of many posts on this issue, which never goes away, including Rate your teaching (Saturday 12th September 2009).

Fair pay for teachers Thursday 16th April 2009: Yet another important and frequently debated issue in education, one that I go on to mention again on this blog: Lying, thieving, hypocritical bastards (Monday 14th December 2009). Lots of people reacted to these posts and they didn't all share my opinion.

From the mouths of babes Saturday 19th September 2009: Two Year 8 girls talk about a pierced penis that one of them has seen! Year 8 = 12 years old!!

34 Wednesday 18th November 2009: Until recently, this was the number of students in one of my classes. Unbelievably, there are now even more of them: 35 (Wednesday 6th January 2010).

What's in a name? Monday 23rd November 2009: Thirty-nine years old. Thirteen kids and another on the way. No job. I can hardly contain my rage. This post sparked quite a few comments.

"Sir, does spelling matter?" Thursday 3rd December 2009: I was invited to write a guest post on The Times Online's education blog, School Gate. I wrote about poor spelling, poor parenting, poor teaching, etc and this sparked a massive, varied reaction and 115 comments.

Hopefully I have another one hundred posts in me....

Snow chance

2010-01-12T19:50:00.002Z

As the Big Freeze turns to the Big Thaw, I am finally beginning to admit to myself that the game is up: It is highly unlikely that there will be any more guilt-free paid days at home (aka Snow Days) in the near future. As the fun of the snow becomes the misery of the slush, I need to switch back on and accept that it is business as usual from here on in and five days per week at school will be the norm until the half-term in February. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

35

2010-01-06T16:11:00.001Z

The new year has brought me yet another new student. This class now has thirty-five students in it. Madness.

Win $5,000

2010-01-02T10:54:00.002Z

This is a free-to-enter competition that will take only a few minutes of your time. For the chance to win $200 every month and/or the grand prize of $5,000, click here and follow the simple instructions.

Get the new year off to a great start- give it a go!

2010

2010-01-01T14:41:00.000Z

Happy New Year.

Happy holidays

2009-12-25T11:04:00.002Z

Merry Xmas and best wishes for 2010 to everyone who takes the time to read and comment on my blog.

Lying, thieving, hypocritical bastards

2009-12-14T20:57:00.004Z

Regular readers of this blog will know that I have very strong feelings on the issue of teacher's pay, for obvious reasons. I have already vented my spleen in three previous posts: Striking debate, Anger and apathy and Fair pay for teachers.

On Wednesday 9th December 2009, I finally lost faith in and all respect for the disgusting sham that is the Labour government when Alistair Darling made public the details of his pre-Budget report (PRB). Putting the interests of his party before the interests of the public and in the process making a mockery of his previous claims that he would always put economics before politics, the current Chancellor enraged public sector workers by proposing a 1% cap on their wage deals for two years from 2011. Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ed Balls claimed that the pay cap should not be considered as a "pay freeze." For once, he is correct: With inflation predicted to be at a minimum of 1.5% in 2011 and a minimum of 2% in 2012, it is effectively a real-terms pay cut.

These recent figures are at odds with the previous recommendations made to the government by the School Teacher's Review Body (STRB), which were also inadequate: On the back of three consecutive years of below-inflation pay increases, last year the STRB proposed a three year pay plan for teachers, beginning with a 2.45% basic pay rise from September 2008 (a figure that now seems positively lavish), with further increases of 2.3% for the following two years. I argued strongly at the time that this was not good enough because soaring living expenses meant that this was effectively a proposed decline in salaries and therefore a real-terms cut in the standard of living. It prompted a firm response from the National Union of Teachers (NUT), namely the first national strike over pay for more than twenty years in April 2008. These previous recommendations have clearly been shelved and things are now far worse. I anticipate an equally strong union response to the most recent "proposal." We must not stand idly by as the elected criminals in Westminster lower our standard of living.

The projected level of misery is compounded by a cap on contributions to the already small public sector pensions and a 0.5% rise in national insurance payments for those of us earning more than £20,000 per year (The absolute minimum wage for a teacher in England starting in September 2010 will be approximately £21,588 ).

It cannot be denied that Britain has been hit hard by the worldwide recession. The country is suffering from record levels of national debt. I realise and accept that drastic action is required in order to solve this crisis. However, I resent that public sector workers such as myself are set to be severely penalised for the unforgivable errors of others, most notably those employed in the upper echelons of the banking sector. Teachers, along with nurses, social workers, dinner ladies, etc will be made to bear the brunt of swingeing cuts that have been forced upon us by the selfish madness of rich bankers.

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), among others, was spared from almost certain extinction by taxpayers' hard-earned cash. We were not asked for our opinion. The money was simply taken from us. Yet, instead of repaying this money once back on their feet, the bankers continue to pay themselves fat salaries and vulgar bonuses. The proposed one-off 50% tax on bank bonuses of more than £25,000 is laughable and will do nothing to curb their shameless greed and thereby appease the angry masses. Any half-decent lawyer would have easily found a loophole in this before the clueless Chancellor had sat back down. Although the public sector pay cuts will raise approximately £550 million - partly to replenish this country's sorely depleted coffers and partly to accommodate optimistically large future spending plans - this is a drop in the ocean when you consider the billions and perhaps trillions of pounds that are owed and is a far cry from the "hard line" on bank bonuses that we were assured of.

Disgracefully, the proposed public sector pay freeze will not apply to MPs, a bunch of out-of-touch juveniles who have infamously shamed themselves this year by using so-called scarce public funds to pay for such things as Ikea carrier bags, rubber gloves, a mug of Horlicks, a spatula set, a toilet seat, pornographic films and the television sets to watch them on. Oh, and we mustn't forget to include mortgage payments on houses that had already been paid for. They are making fools of us all and should be in jail rather in government.

£176 billion, the suggested total of the country's borrowing for next year, is a fantasy figure in my world, a number that is probably true but one that means nothing to me. I am much more interested in and aware of my monthly income, a number that continually fails to accurately reflect two very important factors: My workload and the cost of living.

Consumption and aspiration, two abstract yet dangerously under-estimated catalysts of growth, were delivered a hammer blow by Darling's PBR. Standard middle earners, the backbone of the vote that swept warmonger Tony Blair and his bumbling gang into power instead of a weak Tory way back in 1997, have been mercilessly stabbed in the back by way of thanks this past week. The consequences remain to be seen but it is unimaginable that they will not be powerful and unprecedented.

Mr Teacher @ The Washington Post Online

2009-12-07T22:15:00.002Z

A very kind and very perceptive reader of The Washington Post's online education section, Class Struggle, has nominated me to win the column's best education blog for 2009.

Mr Teacher @ Monday Books

2009-12-04T17:38:00.003Z

My guest post on School Gate has been mentioned on the Monday Books blog.

Mr Teacher @ Times Online

2009-12-03T09:52:00.002Z

Journalist, legend and blogger friend Sarah Ebner, who is in charge of the wonderful School Gate, recently asked me if I would like to write a guest post for her about the realities of teaching. I said Yes!, of course. I don't get out much and am really pleased and genuinely excited to have something I have written included on such a well-respected and popular site. Mrs T will be *so* proud of me. You can read it here.

Carnival, again

2009-12-03T09:49:00.001Z

Clix at Epic Adventures are Often Uncomfortable has included two of my most recent blog entries in this week's carnival, along with lots of other interesting posts. Check it out!

Lessons about domestic violence

2009-11-26T18:31:00.002Z

"Every school pupil in England is to be taught that domestic violence against women and girls is unacceptable, as part of a new government strategy. Under the plans, from 2011 children will be taught from the age of five how to prevent violent relationships."

Of course I agree that domestic violence and abusive relationships are wrong. So are murder, rape, burglary, bestiality and necrophilia. Will teachers also be required to teach students about these crimes?

Well, I have a better idea: Why not allow teachers to teach the subjects that they are trained in and familiar with, rather than expecting them to solve everything in a classroom environment? It's a wacky one, I know, but let's give it a go. Can schools solve all problems? No, they bloody can't! Leave us in peace to teach our subjects!!

Carnival

2009-11-25T19:05:00.002Z

The fifth edition of the Carnival of Educators is up and running over at Notes From a Homeschooling Mom. I must be particularly ranty lately because I have three posts on there. There are lots of interesting posts and it is certainly worth a visit!

A day in the life

2009-11-24T19:46:00.003Z

It occurred to me late last night that after twenty months and eighty-six posts, I have never given an insight into my daily routine. Yes, I wax lyrical about policies and government initiatives and the colleagues who either inspire me or, increasingly, drive me to despair. And yes, sometimes I am so bold as to offer my own solutions to education's many, many problems. I am a teacher, the clue is in the title, and I write almost exclusively about teaching and learning issues. Yet it could be argued that people have no idea as to what I do all day. So, in case you were wondering, here is a summary of what I did today:

The alarm woke me up at 6:20am. I could hear that Mrs Teacher was already in the shower so I hit the snooze and finally got out of bed ten minutes later. I never eat breakfast at home during the week because I can't relax as much as I would like to for fear of getting too comfortable and leaving too late. Or not leaving at all. So, I locked my front door at 7:05 and listened to the car radio on the way in, via a stop to drop the aforementioned Mrs T at the train station. Arrived at work at 7:30, one hour and twenty minutes before the start of the first lesson.

I put the exercise books that I had corrected over the weekend and last night back in their boxes and then took the chairs down off the tables. Rather strangely, I loathe this mundane table-and-chair routine and even dread it at times. Of course, I could wait and get the kids to do this themselves but in my experience it is much better to be organised and ready to start as soon as they turn up. It cuts down on the hassle.

The first lot shuffled in about 8:50 for the dreaded double lesson, lasting until morning break just before 11:00. I spent most of the allowed twenty minutes writing basic things on the board - title, date, learning objectives - and generally getting the room ready for the lessons to come. I managed to grab a quick cup of coffee but, as usual, didn't really have the time to take a breath.

I then taught three consecutive lessons to three different year groups before the next opportunity to switch off, each one requiring a tremendous amount of preparation, energy and enthusiasm.

Thirty-five minutes of a fifty minute lunch was spent sitting upstairs in the main staff room, having something to eat and drink. My colleagues and I chatted as we ate, sometimes about our lives and loves away from school but mostly about our students and our heavy, unreasonable workloads. All of us with one eye on the big clock on the wall, of course.

Normally I would work for at least an hour and a half before leaving but no such luck tonight: It's a parent consultation evening so, after roughly forty-five very similar appointments, I get in my battered old VW and drive through the school gates in my favourite direction at exactly 6:48pm, eleven hours and eighteen minutes after I arrived. I got back home just after 7:00, twelve hours since I had last been there.

After an hour spent marking books while eating my dinner, I took a shower and now I am writing this post. As soon as it is done I will slump in front of the tv for a short while before going to bed and starting all over again.

What's in a name?

2009-11-23T19:59:00.004Z

This lazy, selfish cow has 13 kids and another on the way at the age of 39. Does she have a job to support her brood? Does she hell! This sort of things really gets on my nerves because it is obvious that this creature, Sara Foss, and her partner do not view having a family in the same way that I and most others do, namely that it is something that needs to be planned and thereafter paid for. By yourself.

She has vowed to keep churning them out until she fulfils her dream of having twins. Well, how wonderful for the rest of us who are up to our armpits in taxes so that she can stay at home all day, "begin her chores at 4am every morning and keep the house spotlessly clean to avoid being tagged a layabout scrounger." Too late, love. Unless her boat-building fella has a lucrative contract to build boats for the ministry of defence, I maintain that she is feeding and clothing her clan with money from my pocket. This vile, selfish pair receives a whopping £4,200 every month in benefits. That is more than Mrs Teacher and I earn between us and we rarely put in less than a combined total of 90 hours graft per week. Imagine how much that sticks in the throat. No doubt they were given a free house and don't have to cough up for council tax, gas or electric. This leaves them with more taxes to squander on fags and booze and cheap food. Here's an idea: Why not do us all a favour and splash out on a packet of condoms? It is wrong, plain and simple, and is a stand-out example of everything that is wrong with this wretched country.

To compound an already disastrous situation, she has already foisted her appalling lack of judgement onto some of her offspring by calling them Peppermint, Echo, Rogue, Frodo, Morpheus, Artemis, Blackbird, Baudelaire and Voorhees. Need I say more?

34

2009-11-18T10:03:00.002Z

I remember 1 lesson when I had to teach 2 full groups of students in 1 normal-sized classroom, a grand total of about 60 kids. This was due to the selfishness and stupidity of a former colleague who has since moved on, no doubt to a high-ranking position in education. This was, of course, madness. It makes me laugh out loud when I read articles about the maximum number of students who should be in a class at any given time because it always makes me think of this incident.

I am timetabled to teach about 10 different classes this year, varying in age and ability level. 1 of the Key Stage 4 groups has only 12 kids in it but the rest have between 28 and 30. There is, however, 1 notable exception: 1 class has exactly 34 students on the register. I argue that, in terms of teaching and learning, there isn't really a worthwhile difference between a class with between 28-30 kids and a class with anywhere up to 36 kids. The triumphs and problems probably wouldn't differ too much, except when it comes to marking their books and tests and trying to make appointments for parents evening. I do begin to see a problem, however, when there isn't enough physical space for this to work. Everybody must have a desk to lean on and a chair to sit on. There must be enough space for the teacher to move, unobstructed, around the room. Anything less isn't viable and isn't safe.

This is the situation I find myself in on 3 occasions every week when 34 kids have to learn and be taught in a room with 30 desks and 30 chairs. The "solution" is to beg and borrow 4 chairs beforehand and have the poor sods who arrive last sit in the narrow spaces between rows with their materials either on their laps or on other people's desks. It isn't fair on anybody, myself included, to be expected to progress in this sort of environment. This is 1 of many examples of such practice that exist here at the school I work in. Luckily the students involved are a decent bunch who get on with it without too much fuss, but surely this is even more of a reason for them to be properly treated and adequately catered for?

I have no doubt that there are loads of teachers who can empathise with this all too common problem. There needs to be a national, legally-binding consensus between the government and schools whereby a maximum number of students per class is agreed upon and is never breached.

Sex, Ed?!

2009-11-07T13:01:00.007Z

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 relationships, 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 complain 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 their 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-bias information to the children in our care.

Tweet Tweet

2009-10-23T20:55:00.002+01:00

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.

Spelling disaster

2009-10-03T17:12:00.005+01:00

This is the short conversation that I had, during a lesson, with one of my Year 8 students on Friday afternoon:

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."

From the mouths of babes

2009-09-19T18:22:00.003+01:00

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.

Is Beadle about?

2009-09-15T18:36:00.003+01:00

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.

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 one 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 immediately, my feckless HOD work on my last nerve, I hope you are all entertained.

Rate your teaching

2009-09-12T10:32:00.005+01:00

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 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 head teachers, qualified teachers and student teachers, Dr Haydn has developed the following 10-point scale that charts student behaviour in the classroom:

10. Teacher is completely relaxed and comfortable and able to work without concern.

9. Teacher is 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 is 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 impossible 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 year, 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 encouraging 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?

Guest blogging on School Gate

2009-05-12T17:20:00.003+01:00

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.

Rose report

2009-05-05T13:00:00.003+01:00

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.

The computer age

2009-05-04T14:25:00.002+01:00

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.

Hunger and Hope

2009-04-28T20:00:00.002+01:00

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.

Behaviour Behaviour Behaviour

2009-04-17T13:29:00.007+01:00

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 entitled "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 and Mortarboard, the Guardian's education blog.

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 improvement." 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 with 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.

Fair pay for teachers

2009-04-16T13:05:00.005+01:00

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 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 support 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 its 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.

Teaching quotes

2009-03-28T11:08:00.007Z

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 teacher in trainers

2009-03-20T14:45:00.003Z

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.

What about the teacher's rights?

2009-02-27T14:56:00.006Z

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."

The scruffy teacher again

2009-01-03T14:12:00.007Z

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!

Teacher fired for wearing trainers

2009-01-01T17:48:00.006Z

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.

Teachers banned from using red ink

2009-01-01T13:46:00.005Z

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!

Seasons greetings

2008-12-31T17:28:00.003Z

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.

Bad parents

2008-12-24T10:59:00.002Z

"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.

BBC news: "Schools seek police aid"

2008-12-23T20:52:00.002Z

After reading this article on the bbc news website, I am now wondering which Tory MP is using my blog as inspiration!

Police Academy

2008-12-17T17:57:00.006Z

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?

Massaging the figures

2008-12-16T18:11:00.004Z

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'll be back!

2008-12-09T20:59:00.000Z

Mr Teacher will be back very soon.

And the nominations are....

2008-10-04T09:49:00.003+01:00

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.

What credit crunch?!

2008-10-02T16:22:00.006+01:00

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:

Death of a legend

2008-09-28T11:13:00.004+01:00

"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.

School Gate @ The Times Online

2008-09-27T10:12:00.004+01:00

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.

Mixed emotions

2008-09-16T17:50:00.004+01:00

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.

Education and Creativity

2008-09-15T17:31:00.003+01:00

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.

Oops!

2008-09-14T17:13:00.003+01:00

Drunken high jump

2008-09-14T14:08:00.001+01:00

The following clip is hilarious and made me laugh out loud:

FL 390: Pilot blog

2008-09-14T12:00:00.003+01:00

I stumbled on this blog yesterday and would like to recommend it. It is a fascinating and very worthwhile read.

My first ever blog award!

2008-09-14T08:22:00.006+01:00

A big thank you to Melissa B for bestowing on me my first ever blog award.

Aaarrrggghhhh!

2008-09-12T18:14:00.002+01:00

I did not expect that my transition from textbook teacher to modern technology legend would run smoothly. These things rarely go according to plan. Change is never easy. Today, laying the requisite foundations for the changes I mentioned in yesterday's post was made more difficult than it needed to be due to the following complications: No fewer than three colleagues let their students out of class almost ten minutes late, meaning that my time with them was restricted; our ICT network is extremely temperemental; kids are rubbish at following simple instructions; and finally, crucially, some students who normally work and behave well with me when in my normal classroom were unable to cope with the changes when we went upstairs to the computer room. The silly things seemed to assume, wrongly of course, that my standard expectations would not apply. Not many of them, but nonetheless too many.

The whole day was by no means a disaster, however. Progress was made and some good groundwork was put in place. I am annoyed and very frustrated but I am also resilient. I remain committed to implementing my new ideas and will charge ahead next week with renewed energy and vigour.

My 50th post

2008-09-11T16:21:00.010+01:00

When students reach the point when they are choosing their options for further study - when only English, maths and science are compulsory - my subject suffers tremendously. In other words, hardly anybody picks it. This pains me because I have come to admit to myself that, as a teacher, I must shoulder some of the resonsibility. And I have decided that it is partly due to the fact that my lessons, and my delivery of these lessons, have not been sufficiently interesting and engaging. This is a hard pill to swallow and it has taken me a long time to come round to this way of thinking. I genuinely believe that I am a very good, organised, likeable, harsh-but-fair sort of teacher who gets on well with and manages to educate all but the really horrible kids, and even some of those. However, I am not the finished article and I know that I am still learning my trade, a trade that is constantly evolving.

One of my main flaws is that, to date, I have allowed myself to be wrongly directed by other, more senior and supposedly more experienced members of staff. I am referring specifically to people who also teach my subject. Mr HOD is the most obvious example: As a twenty year man, he displays no flexibility whatsoever and I often wonder how he manages to relate to the kids, particularly when he usually has trouble being social with the other adults in the staff room. I have therefore made a strong decision to distance myself almost completely from the prescriptive curriculum. I am keen to break from the rigidity that binds me, including abandoning the dreaded textbooks that have, sadly, often served as my crutch. My students are able to use wonderful technology such as interactive whiteboards, the internet, mp3 players and mobile 'phones. As am I. The problem is that I do not do so often enough. In my opinion, these devices can and should be used very frequently in the classroom, assuming that the boundaries are clear and the educational benefits are evident. I intend to move towards a more ICT-based way of teaching as a means to re-engage my students.

In recent lessons, as a prelude to this shift in method, I have discussed the aforementioned ideas with each of my classes. The prospect of change has been well-received, even by the crazies in my most challenging class. They all seem to be as excited as I am.

Over the next few weeks I hope to start using more hardware and more software in my lessons, including asking for homework to be e-mailed to me in advance of class rather than handing out books and sheets of paper. When used for the appropriate reasons, i-pods and mobiles will hopefully become as much a part of my lessons as exercise books and pens. All of this will of course require a lot of hard work and effort on my part but I am keen to push ahead with things. Mistakes will undoubtedly be made. Some things will work and some things will not. I must not be daunted by the fluidity of my job. I must try harder.

Early update

2008-09-10T20:01:00.005+01:00

Just over a week in and I am already exhausted. The days have been long and intense yet mostly very enjoyable. I have been arriving at work at 7.30am and leaving anywhere between 4.00 - 6.00pm. On top of this, of course, I have been taking work home with me. This sort of schedule and workload will inevitably take it's toll but I remain determined to maintain it for as long as possible, for my benefit as well as my students'.

Having seen all of my classes at least twice, I am now more convinced than ever that things do become easier the longer a teacher sticks with one school. This year I am teaching a total of seven different classes, of varying age groups and ability levels. I am keen to stress that it is still very, very early - too early - to make any solid judgements but I am cautiously optimistic that only one of these classes will present significant problems. Most of the students in the tricky class were with me last year and therefore I am well aware of the chaos that they are capable of creating. This situation has been compounded by the fact that, as our department's resident skull cracker, - Mr HOD is rather incompetent and Mrs F, who replaced Mrs J, is still settling in - several well-known maniacs have been added to my register. The girls in this class are particularly nasty, many of whom have been temporarily excluded on numerous occasions for offences ranging from truancy, bullying, verbal abuse of staff and physical abuse of other students. It will be a long, thankless year with them. My hope is that the strong positives I envisage with the rest of my classes will far outweigh this solitary negative. And besides, I have seen and dealt with it all countless times before.

So far, so good....

2008-09-06T10:36:00.008+01:00

Wow! The first few days of teaching and learning went really well. Having seen all but two of my classes for this year, I must admit that I have been left with a nice feeling, a feeling that I might be able to squeeze in some good, fun learning. I am actually looking forward to seeing them again next week. I am too long in the tooth to think that it will be that easy, of course, but it was certainly a positive start to the new school year, one that has left me feeling optimistic and eager to roll my sleeves up and get stuck in.

The brand new students, in particular, were great. I love teaching these kids because they have no pre-conceptions about the school and generally they quite like my subject, which helps. Hopefully this will last and we can have some great lessons together. When I first see them, I spend some time asking them about themselves and how they are settling in. Then we talk about my behavioural and academic expectations, making sure that I set the proper tone. The students are required to copy my rules in to their books and we discuss in detail exactly what the rules mean. I have six standard rules in my class.

Most of this weekend will be spent preparing lessons for the coming week, as well as sorting out some basic paperwork such as registers and mark books etc, as I strive to ensure that the positive start is maintained. Although this is far from ideal as it limits my free time, I do not grudge it because in my opinion laying the ground work at the beginning will benefit me and my students for the remainder of the year.

Education ennui

2008-09-03T16:22:00.004+01:00

After three days of staff development, I am now desperate to get back to doing my job. Not because I am particularly looking forward to being responsible for a classroom full of students who have no real interest in my subject; rather that having to sit through hours on end of disclaimers, so-called new ideas and seemingly endless policy jargon is causing boredom and inertia to set in, even at this very early stage. In short, I have always found that days such as I have had at work this week are a futile waste of time. I find myself thinking that I have much better things that I could be doing. Noting fading tans and old haircuts and saying hello to people whose names I can barely recall saps my energy.

Yet again this year, we have an influx of new staff who cannot wait to tell me about their previous experiences, regaling me with tales of how successful they have been as a teacher up to this point. They are in for a shock. There are a number of reasons as to why our staff turnover year on year is through the roof. The most obvious of these are that our incompetent leadership team treat us terribly; and the crazy students manage to rid themselves of adults who have no idea how to cope properly with less than perfect kids. So in spite of my relative newness, I feel like an old veteran of the halls. Hopefully - surely! - this will see me through to the weekend, when I can regroup and assess my classes for the coming year.

The academic year looms again....

2008-08-31T21:20:00.008+01:00

Tomorrow is a red letter day for me because it marks the return to school for myself and my colleagues. As always, it has come round very quickly. I feel terrified and unprepared, yet I am also aware of a previously absent level of confidence. Although it can be a very difficult shift - mostly due to reasons of unruly, anti-social student behaviour, lack of effort and professionalism from fellow classroom teachers, and frequent mismanagement from the leadership staff - I feel settled in the school and, rather strangely, I am looking forward to meeting head on the familiar, inevitable challenges that I will face before the now very distant thought of the next summer break becomes a reality. The fact that I am a returning, relatively well-established teacher certainly makes a difference and this experience will determine certain aspects of how things progress for me, whereas new staff will no doubt be hindered and more aggressively challenged, as I was and others before me were, due to their obvious lack of familiarity with the school and it's students. I have come to realise that experience is vital and it cannot be under-estimated. It breeds confidence in the teacher and sometimes fear and respect in the students, it allows me to relax while keeping them on their toes. They know that I know how things work and, vitally, those whom I have taught previously are well aware of both my tolerated limits and my behavioural/academic expectations. Working with returning students will therefore be less complicated; and new students will be easier to deal with because I have now reached a certain level of comfort in terms of my teaching and class management. All of this combined will help me to create the atmosphere of controlled learning necessary to allow me to guide my students, willing and disruptive, through the subject. I have no doubt that this will prove to be another interesting, challenging, exhausting and hopefully thoroughly rewarding year for me in my role as an educator.

Day 26- The Last Day!

2008-08-26T17:44:00.004+01:00

One of today's lessons was on the always hotly debated topic of crime and punishment. Although the suggested ideas and resources were reasonable enough to base a decent class on, I quickly abandoned this core criteria when it became apparent that the Arabic students in the class were willing to further their improving English by telling the rest of us about the legal system in their own countries. As I have already mentioned in a relatively recent post, most people, myself included, will have a general idea of Islamic law and how it is applied in those countries. To hear the details first-hand, however, is a different thing. The students, with an average age of approximately 14-16, told us true stories of public beheadings, lashings and of hands being cut off as punishments for crimes ranging from habitual theft and adultery to rape, murder and child abuse. The non-Arabic students in the room - the minority of the class - were as astounded and enthralled as I was, particularly when one of the lads spoke of how he had difficulties getting any sleep for three nights after witnessing for the first time the beheading of a criminal in a public square. Although it may seem unnatural, they so cleverly defended and justified such a system that it was difficult to feel abhorred by it all. In my opinion, it is a fascinating topic for discussion in any language.

At interval, lunch and again at the end of the day, many students asked to have their photographs taken with me. This felt great, as did the warm handshakes and the sentiments of genuine gratitude that I received from those I had taught, as well as from colleauges. It has been an interesting and worthwhile experience, one that I will remember as valuable time spent wisely. I am hopeful that I will now be better prepared when the real stuff starts back, no doubt with a bang, on the first of next month.

Day 25

2008-08-25T09:15:00.003+01:00

Lee and Peter are obviously used to living with someone who is happy to pick up after them. I say this because the condition of the house has deteriorated rapidly since their arrival: Both of the bathrooms are wet and disgusting in ways you can imagine, to the point that I dread my shaves and showers; the hall and living-room are littered with random piles of shoes and dirty socks; and the kitchen, the worst of all, is surely a health hazard- the work tops are grimy and the sink is filled with dirty dishes, so many in fact that there were no clean plates for me to eat dinner on last night. This disrespectful, lazy behaviour and general lack of tidiness/cleanliness drives me crazy. I cannot tolerate such bad manners and am very thankful indeed that tomorrow is my final shift. I shall flee to the familiarity of my own home the following day.

Day 23

2008-08-24T11:57:00.003+01:00

Having worked from 8.30am - 6.00pm today and yesterday, I now have only three shifts remaining before I can go home.

The past two days have been rather uneventful. The only thing of note is that many of the young male students from the Arabic-speaking countries have been very rude and impolite at times, both towards me as well as towards the female students from mainland Europe and Russia. This has irked me greatly and I admit to having lost my temper, to a certain extent, on one occasion.

Day 21

2008-08-24T00:19:00.004+01:00

Rick and I said our goodbyes last night. He left very early this morning to begin his journey back to Poland. I have enjoyed his company and I will miss him being around the place during this final week. Hopefully we will both make a genuine effort to keep in touch.

I am now beginning to seriously question the wisdom of taking on another job during the bulk of my summer break, particularly after a long and challenging year. The prospect of five more days of work fills me with despair rather than enthusiasm. Perhaps three weeks would have been enough? I am missing the comforts and the cleanliness of my own home. I feel bored, restless and irritable. In addition to this, I am now concerned that two weeks will not be a sufficient amount of time for me to properly relax ahead of, and of course appropriately prepare for, the start of the new school year. Hopefully the experience, coupled with the extra money in the bank, will ultimately prove to have been worth it. Only time will tell- and I hope that time really flies this week.

Day 18

2008-08-23T10:32:00.003+01:00

Another full day at work seems to have really taken its toll on me. I feel drained of energy at the moment and fully intend to go to bed early with a book tonight.

Having finished Grisham's "The Appeal", I started Yann Martel's "The Life of Pi" earlier this evening, which is my third book of the summer so far. It is wonderful to have the time available to read for pleasure, which is something I sorely miss during the particularly busy periods of the school year.

The idea of finally making a genuine effort to write a book of my own is taking up an increasing amount of my thoughts.

Day 17

2008-08-23T10:19:00.004+01:00

My Japanese students are very cool, happy kids and I like them a lot. They have a great sense of unique style. The boys all have a wild mop of jet black hair and love to teach the non-Japanese students to twirl their pens around their hands. The girls are vey trendy and they carry themselves with an envious attitude. However, my lessons with them - at both elementary and pre-intermediate levels - have so far been long and painful. They have very few words in English and they are reluctant to speak in my language, perhaps out of fear of making mistakes. In addition to lapsing constantly in to their mother tongue, it is therefore very difficult for them to make any reasonable progress. This persistent unresponsiveness, coupled with an almost apathetic attitude, is extremely frustrating for me. In spite of my best efforts to provide tasks that are varied, stimulating, engaging, fun and appropriately challenging, most of the lessons have unfortunately been tedious. It is difficult to put so much thought and effort in to the work that I have been attempting with them, only to receive little or no input in return. With four out of tomorrow's six lessons consisting predominantly of students from Japan, it is sure to be a long and arduous day of teaching.

Day 16

2008-08-22T09:35:00.003+01:00

My third and final lesson of the day was very interesting and a lot of fun. I had a great time and I am sure that, as well as improving their oral and grammatical English, the students enjoyed themselves also. Recognising that the kids are learning the language, and enjoying how I am teaching it to them at the same time, is a brilliant feeling. It is indescribably rewarding to know that my efforts are worthwhile.

Speaking with the many students from the Arabic nations is always extremely interesting. I had several preconceptions about their countries and cultures - many of which have since proven to be correct - and it is absorbing to hear energetic, detailed descriptions from their own mouths. Directly from the source, if you like. Although it varies from country to country, and indeed from region to region, it is immediately apparent that, in a general sense, their traditions, belief systems and lifestyles differ greatly from my own. Some of the lads can be sexist, rude and overtly chauvinistic at times, particularly towards female students(and sometimes staff) from Europe. Many of them are always polite and respectful. This dichotomy is a constant factor in classes that are dominated in number by male students from the Arab nations. It must be noted that I have found most of them to be charming, intelligent and ambitious young men.

Before leaving for work this afternoon, I bid farewell to Robag. He ought to be touching down in Hungary within the hour. We shared many jokes over the past fortnight and I will miss his company and sense of humour. Of course, I wish him well. His room has already been filled by Peter, the newest arrival, a friend of Lee who is currently doing a placement at a local car rental company.

Having been temporarily unwell, my aches and pains have subsided considerably in recent hours. I hope to wake up feeling further refreshed in the morning, ready to embrace the inevitable challenges ahead.

To add: Italy, Belgium.

Day 15

2008-08-22T09:31:00.002+01:00

6 x 75 minute lessons between 8.30am and 6.00pm adds up to a very long day- particularly when you have a headache and are feeling sick, sore, sniffly and sneezy, as I have been today. This has further dampened my spirits.

Lots of Japanese students in my lessons today. More details to follow soon, when hopefully I will be feeling much better and will therefore be more inclined to write. May the person in charge grant me a good sleep tonight!

Day 14

2008-08-21T09:41:00.003+01:00

Today was certainly not as relaxing nor as enjoyable as last Sunday, no doubt mostly due to the rubbish weather. The world is wet- and I have wet clothes draped on hangers, radiators and chairs all over the house.

Our new housemate, Lee, arrived this evening. He is English and he works at a local employment recruitment agency.

Surprisingly, and rather worryingly, my enthusiasm for work has dipped dramatically. I am tired, bored, restless and slightly fed-up. I miss the comfort and the familiarity of my own home. At this point, I am desperate for a break away from teaching and a world dominated by classrooms, bells, pieces of paper and prescriptive lessons. Hopefully this is only a temporary slump, otherwise the next two weeks will be very long indeed.

Day 13

2008-08-21T09:38:00.003+01:00

I will never ever get used to these Saturday morning shifts. Both times, I have went for a nap afterwards. It is obvious that many of the students also struggle to attend/motivate themselves for these weekend classes.

My housemates are great. I continue to be impressed and humbled by their kindness, generosity and thoughtfulness.

To add: Japan, Portugal, Estonia.

Day 12

2008-08-21T00:15:00.001+01:00

Before work today I went to the local barbers for my first ever Turkish shave.

Day 11

2008-08-21T00:06:00.004+01:00

Our Spanish housemates - The Pianista and The Shoemaker - are not fellow teachers, but students on the adult course at our school. They are a really wonderful couple and I have very much enjoyed being in their company. I will be genuinely sad when they leave for home tomorrow. As a special treat, they cooked a Spanish meal for all of us. It was a great gesture and the delicious, plentiful food confirmed that they had went to a lot of effort. All seven of us were in tonight- laughing, talking, drinking, listening to music and singing. We had a blast! The Pianista is a very sweet person and The Shoemaker is an hilarious guy with a wicked laugh.

The hour is late and my belly is filled with cold beers and delicious food. Luckily I am not due at work until the afternoon shift. Hasta manana.

Day 10

2008-08-20T21:02:00.003+01:00

A relatively easy morning, with one lesson being observed by Tim, who is the summer course co-ordinator. It was well-planned and I felt relaxed. Tim said that he enjoyed the class and described the lesson as "great... overwhelmingly positive." It is of course always nice to receive good feedback and strong support. I march on, confident in the knowledge that I am heading in the right direction.

Day 9 - Part 2

2008-08-20T10:21:00.003+01:00

It feels really good to be in a shared house with so many lovely people. After dinner tonight we all sat together in the living room, talking and making jokes, a group of diverse individuals brought together by a common passion for language learning. I had a wonderful time. Laughter is the same in every language.

No problems from yesterday's problem students. No real effort on their part, but at the beginning of the afternoon I made sure that my behavioural expectations were clear.

To add: Korea, Switzerland, Qatar, United Arab Emirates.

Day 9 - Part 1

2008-08-20T09:58:00.004+01:00

As I am not working until the second shift, I have decided to write a little this morning while eating my breakfast:

Rick has had a CELTA (Certificate in Enlish Language Teaching To Adults) for three years. He has taught English as a foreign language at schools in Barcelona and Poland.

Marc and Clara - Irish and English respectively - recently obtained their CELTA qualifications after having attended a month long course in Dublin. This is their first taste of teaching, of any kind. When their contract runs out here (at the same time as mine), their intention is to travel directly to Spain and work there for one year as EFL teachers. They are a very nice, genuine couple and I wish them well.

Robag lives and works in Hungary, his homeland. He has been teaching English as a foreign language at a high school for the past eight years. He does not have a CELTA, although his Masters is considered to be more than adequate. This is his second year as a temporary teacher on the summer course. I am greatly impressed by his near perfect spoken English. Our Latvian colleague, Talia, is an equally talented linguist. Neither of them seem to have any difficulties teaching a foreign language as a foreign language to foreign students.

Many of the other teachers working here also have the CELTA qualification; meaning that, unlike me, thay are able to work with both the junior students and the adults on the intensive course. I am permitted to work only with the younger students, aged approximately between fourteen to nineteen years old. In spite of my degree, my PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) and mt many years of teaching to date - all of which are valued highly by other people in other situations - I am feeling slightly underqualified at the moment.

I understand that a reasonable percentage of my current colleagues have travelled substantially in recent years, working as EFL teachers in a wide variety of countries around the world. Although I am very content with my current situation, I am perhaps a little envious and indeed regretful that I had not delved in to the expansive world of TEFL at an earlier age, when my life was different and I had fewer roots and responsibilities. The notion of missed opportunities does not sit well with me and is irking me further as the days pass by. Writing these words in the blog is a concrete acknowledgement of such thoughts and feelings, which pains me slightly. This leads to more questions and inevitable, niggling doubts: Have I missed out? Have I made the wrong choices? Is my life - and therefore have my experiences been - to limited?

Day 8

2008-08-19T09:45:00.003+01:00

I experienced the first real signs of negative attitude and indiscipline today. This disappoints and frustrates me greatly because, perhaps naively, I had not contemplated having to deal with such problems from international students on a summer course. I suppose all teenagers can be rude and ignorant at times, regardless of nationality. This new development means that tomorrow will be a slightly different challenge.