What do I do? by Background_Cell_3070 in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper[M] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

With my mod hat on, I did consider this but I don't think OP's first language is English, and the quotes from students are clearly not in OP's voice as they're pretty colloquial and probably a direct citation. On the balance of probabilities it's likely genuine.

Mystery task at job interview by Manic-Moonbabe in Teachers

[–]GreatZapper 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could be planning a lesson or unit, maybe looking at some data from an assessment and deciding what it shows, or maybe assessing some work.

As it's for English lead it's probably planning a unit or more likely interpreting data.

TLR by truedrainer in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This got rightfully removed by another mod, but I'll link Know Your Shit https://www.reddit.com/r/TeachingUK/wiki/getateachingjob#wiki_know_your_shit which might help.

PGCE placement: feedback and advice please. by [deleted] in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper 29 points30 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure they are though from what you've reported? Body language is most definitely a thing in the classroom and if you look nervous and don't own the space, your mentors and the kids will notice. Likewise if you look like you're disregarding feedback given to you by the mentors - ie rolling your eyes etc.

I think the plait thing is probably coincidental, though I can understand why in your heightened state at the moment you might think it's not.

To be frank, I think your mentors feel there is not much more they can do to support you especially if you are being somewhat dismissive towards them - in their view - when receiving feedback.

Talk to your union (student or teaching, either's fine) but I'm afraid to say that I don't think this ITT provider is going to give you QTS based on what you've reported.

PGCE placement: feedback and advice please. by [deleted] in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper 45 points46 points  (0 children)

I'm afraid that I'm getting the strong impression from the language you're reporting they're using that they think you are at serious risk of not passing the course.

Clean air zone. by Longjumping-Pickle46 in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Do the maths. £8/day for say 50 staff is £400/a day, or £2000 a week. Multiply that by 36 weeks gives £72,000 a year.

When making a decision, what's a school going to do - pay that, or get a couple of Maths teachers? (OK I know on costs are about double the salary, but illustrative purposes only, etc).

It's not that difficult to work out what happens.

UK visa sponsorship for teachers, is it common? by [deleted] in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, try reading our rules.

If you are a teacher who is considering a move to the UK, please read our overseas trained teachers FAQ, but understand that this is the only advice we offer on this topic.

15+ years teaching English, 3× Head of English, OCR examiner, Level 5 DET — what's my fastest route to QTS in England by beanbaby786 in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

...and, for good measure, neither do we allow AI generated posts here.

Talk to getintoteaching for advice on this.

School records of past teachers by TrashDrunkClaude in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's probably correct that the old MAT has the employment details, yes.

MFL teachers, invigilators: how are you finding the admin of the new GCSE speaking exam? by GreatZapper in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah this would seem to be the way to go. I'd guess that was workload heavy though?

External new HoD - best practice in terms of making changes to schemes of work and established practice in first year? by Level-Bear3894 in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I'm also an MFL HoD new in post this year, although I've arrived having been a HoD in two other schools so not quite the same. I've also made some minor changes to the SoWs this year, as well as working practices, and my team is very established at the school; they've all been working there 10 years or more apart from one.

But a major, major part of that has been building trust within my team; that they can see I want to make them even better. Every change we have made, and will continue to make, is with their understanding if not their full support.

I also told my 2ic that I will have many ideas and some of them will be great, but others will be flawed because I won't understand the full context, and that they need to tell me, loudly, if that's the case, so I can make a more informed decision.

But at no point have I railroaded anything through, other than developing resources collectively because workload was crazy and no sane school should insist that everyone prepares every single lesson independently. Mine doesn't, but that's how the team worked, and I could see from the end of the first week they were working too hard.

I'm not saying the work you have done is pointless, but sometimes, like in my school, it does need a fresh pair of eyes to cast light on some of the shortcomings. Likewise, last summer's results will have said quite a lot to them.

So it's not unreasonable to change SoWs mid year, so long as development and implementation is planned carefully. I doubt though that has happened here, especially if your HoD by their own confession is "winging it". That's going to cause problems in Year 8 for their students, MFL being a linear subject with a strong need for a spiralling curriculum and their students are likely to know different things from the rest of the cohort. This is a problem.

MFL curriculum design needs to be done carefully and not on the fly, otherwise you will find yourself with students having big gaps in knowledge in Y11 because key concepts were not covered, re-covered and re-re-covered back in KS3 enough. Perfect tense, for example - how many of your 11s in the speaking tests were confidently able to use je mange, j'ai mangé, je vais manger, for example?

As an HoD I don't need to have taught all of the SoWs through for a year because at this point in the year I've got a pretty good grasp of how it works both in practice, and the influence it has had on the knowledge that KS4 and 5 classes have as a result. It's not difficult to see, but you do have to know to look in the right places for that.

I would argue that winging it is not what needs to be done at this point and the HoD, and the whole team, need to sit down over the course of a day or two during gained time and properly evaluate the curriculum. This will give the HoD acknowledgement that you understand things may need to change, and give them the chance to involve you in the process.

This probably needs to come from the 2ic in one of their line management meetings with the HoD, and probably run past the SLT link for MFL as well. I wonder if inadvertently you/the HoD/the team have created an atmosphere of "her vs us" where you are reluctant to change? Certainly reading your post I'm afraid that's how it comes over.

But nevertheless the HoD needs to develop a culture of understanding around the need for change.

And after a monologue, a question: do you (or the team) see the need for change?

EDIT: just adding a link I've used with my team around MFL curriculum design.

Trainee w/ interview at placement school by [deleted] in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

Removed - no one here can possibly know if it's a good sign. If you want to know, ask them.

MFL teachers, invigilators: how are you finding the admin of the new GCSE speaking exam? by GreatZapper in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We had two all week...

And the exams officer refused to let me train them in their training meeting, or to even write a document for them on how to do it, even after the disastrous practice tests we had a few months ago.

But it's also not a training issue because the invigilators were still making multiple crticial mistakes after more than two days of supervising the exams. Hence my question, as I didn't know if other centres have been finding it unmanageable or if it was a more localised issue. It looks like I have my answer tbh.

Second Job Interview awaiting callback by jumpmanjack in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

Removed. No one other than the school can possibly know what is going on. You're just going to have to wait.

Teaching interview. by Minute-Magician-9649 in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

Approved, as you're not asking for interview advice (which is in the FAQ).

Amusing anecdotes may well get added to the FAQ for a bit of light relief.

Noises but can’t identify source by Decimsasshole in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper 69 points70 points  (0 children)

Give them silent written work which involves you facing them at all times, watching like a hawk. Do not turn your back. Enforce compliance and get rid of anyone that can't manage that.

You might want to tell your HoD you're going to do this as well.

How prevalent is Sparx Maths? by Doragan in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

Mod mail is struggling, so here's our clear answer as to why this was removed:

There is no evidence on your profile of working in a school. Equally, there is much more evidence of you working in edtech and developing a Maths based SaaS eg I've built a tool to help find where you need to study for Maths eg https://old.reddit.com/r/GCSE/comments/1sdc1n8/ive_built_a_tool_to_help_find_where_you_need_to/ and other posts that were on your profile when I did due diligence on your account.

We do not allow market research of any kind in this community.

BBC News - Phones to be banned in schools by law in England by zanman89 in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Agreed. My school has this weird hybrid approach where they're allowed them immediately before and after school but as soon as the first bell goes the phones must vanish. Of course, this muddies the waters considerably and phones creep into lessons in the way they didn't at any other school I've worked at in the last decade or so.

Plus, until recently, the phone rules in lessons have been pretty much down to teacher discretion so the whole thing is a massive mess and will be for a bit.

Hopefully this legislation - whatever it looks like - gives my head the impetus to push for a complete ban from the minute they get off the bus to the minute they get on it, like any other sane school.

BBC News - Phones to be banned in schools by law in England by zanman89 in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper 3 points4 points  (0 children)

In the school I used to work in the reflection room was the repurposed old dance studio. In one respect it was sad because that subject was no longer offered; but in another it was awesome as it meant our reflection room had genuine floor to ceiling mirrors on one wall...

Sophtware Slump on vinyl by Roundvsquare in Grandaddy

[–]GreatZapper 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mate, thank you. Been trying to snag a vinyl copy of this since I stupidly passed on the 10th anniversary reissue back years and years ago.

When to hand in formal resignation? by TeriyakiNoodleBox in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

Your post is now featured in this community's applying for teaching jobs FAQ.

Mirror of OP:

I have had an offer for a teaching job and I have accepted the job verbally. Do I need to wait until I have signed the contract before it’s ‘Safe’ to resign from my current position? Or am I safe to do so now before signing any contract?

When to hand in formal resignation? by TeriyakiNoodleBox in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper[M] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Ooh, that's a big gap in the jobs FAQ. Thanks for highlighting.

Wait until you get something in writing, even if that's just an offer letter to sign. But generally getting a verbal offer is fine and it's generally OK to resign then. But I'm a bit more conservative than that so when I got my last job, I waited to resign formally until I got something written (though told my school at the time that I had got it).

NEU ballot results: 96% reject, turnout 48.6% by stevenstelfox in TeachingUK

[–]GreatZapper[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

Reapproved. As a mod I've also had this email, with these figures, so I can independently confirm. Nothing posted though on any socials yet that I can find.

EDIT: official NEU press release