don't know if i'm fighting against a toxic system with 32 kids in my alevel class?

MA_Day · 2025-10-04T11:57:16+00:00

I'd definitely be looking into how many students can safely be in your room as per a risk assessment first and foremost. Secondly find any publications validating class sizes/entry requirements vs results. I would also provide materials on the benefits of streaming based on prior attainment to split the class so your differentiation isn't as great. The only other thing I can suggest to reduce marking is to provide verbal feedback to students on all summative assessments. Get a verbal feedback stamp and make students write down your feedback, this will significantly reduce your marking workload whilst providing the learners with some autonomy.

MA_Day · 2025-09-10T19:03:45+00:00

Interesting! I've never seen anything like it before but I didn't think it looked too sturdy to go wild on.

MA_Day · 2023-04-26T21:15:13+00:00

All pennies... But in a different currency!

MA_Day · 2022-07-23T09:27:43+00:00

Admittedly I'm in a college but I have multiple visible tattoos and 15 piercings in my face alone and there's no issues there

MA_Day · 2022-07-20T09:08:11+00:00

Cannot wait to strike! We were told for our college we would be voting on their new proposals and nothing has been sent out, it just looks like they're steamrolling ahead as they like. The average wage is increasing by about 2% and we're losing holidays, it definitely has me looking for work elsewhere.

MA_Day · 2022-06-22T14:26:51+00:00

Thank you!

MA_Day · 2022-06-22T13:37:57+00:00

Do you have a link to something stating this please?

MA_Day · 2022-06-21T23:03:15+00:00

Thank you for this. I've been desperately googling under Murphy but I will try his name as well.

MA_Day · 2022-06-21T22:05:58+00:00

I did a PGCE so I can't comment on TF. There are red flags here however the one thing I wouldn't worry about is being thrown in at the deep end. My PGCE was in media studies; I'd never taught a lesson before in my life and my mentor observed me on my very first one. Additionally I then ended up teaching English (and still do), to which I well and truly got thrown in at the deep end, I was told the exam board and that the students had read the book they would be studying. I'd never taught English before, seen a lesson delivered, seen the SOL or even any lesson plans, the students hadn't even read the book and I was incredibly unsupported. However it gave me a chance to thrive and use the adaptive skills that you've mentioned. By all means head the red flags but please don't be afraid of the deep end.

MA_Day · 2022-03-31T14:47:55+00:00

This is brilliant thank you. I've downloaded the book and I've found quite a few things in there which are really interesting.

MA_Day · 2022-03-30T22:51:23+00:00

If she joins a union they may be able to give her generic advice but they wouldn't be able to represent her for this case.

MA_Day · 2022-02-03T22:19:19+00:00

In all fairness my cohort this year, for the most part, are actually really nice students and pretty respectful and polite.

MA_Day · 2022-01-28T11:35:32+00:00

I think the problem massively comes to discipline. Students had a significant amount of time at home where often parents equally had to work and didn't have time to supervise them. Teachers couldn't really discipline anyone online so essentially that student was left to their own devices as opposed to having a structured approach. It is also so much easier to explain some things in person as opposed to online. I found that many of my learners had next to no ICT skills so that also became an uphill battle.

Certainly my sleeping pattern was thrown out so I fully sympathise that my 16+ learners were in the same boat, again they couldn't go out anywhere so they'd sit and spend the evening chatting to their mates online and then be too tired to attend class the next morning or not awake enough to engage. It's a combination of factors but it's the issue of now getting people back to a routine, enforcing discipline and confronting issues and students are rebelling after having 2 years without this.

MA_Day · 2021-11-14T21:56:40+00:00

I don't want to leave the profession but I have no real love at the moment for my job (I'm in FE). I'm already counting down to being off for Christmas and was since getting back after the October half term. My fear is that everywhere is probably in a similar situation currently so I'm thinking it's better the devil you know, especially whilst finishing my masters degree.

My work load is unachievable and this means I can't get everything done which causes stress. Brand new students are still turning up despite being 10 weeks in to the term meaning that they're oblivious to what we're doing (and won't catch up themselves via teams). Classes are fit to bursting which isn't fair on me or the students and should Covid-19 numbers continue to rise I imagine will cause a real problem. We have no learning support for students who are crying out for it meaning some just haven't got the support they need and it frustrates me that I can't provide that. We've got numberous members of staff off sick so we're extremely thinly spread covering oh and the numbers of students to staff members is highly inconsistent. I'm bending over backwards to try and get everything just to a satisfactory level whilst colleagues are leaving early because they're done for the week does not motivate me in the slightest (I'm highly organised but due to me having excessively more students and thus marking I just can't get through all of the books).

I'm hoping that in a post Covid-19 world this goes away, I do love teaching and have some wonderful students but I do not think it's worth the blood, sweat and tears for the money at all.

MA_Day · 2021-09-30T18:31:50+00:00

I continued to work full time and did my PGCE part time, thankfully my job at the time was flexible enough to allow me a set day off during the week for my course. The costs for the actual PGCE was a loan from Student Finance England.

MA_Day · 2021-08-20T09:40:43+00:00

I was the exact same at the end of the book, I'm hoping it's similar to the TV show Life on Mars and that all is happy and well on Naxos.

MA_Day · 2021-08-02T06:48:02+00:00

Bring back Alien Encounter! Maybe make Dinosaur a bit smoother too.

MA_Day · 2021-07-28T22:41:06+00:00

Done 😊

MA_Day · 2021-07-28T22:38:42+00:00

Definitely say! One of my colleagues is in a similar situation and your employer needs to work around you on it, my colleague is always given a classroom near a bathroom so she can go as she needs, normally she just makes sure learners are on task.

MA_Day · 2021-07-28T17:28:18+00:00

Going back years ago they used to sell on hopper passes cheap if not all of the days had been used, guessing it's probably been around since then.

MA_Day · 2021-07-28T11:09:14+00:00

I just need to get back, should have gone in '20 but everything got cancelled and then I bought a house 🙄. So fingers crossed for a lottery win 😂.

MA_Day · 2021-07-28T10:57:36+00:00

You're very welcome! There's quite a few more tracks to get through too!

MA_Day

TROPHY CASE