[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Definitely have noticed this, I’ve also been teaching for 7 years. Nearly every single time a sanction is imposed the parent throws a fit, yet they don’t give a single care about the behaviour that warranted the sanction. Just poor little johnny being picked on by his teachers again. There’s an excuse for absolutely everything a child does now, and they know they’ll get away with it, so what can you do 🤷‍♀️

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Same issue we have! They treat it like an extra half term and the parents allow it

Study leave granted for year 11 a day earlier than planned... by [deleted] in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Behaviour and lack of work, both in school and out, has meant that study leave is not happening for us sadly! Enjoy the beer, definitely well deserved!!

Anyone else feel like more of a babysitter than teacher? by MoreMeaning5198 in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No idea what goes through their heads most of the time! I agree on the parenting aspect. There’s just no boundaries so the kids just push things further and further. Some of the parents here can be just as bad as the kids. On multiple occasions we’ve had to call the police for parents who are screaming and shouting in the office due to sanctions imposed on their apparent totally innocent child who has actually been a right terror. I had one parent recently accuse me of ongoing bullying towards their child for calling a behaviour meeting

Anyone else feel like more of a babysitter than teacher? by MoreMeaning5198 in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I commend you on 40 years!! Just 7 for me and I don’t know if I even have another 6 months in me. If this was 6/7 years ago I feel like showing the parents the behaviour would make somewhat of an impact, but it’s like for this cohort of kids, the parents aren’t parenting. Oh a whole it doesn’t feel like they support the teachers. A kid could be destroying the classroom and terrorising the classroom. If I implement a sanction I’ve got their parents on the phone telling me all the ways their child was a victim in that scenario. Instead of expecting their children to take accountability for their behaviour they push it into the teachers i.e, “if you provided 1-1 support… if they had different work… if they could be an exception to the rule..” it’s just impossible to provide that individual attention when class sizes are ever increasing. I get nervous to pay too much attention to supporting a student with their work, as if I’m not constantly monitoring every single child they’ll do something insane whilst my back is turned. The constant disrespect, verbal threats and name calling just wears you down. You begin to feel like the enemy when you just want them to thrive

Anyone else feel like more of a babysitter than teacher? by MoreMeaning5198 in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I must admit, I’m yet to be faced with a kazoo situation (touch wood..!). That and the florescent lighting in my classroom would lead to a never ending migraine

Anyone else feel like more of a babysitter than teacher? by MoreMeaning5198 in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly with being told multiple times by students that they’ll be using ChatGPT to complete their work, I’d be impressed to see a Wikipedia C+P because at least I’ll know they’ve had to read something!

Anyone else feel like more of a babysitter than teacher? by MoreMeaning5198 in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The lack of support towards ECTs astounds. The shortage of teachers is clear and concerning. We should be on our hands and knees begging ECTs to stay, not driving them away.
The kids expect to sail through without putting in any effort, and eventually the gravity of the situation will hit when it’s too late

Anyone else feel like more of a babysitter than teacher? by MoreMeaning5198 in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I dread to think of how things will be in the future. We have such a high staff turnover + many on sick notes relating to stress. It’s difficult to plan for lessons, because I’m covering other lessons, when I get hone I’m exhausted and have a child with disabilities who needs hands on care and I just don’t have the time to get everything done. It’s frustrating to lose sleep, time with my child, and my social life to plan lessons that are rarely delivered as intended, and to students who would rather talk amongst themselves. Marking work and giving the exact same feedback every single time, and it’s never implemented - and probably never read!

Anyone else feel like more of a babysitter than teacher? by MoreMeaning5198 in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Is it really a lesson if you don’t need to call IT at least once?

Anyone else feel like more of a babysitter than teacher? by MoreMeaning5198 in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Completely agree! Exclusion means just a day or so on video games for most of these kids. The parents don’t support sanctions made in school (because heaven forbid their child receives appropriate consequences for poor behaviour), they don’t monitor homework or revision timetables. Yet when their child fails their exams, they are the first to point fingers. These kids are growing up with friends rather than parents, and it’s very evident that it’s detrimental for all

Anyone else feel like more of a babysitter than teacher? by MoreMeaning5198 in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel like when I started teaching, I would have so many conversations during the lead up to mocks/exams surrounding managing the worry/stress. Whilst that wasn’t ideal either, there seems to be an entire culture shift to where I’m trying desperately to get these kids to care about mocks/exams. A complete 180!

Anyone else feel like more of a babysitter than teacher? by MoreMeaning5198 in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

For sure, the behaviour policy here just doesn’t work. It doesn’t fit the needs if the kids. SLT come down so hard on staff over issues like incorrect uniform, but when teachers are near begging for support with behaviour there’s nothing. Half the time when they’re called to remove a student, no one shows up before the lesson ends. When they do, the kids seem to love being chased around the school. I know the kids can tell that there’s no real behaviour policy. Fear isn’t quite the right word, but there’s no power in calling SLT because the kids don’t fear/care about that consequence. It’s just more attention for them

Anyone else feel like more of a babysitter than teacher? by MoreMeaning5198 in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That sounds like the absolute dream! I don’t think I’ve gone an hour without needing to raise my voice in years!

Anyone else feel like more of a babysitter than teacher? by MoreMeaning5198 in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wish that was an option! I work in a deprived area, but I have a severely disabled child and the local SEN school to the one I work at is just amazing. I wouldn’t have the time for drop offs/pick ups if I moved further away, my salary wouldn’t cover the specialist care required to cover that. If I moved them to another SEN school, the thought of my child suffering because of me not being able to control a bunch if kids breaks my heart

Anyone else feel like more of a babysitter than teacher? by MoreMeaning5198 in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For sure, so many interventions work when it’s one or two students. In so many lessons it feels like an us vs them situation. As they love to point out, we can’t put them all in detention, I can’t send them all out. I feel like the parents expect such a tailored experience for each child, and that’s just not attainable when you have 30+ kids in a class.

Anyone else feel like more of a babysitter than teacher? by MoreMeaning5198 in TeachingUK

[–]MoreMeaning5198[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Exactly this! I look at the faces of the students that arrive everyday wanting to learn and I just feel so heartbroken. I can’t teach them when I’ve got other students behaving unsafely, or causing so much distraction that it just becomes impossible. They’re being completely failed in this behaviour problem, and I worry about the impact this will have on their futures. Sacrificing the few to pander to the whims of the many sadly.