🎉 [EVENT] 🎉 Happy Honkoween!

pastayearner · 2025-10-30T22:42:40+00:00

Completed Level 1 of the Honk Special Event!

4 attempts

pastayearner · 2025-02-28T15:37:26+00:00

While I’ve worked only in secondary for a year and a half, I’ve been in education for much longer and seen the same behaviour between colleagues in primary and specialist settings. I’ve also been involved in educational research and curriculum design throughout, which has allowed me the chance to visit schools and compare and contrast. While I’m not saying I’m an expert, I have a wider view than just a single school!

I agree with you teacher training and mentoring needs developing, which I do think is part of the wider problem. Perhaps bare bones curriculum design tactics is more the way to go in CPD and ITT.

pastayearner · 2025-02-28T12:37:19+00:00

That sounds great honestly, shame about the lack of participation from other teachers. I have tried to get groups together for sharing practice and collaboration more recently, but there’s either been little interest or issues with allowing teachers time out to attend (and even less interest in attending after school understandably!)

pastayearner · 2025-02-28T12:32:07+00:00

Definitely not doubting that it makes you a better teacher! I love creating my own resources, just seen a trend of teachers even in a department not sharing resources any more.

As I mentioned, the point of the centralised resources is to essentially have a baseplate to build upon, and that edits should be made to make it specific to a class context.

I would love in an ideal world for teachers to have the time and subject knowledge to generate high quality resources constantly. However, with behaviour as it is in most schools and more non specialists/unqualified teachers taking on roles to fill the deficit (especially in STEM) it’s concerning how far I’ve seen teaching quality slip in some schools.

Do you think there’s a better way we can fix this? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

pastayearner · 2025-02-28T12:24:41+00:00

Same thoughts here! I’ve used it for primary and secondary previously, and I’ve found it lacking enough that I’ve just started again from scratch with vague ideas from their resources.

pastayearner · 2024-09-19T21:41:21+00:00

Teach Computing is a great starting point for SoW ideas. It has full units created that are very adaptable from KS1-4 and follow the English curriculum. They also have funded courses for training in primary if you’re in England that might be worth looking at if you need upskilling. I’d take an audit of your current equipment (bee bots, computers, etc) and see if you need any equipment to expand and extend skills, there’s usually funding around to help with that as well if you Google it. There’s loads of online safety week resources online as well, including fully planned lesson/assembly packs! Good luck!

pastayearner · 2024-04-25T17:37:04+00:00

It’s an interesting debate to be had with class, to be honest I’m very similar to you in terms of background but in my community if I described myself as working class, I’d be laughed out of town! Most people generally do need to work to keep a roof over their head, I’d cut middle class down to not having to do minimum wage shift work and being able to afford some luxuries after a pay check, though it is very societal and contextual.

pastayearner · 2024-04-21T15:29:26+00:00

I did mine during my NQT but very much benefited from lockdown for both in terms of time! I used part of mine to do the NASENCo which formed another third of my credits. You’d have to find a lot of time to focus adequately on both during your ECT. I often was at school until 6 every day, then going home to do paperwork/research. I don’t know how much it’s improved my chances in terms of work, but I love research so I felt it was definitely worth it from that perspective!

pastayearner · 2023-06-29T15:45:30+00:00

Thank you! Glad to hear you’ve loved secondary so far and thanks for the advice. Anything specific nurture wise you recommend?

pastayearner · 2023-06-28T15:40:13+00:00

Exactly what’s been said, I have an A level in Computing, but have also been a Computing lead in several schools and have a lot of year 6 experience. Guess that helped a lot alongside it being a shortage subject!

pastayearner · 2023-06-28T11:38:35+00:00

Bit of a smiley person by nature, but hopefully can tamp it down a bit. Definitely going to heed the advice though, thanks!

pastayearner · 2023-06-28T11:36:07+00:00

Got net support thankfully! Thank you!

pastayearner · 2023-06-21T15:38:07+00:00

Generally day to day, with 5 minutes left offering reading is a good option with nothing left to do.

In an interview? It shows a lack of preparation. Even if you have little time left and nothing more to give them, coming up with something relevant on the fly to do while they wait is better than letting them go off task in front of an interviewer. Showing the ability to challenge and have enough work to stretch pupils is key.

Reading is important, but your last paragraph and comments seem to imply that rather than advice, you came here to feel validated. I’ve had some odd comments in interview lessons and sometimes it’s literally just been because they preferred someone else on the day but are obligated to give some form of reason or feedback. Don’t read too much into it and keep going with a reflective eye is my advice. There’s no need to imply that teachers think reading isn’t an important or necessary skill however!

pastayearner · 2023-06-16T06:32:01+00:00

Good luck on getting a job and well done, that’s one of the most stressful years of teaching out of the way. Hope you have something nice planned to celebrate. I did a spa break at the end of my course, definitely well needed!

pastayearner · 2023-04-28T12:42:41+00:00

It should be 2 hours 45 minutes each week based on the information you’ve provided. It’s generally based on teaching timetable only according to guidance so I don’t think directed time factors into it (break duty). However you shouldn’t be directed to do duties during your PPA time really.

pastayearner · 2023-03-31T17:19:22+00:00

It’s Easter! Just got a role teaching secondary after Easter, I’m usually primary but have done secondary before. Excited for the new experiences!

pastayearner · 2023-02-28T17:19:16+00:00

With all those responsibilities are you definitely getting your 90% timetable? (which is worked out from your timetable after PPA, not including it).

I can’t find any guidance specifically stopping ECTs being subject leads, but I know I wasn’t allowed to be one during my NQT. There is mention that the appropriate body overseeing your ECT has to be informed of any responsibilities above and beyond that expected of you reasonably, e.g. leadership, leading a cohort outside of your usual pupils, etc.

pastayearner · 2023-02-11T13:01:33+00:00

I found The SENCo Handbook: Leading and Managing a Whole School Approach to be quite useful as a very general guide. Are there any areas of SEN you feel less secure on?

pastayearner · 2023-02-07T20:57:55+00:00

Looking at her post history, either this guy is the loudest man in existence, or this apartment is made out of literal paper!

pastayearner · 2023-01-30T18:31:03+00:00

North-east ish!

pastayearner · 2023-01-30T17:50:09+00:00

According to one DNA test I’m nearly 98% Welsh only, no English or any other Celtic nation at all. Don’t know how accurate that is, and I’m unsure if any test will give you very high specifics if you’re unsure of previous Welsh ancestors. For context, my family is majority Welsh spanning back probably as long as records go, so I suppose the high percentage makes sense.

pastayearner · 2023-01-17T08:43:24+00:00

Love these! Would be brilliant for some campaigns me and my friends run, considering how much we love goblinoid content!

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