Teachers' Strike!

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

This is true mate.

Used to assume teaching would be an easy life - it isn't. I couldn't do it.

If they don't like the conditions then they are free to seek alternative employment, they don't because they are far better off than a great many.
I have a book that a fella (a teacher) wrote and gave to me when we were going to Lake Garda, about the full summer hols that him and his wife spent there every year, said to not believe them when they claim this about working the hols.
Same article said they have to rush their lunch as well to plan the afternoon btw.

I refuse to believe them as they are going farther each time in trying to make out eventually that it's a 24hr job, they won't look for another job because the grass is greener beneath their own feet.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

If they don't like the conditions then they are free to seek alternative employment

The conditions were weighed up prior them investing years of their lives and 30k+ into training for it mate.

Those conditions have changed to a ridiculous extent, so much so that any teaching talent are well advised to go elsewhere to a country that will give them considerably better conditions.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

A question I often ponder that maybe Clint or any other teachers on here might help out with is around the planning lessons thing. Lets say for instance you're teaching algebra to a year 10 class. I can understand that this would take some planning to begin with, but how much adjustment is then required from one year to the next? I mean would you have to start from scratch the next year and re-plan everything or would you use the same one as last year?

 

[Jags..class]

I'm a secondary school English teacher. The kids I teach have me for 3 hours a week. That's normal. How can you base performance related pay on that? What I do in the classroom is nothing compared to the time they have at home. If their parents read to them, restrict TV and Internet access etc then they will make progress. All this talk about our influence and skills is irrelevant when you look at the bigger picture. We're just guides.

You maybe just guides, but there are plenty of [Poor language removed] teachers in schools

The conditions were weighed up prior them investing years of their lives and 30k+ into training for it mate.

Those conditions have changed to a ridiculous extent, so much so that any teaching talent are well advised to go elsewhere to a country that will give them considerably better conditions.

What conditions have changed mate? not looking for an argument, just curious

 

[Bruce Wayne]

If they don't like the conditions then they are free to seek alternative employment, they don't because they are far better off than a great many.
I have a book that a fella (a teacher) wrote and gave to me when we were going to Lake Garda, about the full summer hols that him and his wife spent there every year, said to not believe them when they claim this about working the hols.
Same article said they have to rush their lunch as well to plan the afternoon btw.

I refuse to believe them as they are going farther each time in trying to make out eventually that it's a 24hr job, they won't look for another job because the grass is greener beneath their own feet.

Got this the other day. Haven't read it yet but am taking a busmans holiday in a few weeks (no such thing as a holiday for freelancers - no work=no pay) so will try and read it on the flight.

 

[bluemangroup]

A question I often ponder that maybe Clint or any other teachers on here might help out with is around the planning lessons thing. Lets say for instance you're teaching algebra to a year 10 class. I can understand that this would take some planning to begin with, but how much adjustment is then required from one year to the next? I mean would you have to start from scratch the next year and re-plan everything or would you use the same one as last year?

There are fashionable ways of teaching subjects to pupils that come and go, so they have to be taken into account, the curriculum can be condensed or expanded year after year, so it can give you more or less time on topics, the ability of each individual class varies. Your ability to teach things better than others comes into it occasionally as well. It's difficult to rinse and repeat lessons like.

 

[Jags..class]

Looking online for the reasons why they are on strike, says pay, pensions and reforms. Don't even know what they earn these days and everyone moaning about pensions.

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

The conditions were weighed up prior them investing years of their lives and 30k+ into training for it mate.

Those conditions have changed to a ridiculous extent, so much so that any teaching talent are well advised to go elsewhere to a country that will give them considerably better conditions.

Well it's not the case with all teachers, cos they would've got grants as mature students after Uni.

At the end of the day they are still better off than a great many and have working conditions that a great many could only dream of, as you know this 'Key Worker' thing grinds my gears because Everyones job is as important as the next ones, when Binmen strike for example it takes about 2 days for city centres to become a tip & everyone moans cos their bin hasn't been emptied, with the blame laid solely at the feet of the strikers...... without any consideration for what they are striking about.

 

[Jags..class]

Have their pay been reduced?

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

If parents are expected to teach their kids at home (yeah I know that we are all able to help to an extent) then is that not undermining their profession and saying that anyone that is able to procreate is capable of teaching ?
Factor in the fact that many parents will be working shifts/ long hours before giving an answer that only applies to those that work only during school hours please.

 

[Bungle]

Have their pay been reduced?

Michael Gove's letter to the Teaching Unions http://www.teachers.org.uk/files/michael-gove-letter-25-march.pdf

And their response http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/20986

 

[GrandOldTeam]

You maybe just guides, but there are plenty of [Poor language removed] teachers in schools


What conditions have changed mate? not looking for an argument, just curious

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about the teaching profession mate.

Its mainly over working conditions (55 hour week, compared to national average of 40). The myth is they work 9-3, and have tons of holidays. I have family and friends who work in teaching, none of them work that myth.

Also, as mentioned, when weighing up to train to be a teacher (not cheap, and many years of stress and time) you factor in the benefit. One benefit was guaranteed pay rises based on your experience as a teacher. The longer you remain in the profession, the more you're paid. That's a rug thats been recently pulled from under their feet as now it's performance based. Sounds fair when in the news article titles, but when your in the detail it's a bad con and performance is massively dependent on the school and area your in.

Figures wont be exact but the premise was, go to uni. 3 years. Achieve a 2:1, saddled with tons of debt. Get more debt and invest another 2 years to train to be a teacher. So thats 5 years of debt, stress, and lack of earning potential while studying. After that, you have a few years to secure a FT job as a teacher in a very difficult market - otherwise you need to retrain and go through the process again. Do all that, get a job and you're on 21k a year in year 1 as a teacher. 21k is buttons, but, stay there for 6 years and your on 31k. Still modest - including training, you're looking at 10+ years service for 31k a year? - That's now not even certain...

Then add in pensions - another area they've been conned, now paying more and getting less.

Add in the piss poor education direction - school academies and the like and the education system is on its knees. People should be pointing at Gove, not the teachers.

 

[bluemangroup]

If parents are expected to teach their kids at home (yeah I know that we are all able to help to an extent) then is that not undermining their profession and saying that anyone that is able to procreate is capable of teaching ?
Factor in the fact that many parents will be working shifts/ long hours before giving an answer that only applies to those that work only during school hours please.

Well yeah, parents can probably teach their own kids at a personal level teachers can't all of the time. Teaching at home is about supporting the teaching profession and doing what's best for the child. Not really undermining anything.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Michael Gove's letter to the Teaching Unions http://www.teachers.org.uk/files/michael-gove-letter-25-march.pdf

And their response http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/20986

I think that's the first serious post I've ever seen you make.

 

[neil999]

A question I often ponder that maybe Clint or any other teachers on here might help out with is around the planning lessons thing. Lets say for instance you're teaching algebra to a year 10 class. I can understand that this would take some planning to begin with, but how much adjustment is then required from one year to the next? I mean would you have to start from scratch the next year and re-plan everything or would you use the same one as last year?

spoke to a teacher about this, apparently they have to do plans for every lesson even if it is the same as last yea and their are no 'standard' plans or whatever! this is obviously crazy..