There's not much 'work-life' balance at the moment...
On Monday I arrived at school at 7.30 in the morning and left at 8.30 at night (Options Evening). On Tuesday I started marking at 7.30 am and finished marking at 7.00 pm. Yesterday we left at a more sensible time but there was an accident on the M42. It took an hour and a quarter to get home through the country lanes and back roads round Redditch. It's been a tough week.
On Tuesday I was summoned (invited) to the new Deputy Head's Office to discuss my progress data. It looks good - largely because quite a few of the pupils that take Music are very talented in my area but less academic. Inevitably my change of career cropped up in this discussion. The new DH wanted to know how they were going to maintain these levels of progress if I wasn't there 'doing my stuff' (aka 'flogging myself into the ground!') The words "Not my problem Mate" rose to my lips but were swallowed!
Yesterday the same DH visited my classroom to see how I structured work with 20+ mixed ability Year 10s. (In these situations you have to decide whether you are going to treat these visits as a full 'Ofsted' style observation or a genuinely informal fact-finding mission.) I went for the informal approach and just ensured that all the kids were primed with intelligent things to say about their learning processes.
In the end he just wandered around the room, said a few non-consequential things about composition styles and left us with the verdict that my room was "Calmer than most Music classrooms he was used to". Maybe I was over-tired, but I went ballistic over this after he'd shut the door.... What kind of a learning judgement is "Calm.." After an hour or so of stewing, I sent him an e-mail that thanked him for his visit and signed off with the query "Is Calm OK"
Five minutes or so later I got an e-mail back... "Calm is wonderful".
Sadly, I don't feel particularly re-assured about this analysis. We've been so indoctrinated by the Ofsted Outstanding criteria that anything opaque or 'outside the box' feels really uncomfortable. This is another reason why I'm glad to be moving on. Nowadays even compliments sound like criticisms!!
So sorry, Jan. Teaching is one of the hardest jobs around. And it's always nice to be recognized for the good job one is doing. You asked about the kitties - they are both doing fabulous! Thanks for asking!
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We're half way to half term... I really regret leaving my little school for teaching - I'm not happy in my new job and the experiences I had on teacher training have knocked my confidence so much that I don't think I'm even a competent teaching assistant any more and keep wondering whether I should look for another job (even though I've never done anything but classroom work!). Despite what I gave up and where I've ended up, I'm so glad I decided to quit the teaching course and so many teachers I've worked since are stressed, miserable, quitting or just failing because of the demands of the job and I believe life is too short to spend that much time working. Whatever your future holds, I'm sure life will be so much better for you once you leave!
ReplyDeleteI would have thought "calm" in a music room would be a good thing? Maybe he just needs to sneak up and listen outside the door on a normal day? I don't know for sure, but I think your Ofsted thing is like the Common Core teacher's are required to teach over here. It is not working out at all!
ReplyDeleteOh I know it so well! You doubt and doubt yourself. I'm quite sure the lesson I wrote about today on my blog would probablyhave an inspector saying, "But how are you making the high ability make progress?" blahdiblah. Never mind that I was giving them the life-skills of leadership, following and just having a really fun time!! Never mind they were taking on the role, acting as if they were in an orchestra, not enough progress mate. They're only 5, let them just enjoy it without worrying if they are all making progress relative to their current position!!!! x
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And you are brilliant. Calm is not easy in a music classroom, it's a good thing! I send my kids hyper!x
ReplyDeleteJan you sound like an excellent teacher with real skill. And I completely understand that you want to work to live and not live to work.
ReplyDeleteI just came from my daughters middle school conferences. Bless her wonderful teachers. I figured out her orchestra and choir teachers must have over 150 students.
ReplyDeleteJan, although I've never taught in my life and only did music in primary school, it sounds as though you are a very good teacher in your field. Just realised as I wrote this that I actually left school 50 years ago. How scary! Take it one day at a time and look forward to your retirement. Wish you were closer to this side of the world and you could show me how to play my little harp (giggle). Take care.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have definitely made the right decision in moving on. If you start and question every little comment you could drive yourself crazy. Just keep marking the days off the calender, although by the sounds of it your pupils are going be the ones to miss you the most.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as though he knows how missed you're going to be when you leave. He should start putting some measures in to practice to ensure that the levels of progress will be maintained afterwards, though I doubt that a wander around the classroom with a few mutterings thrown in will guarantee it.
ReplyDeleteI know where you're coming from. I know how you've put your heart and soul into your teaching and encouraging your students of all abilities, but then there's the planning, the prep, the paperwork, the changes of policy, the appraisals and sometimes the not knowing where you stand with the comments made after a visit/inspection, not to mention the travelling, which must add to the strain. I'm glad that I was teaching in the days when it was less pressurised, went on to tutor individuals with the local authority before retiring and taking private pupils, but I was a perfectionist (still am) which didn't help sometimes to switch off and relax. Our daughters are in the same situation and working atmosphere as you - one in education, the other in the NHS. One has a less pressurised role, gets encouragement from colleagues and management and is happy, the other feels the stress in her senior, but hands-on role with shortages of staff and heavy workload. Take care. I'm sure thinking of future plans helps you focus on your goals after leaving classroom teaching with better things to come.
ReplyDeleteI have just found your blog...I left teaching in mainstream education in 2000, spent 5 years working in the education dept of the council, and then moved to France, as a TEFL teacher. I really admire anyone still teaching in mainstream; it seems you are never valued, always criticised. I wish you well, digging your metaphorical escape tunnel!
ReplyDeleteIn my last term I was of the mind that I actually 'knew' what I was doing after 36 years and so I took what anyone else said about my style of teaching with a pinch of salt and wondered why they'd meandered into my classroom at all when pupils are in the building needing to be taught! I'm sure, with your experience, that you know when your pupils are actively engaged and enjoying your lesson. Smile at your DH and carry on doing it your way. The day will arrive when you walk away and from then on your world will be much different - just call it 'calm'. It will be!
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