NorthCountryTeacher

Q. How do you know somebody used to be a teacher? A. Don’t worry, they’ll tell you

@Strickomaster This. Because even if one does not care about teacher wellbeing, it is impossible to argue that tax payers and kids get best quality education from chronically over-worked staff. “Most unpaid hrs of any job” is *unacceptable*. Unions should have *all* energy pointed at this issue

@dave_mcpartlin State of edutwitter during breaks is always deeply embarrassing. Grifters addicted to attention. But the big voices on here are delusional. Nobody cares. No actual teachers have time to read their brand-building books, let alone follow their depressing internecine squabbles.

If #EduTwitter over half-term is anything to go by, what chance has education got in the real world? Imagine what we could achieve if we swapped the entrenched views, clickbait and point-scoring for curiosity, partnership and innovation. We are stronger when we are united.

@SmithCarl19530 @Strickomaster This is the key thing for me. Out of 26 kids I have 11 SEN. Who is most effected by the disruptive behaviour of one of those SEN kids? The other 10 SEN kids. The single quickest way to improve needs being met for those 10 is to remove the 11th.

@Strickomaster No one benefits from classroom disruption, not students, not teachers, not the disruptive student themselves and not their parents. It’s a particularly bad for the most vulnerable.

@AdrianBethune @llewelyn20 Interesting. After 7 yrs in education I feel like maybe I’m destined to be a “positive disrupter”. I did well at school but not remotely a Type A teachers pet sort. Constantly baffled by shrugging, passive “whaddya gonna do?” attitude of so many teachers.

I remember @llewelyn20 tweeting a few years ago, something like, the reason things don't really change in education is because the majority of people that teach and lead schools were the good, rule followers when they were at school. I agree. We need more positive disruptors

@EssexPR Citation needed

I think that it is safe to say, the majority of this country absolutely despise this Government.

@RogersHistory It’s inevitable when 28 kids sit in my class staring at the sticker chart / reward time one child gets literally just for “doing his work” or “not hitting some nobody at break time.” It lowers all ships.

Could it be that the most *minimum* expectations of young ppl in the UK are too low? The bar has been lowered below even the most basic of manners.

@rob_kelsall Nothing “good” about teaching has anything to do with the unions. You can say what you like about the profession as a noble, worthwhile calling. But as a *job*, for graduate professional class workers, it’s objectively terrible. Are the unions proud of the job they do?

@rob_kelsall My biggest issue here is the idea that she needs to “take on” the unions of a sector in which the workforce inexplicably trudge onwards with dire pay and conditions, and do more unpaid hrs than in literally any other job. Teacher unions are mind bogglingly *useless*.

Teachers aren’t the problem, they’re the solution. More tests won’t inspire kids; investment, smaller classes, and trust in professionals will. Stop treating unions like enemies and start listening to those who know the classroom best. theguardian.com/politics/2025/…

@RealGeoffBarton I genuinely struggle to imagine a less effective union than one which represents workers who do more unpaid hours than anybody else, for below inflation pay.

@RealGeoffBarton There’s absolutely nothing to “take on.” She’s talking about a workforce who inexplicably accept truly dire pay and conditions. Teachers do more unpaid hours than literally any other workers. Does that *sound* like we’re represented by excessively militant unions?

Dear me. I thought we’d left behind this squalid ‘take on the unions’ stuff … theguardian.com/politics/2025/…

@DanielKebedeNEU @bphillipsonMP How about rather than a distracting, confected battle over one specific policy, the unions focus on *systemic*, *foundational* problems with their sector. Let’s start with the fact we do more unpaid hrs than any other workers, and not look at *anything else* until this is tackled

@DanielKebedeNEU @bphillipsonMP Teachers do more unpaid hours than literally any other workers. Absolute rock bottom. This is the most damning reflection of a union imaginable. It’s laughable for her to pretend she needs to “take them on.” They’re absolutely, mind-bogglingly useless.

What I find most disappointing about this article from @bphillipsonMP is how it portrays our union - a union representing over 500,000 teachers and support staff - as obstructionist. That’s simply wrong, and frankly, offensive. I’ve spent my whole career teaching white working-class children. No one cares more about their progress than @NEUnion members. More mandatory tests are not the answer. Pigs don’t get fatter the more you weigh them - and children don’t learn to love reading by being tested repeatedly. If we’re serious about improving outcomes for working-class pupils, we need to address the real issues: 1) Child poverty must come down 2) School funding must go up Yet under this government, child poverty is rising and education spending as a share of GDP is at its lowest in 25 years. theguardian.com/politics/2025/…

@Danjo934 @RealGeoffBarton Being in a sector with terrible conditions and useless unions is bad enough without having to watch while your government postures and pretends that you aren’t.

@NorthernTeacha @RealGeoffBarton Correct. Teachers absolutely need to be more militant. I quit 20yrs ago and would tell anyone considering the profession to become an electrician, builder or plumber instead. I worked out I was earning far less than min wage for the hrs I was doing.

@RealGeoffBarton Entire sector is built on free labour. Our contacts are meaningless. Teachers could bring U.K. education system to a halt *just by working the hrs they’re actually paid for.* So this idea she’s up against bolshy unions is a joke. The reality is they’re glaringly ineffective.

@grahamchatterl2 @theguardianfeed No, but why does that matter? You’re defending the position of a person who taught for 7 yrs and quit over 5 years ago. *She* isn’t an early years specialist either, that’s the whole point. She’s someone who successfully built a brand. That’s not the same thing.

@NorthernTeacha @theguardianfeed Can, doesn't mean they should They can hold a pen correctly, doesn't mean it doesn't damage their hands Are you an early years specialist?

Do we really expect five-year-olds to sit at desks? I want a school that understands play is learning | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

@grahamchatterl2 @theguardianfeed Based on my 7 years in a classroom most can work quite happily at desks for the appropriate lessons. As ever reasonable adjustments should be made for those children for whom this doesn’t work.

@NorthernTeacha @theguardianfeed The ball, is the fact that 5 year olds shouldn't be sat at desks and should be learning through play, which is developing mentally absolutely correct If you have a counter argument then make it

@grahamchatterl2 @theguardianfeed The “ball” in this case is the fact that I, like most other people I know actually doing the job, are tired of being lectured to by people who think after a very brief stint in the classroom they can quit and make a cushy living telling *us* how to do it.

@NorthernTeacha @theguardianfeed So you can't explain Play the ball not the woman, it just makes you look like you have nothing intelligent to offer

@grahamchatterl2 @theguardianfeed So while I don’t really agree with her, it’s more her credibility I have an issue with. She was a teacher for 7 yrs. At which point she quit & started consulting. She stopped before covid. I don’t think somebody with 7 yrs experience who left teaching pre-covid is credible.

@grahamchatterl2 @theguardianfeed Let’s be honest, my characterisation of her is definitely spot on. Every teacher I know is tired of hearing from people who gave up teaching to become some guru. If she really wants to help she can become a teacher again, except she won’t, because it’s too much like hard work.