The Teaching Realist

@Headteacherchat Should probably treat your staff better. Teachers only had in their notice on the last possible day if they want to stick one back at you.

Anonymous Post: How is everyone coping with resignation notices rolling in this week? I may be returning to three empty spots. They say a school turnaround is a five-year marathon, but curveballs like this make it feel like I’m constantly losing ground. The moment the work starts to show, another round of upheaval arrives. Does it ever stop feeling like you’re building on shifting sand?

@grizzlybizzly @educator4ever36 I feel sorry for the children that are in your classroom 😬 you’re a clown.

@educator4ever36 @RealistTeach Okay. Super realistic solution. Thanks guys. Appreciate you opening my proletariat eyes to the exploitation I’m facilitating. I’ll screen shot these tweets and share them with the BOE! Thanks!!! Exploit deez 🥜

Teachers - as you finish up the school year please remember if you plan on working for free this summer to prep for next year, you reinforce the notion that free labor is expected from all of us. Consider a different approach.

@SusanWa02526665 @francesca_kms @MikeyCycling Will the bright clothing mean the cars aren’t parked in the bike lane?

@francesca_kms @MikeyCycling Why hasn’t he got any bright clothing on and a proper large back light so he can be seen? Aren’t you concerned about his safety?

💯 agree. 👇 Paint is not cycling infrastructure. Below is my son weaving in and out of a “cycle lane” because cars are parked in it. @MikeyCycling

@UltraRunnerPod @educator4ever36 How many hours do lawyers work for which they don’t bill their clients? Do mechanics fix cars for free too?

@educator4ever36 Professionals work to get the job done. Hourly workers whine about contracts. If teachers want to be treated like professionals they should act accordingly.

@Asdfgfd48192872 @educator4ever36 Teacher contracts don’t pay teachers for 12 months.

@educator4ever36 If you’re collecting a salary you’re not working for free. If your contract pays you 12 months it’s not absurd to do work during the summer. If your contract pays you ten months then sure

@grizzlybizzly @educator4ever36 You’re part of the problem. The school should give you time to prepare for your lessons to do the job. People like you reinforce the notion that teachers can and should be exploited.

@educator4ever36 It doesn’t benefit us to roll up in September or august unprepared. It just makes the first quarter of school very stressful

@CanDoo2 @TeacherToolkit Why do you need to request an observation? Just walk in…

@RealistTeach @TeacherToolkit An open door policy? Who has that? Requests to observe SLT teach fall on deaf ears. Good leaders don’t need to sit and observe lessons to know what’s going on in the school. Teachers should have autonomy to deliver the curriculum.

Observations: "How do you think the lesson went?" This is probably the WORST start to lesson feedback there is, ever.

@CanDoo2 @TeacherToolkit Anyone who wants to fan observe SLT teaching. That’s the point of an open door policy. So you think it’s a good idea for leaders of a school to have no idea what’s going on in the classrooms? You don’t think teachers can improve their practice? Or should improve their practice?

@RealistTeach @TeacherToolkit Daily learning walks and drop ins are just as anxiety inducing for many. What’s the point? Just let teachers get on with what they do best in their own classroom. We can manage without the added nonsense. Who observes the SLT teaching?

@CanDoo2 @TeacherToolkit You’re talking about high stake observations. Not feedback from daily learning walks and drop ins.

@RealistTeach @TeacherToolkit Because it’s not what happens the rest of the time. It’s a performance - every, single time! Anxiety levels are sky high. And all because SLT want to tick a few boxes. Well they can leave me out of it.

@CanDoo2 @TeacherToolkit Why do you think they’re a circus performance?

@TeacherToolkit I refuse to participate in these circus performances. Lesson observations are a waste of time for everyone involved so don’t bother me with them. Instead come and work alongside me delivering a lesson, even better if you join me for a sequence of lessons. Show me how you do it.

@_AF87_ @adamboxer1 That’s wild logic - you’re insinuating that the time spent doing other tasks isn’t work. That’s like us saying you should get 75% less pay as what you teach requires 75% less intelligence and subject knowledge to teach it.

@adamboxer1 Disparities should be reflected in pay then - secondary staff 75% of a year = 75% of the pay 🤔

Is study leave fair? When I worked in middle class schools, Year 11 and 13 were gone from more or less the first week after Easter. By this point in the year, I probably would have had over 20 hours of "gain time" already. I could have spent that time developing our curriculum, observing others, reading, arriving a bit later, leaving a bit earlier. Having a more relaxed time in lunch and break. Now, I work in a school where we don't do that. Year 11 are in till the last exam. Year 13 are in till the last exam. The pace doesn't change, in fact it accelerates in this critical pre-exam period. And then, when they're gone, it'll be end of years for everyone else, and I won't have that nice relaxing time to catch up on all the jobs I never had time to do. This, surely, is a systemic inequality. Schools with "study leave" already have a lot of perks, and get to offer their staff something that schools serving a poorer demographic don't. That doesn't seem fair to me.

@DavidDPaxton @PawTickle What a weird thing to say.

@PawTickle More than I hate child molesters. And I really really hate child molesters.

Dead straight dual carriageway, no roads on or off, empty, dry, at night. Prosecuted for 46 in a 40. Wankers.

@RoyIsThaTruth Bro thinks he can homeschool his kid but needs AI to write his posts.

Schools really need to remember that PARENTS are still the ultimate authority over their own children. If I decide my child is staying home, going on a trip, taking a mental break, or simply needs time away from school… then that IS an excused absence because I excused it. I don’t need validation from a doctor, attendance officer, superintendent, or anybody else to parent MY child. And let’s be real… some of y’all are way too comfortable acting like kids belong more to the school system than to their own families. My child is not a robot programmed to wake up every morning and perform on command because the state says so. Childhood is short, and I’m not handing over all of my child’s most important years to a system that thinks perfect attendance matters more than real life, family time, mental health, or experiences outside a classroom. If I want my child home for a week, send the work. If that’s a problem, I’ll homeschool and teach them myself. Reading, writing, math — none of that is impossible without a school building. And before people start with “they need structure” — structure starts at HOME, not in a classroom. Don’t send me threatening attendance letters like you have more authority over my child than I do. The school does NOT dictate my child’s life or schedule. My kids are on MY schedule. Not yours.

@NetrunnerZero @but_cyclists @DangleSpanners @CyclingKent101 Still avoiding the point 😉 it’s twitter bro. I don’t need to write a thesis.

@RealistTeach @but_cyclists @DangleSpanners @CyclingKent101 Check mated? You aren't even capable of saying what you mean, you expect me to figure it out for you 😆

Can someone explain to me how as a cyclist, I'm too poor to own a car, but I'm middle-class and privileged because a ride a bike? I think perhaps it's tine the anti-cyclist lot on this platform held a meeting to make sure they're all being consistent with their irrational hate.

@NetrunnerZero @but_cyclists @DangleSpanners @CyclingKent101 Love it. You’ve been check mated and could figure out what the comment actually meant. If only you were as intelligent as you pretend to be 😉

@RealistTeach @but_cyclists @DangleSpanners @CyclingKent101 Sure, you can say whatever you like. It's a bit weird for you, in your situation, to say you hate cyclists, but go ahead 🤷🏻‍♂️

@abritishparent @KitPeacock I’ve worked very closely with Michaela yes and large trusts that follow their exact models and have over 20 years working in education. So I think you should pipe down, as quite frankly, you are commenting on something you know nothing about and you’re making yourself look 🤡

@RealistTeach @KitPeacock No. Have you ever taught at Michaela’s?

I hate to break it to everyone who thinks Michaela's revision schedule is excessive, but apart from the threat of punishment that schedule is really not that awful. Most private schools finish at 4. One near me has classes *every* Saturday in term time for Y9 and up.

@abritishparent @KitPeacock Are you a teacher?

@RealistTeach @KitPeacock Teachers at Michaela’s know the score when they join. Many choose it precisely because of the culture where behaviour is excellent & academic results are prioritised. Those who find it intense, move on. Self-selecting culture.

@abritishparent @KitPeacock Yes - you think underpaid staff are happy giving up their weekends when they already do more unpaid over time than any other profession in the UK?

@RealistTeach @KitPeacock Is there any suggestion they are ‘intimidated’? I expect staff choosing to work at a Michaela’s understand the ethos and expectations before they take on the role.

@KitPeacock No questions about staff wellbeing here who are clearly intimidated into running these sessions.

Would I make it mandatory, no. But please can we move away from the idea that a month of Saturday lessons during a time when you should be revising anyway is going to kill you? You can get a Saturday job at 16 or join the army.