Secondary Thinking about becoming a teacher

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I think that working as a teacher is hard enough. Besides that you need to communicate well with children, but you also need to communicate well with parents. I think this work is psychologically difficult enough.
 
wertystyy said:
I think that working as a teacher is hard enough. Besides that you need to communicate well with children, but you also need to communicate well with parents. I think this work is psychologically difficult enough.
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It is mentally draining. Especially special ed.

I recommend everyone spend a year or two in the sector. Really gives you an insight and appreciation for the hard work that teachers get for an extra $2 a day or thereabouts they get for it.

One day I went into a mixed ability room and I had to change nappies, spoon feed students and also chase ones who decided to leave the room and run out into the yard every hour. These were 10-12year olds. There are also times when they anxious and want to communicate but can't so they get agressive. I've been hit at, bitten and slapped many times.
 
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CliffMcTainshaw said:
This is so true.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/wor...s/news-story/cf2919aa8919b0c2a8b7d252b5d2ebe4
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While there is a huge load on teachers the key I've found is prioritising. Just accept that you're not going to get everything done and just do the most urgent things. I arrive at work at 7 and, unless there's a meeting or parent-teacher interviews on, make sure I'm out the door by 4. I will check emails and occasionally do One School reports at home while watching tv but that's it. Reporting time is mad but it's followed by holidays so tolerable. Sharing resources amongst teachers cuts the workload down too. I've been at some schools where each teacher keeps their resources to themselves under lock and key. My current school is great. Everyone shares, "Oh, I did that unit last year. Here's my USB". Creates a much more positive staff room environment as well.
 
raskolnikov said:
While there is a huge load on teachers the key I've found is prioritising. Just accept that you're not going to get everything done and just do the most urgent things. I arrive at work at 7 and, unless there's a meeting or parent-teacher interviews on, make sure I'm out the door by 4. I will check emails and occasionally do One School reports at home while watching tv but that's it. Reporting time is mad but it's followed by holidays so tolerable. Sharing resources amongst teachers cuts the workload down too. I've been at some schools where each teacher keeps their resources to themselves under lock and key. My current school is great. Everyone shares, "Oh, I did that unit last year. Here's my USB". Creates a much more positive staff room environment as well.
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This.
As a teacher I will be going back 8:00am- 4:30pm.. when I was a leader I did 7:30-5pm.

I always share resources and collaboratively plan weekly programs as it halves workloads.

At my previous school this was an ongoing battle with teachers. I found younger and new teachers keen to do it when you point out the reduced workload. Older teachers who are fixed in their mindset of my "My class, My planning" were generally harder to convince and as such made PLC time harder to get through with the Inquiry cycle.

I prioritise in order:
- Planning
- Assessment
- Parent follow up
- Resources making

If I can plan activities that involve little preparation the better.
 
raskolnikov said:
While there is a huge load on teachers the key I've found is prioritising. Just accept that you're not going to get everything done and just do the most urgent things. I arrive at work at 7 and, unless there's a meeting or parent-teacher interviews on, make sure I'm out the door by 4. I will check emails and occasionally do One School reports at home while watching tv but that's it. Reporting time is mad but it's followed by holidays so tolerable. Sharing resources amongst teachers cuts the workload down too. I've been at some schools where each teacher keeps their resources to themselves under lock and key. My current school is great. Everyone shares, "Oh, I did that unit last year. Here's my USB". Creates a much more positive staff room environment as well.
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All the best teachers have great organisational skills. It is one of the great things that teachers learn and is a really sought after skill outside the educational field. If you can't learn and improve those skills, you will never make it as a teacher. It's one thing that many teachers don't understand. "I'm just an (insert subject) teacher how can I compete for a job outside education? I have no relevant experience in that area".
Sharing resources and working collaboratively with other teachers improves you enjoyment, understanding, teaching skills and student results. Why reinvent the wheel! I believe it also extends a teachers working life. Fortunately, every school I worked in had that ethos.
As far as priorities go, when I first started teaching, I spent a lot of time at school and at home on school things, but as my kids arrived and grew, my priorities shifted. My family was always much more important than my job.
 
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After a 2-year break (1 year health issues, 1 year looking for work), I'll be going back to school (Aide not teacher) Jan 27th.

Really looking forward to it- imho the long gap has been fantastic.

Am also looking forward to the 8.45am-3.30pm hours, which will be a first. (Aides are usually 8.15- 4.36pm FT. I'm .8)
 
Shell said:
After a 2-year break (1 year health issues, 1 year looking for work), I'll be going back to school (Aide not teacher) Jan 27th.

Really looking forward to it- imho the long gap has been fantastic.

Am also looking forward to the 8.45am-3.30pm hours, which will be a first. (Aides are usually 8.15- 4.36pm FT. I'm .8)
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Congratulations! It is a tough but rewarding profession, and a .8 load is always good to give yourself more time to debrief and destress in between.
 
Forward Press said:
Congratulations! It is a tough but rewarding profession, and a .8 load is always good to give yourself more time to debrief and destress in between.
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Yeah I've done it for 15 or so years now. (1.5 years in government, 14 years Private Catholic), and I'll be with the junior year levels which I much prefer.
 
Question to the teachers out there. There is a guy I do CrossFit with. He is in yr 12 at my school this year. I have never taught him and don't have him in any of my classes this year so our paths will never cross at school. He sent me a friend request on Facebook today. Ok to accept?
 
raskolnikov said:
Question to the teachers out there. There is a guy I do CrossFit with. He is in yr 12 at my school this year. I have never taught him and don't have him in any of my classes this year so our paths will never cross at school. He sent me a friend request on Facebook today. Ok to accept?
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Don't think so.
 

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raskolnikov said:
Question to the teachers out there. There is a guy I do CrossFit with. He is in yr 12 at my school this year. I have never taught him and don't have him in any of my classes this year so our paths will never cross at school. He sent me a friend request on Facebook today. Ok to accept?
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Nope.

You are still in a position of power and influence as long as he is a current student. He can wait until he graduates if he's still keen.
 
Jack Richards said:
This.
As a teacher I will be going back 8:00am- 4:30pm.. when I was a leader I did 7:30-5pm.

I always share resources and collaboratively plan weekly programs as it halves workloads.

At my previous school this was an ongoing battle with teachers. I found younger and new teachers keen to do it when you point out the reduced workload. Older teachers who are fixed in their mindset of my "My class, My planning" were generally harder to convince and as such made PLC time harder to get through with the Inquiry cycle.

I prioritise in order:
- Planning
- Assessment
- Parent follow up
- Resources making

If I can plan activities that involve little preparation the better.
Click to expand...

Your self worth is in for a hiding.
 
raskolnikov said:
Question to the teachers out there. There is a guy I do CrossFit with. He is in yr 12 at my school this year. I have never taught him and don't have him in any of my classes this year so our paths will never cross at school. He sent me a friend request on Facebook today. Ok to accept?
Click to expand...
Nope
 
raskolnikov said:
Question to the teachers out there. There is a guy I do CrossFit with. He is in yr 12 at my school this year. I have never taught him and don't have him in any of my classes this year so our paths will never cross at school. He sent me a friend request on Facebook today. Ok to accept?
Click to expand...
Absolutely not.
 
Yep. It just opens a whole can of worms. I'm FB friends with some old teachers but I added them at least 10yrs post graduation.

I had to explain to an older colleague (he is prob in his 40s) that you just cant add students even though they just graduated as he had 3 of them on his fb and only reason I know id because they tried adding me. I had to even highlight where it sits in the code of conduct.

This is one area that needs regular revision as part of a yearly PD refresher. Yes it's mundane and brain numbing, but considering we are seeing people add students/graduates on socials (and even doing inappropriate things in the paper), it needs to be done.

In my 10years of teaching, I reckon the code of conduct has only been shared in whole school pds maybe once. Only as a mentor to PRTs have I really drilled in depth regularly.
 
I have about 3 ex students as Facebook friends from 20 years of teaching, one being my nephew.. The kid (he's 18 shortly) who requested me as a friend the other day I think I've seen at school once from a distance. His whole family do CrossFit and I have both of his parents as friends. I've told him that I'm happy for him to add me after he's left school but not at the moment.

Meanwhile, in other news, Queensland kids won't return to school til Feb 7 so they can get vaccinated.
 
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