Oh yes – currently in my third year of teaching at the school I did my NQT (probation year) at. Looking to move schools either this year or next year not because I hate it but to try and find a new challenge/the next step up the ladder.

What ever you do, don’t teach R.E. You will be in for a world of pain.

house husband , can i pick your brains this weekend regards techy teaching ??

house husband , can i pick your brains this weekend regards techy teaching ??

Would be delighted have my nose brain picked!

BTW – wanna borrow a 1×9’er if you’re concerned about being slow on a SS?

nah im driving up as i looked at the weather , gonna try the bunk house see if its got any space if not ill kip in the car ….not got the space to carry kit to bivvy in the rain.

will bring race bike and will pick your brains about it then

It’s a great job in the right school, hell on earth in the wrong one.

Avoid like the plague any school where the chair of governors is a berk who claims he recruits, works with and sacks teachers and who uses phrases like:

performance management

a whirlwind of new initiatives

reading the Rose Report

the National Curriculum and all it’s abundant frameworks

Assessment of learner performance

Assessment for Learning and Assessing Pupil Progress

rolled out

constant review of project outcomes

In my 5th year teaching History and sometimes Citizenship.

Great work life balance for cycling, skiing and time with my family.

Have more good days than bad, few idiot kids as I teach 11-16yr old boys but on the whole it is good fun and when you hit the learning ‘nerve’ it is awesome. Finish at 3 out on my bike at 1535hrs!!!! Good worthy job which has feelgood and job satisfaction in abundance.

I’ve been at it for 19 years now, working with some interesting teenagers in an 11- 16 school in South Wales. Throughout that time I’ve always believed that if you follow the dictum ‘would MY kids like this’ you will go far. It is a caring profession. Targets, cohorts and the like are all very good but too many teachers stray into the ‘educationalist’ zone where IMHO they forget about individuals and concentrate upon ‘strategic’ issues. I’m just before that step, and I’m not going to take it. I’m content in my position as Assistant Head of Upper School.

Much of my work is teaching the curriculum. I’m a science teacher with a good science degree so this part of my job isn’t ever a problem. If a pupil asks me something I’m unsure of I tell them ‘ I don’t know’ and that ‘I’ll find out for you’. And I do, generally by the end of the lesson. If I can’t, I’ll give them ideas to follow on www to help them find their own way. Subject/ content-based learning is changing though and is much less prescriptive than before. So much so that some of my colleagues are a bit wary of it’s apparent lack of direction. I say bring it on, loads of room for self- expression and individuality in a new ‘skills based’ curriculum.

My role, apart from teaching science (a core and therefore compulsory) subject is to care for the pastoral welfare of my pupils. Hence I was on the phone to J, a troubled soul who will have to change Social Services placement tomorrow. I did this at 9:30 this evening- I was worried that J might not be OK, so I phoned (withheld) to check that J was OK. J was not, so I did my bit and hopefully have got J through the night in time for face to face restorative work tomorrow. In other words J needs a LOT of TLC and a huge amount of good advice from someone that J trusts. Building up trust has taken approx. 6 months. J relies upon Soc Servs but they are not always there so I stepped in.

What I have done is beyond the call of duty as a teacher, even one in my position. But it is hugely satisfying. I have made a difference, averted another ‘lost’ child, another potential headline.

A teacher at any stage in their career may well find themselves in a position where their pastoral skills are called upon. There are certain things that they have to pass on- like suspicions of abuse or of inappropriate sexual activity but I get an immense feeling of satisfaction when I see things going the right way- and I will fight tooth and nail for the child’s best interests if I see things going wrong.

I love my job. No complaints about the pay, and I love my holidays too.

I love teaching and have done it since 1979. Taught in some rough schools in London and Australia but they help sharpen your skills. Overall pay package is mid 40s and hours of work are incredibly variable (I left work at 10 past 9 last night) so it’s not a good job if you’re a clock watcher. Sadly I’ve seen few success stories of people coming into teaching after a career in industry, it’s a job you either want to do from the outset or else it’s best avoided like the plague.

HouseHusband, despite my post on the other thread I realise you are a probationer and not a househusband.Chin up fella, there is lots of supply for techy…sorry Craft and Design because you guys are specialists. Trail-rat; If you get disclosed I can get you into my school (Carnoustie) one afternoon a week to see if you like it, you would be shadowing History, but it would give you a flavour of what to expect.

Enjoy the Clova, Stewarts Edinburgh is the cask just now (there on Sunday)

I’ve taught for about 9 years now, in that time i’ve been in both private and state schools. Private usually sounds good, and you have a lot more freedom on what you can teach but the parents can be truly painful at times, and it can be embarassing how sheltered/complacent their children are! State tends to involve more hassle from the government instead, but if you’re in a well balanced catchment area/ have supportive departmental and senior management, then it’s great.

I found the first two years or so to be hard, and it’s about a year normally in any school before you really establish yourself; hopefully by then you have a certain rapport with pupils which proceeds you (if you’ve done it right!), making life much easier. Marking will always be an issue (I’m an english teacher, so a lot of reading!) But being fairly pragmatic about it and it can be minimised down to one or two nights a week. This means you can be on the bike by 4pm at least 2 nights a week. (I’ll be hitting trails by 3 this afternoon!)

I love it. Kids are a sight more entertaining and accomodating, (especially the cheeky ones) than a lot of office staff i’ve worked with previously! The holidays are brilliant, although they are at the times when prices are at their peak. -A bit irritating when you look at ski deals for the first week of term after christmas!

I’m always bemused by this comment about “the real world” though? It sounds a bit boring; not somewhere i want to go… 😉

LOL at eldridge…I posted something similar to that but then deleted it.
Brilliant!!! 8)

Governors…interferring busy bodies, who like to sit on committees but serve no purpose whatsover!!!!