Kids at this school are protesting about having too many Supply Teachers. As an ex supply teacher myself, I don't blame them one bit. The school has apparently chucked them out for a fortnight. A Fortnight! They'd have got less for kidnapping the Head.
I reckon that this story will turn out to have more twists than a Mount Everest helter-skelter
8 comments:
That's interesting - in the version of the article I read earlier today it said the walk out was over uniform and strict anti-jewellery policies.
Yawn. Another bunch of arsy kids who learnt from their parents' example the vital Importance of Doing Exactly As You Wish.
kids want their own way on everything. I had a lad in one of my classes who messed around and then got arsy when I sanctioned him until one day his mother rang in to complain to the HOY that I was victimising him. The HOY gave the boy a choice not to come to my lesson as work could be sent home with him (he is year11) and he can study at home. He has chosen to return to my lessons where he still refuses to do any work, disrupts everyone and complains that I am victimising him at any sanctions given. What this lad really wants is to come and socialise with his friends during my lesson and if I try to stop him he wants the option of not coming. My choice is I can either allow him to do so or I can spend more of my valuable time planning work that he can do elsewhere.
oh and on that note I also would like to add that in our school if whole classes were problematic the HOY could put them on a book report where each teacher filled it out and HOY acted upon what was said immediately. A parent complained about this and our Head has told HOY that they can no longer use this as it is victimising the children!!!! Another example of children getting their own way and another perfectly good sanction taken away from teachers.
"What this lad really wants is to come and socialise with his friends during my lesson and if I try to stop him he wants the option of not coming."
IF ONLY we could offer them that latter option.
I suspect that his parents - who are vocal enough in his support when it isn't putting them out - are none too keen on having his company all day long at home.
Actually, kidnapping the head might be a good way to get the staff on-side in some schools...
And to be fair to the kids, it's possible to take uniform and jewellery policy too far; I'm in favour of uniforms as a general rule, but the principle should be few rules but unbendables, otherwise the whole uniform policy turns into the playground of the kind of teacher who signed up because they wanted power, and I'm sure every staffroom has a couple of that sort. Neither am I entirely unsympathetic to the complaints about supply teachers; having a different teacher every lesson is hardly an ideal way to learn!
Nevertheless, I'm sure our host is quite right. I await further developments with interest.
"Neither am I entirely unsympathetic to the complaints about supply teachers; having a different teacher every lesson is hardly an ideal way to learn!"
One might ask why this is the case. Are we really facing a surfiet of "here today gone tomorrow" supply mercenaries, or could it be that few of them can face returning to a bear pit of abuse day in day out. There are, it has to be stated, supply teachers who have great subject knowledge and still maintain considerable enthusiasm for their subject. After the third can of coke hits the back of your head it may be saner to take your expertise elsewhere.
Good question, but like I said, I await further developments with interest.
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