Working as SLT. What to do. Stuck.

First of all, what's an SLT?

Second. You sound like a complete legend.

Describe the unraveling please. You mention all the things causing it but how is it manifesting and be honest. You do mention physical aspects like hand shaking and sleep issues but you are asking this question as there is undoubtedly more.

P.s. 3rd thing... You sound like a complete legend. 😂

Sorry to hear you're having a bad time of it.

My best mate was in a similar position until he developed depression, sought help, got out of the career, and after several years and a few stumbles became a social worker. He's really happy now.

My stock response to career stuff is always to have a look at What colo(u)r is your parachute. It's kind of a self-help career change book. My approach was to read it cover to cover and then go back through a second time in detail. I used it years ago and it was incredibly helpful to me. There are a lot of practical exercises included that helped me work through my skills and interests. (One of the tasks was to visualise a life goal and draw it. I know it sounds terrible, but it worked).

Years after i'd done it, my wife did the same thing. And it worked for her too.

You have an abundance of transferable skills, when you work through the book it will help you identify how you most enjoy using the skills, and work out where you can apply them. One of my favourite parts is that it taught me how to actually get a job I wanted without actually applying for one.

Of 10 hour days, no lunch break and an hour commute each way.

So, what happens if you just can't fit all the work into the time you're being paid for? I've said it many times on these threads... the most important word in your work vocabulary is "no". You do what can be done in the time allotted, If it can't be done then you've either a slacker or there is more than one person can do. Which is it?

Sounds like stress tipping into depression to me.

You have two choices - remove the stressors ie change jobs ( unless its not the job its something outside of work) or learn techniques to cope with the stress. CBT works for some

there is also stuff you can do to reduce the effect of the stress. time spent outdoors and exercise. The best thing for workplace stress is to commute by bike as the ride home burns of the stress hormones. Or go for a run after work every day.

to me no job is worth making you ill. I'll take a bet that if you went to the GP and accurately described the symptoms you have you would be signed off sick for a minimum of a month. That would give you breathing space to decide on what next

Mrs Pondo refused to fail too, for 17 years, but there's a limit to how much stretch people have - she's reached hers. Remember to take care of yourself.

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/ex-teachers-assemble/

The only deputy head I know became much happier when they stopped being a deputy head and went back to the classroom.  I'm not sure if financially that is viable for you?  I also know a teacher who quit to just do tutoring and found it both better paid (per hour) and less stressful.  She works kind of weird hours - basically late afternoon / evenings and weekends and does some stuff in the holidays when normal teachers don't - but whilst the rest of us are working she's out doing what she wants.

Of course you could quit education all together.  Lots of people looking for the sort of soft management skills you probably have as a Dep Head, and plenty of training places that would use your teaching skills (some subjects may be more relevant than others - but lots of commercial training is not really delivered by subject matter experts just people who are engaging).  Of course, those might be al the bits of the current job you hate.

Wot scotroutes says as well. Not taking a lunch break is actively bad for you - not only for your mental health but also for your productivity. a half hour walk at lunchtime will mean you can achieve more later in the day

I taught from 1979, moved around for promotions and did a year in Aus, ended up as HoF. Wrote a few bits, got commended in inspections, was an examiner and an exam reviser and was on the exec of a professional assocation. I worked kin long hours and that was the only way to stay on top of it. Exam results in my area were very good, one subject was used as exemplar for grade setting by the exam board. THEN Gove came along and destroyed one of my subjects, I then was moaned at for getting to work too early after a long commute (a PFI school can be charged extra), then tons of box ticking to show your were doing your job (as if there weren't enough other indicators). I hadn't minded working hard under my own steam but was furious with the infantilising micromanagement and that was quite enough. I checked my pension position, fortunately had no mortgage and my kids were independent, and that was it, I packed it in after 35 yrs. I did get pulled in to do a 6 months maternity cover in a lovely 6th form college after that but since then I never regretted walking away from it. I imagine you're younger but those demands are next to impossible and the impact on health and life expectancy is a serious consideration.
Donkeys years ago the Manchester Medical School did a study on teachers' blood and found that they'd regained their health in the summer holidays three days before they went back (and that was under a healthier regime). **** that, sling your hook.

Of 10 hour days, no lunch break

Isn't that illegal? Or can you opt out of it under Working Time Directive? (Key word there, "opt")

no you cannot opt out of it under those circumstance. Legal requirement to take breaks and in a 10 hour day you must have 2 breaks

I remember lunch as all of us sitting in front of laptops dropping crumbs as we worked.

I am lucky,

You don't sound it. It sounds awful. Only you have the power to affect a change.

I've got to admit op, that sounds pretty appalling to me. It actually reminded me of a conversion I had with a good friend some years back when we was weighing up the "need" to stay in a frankly abusive relationship with his partner. It was obviously damaging him emotionally but there were also some understandable reasons why he felt it so hard to leave her.

Change a few words/phrases in your post and it's a very similar situation in some ways.

I'm sure there are satisfying elements to the role but it sounds like you are paying a huge personal price at the same time.

I can't help but think that anyone who you would consider you are "letting down" would be hard pushed to judge you negatively if they were somehow to read what you typed above. Re read it on a day or two, that's some gut wrenching stuff you are expressing there.

I really wish you all the best, whether you choose to try and stick it out or to look for a better balance in your life.

Senior Leadership Team (SLT)
Teaching for 30 years, good luck OP. Been there in spades. NCSl - use them.

Isn’t that illegal? Or can you opt out of it under Working Time Directive? (Key word there, “opt”)

I think the thing being missed here is that not everyone has the luxury of having the time to take a break, and being told to take the legally mandated breaks doesn't help. It sounds like OP has A LOT on their plate and is stressed about the workload as it is. How does shortening the workday by up to an hour help with that workload?

Thanks everyone. Reading these this morning has made some dust fly into my eyes. Need to do some thinking this weekend.

Isn’t that illegal? Or can you opt out of it under Working Time Directive?

Unfortunately some workplaces have a culture of working yourself to exhaustion, my wife would just reply 'working time what? I have to get this done'.

Even in my industry where all hours are meant to be logged and paid and automatic systems are in place to prevent breaching either the standard or opted out limits (as there are still limits after opting out) people will still try and work around them for OT or in desperation.

I was in a similar position about 4 years ago. Successful Deputy Head in a secondary school, spinning lots of plates, and I had a very supportive head. But I wasn't coping. The day I found myself hiding in the toilets I knew I had to make a change. I was lucky, I effectively was allowed the job I asked for, non-teaching safeguarding lead but on a very good wage. Then a MAT took over and I managed to get a safeguarding role with local NHS trust - I was privileged to do this, fist non-health professional. However, I missed the kids and I'm now an Assistant Head in local Pupil Referral Unit, 10 minutes cycle away. I've been hit, punched, spat at and work 11/12 hour days with no breaks, but I do no work when I get home or at the weekend.

What am I saying? It's not you it's the expectations of the job, which are insurmountable. You are not failing, the education system is. Plus there are always the options - you have massive experience and a wide skill set. I hope it works out ok for you. Happy to chat if it might help.

I am lucky

Doesn't sound it. I've been teaching about 15 years too, climbed the pole a bit, thought **** that that and slid back down. I like teaching, it's tough but far more manageable than all the other shit. You'd need to take quite a big pay cut to get back to what I am which is a bog standard class teacher, but, honestly, its far better and money is not everything in life.

As a ordinary teacher (ex-HoD) SLT are pared to the bone and overworked and as such not doing a great job. Not for want of trying, which makes them work and fail harder. It's a vicious circle. For your own sanity and health. Go in today fill in the stress paperwork tell the HT what you've written here and if nothing happens go home with a doctor's line. You are no good to yourself or those you love if you have breakdown. Your managers have a duty of care, when was the last time one sat you down and asked how you were? If it's like here, never.
You can't help the kids if you are falling apart. (We have an experienced and we'll respected teacher been suspended for smashing a phone against a desk and properly losing it. All stress related.)

Reading your post and having had some serious stress related issues through work myself my thoughts are.

1. Senior positions are stressful, doesn't generally matter what your role is, part of it is dealing with problems which you don't gave answers for, juggling resources you don't have and be the person everyone else looks to for leadership. You need to decide if it's too much for you. In my case the stress mainly came from a bullying manager but I'm also self aware enough to realise it's partly me putting pressure on myself. I now work in the most supportive environment of my career and I still stress myself from time to time.

2. Sounds like your personal circumstances aren't helping, being in a senior position impacts home life if you have other responsibilities. If you change jobs you may be able to reduce the commute or even work from home, but they need to be drivers in choosing a new role.

3. Moving out of a senior teaching role into another senior and well paid role wont be easy, although you have transferable skills many employers are still very parochial about experience.

4. Holidays - yes I know many teachers, especially SLT work in the holidays but 2 points. Even if you work 5 weeks straight out of your holidays you're still on 8 weeks which is more than most other roles. I would kill to have time in my year when the other pressures drop away and I can catch up, I get 5 weeks holiday, that's it and the business carries on so I have to catch up, the rest of the year is just full on.

5. Culture is very different outside of teaching, your use of the SLT acronym shows you are fully in that culture, I know what it means because my wife works in a school many wouldn't. If you want to get out you need to start thinking about the outside world, education is a bit of a bubble.

In your position I'd go see my doctor, they can help, sounds like it's more than just the job causing the issues. Beyond that I'd look at stepping down the seniority scale to reduce pressure. Many teachers do it. Finally don't under estimate the culture shock and stress of moving into another profession, it can also be very debilitating. Above all get help, a straight career change is usually the full answer unless it's a significant drop in pay and responsibility.

Use all of your expertise & experience to work in the same field but as a bank worker.

University / College lecturer.

Waitrose.

I think the thing being missed here is that not everyone has the luxury of having the time to take a break, and being told to take the legally mandated breaks doesn’t help. I

Its not a luxury its both legally mandated and essential for your mental and physical health

As Scotroute says - if you cannot complete your workload in the time available then the workload is too high and you are being abused by your employer. the workplace culture is probably one of "presenteeism"

Its not acceptable not to take breaks

Part of me sticks with it because I refuse to fail.

I was like the op in my previous role, moved to a new company with an exciting but challenging role and set my stall out to better manage my time etc from the start to set the correct expectation. I’ve fallen back into old habits during an especially busy final quarter to achieve my goals.

Use the advice above. Yesterday I went for a walk to a chemist just to force a lunchtime break into my day. Looking after your physical and mental health is not failure.

I think the thing being missed here is that not everyone has the luxury of having the time to take a break, and being told to take the legally mandated breaks doesn’t help

unless its an emergency situation I fail to see why. Taking a break is not a luxury, you are legally allowed to take it. If you choose not to take that's another matter

would kill to have time in my year when the other pressures drop away and I can catch up

Literally thousands of teaching jobs available.

if you cannot complete your workload in the time available then the workload is too high and you are being abused by your employer. the workplace culture is probably one of “presenteeism”

No help if it is an industry wide issue. Teachers do not have hours of work

Again a couple missing the point re: breaks. I understand the whole legally mandated thing, and yes a job should be able to be managed so taking those breaks never has to be questioned, but if things are as stressful as they appear for OP do we think that telling them to cut the number of hours they have available to do all the work they must do is a constructive suggestion that OP can act on and will reduce the stress being experienced?

This isn't an abstract conversation about time management in the workplace in general, it's a specific situation.

AA the holiday comment was not a dig, just pointing out the pressure levels vary across the year, you dont get that in other roles. As for teaching, no thanks I couldn't work with kids or teachers (both my parents were teachers) but on the flip many people wouldn't want my job because of the industry and what it entails, works for me though, horses for courses.

You are not failing, the education system is.

This needs to be a focus. You might be struggling to keep all the plates spinning, but it's because there is an unreasonable expectation of how many plates is acceptable. You are being bloody amazing.

Some good advice there, but I'd suggest a chat with a GP in the short term, these things can spiral. Union may be able to offer support as well.

SLT means Speech and Language Therapist of which my wife is/was one. Thought this was an (understandable) rail against that profession when I read the heading. My wife stuck it for 10 years and hated it so much has pushed herself upwards out of SLT and now looks after all paediatric services. None of this relevant…

To the OP. Change profession. Now. Before it breaks you (permanently.) Never understood why people become teachers. The ‘giving back’ bit seems completely non-sensicle stacked against all the BS you have to put up with, especially with Academy schools. From what I’ve seen they epitomise the worst of private industry. I know quite a few teachers. Some are rubbish at managing time, some are just clueless yes men/women, and some love the ‘busy Olympics’ aspect of their job. but most are ‘normal’, good, reasonable people being taken for a ride by the system. F. that.

BTW I work in private industry. I have a bloody stressful job at times. But also I can sack my employer off and move elsewhere if it doesn’t work for me.
Also, sorry for the slightly sweary email. Half-cut on a train in Japan. (Work!)

but if things are as stressful as they appear for OP do we think that telling them to cut the number of hours they have available to do all the work they must do is a constructive suggestion

Yes because it makes the impossibility of the situation clear and shows that its not the person failing its the system

I worked in a profession ( nursing) with a culture of "presenteeism". I refused to join in even when in senior roles. In one senior role I was in I was told I had to complete a task which if done to the mandated standards would have added at least 10% to my workload. In writing I asked the manager above me which of my other tasks I should drop in order to complete this one. funnily enough I never received a reply and thus I never completed the useless task they wanted me to do.

Its obvious the workload in this case is too great to complete in the hours available. Make that senior managements issue not yours. Set the priorities and do not do the lowest priority tasks and tell the next tier of management above what you have done and why and / or ask them to set your priorities

its does no one any good to either skimp and perform all tasks poorly or to work yourself into a state of stress

I'll bet my house a significant % of his time is taken up with tasks that have no bearing on the education of the children. Useless data gathering is often done for example

Its obvious the workload in this case is too great to complete in the hours available. Make that senior managements issue not yours. Set the priorities and do not do the lowest priority tasks and tell the next tier of management above what you have done and why and / or ask them to set your priorities

That's a useful suggestion. "Take more breaks" isn't.

FWIW, I would be similar. Make a list of what is absolutely critical and what is unnecessary fluff. Speak to line manager and explain the situation, notify which tasks will be dropped and why, and ask for a meeting/discussion where the issues can be brought to light. In OP's case, I'd probably also use the lighter workload to focus on taking stock of where I am in terms of life/career/happiness and figuring out what I want the rest of my life to look like.

AA the holiday comment was not a dig,

I didn't take it as such, just pointing out that if you wanted it so much you could very likely have it

Make that senior managements issue not yours. Set the priorities and do not do the lowest priority tasks and tell the next tier of management above what you have done and why and / or ask them to set your priorities

Back to saying "no" then.

Ah, but, teachers are special, teachers are over-worked, nobody understands the pressure they are under, no other profession has to put up with this. Bollocks! These are all lies, probably started by teachers to boost their perceived importance but they've all, apparently, come to believe it themselves. There are millions of folk working under similar pressures. Stop with the exceptionalism and things will actually improve.

No help if it is an industry wide issue.

That, if I may point out, is a wood from the trees issue. Those who are currently teaching are too close to the issue and it's not helping. Those advocating not taking breaks are not helping the OP, he's starting to breakdown and the reply is the equivalent of telling a suicidal person to just go outside. Not helpful chaps, not helpful at all.

The only deputy head I know became much happier when they stopped being a deputy head and went back to the classroom

A friend who was head took the same decision.

For those saying he should tell management, say no etc., this is very hard when you are management - the expectation is that people at this level just deliver, dont complain and those who do are somehow weak or not suited to the role. Some management teams are better than others at breaking this approach, but most are not. The Head is probably also under a similar or greater level of stress, as are the other SLT members. Some people can hide it, some seem to just live for work and not have outside interests, dependents etc.

My advice would be to look at all your options seriously, work through the financials and see what is open to you. As I see options range from 'suck it up', to going part time, moving job in the same field/level. taking a lower paid job in the same field, looking at related fields such as university lecturer etc, taking early retirement if this is an option etc.

Speaking as someone who threw over a 6 figure salary in part due to the stress, and now earns very little, you m ight be surpsrised how little you need to live on once the stress is reduced - a lot of my purchases were seeking a dopamine hit to counteract the stress (shiny things, alcohol, take aways etc) or countering guilt (expensive presents for kids/wife, holidays etc to make up for not being around much). I don't underestimate how hard and scary such a decsion can be - talk to some trusted friends and see what they say.

In the short term set aside some time to look for other opportunites, and see what can be trimmed at work to ease the stress - for example do you need to be present for all 40 minutes of all the assemblies? even shaving 5 minutes off each could return some decompression time, or allow you to fit some of the email management in there and take a break later.

Good luck whatever you decide

I assumed in this case it referred to Senior Leadership Team.

I assumed in this case it referred to Senior Leadership Team.

+1

I just want to add some flesh to my previous post. First things first - it's not you. As far as I can see, education has changed out of all proportion over the last decade or so - Mrs Pondo was a Director of Faculty (which was already higher than she wanted to be) at the start of this year, and the pressures and shoddy way the school was run were more than she was prepared to put up with, evenings, weekends and holidays all taken up with work or thinking about work. She thought just going back to teaching would be the way forward, so moved in September, but on 10% PPA, and it took six days in the classroom in September to finally break her. It's not teaching, it's not the school, it wasn't even the kids (although some of them sounded pretty crap) - it's the sector, she can't "just" teach any more, there are so many completely pointless boxes to tick that there's no time left to do the interesting, fun and ultimately useful bit that actually gets children thinking and puts information into their heads. And she had all the same pull factors you had - "I can't fail, I can't let the kids down, I can't let my colleagues down", etc etc etc - it's a nonsense, the system is now depending on you grinding yourself into the floor just to carry on. Don't stand for it!

She's still trying to work out what comes next - the biggest problem is that teaching is still what she wants to do, but that's not what the job is any more. She's thought about going part-time, but that just means spending, say. three days in school and two days doing all the bumpf at home for three day's pay. What seems clear is that the sector is suffering a massive drain of experienced staff as people either can't or won't put up with it any longer - she found some useful facebook groups, I'll see if I can dig them out and share them. So for her it's about working out what she wants to do next - loads of transferable skills, but nothing leaps out as anything she wants to do, she hasn't left because there's something else she wants to do, she just can't be a teacher in the UK in 2022. That might change, but for now - that door's shut for her.

Lots of helpful folk on here -

https://en-gb.facebook.com/groups/LifeAfterTeachingExitTheClassroomAndThrive/

Would be interesting to see what if any Management / Leadership qualifications / experience / training has been done in the SLT.
The irony around the lack of ongoing education/training for people in those roles is deafening.

Ah, but, teachers are special, teachers are over-worked, nobody understands the pressure they are under, no other profession has to put up with this. Bollocks! These are all lies, probably started by teachers to boost their perceived importance but they’ve all, apparently, come to believe it themselves. There are millions of folk working under similar pressures.

How many people are ultimately judged by and working for the current crazy conservative government? There's the NHS too, how's that going at the moment?

Teachers, NHS, police, civil service, I imagine it's much the same across them all, multiple cheeks of the same putrid, Tory arse - workload goes relebtlessly up and resource falls further and further short, while the party faithful get ever richer.

Go back to a class teacher. School I'm currently in has someone who quit being an SLT and returned to the classroom. They couldn't be happier.

Have another SLT friend that has gone from full time to part time. They are doing much better.

I know a few teachers. Ever one has either stepped down from senior roles, gone part time or taken early retirement

People like teacher do it because they care. It IMO leads them to push too hard. the result is stress and burnout.

Teachers do not have hours of work

That's a bit disingenuous AA. you of all people here know that legally we do but in practical terms that's ignored because 'things need doing'. That's one problem in itself. Of course those on the leadership scale don't even have that 'luxury' of 1265 to fall back on...

As someone who has survived 25 years in state education so far (and am still enjoying it and finding it worthwhile), I wish I had the answer for teachers/leaders who feel like the OP, but it's not easy to get out of that kind of thought/work loop once you spiral into it.

Not strictly true that - there are easy answers. Learn to say no, leave the profession or find a less toxic school. All three of those obviously come with big BUTs though...

I chose the latter a few years back and it was the saving of me. Stepped back from middle leadership to 'just' teach for a couple of years in schools where I didn't find everything the SLT and (more so) the Trust did abhorrent. Reminded me why I got into this in the first place and re-energised me to go again. Now happily back as a Head Of Year and seconded to SLT with a much healthier perspective on the whole thing in a school that does genuinely care about its staff at all levels.

It's easy from the outside but OP, I'd say...

(assuming from your post that you're either outside of the UK or in a private school? So some of this might not be relevant)

Talk to anyone IRL about this you feel you can, not just us anonymous muppets here.
If you have faith in your Principal/Head/DSL, speak to them formally.
Get in touch with your GP.
Try to decide whether it's you, the job or the school that's the issue (hopefully it's not all three). The answer to that ought to give you a starting point on possible solutions.

If you want to 'talk' teacher to teacher, by all means drop me a DM. Can't promise any solutions, but I'm more than willing to listen(read)

That’s a bit disingenuous AA. you of all people here know that legally we do but in practical terms that’s ignored because ‘things need doing’

So legally we do but in practise we don't, looking from the outside it certainly seems worse in SLT

Mrs Pondo out with an old friend at Previous School (for the moment, leaving shortly) tonight, has screen-shotted a proper bridge-burning cheerio email from head of sixth, lots of Animal Farm references (the Orwell book, not the bestiality film). Reminds me they've had more than half their teaching staff leave this summer, many to other teaching jobs but not all.

Thanks everyone for the time you've taken to reply. There's lots to think about, not least the fractions of the problem that are mine, the role's and the profession's. I'm certain that I'm the creator of a significant part of the stress, but not so certain about the degree to which I can change the part of me that generates it (the part that wants to do everything 'well' and refuses to fail). I'm equally certain the role and my boss are also variables and if I had an honest conversation there would be significant efforts made to help (I've a good boss and I respect him a great deal). How to go about doing that in the context of my role, the available money and the limited number of people who could possibly take on more isn't clear.

There's much more to write, but now probably the best thing is to sleep. Thanks again, ILF.

So legally we do but in practise we don’t, looking from the outside it certainly seems worse in SLT

Based on surveys, average hours worked by UK classroom teachers each week usually comes out at around 48-50 (headteachers 60+, so I guess other SLT somewhere in the middle at around 55?).

1265 / 39 comes out at 32.5 contracted (paid) hours each week for a mainscale/UPS teacher so the vast majority of teachers do a huge amount of effectively unpaid work every week. That doesn't take into account work done during holidays...

There is no limit on hours SLT can be asked/instructed to work for their flat salary - was never quite sure how that one got past the unions at any point? I guess how much of a burden that is depends on the Head/Governors/Trust of any given school. I know ours is pretty good and where possible people are given time to fulfill their roles (or given roles that will not overfill their time). I also know that not all schools are that considerate or have the funding to do that...

Finally come back to this thread, 4 months later and reread all the contributions. Firstly, thanks again to everyone that took time to respond, it was really helpful. I was in a deep hole, deeper than I realised.

About a week after posting I was riding from work home on my motorbike far too fast (rushing back to be home for child). And I had a sort of epiphany... I didn't 'need' to do it (it being work like this). I rolled off the gas and that in itself was enough to feel differently and decide to take positive steps.

I spoke to my boss and my bosses boss. They were understanding and helpful and I'm transferring to another school that's closer and has a more defined role, which feels like an opportunity to reset and restart on a new, hopefully more sustainable, track. Ultimately it gives me a chance to try again to do something I do want to do.

Thanks again. Onwards.

Good stuff

Good for you 👍
I got to the dizzying heights of head of faculty a few years ago, started thinking about applying for SLT roles, but it all got a bit much.

Took a step sideways/backwards doing a STEM role and primary liaison work.
I'm now a couple of weeks off leaving secondary education to work in a primary.
I'm relieved (a bit saddened too) to be leaving secondary teaching. It's not the same thing I signed up for any more.

It's tough well done for being proactive.

I just stepped up for a 12 week acting up to faculty head role but it already looks like it'll be 6 months add into that losing 3 staff gaining 2.5 new staff and possibly losing one more. I've been in position 6 weeks and come June I will have redone the faculty timetable 8 times trying to limit disruption to pupils as much as I can.
That's before the day job.
To be honest I will step down in August unless they massively make it worth the extra stress

Sounds like really positive changes, well done and good luck.

I’ve said it many times on these threads… the most important word in your work vocabulary is “no”. You do what can be done in the time allotted

This is easy to say and difficult to implement for two reasons:

1) people need to give meaning to their work. The idea of spending so much of our short lives on a bullshit job is unbearable for most people. It's more damaging to admit that our jobs don't matter than it is to work the longer hours - for many people

2) some people, like the OP, have jobs that actually mean something. If they clock off and head to the pub at 4.30pm, no-one will ever pick up the slack. It doesn't mean that the Q2 TPS report for WIP overages won't be complete for divisional HQ - it means that little Amelia or Ali won't learn to ****ing read.

Saying JuSt WoRk LeSs, YoU iDiOt isn't helpful

Well done i_like_food.

I had a similar thing a couple of years ago. I’d left a job at a school that I was quite well respected at to go into SEND teaching. I’d got pretty good at realising what stuff I was being asked to do that had no impact on a child’s learning/wellbeing or that of a teacher. I’d be the a*se in meetings who would just ask the question, “Why and who are we doing this for?”

Anyway, I started at the SEND school. I absolutely loved the teaching. The kids were amazing. It turns out the SLT were just desperate to do anything that would lead to a positive OFSTED inspection/rating. They’d got used to no one questioning decisions or policies because half the teaching staff were HLTAs and not teachers. It led to a member of SLT (who wasn’t a qualified teacher) threatening to put me on a support plan because my feedback wasn’t obvious in the children’s books. I provided her with some recent peer reviewed articles on best practice in giving feedback, showed her the DfEs document on reducing teacher workload and also handed in my notice at the same time.

I looked around for other teaching jobs locally. Every job description just looked like I’d be jumping from the frying pan into the fire. I ended up looking at international jobs almost as a laugh. Trouble is I found one that I genuinely liked the look of! Applied for it and got it. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. None of the pressure of OFSTED. We still have inspections but they’re supportive. I have a long school day, but I get a decent amount of PPA time. One of the big positives was that I volunteered to write the feedback policy so I left out any mention of a need for written feedback and any need for how much or how often.

I was very lucky to have a supportive OH who was happy for me to make the move. I probably would never have applied had she not said to go for it. She’s still not here but comes regularly and will be making the move soon. The boy is now grown up although he’s stayed out here for months at a time.

Maybe have a look at teaching abroad if that becomes an option and things don’t improve massively with your new role. Good luck with it all.

 it means that little Amelia or Ali won’t learn to **** read.

It doesn't mean that though doesn't it? In fact the whole problem for lots of teachers is that they've convinced themselves or been convinced that statements like this are true. If little Amelia doesn't learn to read it's due to a whole string of failings from her parents, through the school, all the way up to government level. It's not because a teacher decided to finish at a regular time or work their contracted hours.

Sometimes there are time critical things to deal with in schools like child protection issues but more usually the things that stop teachers going home at 4.30 are bits of admin or this misguided notion that them working an extra few hours will save little Amelia.

some people, like the OP, have jobs that actually mean something. If they clock off and head to the pub at 4.30pm, no-one will ever pick up the slack. It doesn’t mean that the Q2 TPS report for WIP overages won’t be complete for divisional HQ – it means that little Amelia or Ali won’t learn to **** read.

Even when in senior nursing roles ( the biggest I had 80 odd staff reporting to me ) I still did this.  Identified the priorities and did them first and when I ran out of time the nonsense stuff didn't get done.  when asked why not I pointed out that I had run out of time and asked those senior to me to set my priorities.  It didn't make me popular at all but I protected my core work so the equivalent of  little Amelia did get taught to read and the quarterly reports were not done.

Its not easy to do it a culture of presenteism and "must get the job done"  You have to break that mindset and be strong

it also helped me of course in that I could use the code of conduct to back up my stance.  One senior job COO tried to tell me my primary loyalty was to the organisation. ( a housing association)  I was able to use the code of conduct to tell them that actually it was first to my patients, second to the regulatory body, 3rd to my staff and only then to the organisiation. that made me very popular as you can imagine but it was legally watertight.  I was under the regulatory bodies code of conduct correct.  I could legally ignore instructions from above that put me in conflict with my duties under the code.

the other thing I did was always make sure I took a break and actually left the building for a short while.  This is essential to good working hence why the breaks are legally mandated as you are actually more efficient. You achieve more in 7.5 hours with a proper break than you do in 8 hours without one.

I'm assuming the teaching profession has a similar code of conduct.  without one its harder to do this.  My senior management could not touch me for this because of the code of conduct.

more usually the things that stop teachers going home at 4.30 are bits of admin

This is, to be Frank, bollocks.

Any thoughts of becoming an Academic at a University - Education side of things. You'd be snapped up with a PhD and SLT experience ? Uni's are short of good staff at the moment.

This is, to be Frank, bollocks.

When are you doing your admin tasks then? During the school day? Seriously, the teaching profession needs to give itself a bit of tough love and actually start applying the sort of professional standards TJ is talking about, i.e. being realistic about what is achievable, focusing on the core tasks and not giving in to the relentless treadmill of asking ever more of teachers and teachers doing it in the hope of saving some poor little mite.

I don’t think that there is an equivalent in education. In my experience I if the leadership team want you gone you are on your way unless your incredibly talented and resilient

Buy TJ I do appreciate your contributions to these threads

...and not giving in to the relentless treadmill of asking ever more of teachers and teachers doing it in the hope of saving some poor little mite.

Yes, yes, a 100 times yes!

The current wheeze in our school is timed round-robins done on Google docs. Asking teachers for info on students for Sen, ADHD or ASD assessments.

You click on the link, are presented with 10+ boxes to be filled in, and a timer starts counting down from 30 minutes - the form probably takes 15-20mins to do if filled out properly.

If you close it it doesn't restart, just carries on counting down, and if not filled in or finished you get shitty emails.

Maybe fine if you're a core subject teacher. But if you teach 50% of KS3 + GCSE classes (about 400 students in total) then like me you're getting loads of these each week. Where am I meant to magic an extra 4 or 5 hours from?

Proper bullshit!

* Edit...if you're wondering why I'm posting during the day, I'm off sick today with severe sinusitis.
Made worse by forcing myself into school for the last 2 weeks, even though I've been ill and feeling like crap the whole time.

A big issue for teachers is that it's often 'easier' to go into school sick, than it is to set cover, sort out resources remotely, and then deal with the fallout of being away from school.

If little Amelia doesn’t learn to read it’s due to a whole string of failings

Of course that's true. The difference is that that failure is meaningful (unlike a lot of bullshit private sector jobs), and that the teacher doesn't want to be the last link in the chain to fail - even if they've been set up for failure and they're trying to compensate for that by chucking a whole load of their personal time at the problem.

unless teaching has changed radically in the last ten+ years since my wife left, it seems to be a 'industry' that exploits and is entirely reliant on the goodwill of the type of person who chooses education.
there isn't enough, there isn't finished and if you don't break yourself trying, you haven't tried hard enough.

I don't miss it, and I didn't even work there...

There is a general teaching council with a code of conduct and government standards.  I cannot open it and do not know enough about teaching to suggest how to use it

https://www.gtce.org.uk/teachers/thecode/index.html

For nursing the one I used was " always put the needs of the patients first" or something similar.  So if I was being told to do some bureaucratic exercise that had no or little value to patient care but took up time I could use for patient care I would refuse and cite the code of conduct to back me up.  When I was asked why had I not done this thing or attended that meeting and I used this to the consternation of my bosses and it really amused me to watch them flounder.

It tough to do this sort of thing on your own - especially for teaching I guess and concerted action would help.

it seems to be a ‘industry’ that exploits and is entirely reliant on the goodwill of the type of person who chooses education.

It is a profession primed for burnout in that it attracts committed individuals who want to make a differance and then heaps ever more on them. Almost every thing teachers are asked to do is justifiable in some way so every extra thing gets passed through and hardly anything ever gets taken away.

There is a general teaching council with a code of conduct and government standards.

In Scotland, every school has a Working Time Agreement. Basic time figures are set but the detail is agreed between the school management and the union reps.

It is an incredibly powerful mechanism for managing workload provided the reps are worth their salt and the management abide by it. Even if they don't abide by it, the fact that it exists can be used to force their hand. Unfortunately it doesn't really work for people in promoted posts. I'm not sue if there is anything similar in England, from the sound of it I would think not.

I know a couple of people who jumped from teaching into the civil service by getting jobs at the Department for Education.

Keep looking here and see if anything pops up that might take your fancy

https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cgi

@blackflag thanks, very interesting... Think I might have a punt at the Governor of Gibraltar vacancy! Got to be in it to win it.

Oh, I'm glad I caught the updates to this thread! 🙂 Well done OP, all the best. 🙂

Was chatting to Mrs Pondo about the workload she had back in Srptember just this week - she had three frees over two weeks, plus a form group. How the hell you're supposed to plan and mark, plus your meetings, parent queries, parent evenings, random incidents, interventions, etc etc etc, I've no idea. And she's experienced - how the hell do NQTs cope?

She's off to do some supply at a 6th form college shortly, a non-commital toe back in the water. I hope she gets on ok, as she loves teaching, but whatever she does I've got her back. 🙂