Sunday 21 April 2013

Gove...a view from here

I've been wanting to write this for a while. I am not a political person in general. I try and roll my eyes at the latest 'initiative' suggested by Mr Gove and hope they might just 'go away' / he might just 'go away' but the latest one this week really got my blood boiling.

So I am wading into the 'longer days and shorter holidays' debate.

We all know the facts and have probably all seen them on Twitter. There is no evidence to suggest that more hours is going to benefit. We already in the UK do far more school hours than many of our European counterparts and yet they are doing 'better' whatever 'better' means in context. Surely this is about quality not quantity?

Quality not quantity....well this would mean that Mr Gove would have to support the notion of all schools having QUALIFIED teachers and nothing else. Now I work in a SEN school with a 50/50 split of qualified and unqualified teachers and it is very interesting. Now I take all the 'bread and butter' stuff of being a teacher for granted. I know how to level pupils, how to mark effectively and how to plan lessons amongst many other things that escape me right now. Unqualified teachers cannot do this, not in many cases because they don't want to - they have the best interests of the kids at heart of course - but because they have not been TRAINED to because they are unqualified.
Surely it is obvious that people who are more confident in their abilities are going to do better at their job? You wouldn't want an unqualified surgeon or dentist now would you? Is it not the same thing to place the education of thousands of children in unqualified hands. For me, without correct formal training PRIOR to taking a teaching post the job will not be done properly or effectively.

Longer days. Again having worked in a mainstream academy which delivered lessons from 8:30 - 3:20 for Key Stage 3 but 8:30 - 4:30 for Key Stage 4 and 5 I know how long days can feel, even longer when you factor in after school clubs. I was often in school til past 7pm and the train journey home meant I didn't get home until gone 8pm - having left home at 7am.  That is 13 HOURS Mr Gove please take note.
Currently in my special school I leave home at 7:15 and the day is 8:50 - 3:30 but by the time we have dealt with any issues/debriefing and detentions it is often 4:15 before I can even think about what needs to be done before I can go home. I aim to be 'out' by 6pm depending on the day but this is still on average 11 HOURS.

This does not include the work I do at home on evenings/weekends - on average about 6-8 hours a week.

So, Mr Gove if you a proposing longer days I would ask you these questions:
1. Where and when do you think all the planning/marking/extra stuff/clubs will happen? I already work a lot of hours a week (55 in school plus anything at home) and there are only so many hours in a day!
2. Have you considered how much more you will have to pay teachers to do this? They are not going to do it for free!
3. The kids I teach are shattered by 2pm, it is a struggle to get anything decent work wise after this time. You intend to keep them in school longer to do what? Because academic 'work' is out of the question. Frankly they will literally vote with their feet if you try and do this.
4. Students they should be encouraged to have paper rounds/part time jobs/hobbies/sports/music out of school - if they are in school for longer this will not be possible and will affect the 'well rounded' experience that is LIFE.....get a grip on reality, surely these experience are more valuable than a bunch of facts.
5. Have you considered the fact that many parents actually want to see their kids and do nice things with them?
6. What about teachers who have children themselves? They will be passing ships in the night as the teacher-parent is so tied up with work and the kids are at school longer. I do not have my own children (yet) but I would want to see them and spend time with them. What you are proposing is simply ludicrous.

Finally on shorter holidays. Have you seen a teacher at the end of a half term? They are often broken, tired individuals who NEED the holiday to rest. Simply that. I am a big advocate of teachers being healthy both in body and mind having been neither at some stages in my career...we need to look after ourselves. 

To conclude I say this.

It is about time that we as educators, governors and parents stand up and simply say to Mr Gove

No. Enough is Enough. You have gone too far this time. 




#blogsync April: 'Progress in my classroom? How is it made and how I know it'

Here is my likely short two pennies worth for #blogsync April. That said my SEN ally @cherrylkd has contributed a brilliant post so I would like to discuss the state of play r.e. progress for BESD students. Please read her post and all the others here at http://blogsync.edutronic.net

As you are probably well aware by now I teach BESD boys. Boys that are by no means stupid....in fact many are very clever at 'not participating in their education' and I spend hours of my time wishing they would put more of their brain power into their education! A pipe dream sometimes!

Anyway, progress.
Well personally I take a very individual approach to this, having got to know these boys very well I have a pretty good idea of the sort of progress I should be seeing from each of them each lesson or over a topic. It is by no means the same and much of it verbal. This is where differentiation is king, not only in terms of work, activities etc but also in terms of behaviour management. How I deal with or speak to one child may be totally different to how I deal with another.  Expectations are high, but grounded in the relationships we have with the boys as individuals.

The boys, they understand this and many want to achieve but lack the confidence in themselves.  One of the best things we can do is build confidence in their ability to learn. It takes time.

So a typical lesson looks something like this. For the record that is 45 minutes.

Through the door activities for those that are on time - key language, anagrams, word games. All of definite benefit to the boys in terms of their understanding of key scientific terms but allows for late comers which is very common, science is not a favourite subject for many!

Quick Starter to introduce the lesson and the objectives in an 'All, Most and Some' format.

Main Activities - practical or demo based when it can be, lots of focus on language/reading and writing too. In a context where I can to aid understanding. Myself and my LSA moving between the students making sure they are working well at the level we expect them to be and supporting them as is needed. The main problem we face day to day is all the work avoidence tactics the boys employ. All the swearing, aggression, walking out etc etc we face is down to their poor relationship with school which is what as a school we are trying to change. The atmosphere is very positive and always looking at the good things they have done in the lesson both subject related and 'social skill' related. One of the things I am working hard on at the moment is encouraging team work....it's a long hard road!

Plenary - to check understanding of all, usually I use questioning both open and closed as the group sizes are small as this is easier. I have tried peer assessment but many are not 'ready' for the responsibility yet. I also talk about what comes next as many of our ASD students like to know what to expect in the future. Then we go through their points for the lesson and reflect both on learning and behaviour.

It's quite a squeeze!

In terms of progress overall the evidence is there, in their work, in their attitude to the subject and in their use of scientific language. It's just the timescales are much bigger. Mainstream colleagues may look at progress in a lesson or a topic, I look at progress over a term, or a year, or in the case of some over 2-3 years. I'm not a fan of data being used to 'beat teachers over the head with' but over years it speaks for itself.

 I'm not sure how much anyone can take from this post, but I guess it is a snapshot of what I do.