What do you at half term? If your not in a school setting then they don't exist. At least that's what I thought. Recently though I have found that I don't chill anymore. I spend time doing stuff for school. Then I panic as I realise that I have 2 rooms to decorate, a birthday sleepover and major family visit on the cards!
The trouble is, that what I want to do is to read, relax and not work, which is what everyone thinks teachers do after 3;15, at weekends and during holidays.
The truth is that's not happening. More and more demands on our time are coming from Senior Leaders, local and central government. I spend on average 50hrs a week in school working, and about 12 to 14 hous a week working out of school. That's about 60+ hours a week working. How many of you would do 50% extra for no extra pay?
I wonder what that works out at? So for every school week I do half a week extra in hours. 39 school weeks thats an extra 18 1/2 weeks worth of hours. So I squeeze 57 1/2 weeks of work in a school year of 39 weeks!!! for £32K, five years at Uni and the student debt and everyone tells us to stop moaning.
No! It's time to listen. We want to teach not to do paperwork to justify some political ideal.
Since someone realised that teachers had these holidays and what was once a good income, it appeared to politicians that we needed to be held accountable, they have not stopped interfereing. Our lives revolve around targets and we are no longer teaching free thinking because if OFSTED come in a see that the children are not reaching what is seen as 'normal' levels of attainment, then we get hammered. Teachers and SLTs are in fear of the words 'Special Measures.'
So who is going to stick their neck out and say enough? Let us teach children according to their ability not what is projected that they will be like at 11 from what they did at 7 years old.
I've had enough. I'm frustrated by the shackles of the politicos. I've lost my teaching mojo. Lets raise standards by freeing the curriculum not tying it down. No more now. I'm really fed up now.
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