Any teachers out there ? - what actually happens on "Inset days " ?

davehills

I'm involved with a local Infant school and have a little experience of attending Inset days. It's certainly not a jolly, I can tell you!

Normally, the Inset day will be based around a topic, be it new legislation, teaching methods or child protection or whatever. Sometimes an external trainer will come in; sometimes it's done in house.

The days are pretty intensive and the staff put in a lot of hard work.

Rather than complaining about having an extra day with the kids, be happy that the Teaching staff are keeping up to date with the latest teaching methods and are continuing to hone their skills!

Hezzawithkids

davehills wrote: »

Rather than complaining about having an extra day with the kids, be happy that the Teaching staff are keeping up to date with the latest teaching methods and are continuing to hone their skills!

I don't think anyone's complaining about having an extra day with their kids per se, our confusion is around why we need to take extra days off work during term time.

dizzyrascal

Hezzawithkids wrote: »

I don't think anyone's complaining about having an extra day with their kids per se, our confusion is around why we need to take extra days off work during term time.

If you read through this thread you will see that you are not taking extra days off work during term time. As has been stated over and over again, there are 190 teaching days per year. This has not changed for decades.

dacouch

They draw pictures of $£@&s on the blackboard and take the mickey out of the P.E teachers.

westv

dizzyrascal wrote: »

If you read through this thread you will see that you are not taking extra days off work during term time. As has been stated over and over again, there are 190 teaching days per year. This has not changed for decades.

The number of days off hasn't changed but days have been taken out of the holidays and transferred into term time for training days? Is that right?

dizzyrascal

westv wrote: »

The number of days off hasn't changed but days have been taken out of the holidays and transferred into term time for training days? Is that right?

No.
The teachers have lost holiday. The pupils still have the same amount of teaching days. Nothing has changed for the pupils, there is no reduction in term days.

GillyR-J

Hezzawithkids wrote: »

And another thing --- what exactly is "non contact time"?? I see that it's built into my son's primary school teacher's timetable, one afternoon a week when the teacher isn't in the classroom and someone else has to take over (not sure who). Another parent told me it was to give the teacher a break from the children.

Remind me again why you wanted to be a teacher??

It is PPA time,preparation,planning and assessment. Each teacher is given about 2.5 hours per week non contact time for this but teachers with additional posts ie SENCO( Special needs) or Deputy Heads will get additional time for these duties. Also newly qualified teachers (NQT) are given additional time to meet with their Mentor and attend further training.
Some teachers may be in the classroom assessing children or making observations (Early years )teachers but he/ she won't have to teach the class.
It should also be said that he/she have probably planned the work the children are doing in their absence if an HLTR ( which is a classroom support assistant with additional training ) is taking the class or the school may employ a PPA teacher to cover classes throughout the school. I did this for three years and taught Art and Design throughout the school planning with each teacher I was covering to ensure the activities fitted into their topics.

SandC

I bet programmes like Waterloo Road don't help when they all !!!! off to the pub at 4 o'clock and get bladdered.

annie1975_2

SandC wrote: »

I bet programmes like Waterloo Road don't help when they all !!!! off to the pub at 4 o'clock and get bladdered.

.Like when its last day of term and they put finishing time to 1 oclock instead of 3.30..Whats all that about,they are getting 7 weeks off why finish early?

thegirlintheattic

annie1975 wrote: »

.Like when its last day of term and they put finishing time to 1 oclock instead of 3.30..Whats all that about,they are getting 7 weeks off why finish early?

The kids leave at 1 maybe, after all the last day is pretty much a lost cause in terms of teaching but staff often do not. We stay in school for a meeting which this summer lasted until 4.