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

whitesatin

markwilkinson wrote: »

Contraception is a wonderful thing. Teachers are not free child minders.

Without the children there would be no jobs.

I have retired from my teaching career now that I am 60 but even I can see that.:)

markwilkinson

mustang121 wrote: »

Tell that to the Pope.

:rotfl: don't get me started on the Vatican!

chiefgoobster

whitesatin wrote: »

I don't mind explaining to people at all. No need to be so unkind.

I think that there are a lot of people who don't understand the situation so maybe it should be made clearer to parents.

Anyway, a lot of parents have to work and it's not easy to get time off.

Worse these days, I am sure.

Thanks Whitesatin. Someone who seems not to have got on their high horse.............that's because you are "old school "
you see

thegirlintheattic

We have two at the start of September, lots of meetings looking at plans for the year, results, new policies, getting new staff up to speed. It's also the first time we get our set lists so there are meetings about SEN children etc. Only an hour or so is on actually sorting stuff out in rooms.

SUESMITH_2

mustang121 wrote: »

Actually the true reason for Inset Days, is basically for all UK teachers to gather in Blackpool for one massive, meaningless, fudgless sex orgy

I will now likely be assassinated for divulging this information.

sshh.... don't let the cat out of the bag.


seriously as a science technician not only do I attend the meetings but i also have to fit in prepping up for the first few days back so the kids can come straight in and do practicals. i also (unlike teachers) don't get paid for the holidays so am not going to go in unpaid and do this over the summer.

like others have said, kids have always done 190 days, its the staff that lost holidays

Hmm71

iloveshoes21 wrote: »

You are correct in that there are a certain number of days the kids have to be in school. There are also a certain number of teaching days that I have do. I'm pretty sure that there are a certain number of training days that we have to have aswell.

We have 2 when we go back this time and they are there for teachers to have training. This has to be done because the government changes its mind all the blooming time about what it wants taught and how it wants it teaching. I will also be in meetings with members of my department and preparing myself for the new year. There is data to organise, class lists to be scrutinised, seating plans to be written, SEN support to be sorted, lessons to plan, data to be analysed from the GCSE results and tidying my classroom after the community have been in over the holiday and moved everything.

So if we don't use our Inset days for this when do you propose we do it? I have already been in twice this holiday for meetings and I have spent way more time than I would like re writing schemes of work to match the new exam guidelines. This is done during my time. I agree that we do get more holiday than the average but that is the perk to the job. The only perk I would like to add. I would happily give up a month of my holidays for a months extra pay. Because although I have all these holidays I cant blooming afford to do anything in them.

If we didnt use inset days for these jobs then I would spend the first few days of teaching not knowing which of the new year 7s needs more support or even how to give it. I would not be aware of what our schools new behaviour policy was and I wouldn't be there to give support to the new member of staff in my department.

But I fully understand that you don't want to spend any more time with your kid. The kid that you decided to have.

And just as well we did decide to have kids otherwise you'd be out of a job wouldn't you?
You seem a teeny bit touchy there, did your parents not want to spend any time with you?

LE3

mustang121 wrote:

Actually the true reason for Inset Days, is basically for all UK teachers to gather in Blackpool for one massive, meaningless, fudgless sex orgy
I will now likely be assassinated for divulging this information

Can somebody please tell this to our headteacher? Sounds far more fun than the schedule for the 2 inset days coming up! Over the 2 days, all staff (teaching & support) will do the following:
1 hour on Priorities for the year, exam results, that sort of stuff
30 mins on Pastoral issues
45 mins on safeguarding/child protection - refresher for all staff, training for new staff
1 hour on updates of various things, from changes in staff responsibilities to new staff, to how to book the library!
1 hour on learning to use a new piece of software that all staff will have to use
1 hour on the changes to the IT system that went live over the summer
1 hour within departments regarding strategies, priorities etc
30 mins on the specific needs of a new student joining the school in September who has a hearing impairment & the school hasn't dealt with one before - all teachers need to understand how to communicate with him, what adaptations need to be made etc - an expert will be here to go through this
1 hour on students with Special Educational Needs - how we can best help them, their strategies/priorities for the year etc
45 mins on the latest guidelines & procedures for educational trips/visits

+ sessions on the following that apply to only some staff:
induction for new staff
learn how to evacuate our disabled students in a fire using the EVAC chairs
first aid policies & procedures
epipen training (3 students in school carry them)
health & safety issues including fire drills etc
staff personal development (software training, etc)


The notice boards & classrooms also have to be sorted, and staff have to prepare for the first couple of days back in school!
It's not all bad though - the school do provide free tea & coffee on INSET days (mostly so that we don't have to leave the hall for more than a few mins between the sessions!)

Hmm71

Tut! Free tea and coffee, all at taxpayers expense, shouldn't be allowed

Acc72

chiefgoobster wrote: »

What happens on a inset day (as above) that can't be done on any other appropriate day in the last 6 weeks ?

A few replies (presumably from teachers) have answered the first part of the question, but nobody has answered the second part of the question.

It appears that teachers need a day or 2 to get prepared for the new school year which I understand.

However, why should this be done on the first 2 days of the new term ? - there is only one answer, and that is because teachers do not want this to eat into their holidays.

If that is the answer, then fine - but why not just say so ?

clairec79

So if they said school holidays are from 20th July until 3rd August and then from the 6th of August until the 6th September and the training was done on 4th and 5th August - so kids at home from 20th July-6th September, then you'd accept that but saying the school holidays are 20th July until 4th September and then two inset days - so kids at home from 20th July-6th September is wrong?

It's just worded differently - kids have had 190days in education for years, before they brought in inset days - teachers used to have a contract for 190days, then it changed to 195days