Renovations and Repayments.
Comments
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Not been on here for a while. Not been doing much for a while other than trying to get through the days. Things haven't been good, to be honest. Hanging on with the course and coping but it is not what I thought it would be. No further with decluttering / selling things off.
In other news, I'm busy with the property side of things with a potential big deal which will be quite exciting if it does happen.
So pleased to hear from you Alex.
Hope the course improves for you, all new things have their teething points.
I am excited to hear about your property news.
Keep plodding on and you will achieve your goals.
Take care0 -
Which bits of the course weren't what you expected?
Are you staying off the booze?0 -
So pleased to hear from you Alex.
Hope the course improves for you, all new things have their teething points.
I am excited to hear about your property news.
Keep plodding on and you will achieve your goals.
Take care
Thanks, Kelpie.
That's what I'm hoping this is. Always enjoyed my time in schools when I've worked / volunteered in the past, so hoping this will pass and I will enjoy it soon.
Don't really want to say much on the property front until something actually happens, other than to say this house hasn't gone on the market and it's a business transaction.
I hope I will get there one day.smallholdingsister wrote: »Which bits of the course weren't what you expected?
Are you staying off the booze?
No, smallholding, I'm not. However, think I need to stay off it. Only been sharing a bottle of wine over dinner with Mrs. K. but sat down to do the weekly totals and we're spending far too much on wine.
Everything is not what I expected nor congruent in any way with my previous experiences. It all seems incredibly tedious, without any room for creativity and patronising to the extreme. In my previous experiences staff have made me feel welcome, allowed me to have some freedom to deliver part of a child's education whilst developing my knowledge in a non patronising way. Unfortunately, it seems the only person in this school with any autonomy is the Head.2018 totals:
Savings £11,200
Mortgage Overpayments £5,5000 -
Real life in teaching. Is all your training at one school? Have you peers to compare experiences with?0
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Hanging on with the course and coping but it is not what I thought it would be.
From personal research and your volunteering you probably have more curriculum knowledge than the average student starting on a teaching course Alex. The school has an obligation to ensure that you meet all the Teaching Standards so they'll have to take you through them however patronising that may seem. I'd rather you felt patronised than just thrown in at the deep end with a lack of support.Thanks, Kelpie.
That's what I'm hoping this is. Always enjoyed my time in schools when I've worked / volunteered in the past, so hoping this will pass and I will enjoy it soon.
Everything is not what I expected nor congruent in any way with my previous experiences. It all seems incredibly tedious, without any room for creativity and patronising to the extreme. In my previous experiences staff have made me feel welcome, allowed me to have some freedom to deliver part of a child's education whilst developing my knowledge in a non patronising way. Unfortunately, it seems the only person in this school with any autonomy is the Head.
I doubt even the Head has a great deal of autonomy when it comes to the curriculum. So there are few choices to be made when it comes to what you teach but there is a creativity when it comes to how you teach, the activities you use etc. I suspect at the moment they assume it's easier for you to work within the school's plans and build gradually. The NQT programme is designed to ease off the level of support as the year proceeds but you can always ask if you want to try something sooner. I always felt that there was too much time given over to 'observation' in the early stages. You'll learn most when taking responsibility for the whole class, finding out what you find most difficult and then observing experienced staff to see how they deal with those things.However, think I need to stay off it. Only been sharing a bottle of wine over dinner with Mrs. K. but sat down to do the weekly totals and we're spending far too much on wine..
You're always welcome over on the other thread Alex if it helps.:)0 -
smallholdingsister wrote: »Real life in teaching. Is all your training at one school? Have you peers to compare experiences with?
No, I realise the other school may be very different.
I know a couple of teachers but none in primary and most work in the independent sector. I didn't really get on with staff at the schools I volunteered at but was able to maintain a professional relationship, so that isn't something which concerns me if I get a job as a teacher.From personal research and your volunteering you probably have more curriculum knowledge than the average student starting on a teaching course Alex. The school has an obligation to ensure that you meet all the Teaching Standards so they'll have to take you through them however patronising that may seem. I'd rather you felt patronised than just thrown in at the deep end with a lack of support.
I doubt even the Head has a great deal of autonomy when it comes to the curriculum. So there are few choices to be made when it comes to what you teach but there is a creativity when it comes to how you teach, the activities you use etc. I suspect at the moment they assume it's easier for you to work within the school's plans and build gradually. The NQT programme is designed to ease off the level of support as the year proceeds but you can always ask if you want to try something sooner. I always felt that there was too much time given over to 'observation' in the early stages. You'll learn most when taking responsibility for the whole class, finding out what you find most difficult and then observing experienced staff to see how they deal with those things.
You're always welcome over on the other thread Alex if it helps.:)
:rotfl: Yes, I've been introduced to the teaching standards. I knew about them before and have no problem working towards them. However, I don't feel I'm being supported in working towards those at the moment.
Unfortunately, I'm really struggling to connect with the fundamental ethos of the school, the staff within it (on a personal or professional level) and the ways of doing things. I can say I would not take a job at the school because it's not the environment for me. However, in a different environment with different management, maybe it would be fine. Legally, I am not an employee now but whilst there's no renumeration, we are treated as employees. Can't say I like the idea of effectively giving us all the pitfalls with none of the benefits. Not to mention I feel the powers that be are effectively trying to send us on a guilt trip over how much work we put in. I've made the decision I put in what I can but not to the detriment of my family or my own wellbeing as I'm not going to be going down that path again.
I think I may join you on the other thread this evening. 2018 totals:
Savings £11,200
Mortgage Overpayments £5,5000 -
Legally, I am not an employee now but whilst there's no renumeration, we are treated as employees. Can't say I like the idea of effectively giving us all the pitfalls with none of the benefits.
This is the case with a lot of vocational/professional qualifications.
I spent 3 years unpaid on hospital wards in order to qualify as a nurse, and it wasn't all learning time, a lot of it was just as extra labour. These days student nurses (and physios and paramedics and others) have to take on 27k of debt for the privilege!
What you get out of it is that you get some experience behind you (and not all experience has to be wholly positive to be valuable, sometimes seeing things done in a way you don't want to emulate is just as beneficial as being inspired) and at the end you get the piece of paper that enables you to do the job you love, in the way that you want to do it.0 -
:rotfl: Yes, I've been introduced to the teaching standards. I knew about them before and have no problem working towards them. However, I don't feel I'm being supported in working towards those at the moment.Red-Squirrel wrote: »This is the case with a lot of vocational/professional qualifications.
What you get out of it is that you get some experience behind you (and not all experience has to be wholly positive to be valuable, sometimes seeing things done in a way you don't want to emulate is just as beneficial as being inspired) and at the end you get the piece of paper that enables you to do the job you love, in the way that you want to do it.
That's a very good point RS. However, I would say that, although it's very early days to judge yet, Alex must get the support he needs. We have a crazy system where there's only one bite of the cherry for QTS so you have to make it work term by term in that first year. Wearing my HR related hat, it's terribly important to flag up any issues with providers so they can be sorted before each term's assessments.Unfortunately, I'm really struggling to connect with the fundamental ethos of the school, the staff within it (on a personal or professional level) and the ways of doing things. I can say I would not take a job at the school because it's not the environment for me. However, in a different environment with different management, maybe it would be fine. Legally, I am not an employee now but whilst there's no renumeration, we are treated as employees. Can't say I like the idea of effectively giving us all the pitfalls with none of the benefits. Not to mention I feel the powers that be are effectively trying to send us on a guilt trip over how much work we put in. I've made the decision I put in what I can but not to the detriment of my family or my own wellbeing as I'm not going to be going down that path again.
That's the ethos of many, if not most, schools currently. It's probably the main reason for the retention crisis in the profession. Teachers generally cite workload above the relatively poor salaries and unruly pupils. Unfortunately it's often exacerbated in schools that offer training on the job as they see themselves as 'outstanding' and have achieved that through working 24/7.0 -
Hope you're getting on ok Alex. 0
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Only just managing to write a quick update. I think I need to get back to checking in here and completing my targets.
Not really sure what my future holds at the moment re. work / study. Very tired this weekend and have spent hardly any time with my son over this week. I realise I could spend a lot more time with him if I were to get more involved with developing the property business and dealing in antiques than I would if I were teaching full time. I didn't think effectively paying to work would concern me as much as it is but the hardest thing is being made to feel guilty for wanting to spend time with my family. Mrs. K. has been wonderful this past week, so has my cousin and even my parents have. My wife thinks it's not a nice industry to work in and I'm starting to wonder if she's right.2018 totals:
Savings £11,200
Mortgage Overpayments £5,5000
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