Showing posts with label NQT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NQT. Show all posts

Sunday, 23 August 2015

#happyNQT100 2015 Launch (#HappyTeacher100)

After so many people joined in with #happyNQT100 this year I have decided to keep promoting it, despite the fact that I'll no longer be an NQT myself.  For anyone that has not heard about #happyNQT100 yet, fear not, I am about to explain all.

During the Easter holidays this year I decided to start the #100happydays challenge, something I had done during university and never completed.  The #100happydays challenge is about finding something that has made you happy every day.  I took this idea and came up with #happyNQT100.  This project allowed NQTs on twitter to not only share the high points from every day but to support each other through the harder times. I blogged here at the end of the summer term to showcase a selection of tweets from 2014/15 participants.

Who is #happyNQT100 relevant to?
#happyNQT100 is of course aimed at NQTs but there is no reason that teachers from all levels shouldn't join in.  May I suggest #HappyTeacher100 ?

Why should I join in?
Last year participants remarked that taking part in #happyNQT100 made them look much more positively on their day and felt better as a result.  It also gave them a great chance to build a network of both new and experienced teachers for support.

How do I join in?
Follow @HappyNQT so we can retweet your comments and pictures and get tweeting with the tag #happyNQT100 or for non-NQTs #happyteacher100.
No need to spend too much time on your tweets and photos - just show everyone something that has made you happy that day.  The aim is 100 days, but can you do longer?

I'll be dropping in to host #NQTChat and #UKEdchat at the start of the year and returning to #NQTChat during the year to check in on how things are going.

Please, pass on the word, bring some NQTs to twitter and let's see if we can have 100 happy days (or longer) together.

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Thursday, 6 August 2015

Books, books, books.


For some reason I decided it was a good idea to pick up all my education books from their various shelves and put them on the floor.  I think it was in the name of organisation (failed)... or finding a book I wanted for my essay?  I'm not totally sure if I'm honest, but either way they're still right there on the floor where I put them a few days ago.

Looking at them has made me think about how the books I have bought have changed since the start of my PGCE, through my NQT until now the start of my MA.  The books I have could probably be grouped into four or five categories, and that is how I am going to talk about them.

Books from my PGCE reading list


1) Learning and Teaching in Secondary Schools - Viv Ellis
2) Issues in Modern Foreign Languages Teaching - Ed. Kit Field
3) Teaching Modern Foreign Languages at Advanced Level- Ed. Norbert Pachler
4) Learning to Teach in the Secondary School - Capel, Leask and Turner
5) Learning to Teach Modern Foreign Languages in the Secondary School

Did I read all of these?  Not a chance!  As far as I remember I read number 1, glanced at 2 and 3 once or twice and used 4 and 5 for my assignments.  Worth buying?  Nope, I'm not adding up what I paid for them...

Books I was given



1) Successful Induction for New Teachers - Bubb
2) The Dyslexia Friendly Teachers' Toolkit - Pavey, Meehan and Davis
3)Reflective Practice for Teachers - Sellars.

I was sent these three by Sage before I started my NQT year and asked to review number 1.  I did that and I had the intention of reading the other two but I never did.  I think at the end of my PGCE I was fed up of the word reflection anyway!

Books I bought during my PGCE and early in my NQT



 1) Getting the Buggers into Languages - Amanda Barton
2) 100 Ideas for Secondary Teachers, Outstanding Lessons - Ross Morrison McGill
3) 100+ Ideas for Teaching Languages - Nia Griffith
4) Getting the Buggers to Behave - Sue Cowley
5) 100 Things Awesome Teachers Do - William Emeny
6) How to Survive your First Year in Teaching - Sue Cowley
7) How to Teach - Phil Beadle

These books were good references for ideas, suggestions and that boost from time to time when I felt like I didn't know what I was doing or why I was doing it!  One or two of them I'd consider useful to refer to again but they're not the sort of thing I see filling my shelves in the future.  I get most of this sort of support from twitter these days.

Books I am buying now



1) Teacher Geek - Rachel Jones
2) Don't Change the Lightbulbs - Rachel Jones
3) Teacher Proof - Tom Bennett
4) Why Don't Students Like School - Daniel Willingham
5) What if everything you knew about education was wrong - David Didau

I will admit that I haven't got round to finishing all of these yet, 4 I have had a glance at and then things got in the way and 5 I bought just as I needed to start my MA reading so all I have managed is the foreword!  These are much more like the sort of thing I am reading now, especially the latter three.  More critical, really thinking about teaching and education as opposed to just my classroom practice.  That said I needed a refresher and so have really enjoyed the first two books on the list.

Books recommended for MA lectures or for my assignment:



1) Seven Myths About Education - Daisy Christodoulou
2) The Expert Learner - Gordon Stobart
3) Knowledge and the Future School - Michael Young and David Lambert

Number one on the list could easily be in the previous category, I've been wanting it for a while and the fact that it was required reading for a lecture was just a great excuse!  The other two are by lecturers at IoE and being used towards my essay - which I don't intend to talk about until it's done.  All I will say is the module is called 'What is Education?' broad enough for a title?!


Then until now....

The picture somewhat gives the impression that I'm moving towards the light...


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Tuesday, 28 July 2015

#HappyNQT100 - 100 days later.

Just over 100 days ago I started the hashtag #HappyNQT100, I blogged about it here.  When I began I thought I'd be the only one, or that I'd have a couple of people join me if I was lucky.  I was not expecting the response that came my way.  Quickly I had messages from between 20 and 30 NQTs in support of the idea and saying they'd join in.  Of course, many of these dropped along the way but a core group stuck it out until the end.

Before I reflect on #happyNQT100 and where it goes next, here are a selection of our 100 days:


'Teacher friends' from my PGCE are visiting, cannot wait to offload some stress and share our progress over some cocktails #HappyNQT100















There were many many more to choose from but there would be far too many to put them all here!  Sorry if your tweet didn't make it or if some people feature heavily - I've just picked a few of the best.

What #happyNQT100 has appeared to do is to help NQTs find the positives in every day, even on the days where it wasn't obvious.  Here are some of the comments:





Some people even said they intend to carry on as it so was so positive.  I'm so pleased that I could start something like this and see it grow and affect so many people.  Wellbeing/work-life balance/stress relief - whatever you want to call it, is so important for teachers at all stages of their career, so why not start as you mean to go on?

So where does #HappyNQT100 go next?  Despite not being an NQT myself any more I will be promoting #HappyNQT100 throughout the year and hoping to get lots of new NQTs on board, starting at whatever point they wish.  I really believe that it's just the sort of boost NQTs need and helps you to build your support network.  I'll also be speaking about it at PedagooHamps in September.

Take a look at #HappyNQT100 on twitter yourself if you need any more evidence!

Looks like we already have our next participant!
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Sunday, 12 July 2015

The NQT year is over, but it doesn't stop here. Reflections on Career Planning CPD

Last week my mentor wrote my final report and signed me off for my NQT year.  I expected it to be more exciting to be honest, instead I just put a tick in a digital box, added my comments and off it went.  I'm not going to write one of those posts talking about everything I have done this year, I've already used this blog as a way of reflecting on those things anyway.  I don't want to draw this blog to a close as it is something I enjoy and truly think helps me to improve.  Instead, I am going to write about my plans as I move into my career post-induction.

On Friday I attended a conference on Career Planning for teachers in their first 3 years of teaching.  It has left me with a lot of food for thought, some of which I am going to share now.  There were a range of sessions to choose from and I attended talks on Moving to Department Head; Getting Noticed for the Right Reasons; and Progression through the Pastoral Route.  The first keynote speaker was Jackie Beere who I found to be particularly inspirational and a great way to start the day. From her speech I have started to read into growth mindset, learning to learn and metacognition.  These are all things I have heard about before but never really looked into.  In fact, I've got so interested in this area that I've emailed my headteacher to discuss how it could be brought to our school.  My push for contacting him also came from Jackie and the other speakers.  Each one of them emphasised how important it is to volunteer for things and put yourself out there, I'll come back to that in a bit.  Jackie told us all about her career and how she has got to where she is today, she's a very impressive lady and really interesting to listen to, in fact I was disappointed when she had to cut off her speech as she was over running.  I could've listened to her for much longer.

The other keynote was by Alex Reppold, billed as NQT of the year 2008 and the youngest head teacher in the country, a tagline he was very keen to correct.  He was indeed NQT of the year, in Hull, and is no longer the youngest head having just been knocked off the spot by a 27 year old.  Regardless of all that I found his speech equally motivational.  Alex stressed a point also mentioned by some of the other speakers about 'getting to good and then working out what you want to be outstanding in'.  Alex talked about his personal experience of getting 'in the know' about a particular topic or issue and then sharing it with teaching colleagues and SLT.  He said that before you know it, you're known for doing that and become the go-to person.  Over time if a role opens up that is related, you're likely to be the one considered for it.  'Do something, share it and people will notice'.  Finally Alex talked about not being 'a mood hoover'.  He admits that this is not a concept he came up with but I really liked it and it's definitely worth a mention.  We all know a mood hoover.  They're the person that dismisses all the new ideas, finds obstacles to everything and is resistant to change.   Alex stressed the importance of not being a mood hoover.  That's not to say you can't question change, in fact you should.  Ask questions, give suggestions and always try things out rather than just saying no!

The key points that I've taken away from the day are:

  • Volunteer and just say yes.
  • Find what you're interested in and become an expert in it.
  • Do something and share it.
  • Focus your vision, work out what you're aiming for and the experience you need to get there.
  • Experience does not need to come in the form of a paid role, find something relevant to what you want to do.  Can't find it? Start it yourself.
  • Get involved with the good bits - especially with the students you don't teach.
  • Keep up to date with everything that is changing, make yourself the person in the know.
So now it's the end of my NQT year!   Slowing down and relaxing sounds like a good idea, right?  Nah, not for me thanks.  My Ma Education starts next week and I have loads of reading to do, I have a copy of David Didau's #wrongbook next to me that I'm itching to read and I've got lots of exciting things going on at home.  I'll slow down next summer.  Maybe.
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Thursday, 28 May 2015

Keeping up the momentum? Starting the new academic year in June.

On Monday, most students and teachers in the UK will return for the last 7 weeks of the school year.  We won't though, we're starting our new academic year.  New timetables, new classes and new courses for some students.  It's exciting, and as an NQT coming to the end of my first year I'm looking forward to the change.  Starting with new classes is just what I need around now.  I've learned plenty over this year and I'm ready to have the chance to start afresh and establish some of the routines that I've not been able to so far.  However, I'm still in two minds about the change at this time of year.

I believe that the logic behind the change is to keep the momentum going throughout the year rather than allowing things to drop off during the summer term.  It certainly has it's advantages.  With no year 7 or year 12 I am gaining a lot of time over the next 7 weeks that I can use to plan and prepare.  I didn't have any year 11 and only a few hours of year 13 so I didn't stand to gain much time on the previous timetable.  I hope this gained time will mean I can cut down the amount of work I need to do over the summer break.  With 2 weeks taken up with lectures for my first Masters module and sometime needed after that for my first assignment I want to be as prepared as I can be for September.  So from a  personal point of view, this year the change should be really positive.

That said, I know that it will be strange for any new staff starting in September.  Taking over classes that have had 7 weeks with someone else.  They will have settled into ways of working that suited the last teacher and already have books with their names on.  I know this happens to an extent anyway, but certainly as a new teacher last September I felt like I was stepping into someone else's shoes mid-year rather than starting anew.

So, what does it mean for the students?  It means that year 9 students moving into 10 are getting started on their GCSE courses earlier and in theory getting into new habits and routines before September.  It won't make much difference for 12 into 13 as starting the A2 course after the AS exam is pretty common practice.  The 7s are excited about becoming year 8 even though academically speaking I'm not convinced of the difference they'll notice and the same goes for 8s into 9.  For the 10s into 11 does that mean the pressure of their final year is going to start earlier and last longer?  Will it give them extra drive or will it have the opposite effect?

I'm not sure what differences I'm expecting to see, will we still have the 'end of the year' feeling or will it be overshadowed?  We still have Sports day, Sponsor day, trips planned and year 7 induction days, so it is bound to feel like the summer term still.

I'd be interested to hear from anyone else that starts their new year next week or anyone that has a comment to share on this practice.


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Saturday, 23 May 2015

NQT- Not Quite There - but only 7 weeks to go!

I can't quite believe I'm already at the point in the year where the end of my induction is in my sights.  The finish line is so close now I can almost touch it. In some ways I'll be glad to see the back of the NQT year and the half termly observations, standards tracking, target setting and report writing but in other ways the NQT status serves as both a safety net and a comfort blanket. I know that in September I will still have great support from my department and I'm not being pushed out to sea to get by alone, I have no doubts about that, but there is still something significant about not being an NQT anymore. Gone is the 'I'm an NQT, I didn't know that' safety net, I've not had to use it very much but much like a real safety net, it's reassuring to know it's there. Gone is my 10% extra time, although I'm lucky to be a bit under allocation on our new timetable (we start in June, more on that in a minute). Finally, gone are the NQT meetings where we can compare notes and share ideas.

Something that comes along with the end of my NQT year is the start of my Masters.  At the same time as I take on a greater teaching load and take off the NQT stabilisers I am taking on a new challenge.  As soon as term is over I start two weeks of lectures at the Institute of Education for the first module of my Masters in Education. I'm really looking forward to it, but I'm aware of how tough it is going to be.  This year more than ever I'm going to have to keep totally on top of my planning and marking in school because my time at home will need to be dedicated to reading and assignment writing. There are a number of people that think I'm mad but I firmly believe that if I don't do it now I never will, no time like the present. As I've already got some masters credits from my PGCE this course should only take me a year, if it goes as fast as the last few have it'll be over and done with before I know it!

As I mentioned earlier we start our new school year in June. I believe the idea is that we're cutting out some of the 'dead time' at the end of the summer time and keeping momentum going.  This means that for the next 7 weeks we have no year 7 or year 12, excellent for me as it means I have loads of gained time for planning for September.  I'm looking forward to the change, I think it's just what I need this year to propel me through to the end.  I have mostly new classes so I've got the chance to start a clean slate with students that don't know me. I can apply all the things I've learned over the year to get new routines that I'd not established early enough on as I'd have liked with my old classes. I can keep on top of marking and behaviour and have more of an idea of what is ahead of me.  At least that's the dream, let's see how reality turns out!

So to all the other NQTs out there, we have 7 school weeks left, good luck!
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Sunday, 12 April 2015

#100happydays take two! #happyNQT100

With term starting tomorrow I've decided to take another hit at #100happydays.  For anyone that doesn't know, the #100happydays challenge aims to make people take more notice of the things that make them happy in their lives.  When this challenge was launched 71% of people failed stating lack of time for their reason, I was one of those people.  Well, lack of time and just forgetting to do it.  I found my pictures to be repetitive and fairly mundane.  This time around I am intending to make more of an effort.

What I'd like though is for more people to join me, 100 days from now takes us right up to the end of term, seems a perfect time to do it doesn't it?  As for many of us we're on the home run to the end of the NQT year (and the point where I may need to reword my blog tag I realise!) I thought this would be a great way to do it.  I'll try and keep track of them through the #happyNQT100 and retweet them.

Obviously the more the merrier, this is open to anyone and everyone so let me know if you're taking part - NQT or otherwise.

You can register that you're taking part at www.100happydays.com but you don't have to.
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Saturday, 14 March 2015

Drifting

Drifting is the perfect word to describe how I'm feeling at the moment.  It's neither here nor there.  Work isn't feeling like an up hill struggle that's for sure, but yet there is something not quite right.  I'm drifting.  It's a strange feeling, I'm getting on with things as and when they need doing and I don't constantly feel like I have a to-do list as long as my arm.  I'm keeping on top of my planning by using TES as much as I possibly can and I'm getting my marking back up to date.  Sounds like I'm totally on top of things doesn't it?  But yet I have this drifting feeling.

Over the last 8 weeks or so I have been determined to strike a work-life balance, something that I hadn't had much of in the first term of my NQT year.  This has certainly had the desired effect on the life side of the balance, I'm claiming back my weekends before it's too late and I allow them to get swallowed up by teaching for the rest of my career.  It's been great, but I can't help but feel like I'm cutting corners to get to this point.  I get that typical teacher guilt, that feeling like I should be working, or that I should be doing something better, more in-depth, more like that other teacher does.  I compare the amount of work I'm doing with other people.  I find myself thinking that so-and-so spends this many hours doing that, why aren't I?  Am I doing it wrong?  Is mine not as good as theirs?   Of course, probably none of this is true.  Are the kids I teach still learning?  Yes.  Are they still making progress?  Yes.  Am I still planning, marking and otherwise doing what the job requires of me?  Yes.

So why the drifting feeling?  One of my theories is that I feel like I'm drifting because I'm just doing what I need to do to get by.  I'm not going above and beyond, I'm not putting all my energy into my planning, I'm not spending more time than absolutely necessary on my marking.  Does this mean my standards are slipping below where they should be?  I don't think so.  Does this make me a bad teacher?  It shouldn't, yet it feels to an extent like it does.

As teachers we are trained to put so much of ourselves into the job all the time, and it's draining.  From day one we learn that planning and marking is going to take over our lives and that we'll be living for the holidays.  Why should it be this way?  As a teacher that arrives at 7.30am and leaves at 5.45pm and often gets the laptop back out between 7.30pm and 9pm am I not entitled to my weekend?  Teachers (and any other profession come to mention it) should feel that the weekend is their time and their time only.  We shouldn't have to make this concerted effort to keep it free or feel like we're dropping our standards if we do.  I'd like to feel satisfied, not just drifting.

What's the solution?  I wish I had a clue.  Answers on a postcard please...
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Wednesday, 31 December 2014

#Nurture1415 and #teacher5aday

I have seen both of these hashtags appear over the past few days and wanted to join in.  Not wanting to choose between the two but equally not wanting to repeat myself I have tried to combine the two.  I will do my 5 positives from 2014 a la #Nurture1415 and then make my 5 wishes using the #teacher5aday categories.

2014

 1) I felt like I was blogging for a reason.  Previously my blog had felt like me talking to myself but in the latter part of this year I got more responses.  I realised there were actually people reading my blog, and what's more they were telling me that they were feeling the same way.  My post about 'Getting my teaching mojo back' seemed to really strike a chord with not just NQTs but some more experienced teachers too.  This gave me more confidence in myself and what I was blogging for.

2) I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried to get more involved.  In the summer I met a group of other bloggers for the first time, it was really good to put faces to twitter handles and get to have a conversation and not worry about a 140 character limit.  It was even better to spot these faces and have people to talk to at ResearchEd.

3) I started my first proper job and, despite a wobble in October, I enjoy it.  It's not been easy, everyone knows that and wouldn't expect the NQT year to be any other way.  I'm lucky to be in a department with really helpful, experienced staff but also two more NQTs.  There are a lot of NQTs in school but having 3 in our department has been really good - even if it's for a therapeutic rant at the end of the week or quickly exchanging resources at the start of the day.

4) I've kept time for myself.  The hardest balance for a teacher but I was determined that I would do it from day one.  I love my 'No Work Wednesdays' when I go to the local adult music school at my old school where I play alongside my ex-head teacher (which was strange at first) and led by my saxophone teacher from school.  On Wednesdays I have to leave school at a decent time and whilst I'm there I can't think about work - I'm too busy trying to catch up with all the black dots that are flying past me on the page!

5) I have applied to volunteer at the Olympics in Rio 2016.  This has meant taking language tests in Spanish and French and committing myself to learning a basic level of Portuguese.  So far so good, I've passed each stage of the application process.  This opens up the door to me doing more travelling like I keep saying I will.  Watch this space on this one!

2015

 #connect - I want to blog more, on relevant issues not just what is going on in my world and get involved in the debate.  I want to take a more active part in twitter, I've taken a back seat to observe but it's about time I got braver and spoke up.

#exercise - How to write this one without it being a generic 'I must go to the gym more often' resolution?  The fact is that has to be it.  I need to realise that walking up two flights of stairs with all my school bags does not count as exercise.  Neither does the amount of walking to and from the printer I do, or walking round the classroom.  I keep saying that I don't have time to go to the gym/swim but I shall just have to make it.

#notice - What is going on outside the teaching 'bubble'.  It's very easy to get wrapped up in these things, especially with teaching taking over my twitter and slowly but surely my Facebook too.

#learn - I'm applying to do an MA in Education.  I know it's going to be hard work and a lot to juggle but I feel it's the next thing for me to do.  Whilst I've got the enthusiasm and interest for it I want to give it a go.  I don't necessarily know where it is going to take me but I think it'll be worth it.  Part and parcel of this is reading more, I don't do it enough and if nothing else this will force me to do that.

#volunteer - I said to myself that I'd get involved outside of my department at school.  I set the wheels in motion and then other things took hold.  I am determined though that this is something I will do this year.  I remember how much music meant to me at school, and as above still does.  Even if it's only in a small way I want to help with this and get involved.
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Monday, 22 December 2014

NQT term one survived. Bring on term two.

It's been quite a while since I last blogged, I seem to only be posting about once a half term these days.  I'm just not reading as much as I was before and so don't necessarily feel I have as much to say.  My training posts and the ones from the start of this year were all about the trials and tribulations of starting out in teaching, maybe everything has been a little less dramatic of late?   Jokes aside though, I do wish I was writing more.  Reading, writing and getting involved shall have to be another one of those New Years' Resolutions that never get kept!

When I sit down to think about it now I'm not sure if this term has dragged or flown past.  It doesn't seem like that long ago I was in school putting up my displays and planning the first lessons for classes that I hadn't yet met.  On the other side however, when I think back over everything that has happened since the first week of September, it seems like I've been teaching in this school forever.  I finally feel like I know my classes, I'm getting the hang of school policies and I'm starting to know the names of some of the other staff (it's a huge school, I've got no chance!)

I'm not going to pretend that things haven't been difficult and that I haven't got a long way to go.  Anyone that has read my previous posts will know that's not true.  I'm still working on addressing the balance between working and having a life.  I know it's hard but I am now starting to think it's actually possible, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel so to speak.  I'm very lucky to be part of a really friendly and helpful department and even luckier, I feel, to have two other NQTs in the department to rant to at the end of the day or share last minute resources with in the mornings.  We share best practice as a department regularly and I'm feeling more able to integrate new ideas into my lessons.  Of late I've been reminded of the basics that I've put to the back of my mind.  It was all too easy in the middle of this term to forget things that were a natural part of lesson planning last year just to make planning quicker and easier.   That makes another thing to add to my list of resolutions!  All this aside I'm really pleased with my first term report, I've had positive observations from my mentor and the NQT tutor and there are plenty of things to celebrate.  As per usual I'm just highly critical of myself.

To address one of the forgotten basics I have created a progress and reflection board.  Inspired by a display shared by the MFL Resources forum I have a series of challenge cards that can be used to check progress and a progress line for students to put their names on and move during a lesson.  I've not begun to use it yet but I'm hoping once I've integrated it into routine and adapted some of my teaching (or returned to some of my old practice) it will start to have an impact.

My theory is that after the initial shock of this first term I can start to build things up again.  I know I need to take things a step at a time and not bite off more than I can chew - as I tend to do - but, in reference to an earlier post, I think it's another step to getting my teaching mojo back.

Talking of biting off more than I can chew... my current project is writing my personal statement for my MA application.  I'm hoping to study MA Education at the Institute of Education.  I have 60 Masters level credits from my PGCE already so I should be able to study 2 modules and a dissertation.  The MA is something I've been thinking about for a long time, and something I know will widen my opportunities for the future.  As well as this, the research parts of the PGCE, blogging, twitter and events like ResearchEd have really got me interested in education as an area of study.  I know that this isn't exactly going to help my attempt to readdress the balance between working and relaxing but for me I feel that it's a step in the right direction.

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Saturday, 4 October 2014

Trying to keep all the plates spinning.



Teaching seems to me to be one big balancing act.  At the moment I'm trying to keep all the plates spinning and it's less a matter of if one is going to fall but when.  There's the planning, the marking, the following up on homework and behaviour, the new staff induction meetings, the NQT meetings, the tutor group and all the mini spinning plates they bring with them and then of course there is the endless amounts of paperwork and emails.   Oh and the data and reporting that has already started, don't forget that.  Before I continue, I want to make it very clear that I am being well supported by my school, department and mentor and this is not a reflection on them, just an observation on teaching in general.

At the end of my training and the very start of this year I'd convinced myself that 'it gets better' 'the workload will get smaller' 'you'll have your life back eventually' but I'm becoming quite aware that this probably isn't the case.

I'm an organised person, everything has it's place and time and I like to keep on top of things, but that's just not possible anymore.  I was talking to another NQT in my department the other day and we spoke about just trying to keep our heads above water.  It's no longer about being on top of things but just trying to do enough to get by.  This is with my 10% reduced NQT timetable, the free time is meant to be used for observation and development but at the moment I need that time to get everything else done.  I'd love to be out and about in school seeing and doing more, I'd like to feel like I'm teaching good lessons not ones that are just about good enough, I'd like to feel like I'm achieving something rather than just getting by.  Unfortunately all of these things require time, more time than it's possible to give.

I'm assuming that this is a common NQT feeling, but what concerns me more is that it may be something that teachers are feeling further down the line.  Is this something that goes away or do all teachers feel this inadequate?  

All through my training I was determined that I would never be part of that statistic, you know the one, the one that's always quoted about the amount of teachers leaving the profession within the first five years.  I was convinced that I would leave my training year fully prepared for this and the fact that I was so organised was going to help me.  It would seem that I was wrong, over-optimistic and perhaps naieve. I'd decided that the people forming that statistic weren't prepared, they didn't really want to teach, maybe they went into it for the wrong reasons.  It wouldn't happen to me.  

Don't get me wrong, I'm not ready to become part of that statistic yet.  I'm determined to see out my NQT year and see where things take me.  There are days that none of this matters because someone in my form has done something brilliant, or something really clicks in class, or I actually manage to leave school at a decent time and go home smiling.  I just wonder how sustainable this sort of workload is.  I don't know how people do it, being 23, single and living with my parents I don't have commitments outside of school.  I can give as much time to it as I need / want to.  How do other people do it?  Surely something has to give?

I realise that I'll just have to accept that this is the way things are, that I can't be on top of everything and that's the way things go.  It's the reality for thousands of people every day.  I just can't help but wonder if things have to be this way?  Everyone talks of reducing the workload and pressure on teachers, but how do we go about this?

(To confirm, before anyone makes comment, I know that this sort of work load is common across many professions, working long hours and trying to strike that balance and many people don't manage it, this post is just a reflection on my feelings on the situation in teaching.)




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Sunday, 14 September 2014

NQT year resolutions

Typically New Years resolutions are made at the very beginning of the year but I've decided to make my NQT year resolutions a little bit into the term, only a week or so, to give me an idea of the sort of challenges I'm going to face. In true New Years resolution style they are unlikely to stick and probably unrealistic!

Having been in school and teaching for 7.5 days, my resolutions are as follows:

1) I WILL have a life! I will only do the work that I have to do, by which I mean if it doesn't actually need doing I won't be doing it.  Teachers are notorious for doing much more work than strictly necessary and losing all sense of a work/life balance. I am determined that I will be able to have some evenings/weekend days off without that guilty feeling.

2) I will socialise with people that aren't teachers and keep a sense of reality. We all know that if you spend too much time around people that have the same complaints and problems you can end up driving each other mad and making the situation worse.  It's important to have that outside perspective on the situation as well as talking about other things.

3) I will speak out when I need help. Be it in school or on twitter I won't let myself get bogged down with something that could probably be quickly solved by asking the right questions.

4) I won't panic about my lessons not being as thoroughly planned and detailed as they were during my training year.  I've heard enough times now that NQTs shouldn't expect their lessons to be the same as they were.  The timetable load is higher, I have a needy year 7 form, I have more meetings to go to, I have break duty to do, I'm teaching more exam classes - including sixth form. As long as I'm still planning lessons it doesn't matter that I've not got a sheet of paper that tells me exactly what AfL I'm doing and for how many minutes.

5) I will keep up my blog.  This blog gives me a chance to make sense of things that have happened and think about what comes next. I think it's important that I carry it on, whether or not people are reading it!

6) I will join in with #NQTChat. Even though I've given up my commitment to @NQTUK to prioritize other things I will join in with it where I can. It's a really good resource and a lot of fun.  Sharing with other NQTs has been really useful so far so I need to remember this and keep joining in.

I'll come back to these in July and see how they went.  Don't get me wrong, I realise they're not exactly realistic but I'm aiming high!
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Thursday, 28 August 2014

So, apparently I'm an NQT now?

I'm sure I'm echoing the sentiments of many an NQT when I say that it hardly seems that long ago that I was starting my training, and gaining QTS was a distant goal. Somehow though it is the end of August and I'm on the brink of starting my first job as an actual proper grown-up that's expected to educate a fairly large number of 11 to 18 year olds. Why am I not panicking yet?! As I watch all the panic going on over twitter I wonder what is wrong with me, I'm not panicked about it all yet. I realise this is probably a good thing because I'm not losing sleep and still enjoying my lie ins but I can't help but feel it is going to hit me like a tonne on bricks on Monday night on the eve of my first day.  Note to self: make fun plans to take my mind off of the next day!

It's not that I've forgotten about it all. I've been getting myself ready, the classroom is done, seating plans are sorted, the first week of lessons are planned and I've been talking to colleagues that I'll be sharing classes with.  I think I've done almost everything I can before I go back but I can't help but have that feeling of having forgotten something.  I'm really pleased to be starting at a new school, totally fresh slate after my training, but I do long for the simplicity of going back to familiar surroundings.  Turning up for INSET knowing where everything is and who the important people are, where to go to get my resources for the week sorted and already sorted with email etc to keep me in the loop with what's going on. All of those things are outweighed by the excitement of what's to come. Next week, this term and this year bring with them a whole host of firsts, some of which are:

- My first form group.  I loved shadowing a group this year but I'm looking forward to having my own year 7 group. It's going to be extra work I know. They're new and I'm new, we'll have to be on this learning curve together, I'll just have to try and keep a step ahead.

- Teaching 6th form for the first time. This is going to be a tough one, year 12 and 13 are shared between myself and another NQT in the department. We're as prepared as we can be so far and the department seem to be on top of things, knowing we're going to need support with it.  This is a challenge I'm really looking forward to.  During my training I only observed post-16 and taught an activity or two as the school didn't offer my stronger language.  I've done my reading and have started to plan though and my mentor from my training gave me plenty of hints and tips.

- My own classroom.  During my training I carried round my laptop bag, stuffed full of goodness only knows what as well as wrestling a book box and fairly often a caddy with my other bits and pieces in it.  I really don't know how I managed it, I lost count of the times I dropped things in the corridors!  This year that problem is gone, no rushing between classrooms/floors and leaving things behind.  The room is mine.  I've rearranged the tables, decorated the walls and filled the units with all those things I'm used to carrying around. What a relief.

I think my training has prepared me for the challenges of this year as well as it could have.  I was discussing this with another School direct trainee and we agree that due to the nature of our course we feel well prepared.  We've tackled large timetables, taken parents evenings solo, entered report data and had to handle marking and assessment from fairly early on.  At some points last year this felt like being thrown in at the deep end but I appreciate it now.  I know this year is going to be even harder work in terms of timetable and mark load but it's not as big a step up as it could be.

There are other things that my training has prepared me for.   As an NQT I still have to prove myself against the standards and have regular observations, although nowhere near as regular as they were at the start of my training.

In the last month or so I've taken joint responsibility for @NQTuk and #NQTChat which has put me in contact with more NQTs than I've ever realised were on Twitter. This has been great for hearing everyone's stories and sharing problems/ideas around.  Also recently I was contacted by Sage the publishers about reading a book on the NQT induction if they sent me a copy, so of course I said yes - what teacher turns down a free book?!

So, the book is Successful Induction for New Teachers. A guide for NQTs and Induction Tutors, co-ordinations and mentors by Sara Bubb.  The first thing I'd say about the book is that your need for it really depends on the sort of training you've had and the people you've had the chance to spend time with. One of my closest colleagues at my school last year was an NQT and so I saw the sorts of things she was doing and she was always giving me help and advice.  Also, after our main training sessions had finished we had a session on the NQT year and what to expect and so I think the main bases were covered.

That said, for the person that feels clueless or needs something concrete to clutch hold of then the book is what you'd expect.  It starts with a chapter on looking after yourself and covers areas that I guess I'd not considered like bullying and the inevitable topic of stress.  It goes on to summarise what induction is and what is required of you and your school as well as any other involved parties.  There is a whole chapter on the standards that I feel is wasted if you trained under the current standards as they are the same. I understand that in recent years this has  not been the case and so this may have been more necessary.

One key thing I feel the author has missed out on is the power of Twitter.  She dedicates quite some time to talking about the message boards on the TES website and the support to be found there. I won't deny that it is a good resource but I don't think it's necessarily as active or as useful as twitter.

Without giving a chapter by chapter run down of the book there isn't a huge amount more I can say. To me I felt that I was reading things I already knew, either because my training had prepared me for it or through common sense. This book would serve as a good reference to make sure that all parties are singing from the same hym sheet so to speak and I can see that it would suit some people but I'd save the £23.99, find support in school and online, carry over everything you learned at training and if you still need something do your research online. Is this a good book? Yes. Is it well written and easy to read? Yes. Would I bother to buy it? Unfortunately, no.

Just a final plug for NQTChat.  This week we're talking about hopes and fears for the start of the year, please join us at 7.30 on Thursday - all welcome!
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Wednesday, 23 July 2014

Bex-Trex into the NQT year with further study on the horizon...

After spending just one year at my training school I didn't anticipate finding the end of the year and the process of moving on to be too difficult.  It's been a roller coaster of a year with more ups and downs than any other, some provoked by the training and some more specific to the school but ever since my interview I've been looking forward to moving onto pastures new in September and saw that as the real start for me.  There are quite a few staff leaving the school this year and many of them have been at the school for a long time so I wasn't expecting much from the students by way of reaction, especially as I've only been teaching my current classes since February.  I'd not considered the impact I might've had on the students I taught but bearing in mind the short amount of time I'd been there and the fact that I was a trainee I thought I'd slip away fairly unnoticed.   So when a year 10 boy stayed behind at the end of the lesson on Monday to tell me that he felt he'd really improved whilst I'd been teaching him and that he wanted to wish me luck at my new school it came as a shock,  especially when I opened what I thought was a card that turned out to be a little wishbone charm on a chain for good luck.  Over the course of the week I was given a poem by a year 7, a cupcake from another and a card from brothers in year 7 and 9 one of whom is in my tutor group and the other I taught.  What meant the most to me though was when another year 10 boy tracked me down to give me a card and told me that he didn't care that people were laughing at him for it because he really wanted to give it to me.  In all this reflection we've been encouraged to do all year, even when we're told to think of the impact we're having on the students we teach this sort of impact was something I'd never really considered.

The process of leaving one school and starting at the next has overlapped in the last few weeks when I have had the chance to visit my new school, collect my timetable, see my classroom and meet all my new colleagues in my department, some of whom are new themselves, including my NQT mentor.  I have been lucky enough to be taking over from the nicest, most organised lady in the world who has tidied the classroom, prepared everything for me for September in terms of classes and as she is retiring she is leaving me with a lot of her resources.  I've got more resources now in terms of textbooks and teachers books than I have seen all year and feel like I'm ready to hit the ground running.  The novelty of having my own classroom has spurred me into action when it comes to displays and resources.  As much as the classroom is in a perfectly useable state I want to make my mark and the best way I can see of doing this is to take down all the current displays and replace them with my own, reorganise the tables and fill the shelves with the resources I have accumulated over the first year.

Moving into my NQT year I had intended to continue my studies by starting on a Masters course and using the 60 credits I have built up from my PGCE.  I thought that after juggling School Direct with the PGCE essays this year I should continue with the momentum and get straight into it.  Throughout the course I've been interested in the research side of things and have actually enjoyed some of the essays at times when my colleagues had been complaining about how pointless they were.    I can see that it's certainly a side of the course that you either love or hate and how useful you find it depends on what you intend to do later on.  Having studied a minor in Psychology in Education at university I was already interested in educational research so it suited me just fine.  This early on in my career I obviously don't have a clear picture of what I want to do, but there is certainly an appeal in heading into research or training or back into higher education later on so the Masters will be something I do, I just need the breathing space this year to work out the best way of going about it.  I'll be going to ResearchEd in September though to satisfy some of that need, I'm looking forward to it but just hoping I won't be out of my depth!  I've started myself on a reading list already...


I started this particular blog a year ago, unsure of quite where I was going with it, who would read it and if I'd even keep it up.  I was pretty sure that the only people that were going to read it were my parents and my grandparents and that it might not really be worth continuing.  A year down the line I'm pleased I stuck it out.  I've been really surprised with the sort of responses I've had and particularly happy with the messages I've had from other trainees and those going into their training this year that have been reading and contacted me to let me know that they've found it useful or enjoyable.  I also think that writing the blog has helped me do something that was drilled into us throughout training - reflection.  With this in mind, I'm hoping to continue the blog into my NQT year.  Now that my training is over and I won't have essays etc to be reflecting on I guess the content of the blog will take a slightly different angle but I don't want to give it up just yet.


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Monday, 26 May 2014

The light at the end of the tunnel... and the beginning of a new one?

I'm writing today, seven days away from my final essay deadline and eight days away from my final School Direct PGCE Assessment.  I realise it's been a long time since I last wrote anything, the blame for that partly comes down to being very busy and partly due to there not really being very much to write about.  The last half term has flown past (helped, of course, by only being 5 weeks long) and has been jam packed from start to finish.

Over the last term/half term I have taken on more hours of teaching and with that the responsibility for parents evenings, report data and everything else that comes with it.  The pressure on me has been raised higher than at any other point in the year as I've essentially been doing a maternity cover but whilst still being a PGCE student.  This has meant less regular feedback as I have not had a class teacher there or my mentor to observe me as frequently as she had been.  For all the negatives that this has brought with it in terms of pressure I am choosing to see the experience as fantastic preparation for September when my NQT workload would usually come as a shock to the system.

The last week or so has been a final rush to get my Record of Development finished.  Luckily for me I only have to compile one lever arch folder of evidence that I have met the teachers standards.  I know people on other programmes that have to hand in 5 and people in the past who had a lot lot more.  I can't help but feel like it's a box ticking exercise though, can I find a lesson plan that proves I used peer assessment?  Where is the evidence that I differentiate?  Can I prove that I allow students to work independently?  Where is my marking to NC Levels and GCSE grades?  When have students reflected on their own learning?  Clearly this list could go on forever.  This folder is meant to show how I have met all these standards 'regularly and holistically' (or a similar wording) so it is a chunky thing!  My final assessor only has about 30 minutes to go through this, meaning that much of what I am giving to her won't even be glanced at, a slightly depressing thought to say the least...  At least the stationery geek in me has made an appearance with all these tabs:



As well as making sure the RoD is up to scratch this week I need to plan my lessons for the first week back (including 20 minutes of observation for my final assessment), prepare for the final assessment interview, mark some homework, oh and write 4000 words of Curriculum Studies assignment!  Who said half term was time for a break?

My final assignment has to be on a topic related to teaching in my specialist area, so I have chosen to look into vocabulary learning.  Having got quite into the research behind my last assignment and receiving a mark I was really pleased with I have tried to put my all into this one.  The result is that I am drowning in paperwork and more data than I am possibly going to need for the essay.  Luckily, some of the data I've gathered is interesting and useful for me as the class teacher as I can see a lot about the students in the class and how they performed on vocabulary tests but it won't be a huge amount of use to me for the essay which is a shame.  I won't say too much about the essay now as I've not actually written it yet.  In summary though, I have been testing a range of vocabulary learning techniques in students homework and seeing which they prefer and why in terms of what they like and what helped them learn more.  I have also taken teachers perceptions of techniques, thanks to the #MFLTwitterati and compared this to my students' responses.  Now the task is to bring it all together...

I'd been interested in the research side of education for a while, I took a minor course in Psychology in Education in my first year at university and it's taken me from there.  Whilst most people around me have been saying how pointless they think the PGCE essays are I've been enjoying them...  I'd been considering continuing my studies to masters level part time for a while now and I've recently had an email about an information evening for a locally run masters group via my current university.  I'm certainly considering doing it.  At this moment in time I don't know exactly where it will lead me, but I've always been interested in higher education so if many many years in the future I end up back in universities in one way or another it really wouldn't surprise me.  Things are changing so rapidly in education that I don't think it can be anything other than positive for me to do it, other than the strain on my workload that is.  However, I'd rather continue now whilst I'm still in the habit of writing and researching rather than try and come back to it later on.

I've now had my last Wednesday training day (with the exception of a visit to a special school in a couple of weeks time), meaning that after half term I will be in school 5 days a week, on a teaching timetable very similar to that of an NQT.  Our last couple of training sessions have been on looking to next year and becoming NQTs and reflecting back over the year we've been through.  It seems very odd to think I only met these people last July/August and we're nearing the end of our time together.  Many of the trainees are remaining in schools in the area and so will be in regular contact but I am going to be teaching much closer to home which takes me out of the area I've trained in.  One thing I have learned this year though is that everyone in teaching seems to be connected in some way with each other and I'm sure our paths will cross again in the future.

At some point when the final assessment is done and this essay (that I am yet to write...) has gone I'll get around to summing up the year.  I guess I've got 8 weeks until the official end of the year to get that done though.  There is so much I want to start thinking about for next year!  Just need to keep myself restrained for another week or so.  For now I have 4000 words to write.
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