Diary of an NQT
PEER MENTORING PEER MENTORING
The best laid plans...
IT IS a new year and the traditional festivities are only mimic the naïve wobblings of a newly born
over with. It is once again time to turn attentions giraffe trying to walk.
towards the trivialities of a new term at school. I have no doubt you will find out how my
Along with several more personal goals, decision works out. In fact you may well
new year’s resolutions have been made hear the cries of anguish.
regarding my teaching practice. Following a largely Muppet-based
Looking back over my first term, foray into the world of Dickens, I am
Empowering students
it appears the major concerns have quite sure that my GCSE group will
been tamed and it leaves me with not want to even make direct contact
the array of small nuisances to try with a book whose cover proclaims:
and coerce into manageability. Shakespeare!
First, I must try and sort out However, I don’t write the
the marking issue. I take far too national curriculum and I must find
long and my conscientiousness a way. Dipping into my toolbox
must be doused immediately, of canniness I must ponder how to
although I trust time will take its mimic the successes of last years’
cynical effect eventually! Scrooge Eastenders and Who will
Some good help sessions and win X Factor? group discussion.
training helped me at the end of When it comes to bending the GCSE
last term to try and move into “focus course, I truly must be the Uri Gellar of
marking” and so I will now try and NQTs. Not that they appreciate it at all
use a weekly focus area to mark by, mind.
instead of correcting the every spelling Quite ridiculously, I have been looking
mistake of every child I have so far forward to going back to school.
come into contact with. It would appear that this job about
This, combined with my newly which I spend such a great deal of time
devised (not by me you understand) moaning, and those kids about whom I
marking schedule, should slay any spend such a great deal of time whining,
pile of books by the sword of foresight are slowly growing on me and I have
and anal assiduousness! We’ll see. missed it.
Second comes a decision by Having spent many an evening with my
which next term will either fail, or office-based chums this holiday, chatting over
fail incomprehensibly. It’s that age-old a sherry (or two), it appears that whereas most
question: which Shakespeare text do you do people see chaos, I see youthful character; and
with 32 year 9 boys? where they see a calm routine, I see crushing
More to the point, which Shakespeare banality. It’s only a job, but I guess I like it.
text do you do with a group of bottom-set GCSE
girls?! • Matt Connett is a newly qualified teacher of English
The mind boggles, and for an NQT, the at Shenfield High, a training school in Brentwood in
inexperienced tentative steps into Shakespeare can Essex. He returns next week.
Moral support
Happy new year!
TEACHER SUPPORT Network has had a long, has transformed itself from a small benevolent
fascinating and productive history. A traditional fund, well respected but used by few, to become a
benevolent fund a century ago, it has constantly pioneering, not-for-profit organisation that is making
changed with the times in order to best serve what a real difference to the lives of tens of thousands of
we recognise as the most important profession. teachers each year.
This year sees the start of an exciting new chapter It is difficult of course for us to entirely celebrate
for our organisation as we begin the second decade how many people we have helped.
of Teacher Support Line. While glad to have been able to make a difference That’s a wrap: A Churchfields
At the end of last year, we held a reception at to so many lives (we dealt with 15,555 in the 12 student shows off her first aid skills
the Houses of Parliament to mark the support line’s months preceding the anniversary), these figures to a member of staff
10th anniversary. also remind us of the scale of issues affecting the
It was the first time we have ever held this profession.
kind of event, and we were joined by Whether workload, financial
Barry Sheerman MP, chairman of the problems, stress, anxiety, depression
Children, Schools and Families Select or bullying, every person we help
Churchfields School’s peer
needs, and try and help them to resolve their issues for
themselves.
Committee, Vernon Coaker MP, represents many more who are
schools minister, Baroness Morris, suffering from similar problems.
mentoring scheme has
The mentors have all had a day’s intensive training
in child protection, the values of advocacy, and open
who helped launch the line when For many of you, January and close-ended questions.
she was education minister, and 2010 will be a new start. The
focused on a wide range
They also have their own email addresses for
Dame Carol Black, the government’s start of a new decade may mean students to discuss problems that are confidential;
national director on health and that more than normal you are
wellbeing. viewing the beginning of a
of issues, including first aid
this is to support students who feel uncomfortable
talking face-to-face. Mentors also visit assemblies
Just as importantly, Zoë Speakman, new year as an opportunity to
a teacher who has used the support assess your priorities, re-assert training and Restorative
with presentations that they have made to promote
the project and inform students that they are here
line, and other teachers, heads, friends your enthusiasm for your jobs and to help.
from the unions, and others from across implement whatever resolutions you
Justice. Tony Pilling
Year 8 mentors play a major part with transition
education all attended a night that aimed have made over the Christmas break; from primary school, making an annual visit to all our
to celebrate the successes we have whether over an improved diet, more
discusses some of the
feeder schools to put on a presentation to explain the
had since 1999 in supporting teachers hours’ sleep, seeking a promotion, differences between primary and secondary school.
through emotional or practical difficulty or getting our finances in order.
and also the massive contributions that Remember we can help; by
scheme’s achievements
Working as a group, they plan and prepare the hour-
long session and, over the space of two weeks, they
teachers make to their pupils’ lives. talking your situation through with visit primary schools and become a figure of support
Teachers help us to inspire and one of our advisors via phone or for the new students.
influence the aspiration and achievement email or using our online resources, HURCHFIELDS SCHOOL in
of young people and the professional such as Stress Test, Wheel of
First aid training
development of adults. Wellbeing, or the InfoCentre, you may One of the really exciting aspects of the project has been
They guide us through the key milestones find it easier to gain control of your seeing how peer mentors have cascaded training in first
in our lives and their impact must never be professional or personal life and make aid to more than 600 students of all ages in a series of
underestimated. They impart the joy of learning improvements to your wellbeing. hour-long lessons as part of a project spearheaded by
and understand that the accumulation of As we start the next 10 years of the C
Swindon has been running a
successful peer mentoring scheme
for more than two years, and is
currently in the process of obtaining
accreditation for the scheme from
the Mentoring and Befriending the Red Cross.
knowledge and a desire to learn are fundamental to Support Line, we’ll also be joining you in Foundation. The students involved appeared on local and national
our wellbeing. assessing our direction. The scheme has been a huge help to the school in radio promoting the Red Cross, and giving their own
When teachers face times of difficulties in their We’re determined this year to continue to help supporting students, and has played a major role in personal views on the importance of first aid training.
lives and when the challenges seem insurmountable, more teachers and develop our services to best serve supporting the school’s ambition to provide pupils with Churchfields is the first school in the country where
Teacher Support Network seeks to reconnect them the changing profession over the next decade. first aid training. children as peer mentors pass on skills learnt from the
to the spark of passion and optimism that first We are here for you and your colleagues to help While the main purpose of the project is to support Red Cross to other pupils, and the school has been
brought them into the profession – to inspire their ensure you are successful both at home and at work, students that have peer group and friendship issues, selected as a role model for others by the humanitarian
pupils and to make a difference to the communities and that your wellbeing is protected and enhanced the value of the interpersonal and mentoring skills organisation.
in which they work. throughout the year. developed through the programme have been recognised In total, 28 peer mentors taught year 8, 9 and
At the reception, we released a report entitled, Here’s wishing all teachers a very happy – and by agencies outside of the school, including the local 10 students the basics of first aid during a series of
Improving Wellbeing in Education: 10 Years of healthy – new year! Primary Mental Health Team, Swindon Behavioural workshops last year, which were also attended by the
the Teacher Support Line, and it was fascinating Support Team, Targeted Mental Health in Schools, and mayor of Swindon.
to review how much the organisation has changed, • Julian Stanley is chief executive of the Teacher the Red Cross. We are aiming for the whole school to have basic
reminding me how lucky I feel to have joined at Support Network. Visit www.teachersupport.info or Peer mentors are assigned a maximum of three life-saving first aid training within two years.
such a fascinating time. call 08000 562 261 (England), 08000 855088 (Wales). mentees and have one-to-one sessions for a minimum The response to the idea within the community
Over the past 10 years, Teacher Support Network Moral support returns in a fortnight. of 10 minutes each week during lunchtime. They talk to has been phenomenal, and it is difficult to put into
the students about any social, emotional or educational words just how well the pupils performed during the
8 SecEd • January 7 2010
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