Diary of an NQT

Elephants never forget. Will you?

GOD BLESS those little year 7s and their attempts at creative wordplay. I’m astounded how in a class, supposedly at the

same level, one girl can use humorous language to make her point while another will title their work: “Has anyone got a spare room? Some cats are homeless.” Does she think they’ll appreciate

the flock wallpaper and the en suite facilities or something? I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my

week making persuasive leaflets for our “save the animals” unit with year 7. In particular their choice of animal to write about. You can learn a lot, I feel,

about the imagination and perhaps even aspirations of children who choose to write about a labrador or a goldfish, compared to those who are reaching for the limits with a langoustine or an aye-aye. Some particular favourites I’d care

to share include a campaign to save a certain famous furry television star – “It’s no meer kat, it’s amazing!” – and an urgent plea from the local wildlife sanctuary – “Elephants never forget. Will you?” And my personal favourite:

“Pandas are endangered. It’s black and white.” Genius. It’s been an exhausting week and, as

usual, I still have not managed to clear my desk of marking. Despite free periods set aside to

combat the matter and after-school sessions dedicated to tick and flick, I still arrive at the same situation. It wouldn’t be so bad if perhaps only 50 per cent of it was the kind of inconceivable drivel you could

throw together by emptying a tin of alpha-spaghetti onto a sheet of A4. Perhaps it’s no surprise that they don’t put their

name on it and own up to the shameful shambles. Throwing off my cloak of cynicism, I

have to confess at being quite impressed by some of my students’ webpage designs recently. I’ve realised that I am no longer of

the generation that has the control and admiration of the rest of the world because of our inherent computer abilities. Making me feel very old and putting my knowledge to shame, my year 8s have been putting together webpages that wouldn’t look out of place in a holiday brochure. Perhaps I shouldn’t be so surprised, considering the amount of time they spend using computers these days compared to the hour, 30 of us spent, huddled round the Acorn PC (which sounded like it was reversing the

tide rather than word processing a letter) that we had when I was at school. Another sad sign of the times came

when showing year 9 a Sex Pistols video to begin our work on punk style and multi-modality. Recognising John Lydon, I thought perhaps they were more culturally aware than I thought and that perhaps we could have a good discussion, both about him and

the punk movement in general. Turns out they recognised him only from

a certain celebrity jungle programme on television. At least they didn’t say that they bought their butter off him!

• Matt Connett is a newly qualified teacher of English at Shenfield High, a training school in Brentwood in Essex. He returns next week.

Dedication, but at what cost?

Moral support

Some of the most enduring images of the election were the pictures of prospective parliamentary candidates struggling to stay awake as the results flowed in. On television, viewers marvelled as David Dimbleby rolled back the years to bring us the latest political twists and turns during a mammoth 12-hour broadcasting stint. When deals were being struck, politicians would

emerge bleary eyed from meeting rooms in the early hours. They would inform the nation of the latest developments and reaffirm their commitment to work through the night to get the job done in the national interest. It seemed to me that the very act

of putting in long hours was being used as a tangible manifestation of a commitment to the job. And by extension, that should one stick to more reasonable hours that would illustrate a lack of commitment. Should anyone in the new administration question the commitment of teachers they should first digest the following data. A recent research report from

the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association found that 54 per cent of teachers work 400 extra hours a year. Collected during December, February and March, the workload survey found that more than a quarter of teachers worked between 45 and 50 hours a week, 16 per cent worked between 50 and 55 hours, and 10 per cent worked in excess of 55 hours. The data reinforces the findings of a 2008

report published by the Office of Manpower Economics that found that headteachers and teachers in England and Wales worked more than 50 hours each week. The Trade Union Congress’s annual survey in 2005 found that teachers topped the list for working on average the longest unpaid hours of all professions. In most careers there comes a time when a heavy

workload means that you have to work longer than your contracted hours to get through the work. However, when working extra hours becomes the norm this can negatively impact on personal life and wellbeing. The dedication teachers across the UK show to

their jobs is second to none, relishing as they do their chance to play a profoundly positive role in the education and development of their pupils.

However, this dedication can lead to teachers

spending too much of their lives working and too many hours away from their families and personal lives. Long hours can wear down teachers, reducing their resilience and their ability to cope with the stresses and strains of school life. In my experience this can lead to physical and mental health problems over a long period of time. A healthy work/life balance means a more

effective teacher. Schools must work together to ensure that teachers at all levels of responsibility can maintain a positive ratio between their work and personal lives. This will benefit the wellbeing of individual heads and teachers as well as improve standards at the school. So, as we move into a new

political era, we can only hope that those responsible for the education sector have had good nights’ sleep after their extensive negotiations; spent some times with their families to get their task ahead into perspective, and taken account of the research that shows the lengths

that teachers go to do their jobs. For while Mr Dimbleby can

take the next week off to recover from his broadcasting excursions, teachers the length and breadth of the country feel they have to put their health and wellbeing at risk in order to get the job done. Schools need to have a working culture where staff wellbeing is taken seriously. Tackling issues before they become problems is much more cost effective than ignoring them until they become crises. If staff are healthy, motivated and supported, they can draw on their personal fortitude and creativity to see a way through even the most difficult situations. By way of an aside, an anonymous questionnaire

completed by 94 MPs, 100 Lords and 151 parliamentary staff in 2008, found that 86 per cent of MPs said their jobs were stressful. Add fatigue and low status and these parliamentarians have a rare insight into the life of a teacher, an insight that I hope will inform the way the education sector is viewed.

• Julian Stanley is chief executive of the Teacher Support Network. Visit www.teachersupport.info or call 08000 562 261 (England), 08000 855088 (Wales). Moral support returns after half term.

Roll up for

Role-play isn’t only for young children – it can be just as valuable in the secondary classroom. Former head of English, Donna Burton-Wilcock, explains why

instinctively, and as social psychologist Kurt Lewin discovered: “More significant behavioural changes could be accomplished via group discussion and role- play sessions than through lecture-style information

sessions.” (Lewin, K. Field Theory in Social Science,

Harper and Row, New York, 1951). He believes that learning occurs when there is

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a sustained interaction between a learner and their environment and when there is an opportunity through social interaction to reflect on the experiences in that setting. Role-play is not, however, always about getting up

in front of the class and putting on a role – it can be done in many ways, including on the computer. Role-play can be confused with acting, however unlike acting, it is more focused on how the roles of

NE WAY that children learn is through mimicking or duplicating the actions of others, including their parents and peers. This action of stepping into

others’ shoes can have a real effect on learning; as many teachers know

the players interact with and affect each other. It can show teachers how the role players interpret their role, through their motivations and attitudes, and teaches many lessons. Some of the most important of these are those that are needed in society, such as co-operation and empathy. Teachers can choose their own role-play activity, or encourage students to make up their own.

Real vs pretend

Role-play in schools has been highlighted in the news recently – you have may have read the story of a school in Worcestershire which was condemned after a play-acting activity caused distress among some pupils. A mock shooting at the school was intended to

help children investigate, collect facts and analyse evidence; however a communication problem (a delay in explaining to some children why the activity had taken place and that, in fact, it was not real) reduced some pupils to tears. Although intended to teach valuable lessons, this example shows how role-play should be a regulated

SecEd • May 20 2010

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