Diary of an NQT Going the extra mile


I WAS really glad of the Easter break. It was a good chance to recharge my batteries and chill-out. Things were getting hectic towards the end of last


term as the year 12s, 11s and even some of the year 10s began panicking about their approaching exams. Thankfully the science department has put together some excellent revision packs, so it was just a matter of photocopying and handing these out to students during lessons and at lunchtimes for them to digest over the holiday. Before Easter, I’d given


my worst year 11 class a mock exam and made them sit in silence for the last period of the day, giving me time to make good my escape. I really wanted to take advantage of the fact that we finish slightly earlier on a Friday and get ahead of the weekend and holiday traffic. Thus I was able to take full advantage of one of the perks of being a teacher! Many of my non-teaching


friends get annoyed at the “huge” amount of holidays that I now have. However, I found myself having to work on at least three of the days of my holiday. This was something I really wanted to avoid doing as I feel I work hard enough during term-time and I’m justified in having the holidays I get. However, I spent a two days marking year 12 and


11 coursework entries and on another day I went into school to help out some students, collect paperwork, and prepare for the manic start to the summer term. Earlier in the year, when the Royal Wedding date


was first announced, I was really pleased to discover that we’d have an easy start to the new term, but now that it’s here, I’ve realised quite how many lessons


Money matters Moral support


THE TEACHER Support Network team was out in force recently to support our two runners during the London Marathon. While out in their charity tee-shirts and with their large banners, they began to get some attention. One of the team was asked by a member of the


public why teachers needed support. After explaining the services and goals of the charity, the man was still confused. He went on to say that like nurses, surely teachers go into the profession knowing that they will have to work hard, deal with difficult people, and have less pay. To some extent the onlooker was


right (although not about teachers not needing support). Teaching is clearly a vocation and is not one that necessarily attracts candidates through money. I am sure that it would be


difficult to find a teacher in any staffroom that has chosen this career for the financial rewards alone, yet should teachers really not be concerned with money? During the recent teaching union conference season, money never seemed far from delegates’ minds. A cursory glance of tabled motions shows the importance of finances. Whether it be discussions on the cuts to education, school building programmes, tuition fees or perhaps most importantly the changes to the teachers’ pensions scheme, money or the lack of it was a hot topic for teachers. It is likely to continue to be so, at


least for the next few weeks and months. The teaching unions are all discussing strike action over pensions and walkouts are already dividing public opinion, particularly with fears that action could affect exams at a time when students are scrabbling for places before the new university fees are introduced. Besides, pensions are down in the private sector, why should the public sector be so different? Remembering our marathon onlooker: what do teachers need to worry about money for? Worry they should though. New research has


revealed that financial woes could impact upon teacher wellbeing. Data obtained by the BBC has found that prescriptions for anti-depressant drugs such as Prozac rose by more than 40 per cent over the last four years. The figures, obtained from NHS Prescription


Services under the Freedom of Information Act, revealed that the number of prescriptions for selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors went up by 43 per cent to nearly 23 million a year. They also showed an increase in the use of other types of anti- depressants used in more serious cases. There is, as expected, some discussion over the


cause for this rise, with some suggesting that the increase is the result of the reduction in stigma of having depression or that patients are staying on medication later. However, there is no denying that


the increase did occur at a time when the economic crisis took hold, making many believe that financial issues could be a “trigger” to mental health problems. Dr Clare Gerada, head of


the Royal College of General Practitioners, told the BBC: “Of course, in times of economic problems we would expect mental health problems to worsen –


and GPs are seeing more people coming in with debts racking up, or who have lost their job and they are cancelling their holidays. “They feel guilty that they can’t


provide for their family and these things can often act as a trigger for depression.” At Teacher Support Network,


we know that money is a big issue. Last week, 37 per cent of our calls were related to money and finance. Our online factsheets giving advice on money and debt never drop from the


top 10 most viewed and we continue to give up to £300,000 a year in one-off grants to teachers in financial need. At the same time, stress is one of the leading causes of absence


in teachers. Every teacher should know that money does


matter and there are services available to help you deal with you financial concerns. Today, Teacher Support Network is launching


a brand new money factsheet, which will have information, advice and details of the support available. See our website for more information.


• Julian Stanley is chief executive of the Teacher Support Network. Visit www.teachersupport.info or call 08000 562 561 (England), 08000 855088 (Wales). Moral support returns in two weeks.


Handling ex


Chartered psychologist Dr Stephanie Thornton


offers her advice on helping young people to prepare themselves for exams


A 8


DEGREE OF stress is not a bad thing. Stress puts us on the alert, prepares our bodies and minds to cope with challenges. Too relaxed, we are slow to respond and unlikely to give our best. But too much stress is bad: once anxiety has


begun to dominate our reactions, intelligent thought, memory – and even hand control – can easily go out the window. Excessive stress is unpleasant in its own right; and it can seriously undermine an individual’s performance. Exactly how much stress is useful, and how much


counter-productive varies from one individual to another. And what produces stress varies from one individual to another. But one thing that generally produces a degree of stress in all is an exam. So much seems to hang on how one performs in this


one short test! And so much is uncertain as to how hard the challenge will be, what the questions will be about. Some will take all this in their stride. But I have known students brought close to complete nervous collapse in


the run-up to exams, if not taken right over that border. What teacher does not long to help these young people to learn to cope with the stress of exams? But how? Some advice is obvious, and basically comes down


to the practical preparations that make us feel ready rather than frighteningly unprepared: “Make sure that you understand what the examiners expect of you, what they’re looking for. Make a plan to revise to meet those expectations. Emphasise understanding more than rote memorising in that revision – for what we understand is always easier to recall and use than what we don’t. Make sure you know where the exam is, and when...” But the real challenge lies in helping the young to


learn to control stress and turn it to their advantage. This is hard to do, as many of us know, but it is a vital life-skill, immensely beneficial not only in the run-up to exams, but beyond: other stressors, besides exams, lie in the future for us all. One very common mistake in trying to manage


exam (and other) stress is to get into a state of denial: not thinking about the coming test, pretending (to oneself as much as to anyone else) that one is not afraid, putting off the evil moment of having to actually confront the challenge as a reality. Result? All the stress piles up at the last – and worst – possible moment, with potentially disastrous results. Striking evidence of this comes from a famous study


of soldiers training as parachutists. Contrary to what one might expect, those who had been the most nervous in the weeks before their first jump were not the most anxious on the day. Rather, those who had shown no nerves in the weeks before were most likely to panic and baulk at the jump when faced with the open door of the plane. The reason? Those who were most nervous in anticipation had faced their fear and learned to manage it long before boarding the “first jump” flight; those in denial had not, and were much more likely to be overwhelmed. The ideal time to face the reality of our fears, about exams or anything else, is well before the actual test.


SecEd • May 5 2011


I’m going to miss with key classes and I’m not so pleased. This was my main reason for going into school


during the holiday and helping out some of my year 11 and 12 students. It was an interesting experience to walk into school in trainers, jeans and a tee-shirt, rather than my usual suit, tie and smart shoes. There was a really relaxed, yet productive vibe in the air as students moved from English to art and drama as the lesson bell rang. A few found their way to me for a few minutes of science revision and a catch-up. It was mostly the students who were panicking days before about revision and exams, but now, after a few days off, and considerable fewer pupils about, they seemed much calmer and more focused. I was amazed what just


a few minutes talking about a topic with them could achieve. I realised that there were one or two


ways in which my original teaching could have been sharpened up and


I’ll use this next year. I was surprised to see one or two students who I thought had given up trying to achieve anything at school attending catch-up sessions. It shocked me so much that I’m sure the English department must have spent the morning driving about the


streets in the school minibus rounding them up like child-catchers. But the students actually seemed keen to be there, so I suppose it’s better late than never!


• Our NQT diarist this year writes anonymously and is a teacher of science from a secondary school in the East of England. He returns next week.


EXAMINATIONS


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