CONTRIBUTORS Ask Charlotte! RTENSHAW
Thismonth, Education Today’s regular ed tech columnist,Microsoft
ft Educator Expert rt and As
Head CHARLOTTE BECKHURST looks at stu driven learning, and flexible learning envir
Back in February this year ISTE wrote an article on the 10 topics in education technology. Two items on the list, stu
Assistant
onments. dent-
dent driven hottest
learning and flexible learning environments, put the students at the heart of their learning and aim to promote creativity and innovation amongst children.
AngelaMaiers, author of The Passion Driven classroom, aims to help children find their genius through holding ‘Genius Hour’ in schools. The concept of Genius Hour emerged from some of the world’s most innovative companies whose leaders invited employees to explore their own ideas for contributing to the organisation’s success. Google allows its employees 20%time. For one day a week employees are allowed to work on projects of their own choosing It was this way that Gmail, Google News and several other products came about.
. The Genius Hour focuses on students becoming more
engaged in Google
their
work.Maiers argues that recognising genius in our students is more than an act of encouragement or a well-meaning attempt to boost self-esteem; it is critical in our efforts for preparing our students for the global environment. I would argue that the Genius Hour, in giving our student’s time to innovate and be creative, will boost their self-esteem and it is the boost in self-esteem that many students need and require before the skillsMaiers listed can begin to be delivered.
InMarch this year the Department of Education released new advice for schools on supporting mental health and well-being in schools. The advice addresses the factors which put children and young people at risk, and how schools can promote their pupils’ mental health. Section 3.5 highlights the importance of approaches to develop positive behaviour, social development and self-esteem and to couple positive classroom management techniques with one to one or small group sessions to help pupils identify cop techniques.
The advice comes at a time when schools are reaching
A few months ago, I had a chat with a supply teacher. She was very good at her job and loved teaching, but not the unnecessary scrutiny and paperwork required for teaching permanently in the UK. She revealed how much fun she had teaching in China, and how well treated teachers were by students and the general public. This lovely supply teacher soon jetted off to the UAE for a teaching job. This led me to wonder how teaching compares in other countries.
Class sizes Class sizes
The UK has bigger class sizes than other countries in Europe such as Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Finland but smaller than China and Korea¹. The difference class sizes make on learning is hard to judge, as it isn’t always comparable. For example, I have a very large top set year 7 group which are progressing brilliantly, whereas my lower ability year 8 group with less pupils are no t progressing m uch at all .
Pay Pay
Interestingly, Finland pays its teachers less than the UK average, at only £25,311 after a decade of being in the profession². The UK average pay is £28,700 for a teacher of ten years’ experience³. The best paid teachers are in Luxembourg, earning around £61,852 for the same experience.
Hoursworked perweek Hours worked per week
The international average hours per week in term time for teachers is just 38. But in England, 46 hours per week was recorded as the average by a Teaching and Learning International survey. Shockingly, most of these hours are not spent teaching, but completing other tasks such as administration. Finnish teachers, with less pay but better results, work an average of 32. It is even worse for Japanese teachers, racking up 54 hour weeks!
Respect Respect
a new level ing
of crisis in being able to support children with high emotional needs and low resilience. Society is changing at an exponential rate and in many areas of the c ountry we are seeing rising rates of mental ill- health in adults and children, an increase in adults out of work and a rise in the percentages of people receiving Employment Support Allowance. It is crucial that schools look at ways to support children with their mental health and to empower them in their learning.We want to create children with ideas for the future, children who are doers, and the Genius Hour is all about that.
I can hear you asking, “Hang on, where is the technology link?” Well, that’s easy. Keep a Genius Notebook in One Note f information gathering and collaboration platform. Or if y Google based – set up a Google Classroom. These noteb accessed at any time in the classroom, from home or on the go where students can keep their own personalised logs of Genius Hour Learning.
ooks can be ou are or an
If you want to find out more about Genius Hour check out
www.choose2matter.org. Liberate yourself and support the development of your children’s mental health.
Tweet me @CharBeckhurst on your comments and ideas. I want to hear from you.
1 2 www
.education-today.co.uk.co.uk www
The UK ranked in the middle of the survey, with Israel at the bottom . More hearsay from colMore hearsay from colleagues implied a lot of respect in the US for theirleagues implied a lot of respect in the US for their teachers too.
teachers too. Conclusions
Conclusions
We aren’t the best or worst paid compared to other countries (but we aren’t in it for the money!), our class sizes could be better but also worse, we work lon g weeks compared to the average but better than some countries. The headlines in 2015 said 4 in 10 teachers are quitting the profession in their first year in the UK. Is it because of the long hours, or the pay, or the lack of respect towards the profession?Most teachers do it for the love of teaching, not the factors discussed above!
We aren’t the best or worst paid compared to other countries (but we aren’t in it for the money!), our class sizes could be better but also worse, we work long weeks compared to the average but better than some countries. The headlines in 2015 said 4 in 10 teachers are quitting the profession in their first year in the UK. Is it because of the long hours, or the pay, or the lack of respect towards the profession? Most teachers do it for the love of teaching, not the factors discussed above!
In summary, teaching in the UK is not the best deal out there, but it could beIn summary, teaching in the UK is not the best deal out there, but it could be far
worse.Maybe the grass isn’t always on the other side of a border? Compare yourself using the TALIS Teacher Survey at
ww.theguardian.com/teacher-netw
far worse. Maybe the grass isn’t always on the other side of a border? Compare yourself using the TALIS Teacher Survey at http://www
blog/2014/sep/05/how-the-job-of-a-teacher-compares-around-the-world. References
http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher- blog/2014/sep/05/how-the-j
References
(1) https:////
www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/48631144.pd f (2) https:////
newteachers.tes.co.uk/content (3) http:////
www.independent.co.uk/k/news/ one-of-the-highest-salaries-8673616.html
(5) http:////
www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/ global-survey
(1)
https://www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/48631144.pdf (2)
https://newteachers.tes.co.uk/content/countries-where-teachers-live-kings (3)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/youngest-and-the-best-paid-report-shows-teachers-in-uk-earn- one-of-the-highest-salaries-8673616.html
t//countries-where-teachers-live-kings s/youngest-and-the-best-paid-report-shows-teachers-in-uk-earn-
(4) http:////
www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/k/teacher-blog/2014/ compares-around-the-world
(4)
http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2014/sep/05/how-the-job-of-a-teacher- compares-around-the-world
4/sep/05/how-the-job-of-a-teacher-
(5)
http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/oct/03/teachers-rated-worldwide- global-survey
k/teacher-blog/2013/ oct/03/teachers-rated-worldwide- t/ Jun e 2016 2016 twork/teacher- -job-of-a-teacher-compares-around-the-world .
Respect can’t be measured quantitatively, but an estimate has been gained through surveys. Students in China seem to respect their teachers more. This is certainly what the supply teacher I chatted to had experienced. She told of polite students thanking her for her effort, all bringing in gifts on ‘Teachers’polite students thanking her for her effort, all bringing in gifts on ‘Teachers’ day’day’.. The UK ranked in the middle of the survey, with Israel at the bottom
Respect can’t be measured quantitatively, but an estimate has been gained through surveys. Students in China seem to respect their teachers more. This is certainly what the supply teacher I chatted to had experienced. She told of
The international average hours per week in term time for teachers is just 38. But in England, 46 hours per week was recorded as the average by a Teaching and Learning International survey. Shockingly, most of these hours are not spent teaching, but completing other tasks such as administration. Finnish teachers, with less pay but better results, work an average of 32. It is even worse for Japanese teachers, racking up 54 hour weeks!
Interestingly, Finland pays its teachers less than the UK average, at only £25,311 after a decade of being in the profession². The UK average pay is £28,700 for a teacher of ten years’ experience³. The best paid teachers are in Luxembourg, earning around £61,852 for the same experience.
The UK has bigger class sizes than other countries in Europe such as Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Finland but smaller than China and Korea¹. The difference class sizes make on learning is hard to judge, as it isn’t always comparable. For example, I have a very large top set year 7 group which are progressing brilliantly, whereas my lower ability year 8 group with less pupils are not progressing much at all.
A few months ago, I had a chat with a supply teacher. She was very good at her job and loved teaching, but not the unnecessary scrutiny and paperwork required for teaching permanently in the UK. She revealed how much fun she had teaching in China, and how well treated teachers were by students and the general public. This lovely supply teacher soon jetted off to the UAE for a teaching job. This led me to wonder how teaching compares in other countries.
CONTRIBUTORS How does Howdoes
teaching compar aro
Thismonth, Education Today columnist KIRSTY BERT
and finds that things could beworse…
teaching compare around the world?round theworld?
This month, Education Today columnist KIRSTY BERTENSHAW takes a look at teaching around the world – and finds that things could be worse…
AWtakes a look at teaching around theworld –
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