Teacher Training

[117 M34]

Genuine question but what is the purpose of these inset days at the start of the year? In most companies the staff go on training at different times and have to cover each other’s work so there’s no impact on customers.

You think schools have spare teachers sat about doing nothing to be able to cover others or are you planning on merging two classes and have 1 teacher look after 60 kids?

 

[Bill Walker]

People should just stop having kids, very expensive things kids. And teenagers cause a lot of grief.
Then there'd be no need for teachers.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

You think schools have spare teachers sat about doing nothing to be able to cover others or are you planning on merging two classes and have 1 teacher look after 60 kids?

Christ almighty it’s like bloody “fight club” this.

Why won’t anyone just answer my question? It’s not a trap, I’m genuinely curious about the reason for it.

As a taxpayer surely I am entitled to know why teachers need a day or two to all go on training at the same time. I’m not trying to say they shouldn’t, I just want to know what the purpose is.

And as for your answer, no, I don’t expect you to just merge two classes into one. Although class sizes of 45 did me no harm (I had that for 7 years, not 2 days), I understand lack of facilities/rules probably don’t allow that in this day and age. However you surely have to do something for sudden teacher absences (illness, compassionate leave, arrests) or do kids get sent home when that happens these days?

 

[Eccles Blue]

To try to answer your question @Citizen of Legoland
They all do the training on the same day because it is related to their particular school and its needs. i.e. curriculum/behavioural needs/safeguarding.
During term time if a teacher is off at short notice they either get a supply teacher in which comes out of the school budget
Or
If it is to cover for an accident on the way to school, or a hold up of some description then for a short period (30 mins to 60) the class is split between other classes.
Or
If the school (Primary only) has a non class based Deputy Head they will cover for the absent teacher
In a High School most of the above applies with other contingencies thrown in.

Safeguarding training, which includes training on radicalism traits to look out for among other safeguarding for vulnerable children, has to take place at least once a year by law and occasionally more.
Safeguarding training also includes EVERY member of staff not just teachers, it includes, cooks, cleaners, welfare staff (formerly known as dinner ladies), site managers as well as School Governors. Logistically it must be seen to be the same training for everyone.

Does that help?

EDIT: ‘occasionally more’ can relate to when, for example, a new form of terrorism is discovered.

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

17 years a teacher. Never, ever had the full holidays. Always schemes of work to get ready, modify. Always had folders to prepare and log in details to prepare. I was Head of ICT. Team to prepare for the new term. Later in the term there was marking to be done and grades to prepare. I could go on but suffice to say I used to dream of having a complete holiday without going in. All students had to be graded every half term and a written report every term.

Stand up in front of students for few days and you will see why we need holidays.

Just give everyone a B+, nobody’s going to complain, job done.

 

[Bluesince1979]

No. The businesses have customers, the schools have pupils. In both cases though the professionally trained people are providing the service to the people requiring the service. But my initial question was a genuine enquiry, I was wondering why all the teachers have to go at the same time because I simply don't know. Surely as a teacher you encourage people to ask if they don't know something.

Because they are going in a day before the kids start. Not sure what people dont understand?
My mrs started work (teacher) on monday, the pupils went back on the tuesday. It wasnt an extra day off for anybody, either way.

Term times are set out well in advance. No parents were hit with “oh by the way , kids arent in monday, its tuesday now” like 2 weeks ago. You can check term times months upon months in advance

 

[Bluesince1979]

17 years a teacher. Never, ever had the full holidays. Always schemes of work to get ready, modify. Always had folders to prepare and log in details to prepare. I was Head of ICT. Team to prepare for the new term. Later in the term there was marking to be done and grades to prepare. I could go on but suffice to say I used to dream of having a complete holiday without going in. All students had to be graded every half term and a written report every term.

Stand up in front of students for few days and you will see why we need holidays.

When i first met the wife and she said shes a teacher i quipped “oh lovely , 9-3 working day and 12 weeks holiday”.

How wrong i was.
She left the house at 7am this morning and will be lucky to be home by 5pm. Probably 5.30pm.
3/4 nights a week her lap top is back on at about 7pm-9pm. To do her planning and marking. She actually gets a morning a week to do that at school but its no where near enough time.
During the summer hols she was in work 3 times to get her class room ready .

Teaching is a very rare job in so much that you have to work unpaid to plan for your actual job.

We have young kids ourselves and the job is perfect in hols as we dont worry about child care but a nightmare in term time because its so all consuming.

 

[Eccles Blue]

Because they are going in a day before the kids start. Not sure what people dont understand?
My mrs started work (teacher) on monday, the pupils went back on the tuesday. It wasnt an extra day off for anybody, either way.

Term times are set out well in advance. No parents were hit with “oh by the way , kids arent in monday, its tuesday now” like 2 weeks ago. You can check term times months upon months in advance

In fact sometimes 2 yrs in advance. A list of dates is agreed by the LA and then sent to the schools where Governors decide on the ones they are adopting. These can vary by a day or so in different schools but in the main are the same for all.
Academies can set their own but mostly tend to follow the LA models.
The dates are displayed on the school website as soon as agreed.

 

[Bluesince1979]

In fact sometimes 2 yrs in advance. A list of dates is agreed by the LA and then sent to the schools where Governors decide on the ones they are adopting. These can vary by a day or so in different schools but in the main are the same for all.
Academies can set their own but mostly tend to follow the LA models.
The dates are displayed on the school website as soon as agreed.

Yep. The info is out there.

It tickles me that people think that inset days are another day off. The mrs spent 4 hours on Monday pm in a meeting about safe guarding, spotting abuse, etc.
but hey , thats not important eh ?

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

Think youre getting confused. They just started work back before the kids went back.
Teachers do a shit load of out of school hours. Youd be surprised. The decent hols just about make up for that.

As my mrs always says, if teachers have it so easy … go train to be a teacher

There's a lot of shagging goes on - that's why they stay so late after school