Ask a teacher

[happy_Alex]

Time to take the plunge with an "ask a... thread "

A bit a background info. I work in a multi-ethnic state secondary (11-16s mixed) school in London. At the moment I teach ICT but I am a Design and Technology teacher.

Ask away, I will try to be honest about stuff, really...

 

[QuoVadisNation]

I once wanted to be a teacher...

So, I have a quick question. Do you still have or have you ever possessed a passion for your line of work?

 

[Turner]

Did you get moderator approval before opening this thread?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Have I got permission to go to the toilet?

Seriously: Where do you teach? (I have never heard of Wood Green.)

 

[Mirc]

Read the OT Notice Board....

Have you ever hated one of the kids?

 

[happy_Alex]

I once wanted to be a teacher...

So, I have a quick question. Do you still have or have you ever possessed a passion for your line of work?

Yes, I am passionate, but not in a 'hey kids lets have a graffetti workshop" kind of a way. I feel that students have an entitlement and none should be allowed to drop out of the loop, some thing that happens quite alot in the state system I am affraid, for example there are a number of young people who leave the sytem still illeterate mischief: )

 

[happy_Alex]

Did you get moderator approval before opening this thread?

heh.. do i get a detention?

 

[Turner]

No, just closure. Thread closure, that is.

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

Do you find that parents are supportive in providing education to their children? Do you think more should be done to help parents help their children?

Do you think there should be more subjects to allow children with different skills and interests to participate in or should we lower the number of lessons to spend more time on the 'basics' (English, Maths, Science)?

 

[El_Machinae]

How's the Intelligent Design battle going in your neck of the woods? Do teachers talk about it as much as we do?

 

[Abaddon]

Ever fancy a fling with one of your kids?

 

[happy_Alex]

Read the OT Notice Board....

Have you ever hated one of the kids?

Well I try really hard not to hate kids, but sometimes that's difficult, especially when one kid stops the learning in a class, I really hate the injustice of that, coz most of the kids enjoy learning and want to get on and I'm think "who the f*** are you to stop these peoples from getting on" (though I don't say it )

I don't hate kids when they get cross and stuff, coz we all do that, but they other thing I hate is when kids steal stuff or smash up things on the sly.

 

[happy_Alex]

Do you find that parents are supportive in providing education to their children? Do you think more should be done to help parents help their children?

Do you think there should be more subjects to allow children with different skills and interests to participate in or should we lower the number of lessons to spend more time on the 'basics' (English, Maths, Science)?

Good questions.

Firstly, children only do as well as their parents, what impact parents have ranges from how they look after them to the values that they have. Statistically children do better when their parents take an active intrest in the childs progress. However, such intrest is not always voluntary. For example, a child may have a single parent and the mum might have to work and the child may be involved in caring for a younger sibling. So under such circumstances, school moves down the list of priorities.

On the other hand, there are kids who have all these problems and more but they make truly heroic efforts to keep their schoolwork on track. I have immense admiration for these youngsters.

I've definately have come to realise that there are limitations to what we as teachers can do.

Second, that's a huge question and one i think is at the root of many discipline problems in schools. Basically we should allow children (and adults for that matter) to choose subjects in which they have a natural apptitude. We should also make sure that what has to be learnt is presented in a way that allows the person to access it depending on their ability (if you see what I mean)

I think the curriculum is really badly designed and basically a hangover from a time when the education system was designed to reinforce an elitist society. (statiscally the UK underperforms in secondary education when compared to other industrialised countries). The GCSE is a bad qualification. It's a one size fits all qulaification. It's to easy for the bright kids (who do the coursework over a weekend) and too hard for the dopey kids who just get disaffected and angry and switch of from the system early on in year 10).

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

Second, that's a huge question and one i think is at the root of many discipline problems in schools. Basically we should allow children (and adults for that matter) to choose subjects in which they have a natural apptitude. We should also make sure that what has to be learnt is presented in a way that allows the person to access it depending on their ability (if you see what I mean)

I think the curriculum is really badly designed and basically a hangover from a time when the education system was designed to reinforce an elitist society. (statiscally the UK underperforms in secondary education when compared to other industrialised countries). The GCSE is a bad qualification. It's a one size fits all qulaification. It's to easy for the bright kids (who do the coursework over a weekend) and too hard for the dopey kids who just get disaffected and angry and switch of from the system early on in year 10).

I agree. Just from personal experience I know of children attending school where my friend teaches who are a terror at school on the rare occasions they turn up. Yet, for the 2 weeks of work experience at a garage or a plumbers they arrived at work at 7am each day and grafted till 5.

My view is that the focus is aimed at those subjects which are easy to assess (English, Maths, Science). This seems to me to be at the expense of other manual subjects (Woodwork, etc).

It may well be due to the way our country is moving from those industrialised jobs but I also think it may be because manual subjects are more expensive to provide. What do you think?

 

[MOTH]

What is ICT?

Have any of you students ever come on to you?

Do you have any Teacher's pets?

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

What is ICT?

Information Computer Technology, I think

 

[happy_Alex]

How's the Intelligent Design battle going in your neck of the woods? Do teachers talk about it as much as we do?

fortunately we are in non-church school so it's not a variable here. Actually its not a problem even in church schools, only with the new academies and faith schoosl (Blaires idea)(which the unions oppose) for example, a private organisation stumps up the cash for a new academy and they get control over the governors who in turn have control over the curriculum.

By and large, it's a not a prob and i suspect it would get short shrift in the majority of schools

 

[Turner]

So, did you ever get around to asking for approval from a moderator?

 

[ShannonCT]

How would you rate the teaching profession as a whole in London or the UK?

Is teaching viewed as a profession of less prestige/respect than private sector professions? Does the school system compete effectively for top talent or is it scraping the bottom of the barrel? Do you feel like you are paid fairly for the work you do and for the skills you possess?

 

[happy_Alex]

Ever fancy a fling with one of your kids?

No way, that's a huge no-no as well as technically child-abuse. There are some kids who develop a bit faster than others and I know of girls who get into clubs no questions asked!