Not sure if mine is like others -- I was posting this on another thread and decided to start a new thread so it could be found easily by potential teachers.
SO, this is what my day looks like . . .
I teach secondary, ages 13 through 18 (years 9 through 13). There are usually 30-32 to a class, although in a class of struggling learners there might only be 25, so we can better help them.
We begin at 8:30 and have tutor group for half an hour, then we have five one hour lessons (with an hour for lunch). We're done teaching at 3, and then the real fun begins: Staff meetings, new-staff training, planning, marking, etc . . . you all know the drill! I make sure I have my weekends completely free, though -- I stay as long as it takes on weeknights so I don't have to even THINK about work on the weekend.
The REAL CHALLENGE is the number of classes you see each fortnight (it's a two-week schedule, and then repeats). There are 50 periods in a fortnight, and we have to teach 43 of the 50 lessons. That sounded like a 'piece of cake' to me (it would be on an American schedule), but . . . not so.
A class only meets something like 7 times each fortnight, and they do NOT meet at the same time each day, like in America. I might see a groupTuesday lesson 3, Wednesday lesson 1, Friday lesson 4, then the next week (Week "B") on MOnday lesson 2, Tuesday lessons 3 and 5, and Friday lesson 1. VERY different from American schools.
Now it gets even more 'interesting' -- you might not see your classes every meeting, if the schedule conflicts (you are teaching something else that hour). I might see one of my classes 6 out of their 7 lessons, and another teacher picks up the 7th class meeting. Likewise, I pick up a class for others here and there, when their schedule conflicts. (We don't try for continuity -- I'll teach something completely different, such as a group of poems that need to be covered.) THere's also several classes outside of our content area -- all teachers have one or more of these, depending on how their schedule needs to be filled to makethe 43 out of 50 lessons.) So, there are Self-Esteem classes once a fortnight (we all have one), CItizenship (one for me, again), General Studies (I have three, but different levels/years), and so on. So, I have a total of 15 different classes that I see (and plan for, and mark work for)!!!!! Insane, really! IN America I taught 6 out of 7 periods a day, but it was the same six classes, at the same times, day in and day out. Very easy to plan, teach, etc.
Would love to hear if others' schedules are as insane as mine is.
|
|
We start at 8:45 and finish at 3:10.
15 minutes of tutor group first thing and another ten minutes in the afternoon.
Otherwise, five teachable periods a day, of which we usually teach four or all.
45 minutes for lunch.
Weekly schedule.
I teach art and drama, so other than my GCSE groups (of which I have two) I only see each class once a week. We don't have A levels at my school. |
|
| Just moving this forward in case there are teachers thinking about coming who need a clear idea of what its like. |
|
Hello!
I am a newbie on this forum. I have been teaching biology to Secondary students in Mauritius. I now intend seeking a teaching employment in the UK.
In the 2nd post, TClayton writes " 15 minutes of tutor group first thing". Could somebody be kind enough to let me know how the tutor group is organised?
Regards
Mirac |
|
| Certainly...mine tutor group or form group time is actually 20mins long every morning. Lucky me, mine was a year 11 (terminal KS4 year) group and so they have now left on extended "study leave." These kids had been together in the same form group all 5 years and ideally they have the same teacher all 5 years. During the tutor time, they get extra work on literacy and numeracy which is extra planning for the teacher. If the kids misbehave during the school day, the referral comes to you to deal with the issue. You as form tutor are expected to make the contacts home when issues arise. If the issues become serious, they are referred up to Year Support Manager and senior teachers to determine whether the student needs to be isolated or expelled. |
|
|
