So me and a colleague end up talking again. First is was about the Quality Review meeting... a two week period where they are hiring consultants on about £500 per day... to review our section and then make suggestions to adjust the situation to increase efficiency and ... he asks if I had been to such a meeting! Oh yeah, the one wear hitlers black shirts started to talk down at us!
I went to that alright.... We laughed when I called it the Ofsted Roadshow! I again today cried in my head when I found out that I cannot enter my students attendances on their registers! So what does it mean that it takes one month to make sure I have the correct people on each of my registers! Its a bureaucratical nightmare!
Peace
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The corridor I
So as we leave the building together, we talk about how things are going in general. We end up talking about our workload and paperwork
I havent got time to do it all.. H mentions. I am only able to manage my lesson preparation and a few other bits (including checking my emails). They have got to be joking if they think they want me to do the other stuff.
I say that the idea of this quality review is so that any problems will be noted and new systems if necessary put in place.
We will see if that will happen or they try to make us do more useless paperwork.
I havent got time to do it all.. H mentions. I am only able to manage my lesson preparation and a few other bits (including checking my emails). They have got to be joking if they think they want me to do the other stuff.
I say that the idea of this quality review is so that any problems will be noted and new systems if necessary put in place.
We will see if that will happen or they try to make us do more useless paperwork.
Critical incident - Stressed
I enter the room and she is pulling her hair out. She is so stressed, and then blurts it out! Look at this paperwork. I have a mountain of SODALS and lesson plans, as well as all the other stuff! I try to reassure her that we all have this stuff to do... and that we can only do our best everyday....
Critical Incident - Students want to learn
So I end up having to go over how to write up a description of a process AGAIN! Most people have not done their homework and EM is horrified that we have to do this once more. "This is boring, she shouts.... why can't we do something more interesting like history or geography?" I tell her that I would rather do this stuff. I say " I am with you! Unfortunately we have to get people through exams or we dont get any money from the government. This type of question maybe in the exam, and I want to keep my job! If I dont get you through the exam then my job is at risk."
She shudders and tells me that she doesnt want me to lose my job. She tells me that she thinks it is outrageous that the government is doing this. I tell her that I just have to get you through the exam. My worth is based on my statistics. she tells me " Learning is not just about passing exams you know!" I do know! I agree with her and tell her that.
I really do try to cater for students who want a challenge but also try to make the sessions interesting and fun. I know I do a good job with high grades on my observations....... unfortunately E has highlighted the biggest difficulty I face in my role. Balancing the needs of the students with their lacks to pass an exam!
She shudders and tells me that she doesnt want me to lose my job. She tells me that she thinks it is outrageous that the government is doing this. I tell her that I just have to get you through the exam. My worth is based on my statistics. she tells me " Learning is not just about passing exams you know!" I do know! I agree with her and tell her that.
I really do try to cater for students who want a challenge but also try to make the sessions interesting and fun. I know I do a good job with high grades on my observations....... unfortunately E has highlighted the biggest difficulty I face in my role. Balancing the needs of the students with their lacks to pass an exam!
Critical incident - Change of exam board meeting
New person in our meeting last week. She is here to improve the statistics of our department. The first thing she says is that she is not convinced the types of learners we have in ESOL could not create such bad (well not really) statistics. In fact her exact words were when it was highlighted that our students are vulnerable people. you know refugees, asylum seekers and people who could be deported any minute.
She says " that doesnt wash with me!" Well there you go...so much for empathy for the types of students that we have in our department. I feel that in fact this type of comment is already laden with a gift of disunderstanding.
I suggested that she look at MIS statistics, as they blatantly do not add up. Not from my experience anyhow. How can my student PD, who has had 100% attendance since the start of the term, be refused EMA payments because he has not attended full time. The whole device of creating statistics which are untrue ends up putting pressure on us teachers.
Well the result of this meeting is a change of exam board. City and Guilds... referred to as the dumb cousin of the UCLES board in ELT circles. It means that more students will pass (theoretically) and that the statistics will look better. Job done!!!! There the students will have learnt more...... Nonsense... how can sitting an easier exam board (reference NATECLA conference Sarah Waters) mean that we are doing a better job?
She says " that doesnt wash with me!" Well there you go...so much for empathy for the types of students that we have in our department. I feel that in fact this type of comment is already laden with a gift of disunderstanding.
I suggested that she look at MIS statistics, as they blatantly do not add up. Not from my experience anyhow. How can my student PD, who has had 100% attendance since the start of the term, be refused EMA payments because he has not attended full time. The whole device of creating statistics which are untrue ends up putting pressure on us teachers.
Well the result of this meeting is a change of exam board. City and Guilds... referred to as the dumb cousin of the UCLES board in ELT circles. It means that more students will pass (theoretically) and that the statistics will look better. Job done!!!! There the students will have learnt more...... Nonsense... how can sitting an easier exam board (reference NATECLA conference Sarah Waters) mean that we are doing a better job?
Getting started
Been finding it really hard to get started with this journal. But I know it will be worth is as I can reference it in my work. Gotta be disciplined and keep it up to date tho!
Just need to clarify that I have changed all the names of those that I have mentioned to protect them.
Just need to clarify that I have changed all the names of those that I have mentioned to protect them.
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