Slightly depressed.... (CBPOB)

[Debaser]

A big clump of my tooth has fallen out A totally new experience for Debaser

[James Blast]

don't you mean Debather?

[EvilBastard]

I get really really cross when I hear about how teachers get the shaft. When I was a nipper I was blessed with really seriously great teachers, who actually cared about the kids and their progress. 30 years later they still ask after me when they see my mum in the highstreet - these were not just teachers, but mentors and role-models, and it slays me to hear of good dedicated committed teachers leaving the profession because they feel that they're not getting the support they need from parents and the administration.
I reckon the rot set in with GCSEs - schools became less about turning out decent well-rounded individuals who could read, write, and discuss, and more about numbers. Kids turned into just another product in the Thatcherite distopia of a market economy, in the same way patients in hospitals did. When I hear about teachers who re-do coursework, or massage grades, because the school tacitly demands it in order to keep their funding or rank, it makes me want to grab Sir Keith Joseph and Kenneth Baker by the neck and slam their heads into a blackboard yelling, "You happy now, you fuckers? You've turned education into just another production line - where did you get the idea from? The Wall?!"

Seriously, Emily - we need more teachers like you, who care, and who take their jobs seriously enough that when some numbnuts in a suit trots out yet another panning of the state education system, you get worked up.
At least The Guardian seems to have set its sights on the right targets.

Targets are set, standards are raised in sometimes eccentric directions, teachers are never consulted but are then made accountable to rules in which they've had no input. A school in Charman's borough recently contested an Ofsted "unsatisfactory" (they'd been expecting a "good"). It turned out that the main reasons were a) they didn't have an electronic entry system on the gate, and b) they had a poor attendance record, because two children – here it all starts to sound a bit surreal – were involved in serious police investigations and had been placed, with their families, in safe houses. They were still enrolled, so although the inspector knew the circumstances they brought what was overall a good attendance average down to a bad one. This case isn't extraordinary, incidentally – it is only notable because the headteacher appealed the judgment. And that's extremely rare, since the punishment for appealing is another inspection.

So a government appoints people who aren't teachers to set targets; those same people then attack schools for being too target-driven; and a new regime sets new targets to break the spell of the old targets. It would be more interesting, productive – and cheaper – to reform Ofsted, so that it drew its inspectors from among the best of the active teaching population. The "target" problem would probably solve itself.

Keep fighting the good fight, Em - it can only be worth it in the end.

[emilystrange]

i can only try... but i hate it when i get panned when the kids do the best they can - and it's not good enough cos they haven't reached a level 3. they're not robots. they're only little, and no one seems to care if they're in the middle of family breakups or moved schools or owt. (even if they just don't wanna work, that's my fault too)

[Debaser]

don't you mean Debather?

It's a back tooth.

And Ems Tell me about it *sigh*

[Big Si]

don't you mean Debather?

[Big Si]

Tell me about it *sigh*

Eh? Pardon?

[emilystrange]

ness, i don't need to xxxxx

[Izzy HaveMercy]

don't you mean Debather?

It's a back tooth.

Debashrurr then...

IZ.

[markfiend]

More on the teaching front:

Kerry regularly gets grade 1 (i.e. outstanding) in lesson inspections but is in danger of redundancy because the suits wouldn't know a good teacher if one kicked them up the arse. If she went to a doctor she'd get signed off on the sick with stress in a second, but she won't do it. 1) it would have negative impact on the students and b) you don't want to be seen as "not a team player" when there's redundancies in the air.

As it is she's probably going to be made to reapply for her own job in January.

Worst thing is, we can't even blame that cnut Gove, it's down to a merger (i.e. takeover) that was in progress before the election.

[emilystrange]

am with her on that stress sign off thing, mark. been there
good luck xxx

[timsinister]

Guilt. It's a kicker. Nothing you can do about it, either.

[markfiend]

Ta.

I fυcking hate seeing her in this state. I want to go in there and punch someone.

The actual teaching bit she loves, it's the admin and dealing with the suits that's the problem. As James so rightly pointed out on the last post of the previous page.

Edit: Tim's post appeared while I was typing this.

[timsinister]

It's quite clear Mark, I don't think anyone would believe you want to punch me.

Right?

[markfiend]

Of course not dear boy

[Silver_Owl]

...that I've had to order a new External Hard Drive after I dropped my old one. Had my entire music library on it too.

[weebleswobble]

You mean your extensive porn collection surely?

[Silver_Owl]

No, i don't play chess.

[Izzy HaveMercy]

The first snow of the year, and Kaat parked our car against some boardstones... Kaat is OK, the car is not

2010, you CAN stop now please, I've had it with you.

IZ.

[James Blast]

Wimmin Drivers!

Woman, know your place!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39qdhbkTko4

fun, okay, nae bad blud...

BTW that Nadgers covers ellpee may jist been the best thing I've heard all year

[Izzy HaveMercy]

BTW that Nadgers covers ellpee may jist been the best thing I've heard all year

So ye dinnae ken that wan? I can provide ye with produkt if ye like...

Their Codeine-cover is sublime..erhhh and so is the rest...

IZ.

[James Blast]

produkt not requireed, needed!!!!!!

[James Blast]

gotta get it on't Pod, like STAT!

[Izzy HaveMercy]

gotta get it on't Pod, like STAT!

cannot voucht for the linky...

IZ.

[James Blast]

Oh No! I couldn't condone such a practise...

mibbies naw...
mibbies aye... http://www.myheartland.co.uk/viewtopic. ... 394#540394