A quick question for a Teachers

TomTom

A friend of mine is doing some work experience as a teacher and was just telling me a few things I found odd about some (not all) of the schools she has been too.

The first think I found funny is that some schools do not allow special needs assistants or temp teachers into the staff room at the same time as other permanent teachers, they must make use of it when other teachers are finished. Many of them have to head down town for lunch or go to their car.

The other thing is that a lot of special needs assistants do the yard duty during lunch and break yet a lot of teachers are payed a supplement for doing this and don't. I just wanted to know is this common practice as she is only considering becoming a teacher and finds there is a very elitist attitude and it's turning her off.

On the other side of this she was in one school lately where everyone regardless of function in the school had lunch together and it was very inclusive and all roles shared equally.

Ivan

Honestly, that sounds like a system specific to that particular school.

There are posts of responsibility for yard duty and other extra duties, which usually involve an extra 1-2k per year.

Not being able to share the break room must be down to it being pretty small or something, either that or the teachers/principal there are a bunch of assholes

Ivan

Honestly, that sounds like a system specific to that particular school.

There are posts of responsibility for yard duty and other extra duties, which usually involve an extra 1-2k per year.

Not being able to share the break room must be down to it being pretty small or something, either that or the teachers/principal there are a bunch of assholes

TomTom

I meant to post this under teching in education, I'll move it now.

gaeilgegrinds

I know of a school where Dips, SNAs or subs are not allowed in the staffroom as a Dip last year was carrying stories. Maybe their is your explanation?
Most schools I know have the SNAs on duty, they get their break at a different time. I know some teachers in our place were not doing their break duty and had to be called on it but they said they never signed up so have been taken off the rota for next year.

clartharlear

TomTom wrote: »

The first think I found funny is that some schools do not allow special needs assistants or temp teachers into the staff room at the same time as other permanent teachers, they must make use of it when other teachers are finished. Many of them have to head down town for lunch or go to their car.

That's not funny, it's horrible. I thank DYOC again for giving me a school like the last one you described for my dip. Everyone is friendly and respectful, and if some of the longer serving teachers no longer are friendly due to disputes down the years, they are still so absolutely courteous that it's nearly impossible to tell.

I'd have to agree with Ivan:

Not being able to share the break room must be down to it being pretty small or something, either that or the teachers/principal there are a bunch of assholes

ArthurDent

SNA's have lunch in our school earlier because part of their job is to be with the child they are assigned to when they are out in the yard. Again that is the reason why the SNA's are in the yard with their child and don't get paid extra for it - even though teachers do get paid extra (technically it is not part of their job). But SNA'a are not meant to be supervising the other kids in the yard.

There can be some "them and us" attitudes - I know initially in our school only teachers went to staff nights out/christmas party etc but now everyone - secretary, SNA's , cleaners and caretaker are all invited. Someties it's not anything deliberate and if pointed out it can be sorted out. THere are some pepole though that have a bit of a prob with staff members that aren't teachers IMO.

TomTom

clartharlear wrote: »

That's not funny, it's horrible.

I don't mean funny as in HaHa, I found it unusual that the people supposed to be teaching kids acted like kids themselves.

TheDriver

As Arthur said, supervising kids is not part of a teachers job and we get paid extra if we wish to do it. However, an SNA has their lunch break at a different time and they are merely assisting their own student at that time.
Some staffrooms are bad alright, some due to space and some due to snobbery but its not widespread. Unfortunately, the opposite can happen too, SNA can become forceful and undermine teachers within a classroom so happens on both sides. I personally don't tell the caretaker how to cut the grass or the SNA how to assist the student as long as he/she is assisting them in the methods I want the student to do, my focus is on the output from the student and the SNA deals with the input. But mostly all work lovely in harmony.

oh well

I've come across this too. One of the local schools doesn't allow the secretary or caretaker into the staffroom when the teachers are there. If parents are helping out, they aren't allowed in there at same time either.

The other school doesn't allow student teachers into the staffroom - they have to use a small storage room. I couldn't believe it. It does allow parents who might be helping out on sports day/library duty or whatever to use the staffroom at same time. Very odd I've always thought.

Its not due to space issues - both have plenty of room in the staff room.

Toto Wolfcastle

In our school we all mingle. Everyone is welcome in the staffroom. In fact, the caretaker practically owns the place. We recently organised a night out and everyone who works in the school was welcome to come. It's a staffroom, not a teacher room. When one of the Dip students is around he chats away with the rest of us and has gone out with us a few times, and a lot of the teachers are very close to the SNAs.

However I do know that many schools are not like that. I've always said that walking into a staffroom for the first time is one of the most intimidating experiences one can have. I was made to feel unwelcome in my Dip school in the staffroom.

I think it's a terrible pity that these attitudes exist. I don't see why I, as a teacher, am more entitled to sit in the staffroom than those who aren't teachers.

E.T.

The reason the teachers are paid for yard supervision is because it means they work through their lunch break. SNAs are supposed to take their lunch break either before or after the childrens' break so that they are able to help the child they are assigned to with eating, getting out to the yard, assisting them in the yard etc. The bit about temp teachers does sound a bit odd - is the staff room really small? I know our staff room used be tiny until we got an extension a few years ago - only about 4 people could sit down in there.