Having THAT conversation (re hours next year)

happywithlife

Just wondering for all the part timers out there how many of you have already had "that" conversation with your principals? Or are most of you gearing up for it over the next couple of weeks?

And any words of advice?

It's my first time in a long time wondering if there'll be hours there next year for me as opposed to my contract ending and that's it ; I need to move on - and I'm wondering what's the best approach to take?
A simple enquiry?
Or a good pitch - as in this is a reminder of what I've done over the year? This is how I foresee the dept progressing next year? These are changes I'd like to make/ new things I'd like to do... Or is this too pushy?
And how genuine are principals when they say they don't know what if any hours will be sanctioned? Is it really late august? (I'm inclined to think it is, given how slow the dept can its heels)

Millem

happywithlife wrote: »

Just wondering for all the part timers out there how many of you have already had "that" conversation with your principals? Or are most of you gearing up for it over the next couple of weeks?

And any words of advice?

It's my first time in a long time wondering if there'll be hours there next year for me as opposed to my contract ending and that's it ; I need to move on - and I'm wondering what's the best approach to take?
A simple enquiry?
Or a good pitch - as in this is a reminder of what I've done over the year? This is how I foresee the dept progressing next year? These are changes I'd like to make/ new things I'd like to do... Or is this too pushy?
And how genuine are principals when they say they don't know what if any hours will be sanctioned? Is it really late august? (I'm inclined to think it is, given how slow the dept can its heels)

I suppose it probably depends on the principal! In my school the part timers just go in to his office and ask him outright they don't do any pitch! He always underestimates the hours just in case as we get loads and loads of hours from learning support/special needs. He has never told someone yes then somehow hours go but he has told people no then he manages to get hours for them! I would hate having to go in as I feel I would be coming across pushy but unfortunately sometimes these things have to be done! At the end of the day you need to know where you stand. I wouldn't be telling them of changes though until you get your CID! Best of luck

Moody_mona

Millem and I must have the same principal! Ours would do exactly the same. The first conversation I had, I took the approach of "will I need to apply for jobs this summer". Principals know temporary staff are anxious to know, they're expecting a chat, there's no point beating around the bush!

evolving_doors

Its a bit of a dance but ill bet the answer to most part timers is "we just dont know what allocations we are getting yet".

In saying that there might be folk leaving/retiring going job share/maternity (which no one might know about yet) so I think it might be the only chance to ' set out your stall' as it were. With all the dust flying these days the principal might have missed any endeavours you have undertaken during the year.

It's a terrible situation to be in, and I'm sure principals are just as in the dark with what ' hours' they are getting. Its like when Irish emmigrants used to line up for work and a builder would come along in a van and take their pick.

TheDriver

mine just come in and ask directly, its what I expect them to do. At this stage, I am able to tell them if there "may" be hours in actual classes, this would be based on mainstream allocation which we all know or predict. The only one we don't know is concessionary allocations or SEN hours but again, a prediction can be made. Having said that, there is always the small print line that I won't promise anything unless I have it promised in the first place but that's only fair. You know anyways in the 1st line if you are being kept on or not...............
I don't understand why some principals are not approachable, mine simply ask "whats the story TheDriver" and we all know whats going on.........

teacherhead

TheDriver wrote: »

mine just come in and ask directly, its what I expect them to do. At this stage, I am able to tell them if there "may" be hours in actual classes, this would be based on mainstream allocation which we all know or predict. The only one we don't know is concessionary allocations or SEN hours 'but again, a prediction can be made. Having said that, there is always the small print line that I won't promise anything unless I have it promised in the first place but that's only fair. You know anyways in the 1st line if you are being kept on or not...............
I don't understand why some principals are not approachable, mine simply ask "whats the story TheDriver" and we all know whats going on.........

I'm only dealing with it this year but it has worked pretty much as thedriver says. You can't give what you haven't got.

Based on projected enrolment you'd know what hours you can timetable, after that it's down to resource hours.

We are after going through a massive growth phase over the past few years with numbers doubling. We are now maxed out so I have the feeling some teachers will be disappointed that theres no growth in hours this year.

That said we have 40 teachers and only 4 are on less than full hours. Trying to encourage those staff to maybe look at learning support qualifications if theyre interested, I'm not certain about throwing resource hours around to people who might not be interested in doing them.

Millem

teacherhead wrote: »

I'm only dealing with it this year but it has worked pretty much as thedriver says. You can't give what you haven't got.

Based on projected enrolment you'd know what hours you can timetable, after that it's down to resource hours.

We are after going through a massive growth phase over the past few years with numbers doubling. We are now maxed out so I have the feeling some teachers will be disappointed that theres no growth in hours this year.

That said we have 40 teachers and only 4 are on less than full hours. Trying to encourage those staff to maybe look at learning support qualifications if theyre interested, I'm not certain about throwing resource hours around to people who might not be interested in doing them.

Our resource/learning support hours go to the resource/learning support teachers who teach a small number of mainstream classes. If there is an increase in these hours their mainstream hours go to the part timers and if those hours decrease the part timers hours decrease! There are very few learning support hours given to mainstream teachers maybe we have max 1 period per week but a lot of our mainstream teachers wouldn't have any on their time tables.

UnLuckyAgain

Had "the talk" with mine a few weeks ago. I think it depends on the principal to be honest. Mine is very approachable and will call it as it is. He'd tell you, as someone else said, in the first line or two whether there is hope for hours next year or not.

Unfortunately, nothing can be said for definite at the minute as the redeployment scheme doesn't end until June so there is that question mark hanging over any vacancies that are arising by the end of the year. That's the case for me anyway.

happywithlife

Thanks all
Lots of part timers where I am and the principal isn't the most approachable unfortunately
I have hours on my timetable that I didn't interview for and have no idea where they came from but they are my own.
I have done lots of extra curricular that I'm not sure she's fully aware of so am thinking of trying to how to bring that up without sounding critical of past practice.
Thanks for the replies so far.

teacherhead

happywithlife wrote: »

Thanks all
Lots of part timers where I am and the principal isn't the most approachable unfortunately
I have hours on my timetable that I didn't interview for and have no idea where they came from but they are my own.
I have done lots of extra curricular that I'm not sure she's fully aware of so am thinking of trying to how to bring that up without sounding critical of past practice.
Thanks for the replies so far.

How would she not know about the extra curricular? Is she asleep most of the time?

Last year we had two teachers who were on 18 hours, this year they had to be brought to 22. That 8 hours had to come from part time teachers.

The simple solution is to keep people below 18 to avoid this, though, it wouldn't be my preferred solution.

The whole cid thing, after three years now, will have a lot of implications like this I think in the coming year. I can't think of an easy solution or a better way.

Of the three new teachers who started in Sept, each on 14 - 18 hours, we have 22 each for them for Sept pencilled in. I say pencilled in because within the redeployment area around us there are schools oversubscribed by about 20wte's in total.

Thats three great young teachers we could lose and we dont have any say over who we get. It can't be easy on the teacher transferring either. If any of these were to materialise it would be from voluntary secondary moving into the vocational sector.