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report STUDENT & NQ
ATL’S SUPPLEMENT FOR STUDENTS
AND NEWLY QUALIFIEDS
In this issue…
Starting out
Model behaviour: Top tips for new teachers on dealing with behaviour p2
Taking the first steps in your teaching career
ATL Future: Helen O’Grady on why you should get blogging p3 Ask ATL: Liz Coston answers questions on additional duties and supply work p4 Competition: Complete the Sudoku puzzle to win £50 in M&S vouchers p4
When ATL surveyed our NQ members earlier this year, just over half of you said you had found a permanent teaching post. Meanwhile, a little less than a fifth of you — 17.1% — had secured a temporary contract and just under 10% were not currently working. Kirstie McAlpine, convenor of ATL Future, the group representing students and newly qualified members, advises members looking for their first job: “Find out as much as you can about the school you are applying for. Get as much experience as you can. Attend local ATL training events and talk to other teachers.” Workload was the biggest concern among NQ members who took part in the survey — 70.7% highlighted it as a worry. Performance-related pay was a concern for 44%, and behaviour was a worry for 37% of you. A little more than one in five were worried about changes to the curriculum, with a similar number worried about appraisals. ATL has produced a series of publications especially for student and newly qualified
Get involved There are lots of ways people new to the profession can get involved with ATL Student teacher Helen O’Grady, who is a member of ATL Future, helped at ATL recruitment events in Derbyshire this autumn. “Through an active involvement with the Derbyshire branch, I have been able to better appreciate the value of being a member of ATL and, in turn, demonstrate these benefits to potential new members,” she says. “Over the past year alone I have been able to attend Conference, join ATL Future’s steering
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It is really important for students and NQs to bring a different dimension to their branch
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013
teachers that address many of these concerns. Apply Yourself, our guide to getting your first teaching job, and which has been newly updated for 2013, covers jobsearching, applications and interviews. Ready, Steady, Teach! offers help and advice before you start your student placement and first job. Induction: Making it work for you explains the process, along with what to expect from your local authority and school, and what to do if things do not go as smoothly as hoped. You can download or order all these publications at www.atl.org.uk/publications.
group, attend numerous training and development workshops, and act as an ATL rep for my university — all of which have enabled me to network with a range of people from different sectors. I already feel more rounded and confident as a professional, and I am yet to start my teaching career.” She added: “I feel it is really important for students and NQs to bring a different dimension to their branch by participating in these types of events to promote involvement, in order that new members can see how beneficial membership really can be.” You can read more from Helen on page 3 of this supplement. What you can do: > Local branches hold meetings, have CPD opportunities and are a source of advice and support — use the ‘Find my branch’ tool at www.atl.org.uk. For example, you could help with your branch’s or ATL Future’s social media accounts.
> Become a student or NQ rep — email organise@atl.org.uk if you are interested. > Attend ATL Future regional events — email organise@atl.org.uk. > Help shape ATL policy by attending ATL’s Annual Conference, which takes place from 14-16 April in Manchester in 2014. To take part, contact your branch — you can use the ‘Find my branch’ tool at www.atl.org.uk. > Meet other student and NQ members and help to build activity in your area, and get involved in ATL’s campaigns — email organise@atl.org.uk. > Make your voice heard and get involved with ATL’s policy networks by emailing mlowe@atl.org.uk. this detach > Help shape education You cpapnlement tout su pull-o by taking part in our revearleaspread in t autumn survey — see n ce Report www.atl.org.uk/ autumnsurvey.
Don’tt! forge
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Encouraging good behaviour With 15 years of classroom experience, trainer and behaviour expert Paul Dix offers some tips for new teachers to manage their classrooms Behaviour is one of the major causes of stress for all teachers, especially student and newly qualified teachers, who may not have spent much, or in some cases any, time studying behaviour. There is a myth that simply because you have good materials, you automatically can engage children. This may be true for an experienced teacher, but for newly qualified teachers there are many other factors that impact on a lesson. You do not need to be able to stand up in front of a class within a week of starting and be able to speak for half an hour without a whisper in the class. Every experienced teacher has gone through the same process, and none of them achieved it in a week. It can take months; it’s a ‘drip, drip, drip’ process, rather than being about grabbing a few strategies and implementing a ‘magic bullet’ solution. There simply aren’t any quick fixes. Managing behaviour First of all, think about the culture you are trying to develop in your classroom. The ups and downs
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of behaviour will come and go, but your relationship with the children is the key. Praise may not work for you in the first couple of months because you don’t know the students and they don’t know you. Instead, triangulate praise through other people while the students are getting to know you. Talk to the form tutor and they will praise the child. As an NQ, you can use positive notes; send two home every week for each class, and make one positive phone call home for every class every Friday. Start planning your behaviour management; by investing time now your actions will really pay off in three months’ time. Choose one goal at a time. There may be a million behaviours you want to change but you won’t be able to change them all at once. So, focus on the learning attitude you want to teach your children and put this up on the walls. For example, use a tally chart so you can tally up when you see children displaying that learning attitude. Go for high expectations, talk about ‘solutions’, ‘curiosity’, ‘resilience’, ‘perseverance’, ‘courage’; don’t say ‘bring a pen’, ‘look at me’, ‘put your bag at the side of the room’ — these are functional behaviours. Go beyond that and
set the expectation much higher. There is more on this to follow. There are people around you who will support you, but do take a little time to work out which teachers the children genuinely respect and love so you can get some advice from them. They may not be above you in the hierarchy; they might be the teacher from the next-door classroom. Ask them for help and advice, seek them out; they won’t seek you out. Apart from that, it’s back to basics: stand at the door to meet and greet; catch them doing the right things; set your boundaries tightly; don’t jump the sanction steps — go slowly up the ladder and always try to persuade children to go the other way and change their behaviour. If you do have a nasty incident, or it gets difficult and you have to send children out of the class, remember that it’s not about you, it’s not personal. They’re just trying to work you out; it’s normal, expect it. It’s the same for every teacher, it happens to us all. Dealing with low-level disruption A ‘praise board’ or a ‘recognition board’ can be particularly useful for tackling low-level
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disruption. When children do the right thing, put their name on the board, but never add their name for doing the wrong thing. Demonstrate a very clear divide between dealing with difficult issues privately and celebrating class behaviour as a whole class. It shouldn’t be about divide and rule — ‘you’re lovely, you get a sticker’ but ‘you’re nasty, you get a detention’; it’s about ‘we are one class heading in one direction’. One example is a simple tally chart with the learning attitude you want to see demonstrated at the top. Every time you see this, add to the tally. When you get to 50, celebrate with some applause. It could also be marbles in a jar, stickers, names on the board — any way of recognising behaviour. But this is not about reward; there shouldn’t be prizes. Little rewards can be very useful for a short period of time for intensive work with an individual child, and they may also work in primary schools, but teenagers are less motivated by prizes. What is valuable are personal contact, relationships and praise, which collectively send good messages. For example, when sending a positive note home with a student, on the back include three ideas for further work. Instead of ‘you’re lovely, you’re brilliant, have a prize’, say ‘do you know what, in the last week you’ve done some amazing peer assessment, some excellent research; take this note home, and on the back there are three ways that you can get even better at my subject’. Change your mindset so you very obviously catch people doing the right thing. Drive them towards the learning attitudes that you want, so you’re not spending your whole time trying to put out fires. If you write a couple of names on the board at the beginning of a lesson, you’ll often find children will ask why, and you can say ‘well, you came in and you put your bag under your desk, and you had your eyes on me, and you showed me real respect’, and instantly there’s another voice saying ‘can you put my name on the board Sir, I’m doing it as well’. Demonstrating this will become irresistible
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for students, and this behaviour will snowball. It will become part of the culture of the classroom. There will come a point where low-level disruption disappears, not because they fear the stick but because they feel the pull of the carrot. Some final tips > Be in control of yourself before you try to control others. Your self-control is your core building block for managing good behaviour. > Set fair, simple boundaries and stick to them. > Don’t be ashamed of loving your job and caring about your students. Children can be difficult and awkward but they’re a joy to work with. The best teachers don’t raise their voices and try to bully or intimidate; they’re kind and generous and make children feel important, valued and welcome. Paul Dix is managing director and lead trainer of Pivotal Education, which provides several of ATL’s training courses and also works with ATL branches — see www.pivotaleducation.com. ATL is partnering with Pivotal Education’s Teacher Mentor Project, a free service that puts new teachers in touch with experienced education staff, enabling them to ask for anonymous support from people who won’t judge but who will try and help, via emails, phone calls or a perhaps a school visit. See www.pivotaleducation.com/mentor for more information.
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There may be a million behaviours you want to change but you won’t be able to change them all at once. Focus on the learning attitude you want to teach
YOUR FIRST TEACHING JOB OUR FULL ATTENTION
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ATL Future ATL Future member Helen O’Grady talks about the importance of blogging Professionalism is hard. After two hours editing lesson plans, an intimate hour with the laminator, 32 paintings of the sea, a lengthy conversation with a seven-year-old about King Kong and an over-reliance on caffeine, professionalism is really hard. It is important to have an outlet through which to vent and, moreover, to share experiences with others — not merely educational professionals, but parents and onlookers, without feeling under scrutiny. Blogging offers an immediate, convenient and accessible way to both provide insight into the challenges of school life and share the fun, laughter and good practice that occurs every day. Blogging is an instrumental tool for reflection, enabling an ongoing record of successes, failures, anecdotes and advice. Teachers inherently think (and over-think) their practice and often wonder how things may be improved. An open and honest forum for discussing and disseminating the day can provide valuable feedback that may facilitate continuing professional development. Showcasing ourselves on such a public platform brings with it necessary caution, but it also increases the potential audience. Too often educational debates and news stories are clouded by the perspective of those far removed from the classroom. Blogging allows teachers’ voices to be heard. ATL Future is made up of students and newly qualified members. Read more about ATL's ‘Speak Out’ blog at http://atlspeakout.com — and if you'd like to contribute, you can email report@atl.org.uk.
At Hays we can help you to find your first teaching position, whilst making the process as easy as possible. Working with over 700 partner schools nationally to facilitate their recruitment needs, we can offer you access to permanent or temporary vacancies you simply won’t find anywhere else. Whether you’re looking to start your career in early years, primary, secondary, independent, academy or an SEN setting, we put you in the best place to find the right role. ATL and Hays have established a unique Job Finder Service – for more information visit www.hays.co.uk/jobs/atl. With 35 offices across the UK and an international network, we can help find your ideal job either locally, further away or overseas.
Join the Hays NQT Facebook page for career top tips and advice.
For further information please email atl@hays.com or call 0800 716 026 to find your local office.
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Ask ATL… Effective time management
ATL member Liz Coston is a deputy headteacher at a junior school. Here she answers some of your commonly asked questions
my future leadership and management roles. Embrace the opportunity!
I’m expected to take on additional duties in my school, but I am concerned about finding the time for this just yet. What should I do? Teachers are expected to take on additional duties after they have completed their NQ year. Taking on additional duties will of course mean you will have more to do and finding time can be hard. However, part of growing as a teacher is developing yourself beyond the classroom. I was very fortunate to gain an additional management point in my second year teaching when I became PE coordinator. This enabled me to ‘dip my toe’ into a leadership role. Of course, I had more to do and no extra time, but I loved it. I learned a lot and I am sure this early experience helped me with
Think carefully about how you manage your time. Writing an action plan is very useful. Consider the role ahead and the steps needed to be successful at it. It will also enable you to plan what needs to be done over a period of time. Being a good time manager is central to being a good and effective teacher. If you feel this is a weak area for you then seek some advice from someone you trust in school or your ATL rep. If you have been asked to take on a substantial area of school life you should be entitled to some management time. Don’t be afraid to ask about this, as work-life balance is important. There is more advice in Ready, Steady, Teach!, see www.atl.org.uk/publications.
Supply teaching I am thinking of doing some supply teaching. What should I be aware of as an NQ? Supply teaching has its benefits for a new teacher. It gives you a range of experiences in different schools and time to consider the key stage, year group and type of school you feel is best for you. Supply teaching is often the way into a full-time job. However, remember that a post lasting less than a calendar term in a school cannot be considered as part of the induction period. If an NQ takes up a supply placement for a term or longer, this forms part of the induction period and they have the same obligations and entitlements as any other NQ. The post must involve regular teaching of the same classes and the headteacher must agree at the start to take responsibility for the NQ’s induction. NQs can work as a casual supply teacher for up to five years after they gain QTS while they
are looking for a post that lasts for a term or more. Supply teaching can be tough at times because you don’t have the opportunity to develop relationships, so behaviour management can be a challenge. You need to have some good strategies in place to manage children of different ages and abilities. Make sure children know your expectations and rules; this will help you have a good day. As a new teacher this is a challenge, so read up on positive behaviour management — see page 2 of this supplement along with ATL’s publications at www.atl.org.uk/publications, training courses at www.atl.org.uk/learningzone and the www.new2teaching.org.uk website. Most schools plan activities for supply teachers, but develop your own bank of ideas too. Really good story books are a great investment. Good luck!
You are not alone professionally. Other colleagues can be a great source of help and support. You can also seek advice from the ATL representative in your school, your local branch secretary or one of ATL’s member advisers on 020 7930 6441.
£50 WIN! Spencein Marks & co r vouche HaysuErtesy of rs ducatio n
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WIN!
One lucky winner will win £50 in Marks & Spencer vouchers, courtesy of Hays Education. Simply send your completed Sudoku to: SNQ Sudoku competition, Archant Dialogue, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE. Closing date: 3 January 2014. Terms & conditions: Please include your full name, address (incl. postcode) and telephone number. The winner will be picked at random from the correct entries on 6 January 2014. They will be notified and their names will be published in the next issue. The editor’s decision is final. No purchase is necessary. The prize is nontransferable. Employees of ATL and Archant are not eligible for the prize draw.
❒ Tick here if you do not wish to receive the latest information from Hays Education. Write your email address here __________________________________________________
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Congratulations to the winner of the spring 2013 Sudoku competition: Rebecca Heaton.
✁
Competition
So don’t delay and suffer in silence — help is always at hand.