Secondary Thinking about becoming a teacher

[Suspense]

VIC got dicked on the timing of our agreement. Relative strength of ACT and NSW recent agreements will help with next negotiations.

 

[Jack Richards]

At least stick around til the next leadership ballot and throw one extra vote against incumbents. Change at the top is needed.

Meredith Peace and Mahoney are useless.

Worst leaders we have had since I've been teaching.

 

[Jack Richards]

VIC got dicked on the timing of our agreement. Relative strength of ACT and NSW recent agreements will help with next negotiations.

They said it wasn't about pay this agreement, but workload.

 

[Forward Press]

Victorian government to cover the cost of some teaching degrees to ease shortage

Students who study secondary school teaching at university will have the cost of their degrees covered by the Victorian government in a plan to boost the supply of teachers.

www.abc.net.au

Pros: free teaching degree should obviously encourage a greater uptake and help with shortages
Cons: a fair few, but the two main ones are that it 'devalues' the degree and will attract lower quality students, and it is a sign that the Victorian system is f***ed.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

Victorian government to cover the cost of some teaching degrees to ease shortage

Students who study secondary school teaching at university will have the cost of their degrees covered by the Victorian government in a plan to boost the supply of teachers.

www.abc.net.au

Pros: free teaching degree should obviously encourage a greater uptake and help with shortages
Cons: a fair few, but the two main ones are that it 'devalues' the degree and will attract lower quality students, and it is a sign that the Victorian system is f***ed.

Is Victoria going down the high impact path? They need to.

High Impact Teaching Practice - Catalyst

Transforming lives through learning

catalyst.cg.catholic.edu.au

 

[Occidental]

Is Victoria going down the high impact path? They need to.

High Impact Teaching Practice - Catalyst

Transforming lives through learning

catalyst.cg.catholic.edu.au

Yes, High Impact Teaching Strategies was rolled out in 2021.

High impact teaching strategies (HITS)

www.education.vic.gov.au

 

[Shell]

On the TFI, It's mostly in secondary or special education where it's harder to fill. I know the media mentioned those fields are really hard to fill.

I know the secondary school near me are struggling to fill positions and it's mostly due to the behaviour of students and teachers not tolerating it anymore.

Yep. This is happening at my school.

 

[raskolnikov]

Yep. This is happening at my school.

That's why I changed to a special school this year. The behaviours at my previous school had become intolerable. I was being verbally abused on a daily basis. And admin were basically powerless to do anything. They shut themselves up in their office avoiding having to deal with the behaviours. At my special school the kids still have their behaviours but at least usually it's because of their disability and I never feel that it's directed specifically towards me whereas mainstream kids are malicious and vindictive.

 

[Shell]

That's why I changed to a special school this year. The behaviours at my previous school had become intolerable. I was being verbally abused on a daily basis. And admin were basically powerless to do anything. They shut themselves up in their office avoiding having to deal with the behaviours. At my special school the kids still have their behaviours but at least usually it's because of their disability and I never feel that it's directed specifically towards me whereas mainstream kids are malicious and vindictive.

Lol this 100%. I think I've seen the Campus director 3 times the entire year. The Principal maybe 10. And they never actually walk into a classroom. At my old school this was very different- the principal would semi-regularly walk into classes.

They rely more on the poor coordinators to deal with the day to day and long term bad behaviours.

 

[Shell]

At my special school the kids still have their behaviours but at least usually it's because of their disability and I never feel that it's directed specifically towards me whereas mainstream kids are malicious and vindictive.

What's the class size at your new school? And what kind/extent of disabilities if you dont mind me asking.

 

[raskolnikov]

What's the class size at your new school? And what kind/extent of disabilities if you dont mind me asking.

I've got 7 kids. They all have intellectual disabilities and most of them are ASD. Most of them are in grade 4 or 5 but working at a prep level. I'm teaching them very basic literacy and numeracy skills.

 

[Shell]

I've got 7 kids. They all have intellectual disabilities and most of them are ASD. Most of them are in grade 4 or 5 but working at a prep level. I'm teaching them very basic literacy and numeracy skills.

Without being patronizing at all, good on you. Even with the smaller class size, I'd imagine it would be very challenging.

 

[Jack Richards]

When I worked in a special school, leadership were never present. They sat in the office and got LS or LT (middle tier) to sort stuff.

 

[Jack Richards]

Has any male teacher here ever been in a school with no other males? If so how do you find it?

Next year I will be the sole male teacher which is going to be interesting. At my school there was 2 other teachers who were males and this year there was 1 other. Next year it will only be me.

I'm quite interested in how do people find it?

 

[raskolnikov]

When I worked in a special school, leadership were never present. They sat in the office and got LS or LT (middle tier) to sort stuff.

I've found that at every school I've worked at.

 

[Shell]

One school no they were absolutely present. Especially the principal. He would randomly walk into classrooms when he felt like it

The school I'm at atm, not so much. I get the distinct feeling from our new AP that that is about to change tho

 

[Kram]

Theres a lot of bad kids but it's the gossip, suck up and back stab culture of the school staff here really puts me off the idea of working there.

 

[Jack Richards]

Theres a lot of bad kids but it's the gossip, suck up and back stab culture of the school staff here really puts me off the idea of working there.

Yep. Seen many suck ups with no leadership experience get promoted while plenty of more experienced (including myself) are looked over. One never led a team or had their own classroom and only taught for 5 years.

Another even became AP after only 1 year in leadership.

Kicks right in the balls.

 

[Forward Press]

Although staff in schools definitely get promotions based on who they know and who they suck up to, rather than actual ability, and there is nepotism and cronyism involved - is it really that different from other workplaces?

Also not a fan of promoting people based just on experience - would rather my boss be a newbie that came from another school and has fresh ideas rather than a person I worked with for 10 years who thinks they are entitled to the position but brings nothing. Not advocating for people with no experience or never taught in a classroom, I just wanted to stress that - just saying the manager that 'only' taught for five years should not be ruled out automatically. I have rarely had issues with my younger line managers, it's the more rusted on that have caused problems or are not receptive to change because 'that's how we do things around here'.

Anyway, less than two weeks to go, but this year seemed easier than last (fingers crossed the trend continues) - maybe the COVID kids are gaining better social skills. Big changes at my school next year - and I'm not a fan of being given 0.2 (effectively losing a class) to implement those changes...interesting times ahead.

 

[Forward Press]

In a move that no-one saw coming and wasn't widely predicted, Curtin University (the biggest uni in WA) has reinstated the one year Graduate Diploma, after it was dropped just five years ago in favour of a two year Masters course.

One-year teaching diploma revived for desperate classrooms

WA’s biggest university is reinstating a one-year teaching qualification to fast-track more teachers into the profession to help plug growing shortages.

thewest.com.au

 

[Jack Richards]

Also not a fan of promoting people based just on experience - would rather my boss be a newbie that came from another school and has fresh ideas rather than a person I worked with for 10 years who thinks they are entitled to the position but brings nothing

I agree with this.

The fact is that this person was at the school for 5 years and only ever taught a specialist class before leaving as they didn't want to be working under the acting Prin.

I would be more open to a person coming in from another school with fresh ideas. Not someone who left and said they would only be back if they got leadership (which they did).

 

[Jack Richards]

In a move that no-one saw coming and wasn't widely predicted, Curtin University (the biggest uni in WA) has reinstated the one year Graduate Diploma, after it was dropped just five years ago in favour of a two year Masters course.

One-year teaching diploma revived for desperate classrooms

WA’s biggest university is reinstating a one-year teaching qualification to fast-track more teachers into the profession to help plug growing shortages.

thewest.com.au

This is going to backfire regardless.

 

[Wormkilla]

Hi all,

I'm in year 11 next year and it's time I started thinking of career options.

so just recently I was thinking about becoming a Secondary School Teacher for Maths, Italian and maybe Drama or something.

Is anyone here a teacher? Is it a fun job?

What would be the pro's and cons?

What is the pay like?

I don't know whether I should become a teacher though because when I told my Maths teacher she said my grades proove I can do something a little more extravagent.

I just think it would be intruiging job thats all.

Any thoughts?

Secondary teacher here at a public school. Qualified to teach phys ed and science. Teach maths and science full time.

I earn $115k. Been teaching for 9 years.

Holidays are good. Very good.

School finishes at 3, and 80% of the time I'm out the door before 3.30pm, and on the golf course most days by 4pm.

Gets slightly stressful around report time I suppose.

Hardest part by far us dealing with the behaviour of turds who are the product of incompetent parents. That being parents that have no idea how to discipline their special snowflakes, and have never sat down with them to read. Parents who themselves are addicted to social media. You might have 2 or 3 poorly behaved kids in a typical classroom.

There's a lot of teachers who are incompetent and quick to blame everything and everyone else. They are the ones who don't last and fill social media feeds whinging about the profession.

Hit me up with any questions.

 

[Jack Richards]

Or go teach in rural areas.

Many parents really dont give a damn as they want their kids to take over the farm or take on the family trade.

I teach primary at a small rural school (less than 190 kids). The behaviours are ramped up as we cant split them (all grades are composite and only 2 classes of each).

 

[Shell]

Had a very long and interesting (ie. shocking) conversation with a sub earlier this year about her time teaching in the country.

My jaw was on the floor half the time