Leve Fit Quod Bene Fertur Onus

 

Today, we are advancing the argument that less is more. 

It has become obvious through all the interactions between teachers, Heads of Years, Heads of Key Stages and tutors that information exchange has suffered as a result of all the layered instructions, changes, additions etc. It seems that no one has a clear answer to anything. Directives are unclear as are too long to understand. Who the heck is putting this together? What planet are they on? The level of stress is continuing to go up and the embarrassment among teachers has now grown legs to kick us in the groin every couple of minutes.

Teachers are buried in meetings, schedules, data analysis, more meetings, assessments, revision sessions, before-school and after-school meetings, materials, activities --and sprinkle a little goal-setting, demands, testing, accountability, evaluations, and relentlessly high expectations for change and improvement on top for good measure. And did we mention meetings?

We have to realise this: Teachers' plates are full. Let's remove some of the clutter from our plates. Instead of trying to do everything hastily and right now, let's allocate our energies into doing the most important things - verily, the most essential and necessary pieces of our instructional puzzles - well. How much precious time and valuable energy have we frittered away chasing our ever-wagging tails? 

We need to shield the teachers from the barrage of initiatives and pushes so they can focus on the most essential elements of their professional duties. What's the most important thing? Maybe it's building relationships. Perhaps it's streamlining the curriculum. Possibly it's creating thorough end-of-unit assessments. When we can focus on something -- anything -- we can learn more about it and we can do it better, and we can maximise our efforts.

Taking on more tasks will only increase the chances of having more tasks dumped on us. If you can do this now, surely you can manage another task! 

As long as management labels this as 'reasonable', you will have to work till you drop - literally. Reading the teachers' contract, you will quickly realise that under Section 4 'Working Hours' it is specified that your minimum working hours are 35.  It is impossible to find any indication - implicit or otherwise - as to when teachers can leave school each day. Go on - ask HR. See what they email back.

It is not just teachers that are hostages of the current situation. Their children (generally quite young) are often seen confined to classrooms waiting for their parents to fill in the Google forms and reply to last-minute emails.

So how do we de-clutter?

Remember. Loyalty is a relative concept. You should be loyal to your principles, your health, your family and your colleagues. To this date, we have never heard of a loyal teacher staying committed to their school out of loyalty. If it happens, it surely has a different name, but not loyalty. Otherwise, so many teachers at the age of retirement would have been begged to stay as members of staff.

Protect yourself by prioritising your tasks. Remove all those tasks and activities that do not benefit you professionally and the students academically. When it is time to go home, pack and go. There's a whole world out there. Say no to tasks that are not within your remit. Say no to demands that are unreasonable. Talk to your Line Manager. Tell them to describe what is reasonable and what is not. Is it in your contract? Is it part of your job description? Emails. Dedicate some time at school to respond to your emails. Once out of the building, work is behind you. Delete apps that tie you to your work. Every ping is a tormenting email that needs to be read and acted upon. You can tell yourself you are a high performing person but the fact remains that you will probably go back home to think about dinner, bills, shopping, the broken dishwasher and that emotional call you have to make to your family in their confinement. Do not fool yourself. You are a teacher. Your work is mainly in your classroom with your students. Have you ever heard of people talking about a teacher who is great at replying to emails? Have you ever heard of a student who is inspired by a teacher who is great at filling in forms? Socialise. Go out with teachers and talk shop. Why not? Take it off your chest and out of your system. Socialise with people who are not teachers. Enjoy the care-free moments without mentioning 'assessment', Parents' Evening' etc.

Sometimes, you have to ask yourself the question whether you are part of the solution or actually part of the problem. You may say that you are being paid handsomely for it but at what and whose expense? Pleasing management is not your career. You are not the only person to please for money and you will not be the last. Work ethically and intelligently and sustainably.

This blog is not meant to upset you. It is not meant to dissuade you from doing your best at work. The teachers have been abused for decades and the fast-paced society that we live in now makes it mandatory to innovate, work harder and faster and longer hours. Look where we are now as a human race. 

May we add that the Covid testing last weekend went well and was done efficiently. Testament to the medical team who worked hard and relentlessly. Thank you.