Teacher shortage

No way José!

Honestly do they never think things through.!!!!

BBbevan

Honestly do they never think things through.!!!!

No!

Friends of mine who retired did so because of absolute disenchantment with 'the system'. So unhappy were they that they did cold turkey rather than moving into supp!y which was the original and longstanding plan. Can't see them going back.

Teaching is hard (and wonderful)..

supply teaching can be rewarding, or HELL - not for the fainthearted or the retired, for sure!

Anyone on that front bench in the HoC would last a day!!!

I retired early after becoming disillusioned by the weak management in my school, who promised much but never delivered, to the detriment of staff and children. Nothing would induce me to return.

I’d love to go back to actually teach.

Not to shoehorn young children through some crappy, nsuitable curriculum though?

There is a shortage of supply teachers. The school where I’m a governor currently has retired teachers who worked there in the past, working as supply and also as support TAs since there’s evidently a shortage of them too. Though as one of them said, “Once Covid is over, we’ll be accused of taking young people’s jobs!”

I had to retire on ill health, due to my unmanageable, extremely workload. The job nearly killed me!

The UK treats teachers like s**t. I love teaching. I adore my students, even the challenging ones. I enjoy my subject and get good results from my students. Despite this, it has been rare that I've been praised in school, despite the above and beyond attitude I have shown through all of my career. Criticism has, however, been regular and ongoing. Whereas, every school I've worked in overseas has promoted me, thrown lots of money at me, reduced my timetable and allowed me to create ALL of my own curriculum.

I'm quite aware of the shortage. I am inundated every day with vacancies. One of today's was offering a job based on word of mouth from the agency (one I have worked for before). The email clearly stated 'No Interview Needed!'.

And yet. Every school in the UK is going to face an OFSTED inspection. While covid is still a threat. While teachers are still reeling from lockdowns and some are dealing with long covid.

I'm surprised we've got teachers left, TBH.

My last few years of working were as a supply teacher in the school I had taught in for 20 years. I was lucky as I was able to say yes or no depending on the class and the number of days required. Supply can be really hard and knowing the school and the staff made it easier. Once COVID hit I decided there was no way I was going into a classroom with up to 30 children when I couldn’t see my own grandkids.

I have never taught in the state system but it does sound pretty dire in terms of the way teachers are treated. GagaJo is right that teachers need to be valued more, have more non contact time and be allowed to devise and implement their own teaching methods, provided these conform to a common school ethos.
My DH has, on several occasions recently, been asked to advise a team of government officials on teacher employment and recruitment because the private sector has little problem in this area. Whether these officials take any notice of his suggestions about improving the conditions and rates of pay remains to be seen.
I was asked to go back to teaching at an independent school this year and might have considered a couple of days if it weren't for covid. Why put yourself at risk at this stage in your life?

Kali2

Anyone on that front bench in the HoC would last a day!!!

You are absolutely right in my opinion. I wouldn’t return to teaching if my pension disappeared tomorrow and my cupboards were empty. I’d rather stack shelves, maybe boring but necessary and no government interference.

No, I wouldn’t return to the classroom. It was becoming increasingly stressful before I finished and I certainly wouldn’t consider going back during these covid times. In addition, things will have moved on since I was teaching, especially with the increasing use of technology as a teaching tool which I will be out of touch with now.

What they need to do is reduce the number of part-time jobs which came about as a result of maternity leave back into the full-time jobs they were originally. At the school I retired from there are at least 5 classes (Primary) with an array of part-time teachers whose children will shortly be going to university, still clinging to part-time work, which means double on costs and difficulty with liaison.

I don't blame teachers at all for working part-time. A 3 day a week teaching role is still over 40 hours of work (counting planning, marking, all the ridiculous admin). I worked at least 65 hours a week in the UK and was sometimes working until between 10pm & 1am.

Supply is in short supply here as well, but so far we’ve been lucky in getting staff.
eazybee, we do have some split classes, not because of maternity leave, but they seem to work well and the parents and Ofsted are happy too. When we had mixed age groups, we did have some liaison problems, but now we are 2 form entry, it’s easier.

The suggestion of more non-contact time would mean even more part time teachers. Reading some of the posts, I’m glad I’ve felt valued in the schools where I’ve worked, although one head really was not good to work for. According to our well-being survey, teachers and TAs are happy too.
Within the constraints of the NC, how we deliver is up to us, and shared planning time is great for exchanging ideas. When I first started teaching, teachers taught to their strengths and preferences, which was good, except in topic work, where that often meant children repeated the same stuff year on year. That doesn’t happen now at my school.
I could retire, but it’s far too much fun.

I am a retired teacher and loved teaching. However the government increasingly undervalued the teaching profession, continually changing the goalposts and continues to do so. Would I go back now as a supply teacher? No way!

I am a retired teacher too and I loved my job but No Way would I want to return as a supply teacher at my age, late 60’s. The government certainly do not think things through properly before voicing their opinions. I worked with a lady many years ago who was on supply after retiring. She was 67/68 at the time, slim, fit for her age and a good teacher but she just couldn’t keep going especially teaching classes in deprived environments. She was absolutely exhausted at the end of teaching time and then had to find the energy in the evenings to do all the prep and planning as well as marking and paperwork! ……. And the Tories are bringing the age for retirement at 68 forward? I have no words ………..

Anyone could have told the government that this was going to happen. The numbers of teachers reaching retirement age is easily predictable. The numbers of young teachers failing to stay in the profession long term has been evident for some time. Asking retired teachers to return as supply isn't a long term solution.
I worked as supply for quite a few years. I worked in some very difficult schools and in some others which were much easier. I wouldn't go back much as I loved the job I couldn't stand the endless meetings and the huge amount of paperwork.

Asking retired teachers to apply is definitely not a long-term solution and problems with retention in some year group/subjects has been ongoing, but the problem is now, so what could schools do instead?

I am hugely amused that like me, nobody who was ever a teacher risks getting trampled in the rush! (Except perhaps in the opposite direction!)
Nope, Government spokesperson, back to the drawing board!

I left the full time teaching profession nearly 6 years ago, I work in a supply capacity for a local school and will cover whenever I can, but nothing would induce me back into the classroom on a full time basis. Far too much stress and pressure, I’ve got myself a life since I left!