The Teacher Diaries Part One
Observations — Worthwhile or Unnecessary Stress?
I’ve been a primary school teacher in England for the past seven years and still love the job. I’ve survived challenging behaviour, awkward and sometimes difficult parents, learning walks, observations three Ofsted inspections and most recently — online learning.
It’s for all of these reasons why more and more people are quitting teaching than are training and joining the profession. It is hard. Yes, we get the holidays, but we deserve them. It isn’t just a 9–3 job where we get to leave when the kids leave, unlike some people’s opinions.
Teaching is more than simply subject knowledge, it is a constant focus on inspiring children and giving them a love for learning. It isn’t just teaching, but being a comforter, a trusted adult that children confide in, a data analyst, a marker, a friend and all with a smile on our faces despite the ever-growing workload. It can be stressful at times as we are creating the future for many children but it is worth it.
A Pandemic Shift
No one likes being judged.
During the pandemic, we were seen as key workers and people’s opinions changed — how great we were (for a short while.) There are many amazing people and jobs out there, but teaching is consistently scrutinized.
Learning walks, book looks, observations, Ofsted. Each of those four things adds extra stress, maybe not by much for every single teacher out there, but it definitely plays on my mind and makes me feel anxious when I know I’m going to be watched. It is a time when members of the authority are there to judge you. No one likes being judged.
- I understand there is a need to ensure high-quality teaching is happening in order to shape the minds of future generations but is it all necessary?
- Does it really need to be as constant?
- Can’t there just be an element of trust that we’re teaching to the best of our abilities?
My experiences of observations have varied massively; from the positive to the less so.
Starting With the Negatives
I knew pretty quickly after meeting my class that behaviour was going to be a little tricky.
Let’s start with my negative experiences. This revolves around the second school I taught at, a mist-step and to this day, I completely regret joining the team. It was not an enjoyable experience at all.
I was offered the Year 3 teaching position hours after my interview and was so happy that an outstanding rated school wanted me that I jumped at the opportunity as it was just around the corner. A new experience at a different school, I was excited!
The first day was interesting to say the least. I knew pretty quickly after meeting my class that behaviour was going to be a little tricky. The majority of my children had challenging home lives, with one fleeing from Syria on a dinghy leaving his parents behind…What these small children must have witnessed and experienced should never happen to anyone.
On numerous times, I mentioned to senior members of staff that a few of these children could really benefit from the therapy sessions that the school reportedly provided for those at risk children; but my concerns consistently fell on deaf ears.
My first observation was around three weeks into the school year — an English lesson where an assistant deputy came to judge. As far as I can recall the children were able to complete the task, and although they were a little chatty, learnt the basics from the lesson. My feedback was less than positive.
I didn’t follow their regimented way of teaching English so they were going to observe a different lesson a few weeks later. Fair enough — new school, maybe I didn’t follow their vision as much as I thought I had…
A Failing Teacher?
How have I gone from being offered the job to three months later, failing?
Second observation — the assistant deputy turned up 30 minutes early and saw the end of a completely different lesson than she did not say she was going to watch. It threw me. It’d throw anyone. It was unprofessional — almost as though she wanted to catch me out.
Again, negativity in the feedback; which she provided on her own. (I later learnt that observations should never be done purely by one member of staff and feedback should always be done in twos) My feedback basically said I was a failing teacher. What?! How have I gone from being offered the job to three months later, failing?
The constant negativity and reluctance to give me advice/model what they’d like me to do was soul-destroying. I was in tears numerous times, being comforted by other members of staff who had gone through similar experiences. The result of which was that I would come home many nights and fall asleep before 6 pm due to mental and physical exhaustion.
Leaving a Teacher to Fail
I’ve never felt useless and been told I’m awful since leaving that ‘school.’
Observations are meant to be constructive — to build a teacher, to offer and share new strategies, not to break them down, to demoralise them, to tell them they’re doing an awful job.
- Where was the support?
- Why would you leave a teacher in your school to “fail”?
I quit the school after half a term — it was soul-destroying and I wasn’t enjoying it at all. I was the second teacher to leave within a half-term, with a third leaving at the end of the term and I remember them bad-mouthing this teacher’s decision in the school morning briefing. A horrible school, with an unnecessarily toxic atmosphere.
For the record, this is the only school where I was told that I’m a failing teacher. Although all feedbacks need to have the “this is what you could do next time…” I’ve never felt useless and been told I’m awful since leaving that ‘school.’
Learning walks and Book Looks
Aesthetics are important, but surely if the children have demonstrated they’ve learnt something, then that should be more important?
The next negative experience I have comes from my fourth school, the final one before the first lockdown. Here at this school, it was a barrage of weekly book looks and learning walks. It was a requires improvement school, so I could just about understand why they had more of an emphasis on learning walks etc to see where they could improve, but they went too far.
It was a huge primary school. A four form-entry from reception to year 6 with almost 1,000 children. There was a huge staff turnover the year I joined as the head had said that she was going to implement a lot of changes and if people weren’t happy; they were to leave.
The school year started, and the pressure was already on. At the end of the first week, they were going to do a book look. The following week they did their first learning walk. They popped in for 5 or 10 minutes, talked to children and looked through the books again.
The feedback here was general, as it wasn’t deemed “a proper observation”. They were happy with the learning but said books needed to be neater and we needed to do more intense marking. Aesthetics are important, but surely if the children have demonstrated they’ve learnt something, then that should be more important?
Marking in my opinion is not very beneficial unless verbally done — why ask us to write more down that the children aren’t going to look back on and implement? For Ofsted.
The school was due an Ofsted inspection “any day now” so they piled the pressure on us teachers. In one week we had four learning walks and one book look. Every day that week we were being judged in one way or another.
If these observations served any point and lead to any changes or discussions, it may be acceptable. These, however, never lead to anything. It was just a way to keep an eye on us. Staff were not happy — it adds stress, it wasn’t beneficial, it didn’t advance our teaching in any shape or form. “For Ofsted” we were told. But then the day came when and Ofsted were on their way…
A Note From the Editor
The Teacher Diaries are a new segment for An English Education in 2022 and will be continued as the year moves forward.
Thank you for reading and as always, let us know if you have any burning questions or subjects that you would like to pose to our team.
