How to Develop the UK Education System - If only they would listen to Teachers

We must surely build an education system that does the following:

1.    Creates opportunities for all students

2.    Reduces class sizes to allow teachers to be able to concentrate on all, rather than on those who are 'behaving'

3.    Consider reducing school hours. Consider moving hours, to take in later mornings, and longer afternoons.

4.    ASK the children and students, what do they want?

5.    Bring in more parent control. Allowing parents to come into lessons, and have more of a say in what discipline is used. (For example a parent may indicate that lines have no impact, but a Friday night detention would!)

6.    Move away from traditional classrooms, bring in more independent work, allow students and children to actively learn, and gain independence instead of being in a spoon fed mentality.

7.    Have School councils in every school that can present information to Governors rather than the Head.

8.    Feed the children! More compulsory breakfast clubs, more drinking water, and please someone invent a water bottle that will not spill. Or can be squirted!

9.    Examinations in cold dank sports halls? Have every teacher teach at least one lesson a fortnight in the areas that will be used for formal examinations. That does such wonderful things to shatter the fear that many students have during examinations.

10. Have music in schools.  Give teachers time to prepare brilliant lessons. Give them the time and resources to create proper learning opportunities within lessons. Use Teaching Assistants in every classroom. Another adult in the room can be instrumental into ensuring that ALL the children learn.

So much could be done. We need to ensure that all children have every opportunity. Get rid of the negative formality. Please someone listen!

And the saddest thing I have seen? A Year 7 student. He couldn't read or write, and he was sent out of every lesson. (In my time I have come across a few children coming into mainstream schooling from Primary School, unable to read or write. Why?!) Something in his eyes showed failure. If only someone had caught him at Primary School. If only someone had him on a one to one basis. His behaviour was pretty bad. But who could blame him? The answer? He was going to be sent to a Special School. He had no disabilities, physically or mentally, but somehow he had been missed. 

A school failure. 

Someone was to blame, and I do not at all think any blame should have been left with him.

How Students Think & What Should be Done

Working within inner city schools really opens your eyes. As a teacher, you can spend your time babysitting, crown controlling, and getting completely stressed. Yet, within every nuisance class is always a section of students that want to work, yet you spend time dealing with the trouble makers. In a correct environment you do not have trouble makers. If the troublesome aspect was removed from a classroom, the level of learning would boom. It’s all very well saying that you should have behaviour management, it’s all very well saying that in an all singing and dancing classroom, children do not want to misbehave.

Different schools have different policies. One of the most successful was a school that operated a backup system, where senior members of staff toured the full school every lesson, picking out pains in the neck, and either removing them into a specialist isolation unit, or giving them a dressing down. That and the fact that the senior teachers were seen at the school gates, every break and dinner time had the effect that bad behaviour would not be tolerated.

Other schools have a system that a troublesome child can be spoken to by a more senior teacher. And eventually the talks get higher up the system and the children end up in a PRU. That's a Pupil Referral Unit in English! 

So you have a child that may end up in a school that is known as being troublesome. The media can sensationalize the goings on in a school, but it is not to say that an inner city school will necessarily be troublesome. A lot goes on with how you feel about a school, and what your intuition tells you! 

But what do the children say? In conversations with children, from 11 to 16 years, it does seem that the ones that have the major problems, are the ones with parents who do not support a school, and will openly tell their sweetie that school is not important, or that teachers are stupid. Discipline at home is another 'teller' the more rampant the child, the less home discipline is shown.

It is hard to listen to 13 years old saying that they can't wait for the weekend, so they can get mortal. Some even come into school with massive hangovers. Others in full evening make-up, no school equipment and haircuts that their parents know is unacceptable. Yet, amongst these children, most are well dressed in full uniform. But with a massive teenage chip on their shoulders. 

School for some is a complete waste of time, or at least that is what the children say! I'm bored with school. It’s too long, it should be less than five days, and the moans go on and on. Or is it moaning, and are we failing some children?

I worked for a year at a Further Education College, and one of my teaching classes was a group of older students over 21 years of age. They were on an Access course, and the successful students could use this qualification to gain University access. A mixture of students, some from abroad, some who had worked from leaving school, and some that had become parents. Some that quite clearly had been let down by the school system. It was meeting these students that opened my eyes to the current school system. The first assignment completed, I sat in the staff room with tears pouring down my eyes as I read and marked the assignments. The quality of the work in front of me was more than I could have ever expected. Extremely well written, well researched and with that panache that showed deep understanding. Two of these students are now graduates. They had no formal qualifications and had left school at 16 with nothing to show for all their supposed education.

When I had mentioned this to various Heads of Secondary schools the general consensus was that it was totally the student’s faults for not taking the opportunities offered to them. But what opportunities? In this case I knew that the students had attended what I would call a challenging school. They themselves admitted that they were not perfect students but that the teachers had considered them failures at an early age. As I had proved to them, this was not the case. So how many students left that school with the obvious potential to move successfully into University education? These questions seemed to have been brushed aside, and my own gut feeling is that we have many adults with the potential but not the opportunity to succeed as these students did.

Making a Happy Teacher - And Parents Rules!

Leaving the school during lunchtimes and breaks? Different schools have different policies, but if they have a no out policy during school hours, please remind your child that teachers sometimes leave the premises and can spot children from miles away, out of school. We can be so evil sometimes! Mind you, it is so funny when you do spot a victim, and drive past so slowly, giving the evils, then of course you report it, the child denies it,

So all fails, and your child has a detention. Make sure that you have been given at least 24 hours’ notice, and that your child should have given you some sort of correspondence relating to the reason why the detention has been given. (So don't fall for the “Oh I was late home, because Mr. So and So gave me a detention.”) If it is true, then you need to see the school immediately! Apart from the nasty 10 minutes after the bell, where we do not have to give notice, you have a right to be notified.  We hope that you will ground your child for the next year, is the reason why. Well maybe not that long, but......!!!

Academic stuff? Any teacher worth his or hers salt will be impressed by effort and actually trying. The “I can't do it” scenario when the child can't be even bothered to try, is another ball breaker. (Ooops, excuse my language!) No teacher minds being asked to explain again, if, and only if, the child has been attentive and listened to the original information. And why is it that some children cannot follow written instructions? You write it out from A to Z, and still some children will not bother to read it, and immediately state, “Oh it's too hard, I can't do it!” (Another arghhh!!)  Instil in your child that they should try, getting it wrong, is better than doing nothing, at least the child will highlight that they have really not understood it, rather than not being bothered!

So I promise you one thing. Follow those steps, and I can almost guarantee, unless the teacher is a real case, that you will receive praise come Parents Evenings. Now that's another thing! Although different schools run different systems for parents and carers, there will be some evening where you can discuss your child, and you should receive at least one yearly report. Not seen it? Not heard about it? Asked your little darling, and they look blankly at you? Contact the school! You may just have found out that your child is a complete nightmare and is trying to avoid you finding out!  Oh and attendance? Please make every effort to attend. We on the whole are more than happy to re-arrange to see you at a more suitable time!

Planners or diaries too. Virtually every school I have worked in, has a diary of sorts that the child can write a lesson timetable and any homework that is due. Most schools expect it to be signed at home every week... I have seen so many faked signatures that I can only smile as I am writing this! Why? Because we can write in planners if your baby has been misbehaving, or has forgotten homework. So check, please! And if you have a forgetful child, ask them to let you know when they need a PE kit, or any equipment, including cookery ingredients. Another annoyance is children who forget these!

So have I been too hard? Am I expecting the impossible? Well no, actually. With the deepest respect dear parent/carer I have come across so many children who behave just like the above, and it is lovely!

But that does not mean that we run away from a challenge! And we, or at least some teachers, enjoy a difference of opinion, or in fact a child who asks questions. That tells us that the child is listening, and is interested.

But my final point or points is no one likes a bully.  That's you as a Parent or Carer as well as your child.  And racism. Even if you have opinions that could be deemed as racist, we know that young people copy the opinions of their elders. So not only are we disgusted with the child, we are disgusted with you too. So don't share them with your child!

So there we have it! A happy teacher is a productive teacher!

What Teachers Like & How to Get on the Good Side of a Teacher!

Don't bother sending in your child with an apple for the teacher, it doesn't work!

Obviously apart from the being a nice child, doing homework, and following what I have written (obviously!), the key is to smile. Be happy! A smiling child who says good morning, or good afternoon to a teacher while entering the room is a great lesson starter. And saying please and thank you. Two of the most underused words, but good manners, which mean being polite, listening, and respect go a long, long way to getting on that A side!

Another way in, is the child going to the teacher at the end of a lesson, or session, and saying “Thank you! That was really interesting!” (Of course presuming that the lesson was moderately interesting!) We do love praise for our lessons!

As a tutor we need children that can team work, can equally work well without immediate supervision, are willing to volunteer to undertake duties, are willing to assist less able children, and bring in letters/money and so on, on time, without the teacher having to chase them! Not being late too, and if the child is late waiting at the door to apologise! The number of times I have been teaching and a late arriver just walks in and sits down without a care in the world, that's an immediate annoyance!

And during the lessons? If a teacher asks a question don't shout out! Putting a hand up is the best way, and then waiting to be picked. Not putting your hand up, means too, that the teacher is more likely to ask a child that they feel they would get the answer wrong..........but schhhhh, that's a teacher secret! 

Mobile phones is another! We know that even if a school bans mobiles, that children still have them. Make sure that your child is aware that they should not send texts in a lesson, read texts in a lesson, and the phone should be switched off, or at the very least switched to silent mode, and should be hidden out of view. I have of course had the excuse, “Oh miss, my auntie, grandma, distant cousin is ill, and my mum is letting me know how they are.” Or the “My dad is picking me up and I need to know where to go”. A simple solution that I use in that case is to tell the child that I will ring up their parents/carers and mention that they can ring the school at any time and a message will be sent to their child straight away, or take the phone, and state that I will answer the phone as it is urgent. Hehe! That usually works with a “No problem miss, I will turn it off for now!”

Jewelery? This is always an issue! If working in a school that has a limited jewellery rule, as teachers we are always instructed to remove the item, and put it in safe keeping with the administration team. But things do go missing, and having an irate parent at the door is not pleasant!  So, if it is valuable or sentimental do not let your child wear it, it’s just not worth it!

Uniform! Arghhhh!!! (Did I mention uniform before?!) Even we teachers know that buying uniform, especially specific school uniform, like a blazer or school jumper is expensive, and some schools insist on the children wearing that jumper rather than a generic one.  This is a battle that I have little advice for, other than asking the school if they have the facility to take in outgrown uniform that can be recycled. If they don't, suggest it! Even Private schools sometimes have that facility!  But don't forget to keep to the rules as regarding outdoor wear! So no hoodies or denim jackets please! Just on a lighter moment, I was once at a school were the Head used to hide behind a hedge and jump out on children wearing what he deemed inappropriate outdoor wear! While us teachers thought it very amusing, the school was actually one of the best schools in the region, so maybe that jumping was actually a good idea!

Is Your Child Being Taught by a Qualified Teacher?

Every teacher teaching a 16 and under must have a University degree. That every teacher should have a formal Post-Graduate teaching qualification, or that they are working towards that qualification. In times of need, there are teachers with a University degree, but without a Post Graduate qualification, teaching your child. In that case the responsibility lies with the Head to ensure that the teacher in question can teach effectively. Knowing your subject is only the start when it comes to teaching.

Some schools use Cover Supervisors. These members of staff are meant to stand in for a qualified teacher, and support the class with work left by a teacher. While some do have a teaching qualification, or a degree, most do not. Effectively it means that an unqualified person is supporting your child. Now before I am ambushed by a mass of Cover Supervisors, I do know that some do an amazing job. However, I have that teaching qualification. I worked hard to become a teacher. And I would be ridiculing my position, I would be stating that I didn't need a qualification to become a teacher if I agreed with the use of Cover Supervisors.  It is far cheaper to a Head to use a Cover Supervisor than a qualified teacher. However it is YOUR child that will be influenced. I leave you to make up your own mind.

And Supply teachers. Do not consider that these people are not real teachers! They are! Qualified people that do not have, or choose not to have a permanent position in a school. Most do have a Post graduate qualification, but some exist with just a University degree.  If your child has a Supply teacher, make sure that your child is still being taught, still working on the subject that the absent teacher would have taught.  Ask your child, and if not happy ask the school! Most good Supply teachers are aware that they are obviously interrupting the continuity that an existing teacher provides, and part of the position is to provide as little interruption as possible.

At this point I should mention teaching staff turnover. The better the school the less likely teachers are to leave, and the more continuity it provides to your child. Ask the Head about the percentage of staff turnover from year to year. The answer will provide a useful tool for you to decide which school your child should attend.

Sorting Out the System to Work for You and Your Child - Positivity!

How can I assist parents and carers help their child get the best from the school system? How can I promote good learning, and successful outcomes?

Well, I can provide the tools but ultimately it is up to your child and you. It is about conversation, it is about being aware of what goes on, not treating school as a convenient babysitting service. Talk to your child. Do not accept the response of what happened today at school, with 'Nothing'. Something did happen today, your child should have been provided with nuggets of information, perhaps a deeper understanding of a subject. Perhaps a new piece of information, something that when they set off from school in the morning, that they did not know about. Each day is a new day. While that new day builds on existing knowledge, it should also provide new topics, and new learning. Ask your child. And listen. Ask about who their teachers are. What are they like? What subjects did they do? How did the lesson go? Set these questions from the start, or even if you start to ask, each day your child will become aware that you are interested. This in turn will motivate your child.

Forget about your experiences that may be negative. Do not let the negativity of your education continue in your child. You may feel that school did nothing for you, and was a complete waste of time. Say that in front of your child, and you are giving that impression to your child that they can play truant, can mess about in class, and take the experience lightly. Think about what you say. While you are thinking, try to remember the positives of your education, perhaps a teacher that inspired you, a lesson that made you want to find out more, even the ability to read and write, to understand those words. I can promise you that if you try really, really hard you will be able to remember something. That new thing that you didn't know in the morning that you set off for school. That is what your child needs to know. It’s exciting, it is! Everyday gives the opportunity for new knowledge, for new information, for new understanding. And that is why good teachers do the job of teaching. We accept our responsibilities that everything that comes out of our mouths could influence a child.

I once read some research that stated every adult took something that happened at school, and carries that for the rest of their living days.  In my case, it was a Maths teacher telling me that had I sat the 11+ examination, I would have failed. It was not said in a shouting fashion, but just matter of fact. While I do not use this as an excuse, I walked out of school with only 5 'O' levels, and climbed trees at Sixth Form College. I did not return to education until my late twenties, and finally completed my degree and post graduate teaching qualification in my thirties. It was not until this time, that I could think about what this Maths teacher had said to me, and I could say, 'No, actually, he is wrong'.

It is this that makes teaching such a responsible profession. That knowing that we as teachers can make such an impression.  That anything negative can and is taken into the grey matter of the children we teach.  We sometimes do not get it right, we make mistakes, but every teacher should remember that every word that we speak can influence a child for life. As parents and carers, it is our responsibility to ensure that only the positives influence our children, and if we are not happy, or aggrieved about any teacher, that we go into the school and question that negativity.

Special Needs and the SENCO

Out of any topic I have covered this is the one that is closest to my heart. Apart from my experience as a teacher, I also have a son with ASD. Autistic Spectrum Disorder. It has been a long, long road, of fighting, letters, meetings, but finally I am able to see the fruits of all the rage, tears and heartache.

The first thing to realise is that as a parent or carer you have to accept the situation. However, while you can listen to what the school has to say, remember that you know your child the best. Always, always remember that. Do not let so called professionals label your child with any medical diagnosis, unless they are of course in the medical profession.  Even then though, remember that you need to keep a very open mind.  I have come across teachers who, using a check-list downloaded from the internet, have attempted to diagnose children. This is itself is very disconcerting! 

If your child does not have an obvious physical or mental issue, the first contact will be from school, usually from the Tutor or Classroom teacher. Accept what they are saying, and ask to speak to the nominated SENCO, that is the Special Needs Co-coordinator of the school. At the same time make an appointment with your GP, and ask to be referred to the appropriate body, in order that a diagnosis can be made. This is harder than you may think but it is so much easier to work towards the future with a diagnosis, a label of your child's condition.  I can still remember the Psychiatrist stating that my son had ASD. He shrugged though and said he was unsure if that was an appropriate label, but that he knew that we needed that label!

The school should offer observations from an Educational Psychologist, or trained staff who can bring together reports, reports from observations, and so on, that can help to put together a picture of the issues, and the ways that they can be assisted in school.

There may be a time that you need to consider a Statement of Educational Needs, but remember that no one can tell you what is best for your child.....you know best!  You may need to consider a Mainstream school, or Special School. What I will say that in my case, I knew that my son was clever, but he needed support. The Special schools in my area did not appear to cope with such children, so I took the decision, in my case, to fight against any move towards Specialist Education. I must point out of the sterling work done within Special Schools, but with personal experience of the children who attended the various Special schools, I knew my son was not suitable.

During my sons time at Primary School he spent an unfortunate year with a teacher who could talk the talk, and turn on the tears, especially in front of the Head.  This teacher associated my son’s behaviour with his being naughty, and could not cope with him in a full primary class of 30 children.  Rather than asking for assistance she stated in his school report that he was not capable of accessing the National Curriculum. I found out at a later stage that she spent hours shouting at him, to my son shouting is just noise, and that he had been instructed to stand with his head towards a wall, with his back to the class.  The damage this teacher did will stay with my son for the rest of his life. Please therefore ensure that your child receives as much support as possible. Within a large class, with one teacher, the pressures are enormous. While this is not an excuse for this teacher’s behaviour, I can understand the pressures as a teacher she was under.  Asking your child what happens during their day is the first step to ensuring their emotional and social safety.  Although I did used to ask my child, the mixed messages I retrieved from him, and the fact that this teacher could do no wrong in the eyes of the Head meant that I did not push enough to sort out the situation.  This stays in my memory, and I never allowed a situation like this to happen again.

Recently the law has moved forward as regards the equality of all children regardless of mental or physical ability. As it stands laws exist that state that schools, mainstream too, should provide equal access to all children, regardless of disability. Some Heads will discourage you, as the school itself has to fund any building works to accommodate the child. So be strong!

One issue that I remind myself that I was correct was that in the initial stages of my son's diagnosis it was deemed that he had behavioural problems. Had I not insisted he would have been enrolled into a Specialist Behavioural School. (I am trying to be politically correct, I hope you know what I mean!) I knew that the issue was more than behaviour, and my words, over my dead body were used on more than one occasion.   

Parents and Carers have a big sway when it comes providing school with the finance to provide support via Teaching assistants for their child while at school. At this stage the local Council are requested to provide funding to allow a staff member to support a child in school. Apart from attending endless meetings, write in yourself too, the more pressure you place on the system, the more hours of support you will receive.  Schools will sometimes match that funding, so say for example you 'win' 5 hours support, this is actually 10 hours of one to one support. Schools and the SENCO will generally decide how the hours are spent. A big warning though, please make sure that the Teaching Assistant works with YOUR child not the full class. I have been in many situations where the child with the given hours is not supported, but that the class he or she is in, is. Also make sure that the hours are being used. You have fought hard for them, so make sure your child benefits from that support.

Other aspects of Special Needs are, make sure your child has been placed in the right class. Time and time again, I have seen children with specific special needs placed in smaller classes. Sometimes a smaller class means that those children within that class are of a lower educational ability or troublemakers, which could mean that they are in a disruptive class, or a class that receive teaching to a lower potential grade. This really should not, but does happen, and is another example of disability discrimination which occurs.

And me? It took a long time for me to accept that there was a problem. To me, my child was perfect, and I could not accept any statements to the contrary. When I did accept the problem that was when issues started moving forward.

My thoughts are with you. Fight for what you believe is right. :)