(no subject)

[nny]

Had an 11 hour work day so far today, with at least another couple before I can go to sleep. Tomorrow I'm looking at at least 12 hours. I'm working my arse off constantly, I'm planning the best lessons I can considering how tired I am, I'm snowed under with planning and parents' evenings and mentoring days and training and INSETs and reports and marking and constant assessments, one after another after another. I'm in my first year and I am really beginning to wonder if I can do this.

So Jamie's Dream School pisses me off more than a little.

"I wanted to see if we could inspire some of these young people - a handful of those kids who hadn't been inspired at their own schools - by creating a school where the teachers were absolute experts in their subjects."

Cheers for that.

It's another thing like Ken Robinson's talks - gets people nodding along and admiring what these celebrities are doing, but offering nothing to those people who are actually trying to educate kids, day to day.

Comments

[apiphile.livejournal.com]

Craig Nunn, teacher & musician chap I follow on Tumblr, tweeted at Jamie Oliver t'other day to tell him "I don't know anything about cooking, but I *am* a fully-qualified teacher - can I have a job managing one of your restaurants?". I believe you're far from alone in being pissed off with him about that.

[villainny.livejournal.com]

I don't doubt it. It is trivialising the sheer amount of work I do, and it makes me sad. >:(

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Agreed with your lineface.

To cheer you up a tad, I saw the OED word of the day (http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/264364) and thought of you.

[fer-de-lance.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's just me, but -- if I were a parent, I'd rather my kid learnt how to find answers on her own, instead of relying on a nearby "expert" to answer all her questions. In the right context, "I don't know the answer to that, kid, but I know where we can start looking" is a lot more powerful than "yeah, I know that one -- it's X."

[fer-de-lance.livejournal.com]

Editing Adding to, erm, add:

The chef admits the experience gave him a deeper appreciation of the work done by teachers.

He says: "I have never admired teachers more than I do now. Until you've tried it, you can't know what it's like standing in front of people who aren't interested in what you're saying. I wouldn't like to spoil the programme by saying how we coped but let's just say that some teachers found it more of a challenge than others."

HA HA HA! Yes, I bet he did. And I like how the fault is theirs for not being interested in what he's saying, rather than his for not being engaging or "expert" enough (though that's what's wrong with regular teachers, I presume)...

Wonder whether he thinks he's one of the more or the less challenged ones..?

[chkc.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Ouch for the long work days! But I have faith that you can do this!

"Jamie's Dream School": I definitely agree with you. Teachers have to go through a lot of schooling / testing / training for a reason! Expertise in one subject definitely doesn't confer good teaching ability.

[polkadotskirt.livejournal.com]

I've not seen it, but yes it's a belittling idea. Teachers don't have trouble inspiring kids because they're not good at their subjects, or at teaching, but because they don't have time, energy or freedom - these idiots aren't working 12 hour days, making constantly and having to meet stupid targets. It's education policy that needs changing, not teachers.

I'd be equally pissed off if someone did a similar thing about nurses. I just spent 19 hours in the hospital, 6 supporting a friend in A&E who got diagnosed with spinal chord compression which needs surgery and then 13 doing a night with 2 very sick patients. I sat down once, to eat, for 10minutes. That was an unrelated moan, sorry - I'm just saying, I know the public sector works us hard and that "celebs" can't even begin to understand. KEEP IT UP you're good at your job, that comes accross in your passion. x

[polkadotskirt.livejournal.com]

*Marking constantly, not making.

[kenovay.livejournal.com]

I really hate the idea that it is more important to be amazing at the subject than amazing at teaching - it's like the Tory education guy who was going on about getting new graduates or something? Eurgh, I can't remember the details, but it was a similar sort of 'oh, if they know the subject, it's much better than any of these silly "teaching" skills'. EURGH.

[thecatinthetree.livejournal.com]

What they don't realise is that teachers don't have to be Absolute Experts in order to inspire you.

My music teachers didn't know everything, but they inspired me. My history teacher was dyslexic and OCD, she wasn't perfect. But she inspired me.