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Teaching Is Not Stressful - Ofsted


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I wondered if anyone had seen this news item where the new head of Ofsted tells us all that teaching is not stressful, in a kind of 'when I were a lad I worked ten days down t'pit for threepence ha'penny a year and slept in a cardboard box' kind of a way.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18025202#?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

What do we think?

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Oh Maz, you have summed it up beautifully!! I was just this second reading Sir Wilshaw's coments and thinking exactly as you have summised!

You have brought a smile to my face after a stressful day (oh no, it can't have been stressful as I only have 2 jobs a business and a home to run, and I'm not unemployed and I haven't had to go down t'pit nor sleep in a cardboard box).

 

However, I bet Sir Wilshaw wouldn't do my job for my level of pay!!

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I think stress can sometimes be confused with responsibility. Stress is a real thing,but being busy and having lots of calls on us isnt necessarily stressful, its how we react to it, some people thrive on being busy, taking on projects and needing to be in control of them. Others dont handle it so well and get bogged down.

It doesnt help when there are so many 'bosses' all asking different things of us.

I do think though that Sir Michael should have worded things better though, he sounds like a Monty Python sketch.

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teaching I'm sure was not stressful in the days before you had ofsted. It's ofsted which causes the stress! (Has a one day one yesterday our third one this academic year- a 2 day one last June, RE one in Sept and 1 day art and design yesterday)

Deb

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Funny that towards the end of the article it says:

"Teaching is the occupation with the third highest amount of work-related stress according to Health and Safety Executive figures.!

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I think I agree with Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers

 

She said Ofsted should concentrate on helping schools improve and stop criticising teachers and heads.

 

"It is really not helpful for Michael Wilshaw to rubbish the amount of stress teachers are under.

"The pressures on teaching staff and heads are enormous and growing due to the constant churn of government initiatives, tinkering with the curriculum, introducing new tests, and pressure to get pupils through exams to prove their school is performing well.

"And Ofsted is part of the problem with its continual changing of the inspections goal posts, and ridiculous demands for lessons to be exciting at all times.

"Teaching is the occupation with the third highest amount of work-related stress according to Health and Safety Executive figures."

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Yes, and also the constant teacher bashing in the press, as we are an easy target. All the constant criticism can be very stressful, when almost all of us are trying to do do our very best for the children under a constant bombardment of changed initiatives. I sometimes wonder why anyone sends their children to school if they believe we are all so dreadful.

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Maybe someone should offer a challenge.have them cope with .a class of 30 reception for 1 month/ a term.. with no TA...

 

 

but make sure it is Sept when the children are all new and in need of even more support..

 

 

and lets add a PVI setting for a term of just 3 yr olds for good measure.. remembering to include all the documentation and a financial budget needed .

Edited by Inge
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