August 18, 2020 / Ben / 0 Comments
The government
have announced that all pupils (unless ill or isolating) should return to
school in September ready for the new term. Some students have now had 6 months
off school and this has put a lot of pressure on parents and there is a worry
that it is also affecting the mental health of many of the pupils too.
Although
many are keen to see the schools return there is also a worry for parents and
teachers as to how safe it will be and how social distancing is going to be
maintained. Most schools have adopted a policy of keeping children within their
own bubbles of either year groups or classes. This will allow them to try and
limit the risk of spreading the virus if someone does become infected.
Not only
have teachers got a lot of work to catch up on and may find that some pupils require
a fair bit of time to re-establish a routine, they also have extra job roles
such as cleaning equipment and possibly redoing lesson plans that involved
close contact with others.
The first
few months of returning to school will probably be quite hard and may require a
fair few changes before proper routines can be established again.
December 15, 2019 / Ben / 0 Comments
The job of a
supply teacher can vary quite a bit. In some instances, you will be expected to
just cover a day or so of lessons and not have to do much planning. In other
instances, where you are covering a class for a longer period, you are likely
to have to plan lessons, mark work and basically do the job of the usual teacher.
If you are
qualified as a teacher, then you have the decide to go in to supply teacher
rather than a permanent position or this may be a something that you do when
you are looking to go part time. A supply teacher will often find that their
role varies from school to school and often even from class to class meaning
that each day is different and there are new challenges.
Supple
teachers are often paid more per day than permanent teachers so often they only
need to work three days a week to earn the same as a permanent teacher who
works five days a week. It is important to remember though that supply teachers
do not get paid for the holidays unless they are on some sort of a contract
which states they will.
Many
teachers say that they enjoy supply teaching and find it more interesting than
teaching the same class day in day out.
October 31, 2019 / Ben / 0 Comments
Many
students have just had their first half term at university and it can often be
very different to what they have been used to at school.
University
is quite often about independent learning, and you must be motivated to work on
your own, meet deadlines, revise and research. You will not be pushed as much
as at school to attend, so if you do not put the effort in the chances are you
will not be successful. Without drive and determination, you’ll likely to
struggle with the university workload and timetable.
Going to
university is a must for some students who have a career in mind which requires
them to have a degree. Other students still may not know exactly what they want
to do but attend university to study a subject they enjoy, which they hope will
help them in future when it comes to finding work.
Lecturers
are there to help you, but they may only help if you show a high level of
commitment. You can get kicked off a course if you do not attend or fall way
behind. If you are struggling with work rather than letting it get out of hand,
speak to your lecturer and ask if you can help some extra help or time to
complete your work.
September 20, 2019 / Ben / 0 Comments
Teachers
don’t always get it easy. It is quite a challenging job to do at times and you
will be expected to work on your “days off” to fit in all your marking and
planning not to mention parents evenings and school trips.
Due to the
pressures and time constraints, many teachers who have recently qualified
actually end up leaving the industry in the first year. This means there is a
constant need for new teachers coming through the system. Some schools are
having to rely heavily on teaching assistants to spend a significant period of
time teaching the class on their own rather than actually assisting the
teacher, which is not ideal. Also many schools are turning to supply teachers
to fill gaps whilst they are looking for replacement teachers to employ.
If you fancy a change in career and are up for a challenge, then why not train to be a teacher. Often the main issue is people not being aware of how much work is involved in being a teacher. You may think it’s a cushy job working 9 -3 and weekends off but this simply isn’t realistic and you will be expected to work a lot more hours than this.
May 28, 2019 / Ben / 0 Comments
Education is
massively important to a child. Not only will it help them progress through
their school life and on to finding a career but it will also help them in
general with many day to day activities that they will have to do.
As a parent you may think that education is for school but you may not realise the impact home life can have on. Children whose parents spend a little bit of time with them on a regular basis, reading, writing and doing maths often excel in these subjects at school.
If you want
to help with your child’s education but do not want them to have to do
worksheets or working out of a book then why not try some games? There are a
number of games on the market which are aimed at being educational as well as
fun.
Orchard
games are a popular choice as they create fun and stimulating games for
children that can be easily set up and are enjoyable. They range from counting
and simple maths to problem solving and spelling.
Find a game
that is age appropriate to your child and have a go. You may be surprised how
much they enjoy it, spending time with you, whilst not really realising they
are actually learning at the same time.