Are we losing a generation of experience across the teaching profession?
I've finally found a moment in the academic year to read this astonishing book by Bennie Kara and Hannah Wilson, bringing together many voices sharing personal and professional experiences of diversity, inclusion and equality. Already I am hooked!
The age of teachers across the profession
I had previously written that Diverse Educators could be one of the most important books recently published, and I think I was right!
Ageism definitely exists. In one school I worked at, a new Headteacher arrived and fifteen teachers were put on capability and bullied out of their jobs. Their crime? they were in their late 40s and early 50s……
Exists? It rife and rampant. “We want someone young and ….”. “You’re expensive” ” Why did you retire “. All said to me
It’s vile
It’s a sad state of affairs.
I’ve worked in education for 28 years. My journey into the classroom started by gaining GCSEs in a local authority Adult Learning Centre. I then started as a volunteer in a playgroup, which led to a part-time Learning Support Assistant role in a local school, working one-to-one with a child. I then gained the necessary qualifications to become a full-time Teaching Assistant in another school. There, I gained HLTA status, and I loved every minute, and my passion to become a teacher was fueled not only by the staff that worked there and the tremendous job they did, but also by my own love of learning. As a child, my aunts used to dress me up and play school with me. I suppose never being allowed to play the teacher also ignited my passion for a teacher role. However, I knew I could fill those teacher shoes and be more than an effective resource in the classroom. So nearly thirty years later, I walked across that stage with pride, with joy, with tears in my eyes. I’d graduated as a teacher. A lifelong ambition achieved. The beginning of a new era. I was lucky. I gained employment in two fantastic and supportive schools to gain my ECT status, with flying colours. Both 12 month contracts. But alas, the dream is slowly coming to an end. I apply; I get interviews. Feedback is often picky: not enough curriculum knowledge, you didn’t give enough examples of adaptive practice, you’d be great for supply, you never mentioned the school values, you didn’t sell yourself enoughe. The list goes on and on. All subjective, all based on their opions. Never on the Teaching Standards. And still no offer of employment. But I’ve noticed a common theme. Not rejection as such, more ‘thank you for attending our interview, you were great, just this one subjective criticism is preventing you from gaining a postion with us, you’ve ticked our fair recruitment process’. The over 55’s box. Oh ,and by they way the internal candidate got it.
Ugh, the internal candidate!
Ugh, the internal candidate problem.