Why I think teachers deserve their 13 weeks holiday

Nothing is more annoying than arguing with non-school people about teachers’ holidays and hours. I’ve lost count of the time I’ve sat in a pub defending myself against the usual charges of “But you finish at 3pm” and “What do you need all those holidays for anyway?” But anyone wanting to debate whether teachers ought…

ACAS Early Conciliation: how could it affect you as a teacher?

What is Early Conciliation? Early Conciliation came into force on 6 April 2014 meaning that any teacher or school employee will need to notify ACAS in the event they intend to pursue an Employment Tribunal claim against their school or local authority.  There are very limited exceptions to this and most types of claim will…

Should we be afraid of teacher talk?

Katie Ashford is an English teacher in a secondary school in the Midlands. These are her individual views.  I remember the first few times I was observed as a trainee. Most things in my training year were utterly horrendous, and observations were no exception. But what I remember perhaps even more than the lessons themselves…

Are teachers who dislike group work using it wrong?

Laura McInerney was a teacher for 6 years in London and is the co-founder of Teacher Tapp. These are her individual views. “It was a good lesson….but why didn’t you have the pupils working together more often?” If you’ve spent any amount of time in a school classroom, chances are you’ve heard this sentence –…

How can we give kids over a hundred hours of extra teaching time each year for free?

Katie Ashford is an English teacher in a secondary school in the Midlands. These are her individual views. Lessons begin at ten past the hour. Or that’s when the bell goes, at least. By the time the kids have arrived from their last lesson, have caught up with their friends and faffed about with their…

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world

  Our anonymous blogger is a Teach First teacher in an inner-city school.  These are their individual views and not the views of Edapt. As Mandela made clear, education is everything. Being a first world country, we should be able to proudly declare that our children are benefiting from a first rate education. Sadly, to…

Why do teachers burn out?

Katie Ashford is an English teacher in a secondary school in the Midlands. These are her individual views. Hello everyone. My name is Katie Ashford and I am a workaholic. Giving up working insanely hard was more of a challenge than giving up smoking. The threat of yellow teeth, empty pockets, lung cancer and premature…

6 new term resolutions teachers make & how to actually stick with them

Laura Mcinerney was a teacher for 6 years in London and is the co-founder of Teacher Tapp. These are her individual views. As teachers across the land are heading back to school, the new term resolutions take hold. “From tomorrow I will mark all books, plan well in advance, design my room to be fit…