Everything You Need to Know to Survive Teaching

A down-to earth fully up-dated collection of the nation's top teaching rants, that offers solutions to the issues that really bother teachers.

1 On your marks: The trials of training 1
The peculiar process of interviewing 1
The mentor – make or break time 5
Finding your true calling 11
Things you lose when you are a teacher 15
2 Get set: Theory into practice 19
Firm but fair 19
Preventing misbehaviour 22
Mixed abilities 25
The Workload Agreement 28
3 Go: The art of teaching 33
The lesson introduction 33
The lesson in progress 38
The lesson plenary 43
Irritating interruptions during your lessons 45
Irritating interruptions during your day 49
Learning support assistants 53
Incorporating ICT 56
Incorporating communication skills 60
The unanimous groan of homework 62
4 Children can be the most irritating things 69
Playing truant 69
Language matters 71
Well versed in the art of lying 75
Classroom banter 79
What we sometimes forget 84
5 In addition to teaching 89
Form time 89
The school production 94
Training courses 97
The school holidays 102
Trying to get away from it all 107
The last boy scout 110
Have a break before you have a breakdown 114
Tour of duty 116
Sports Day 119
Marking madness 121
Surviving a hangover 125
6 Dealing with colleagues 129
Gossip 129
Being sporty 132
When your classroom is used and abused 135
S hips that pass in the night – leaving work
for supply teachers 138
7 Dealing with parents 145
Meeting the parents at parents’ evening 145
Dealing with situations at parents’ evening 150
Letters from parents 155
The school run 159
End of term reports 162
Conclusion 167