Know Where You Are in the Pecking Order

The staff hierarchy in schools can be confusing for newcomers. But as Gerald Haigh explains, there are some subtle shades of seniority and points of protocol that NQTs would do well to bear in mind.

1 Be clear about who is in charge of you in your various roles. If you’re a form tutor, your ‘boss’ for that area might be the head of year. But if you’re also a subject teacher, you will report to the head of that subject. So make sure you know who is supposed to run what.

2 Listen to your leaders. Yes, you’re bursting with much better ideas and you can’t wait to interrupt, but contain yourself. When the moment comes, ask the right questions and show that you understand what’s going on and what the issues are.

3 Don’t skip stages in the hierarchy. The next person up from your subject leader may be a faculty head or a deputy. You may hate the subject head and love the deputy, but you shouldn’t leapfrog to the deputy to try to alter a decision or settle differences. The deputy will most probably support your immediate manager and your stock might go down.

4 The above point does not mean that you can’t recruit the top brass to your cause if you have a project that’s not making progress. Wait for the head or deputy to ask how things are going then say “Fine, next term I’m hoping Mr S will let me…”

5 Your manager have right to tell you what to do. That might not seem too obvious if you’re straight out of college, where instructions are usually regarded as open to argument. So if the deputy says “Can you please go and supervise playtime.” Don’t come back with, “Yeah, man let me just grab a coffee…”

6 Try to develop an ear for the subtle shades of meaning to be found in some management phrases. For example, comments such as “You might try this..”or “That might be OK, but it might be better to…” are usually meant as instructions.

7 Do you feel you’re being bullied? Maybe you are, but maybe you’re just not used to acting on instructions from more senior staff. If you think a manager is ill-treating you there are established procedures for making a complaint. Find out what they are and stick to them. If you think you have a grievance, contact your professional association and make dated notes of particular incidents. Vague complaints about attitudes won’t wash.

8 Don’t monopolise or suck up to the senior management. Even if this approach has some short term influence, it will go down like a lead balloon with other staff and won’t win you many friends among the rest of your colleagues.

9 If you want a serious talk with a manager, don’t rely on catching them in the corridor or at break. Ask for a date and time – maybe after school. Make notes on what you want to say.

10 Managers and mentors can often be reticent in voicing criticism, so you might come away form a briefing (after a lesson observation for example) no wiser than when you went in. Always pin them down by asking ‘What exactly do you mean’.

Source: http://newteachers.tes.co.uk/news/know-where-you-are-pecking-order/45715

10 tips to make the most of meetings!

Harry Dodds offers his top ten tips to help you make the most of meetings.

Okay meetings are no one’s idea of a good time. Most are held after school when you’re feeling frazzled. But these platforms for discussion are essential for all concerned. And for NQTs they’re a vital part of the learning curve.

Here are our top ten tips to help you make the most of meetings.

1 There will be an agenda for most meetings and you should receive a copy of it beforehand. Always try to read it in advance. Remember that every item offers you a chance to learn something new, so draw on your expertise and research the background so you know what your colleagues are talking about.

2 Find out what kind of meeting you’re attending. It is a briefing or a presentation, or is it a committee meeting in which you’ll work as part of a team. Or is it a brainstorming session for generating new ideas that can be turned into best practice?

3 Be an active listener, ask questions and seek clarification. In a committee meeting, try to keep the discussion moving forward at a steady pace – always aim to be economical, summarise and explore implications. Be an expert and share your unique expertise. NQTs are supposed to be au fait with current theory.

4 If you are recording the minutes, use the agenda as a framework so you don’t miss any of the items. Record the names of the chair and other participants – a plan of the seating might help you with this. Don’t record all the details – a format that captures the main points and who will be responsible for what will usually suffice.

5 If refreshments are available volunteer to serve them to those present – it will give you a chance to speak to everyone.

6 You probably won’t agree with everything you hear in staff meetings, but stay calm. At this point you re still feeling your way into a close-knit group, so be patient and hear others out. Try not to react on the basis of right and wrong – keep asking yourself what you can learn from what is being said. Stay with the facts and keep the emotions under wraps as far as possible. Make judgements on the basis of whether you think proposals will succeed in your workplace.

7 Remember that staff meetings serve social as well as professional purposes. They can help with team building, but they can also give you – the newcomer – a very valuable insight into group dynamics, shifting alliances and perhaps hostilities between colleagues. Be vigilant at all time sand watch people’s body language. Remember that you are also trying to establish your identity within the team. Be modest, though suitably assertive when you need to be and always how what you are willing to learn and contribute.

8 Be aware of your own body language – it can say more about you than any words you say. Smile and make plenty of eye contact.

9 In full staff meetings try to sit in the middle of the room. The disaffected tend toward the back, the attention seekers to the front – as in a typical classroom

10 Offer to take on some of the proposed tasks – but stick to the manageable ones and don’t get swamped.

Source: http://newteachers.tes.co.uk/news/make-most-meetings/45663