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More year 1 than a reception class!

Discussion in 'Early Years' started by CooperSM, Dec 11, 2016.

  1. CooperSM

    CooperSM New commenter

    hi guys,
    It's Sunday night and yet again I'm wide awake, heart rate is up to 103 after being a calm 70 all day and all I can think about is how much I'm dreading tomorrow being Monday again!
    I'm in my second year of teaching and I started a new school in September. It was a last minute interview as I had to relocate and I thought everything would work out fine and it hasn't. I need your help!
    I teach reception but this is how my day goes
    8:45 Kids come in a practise writing their name
    8:55 register
    9-9:25 phonics
    9:25 - 11:10 literacy I give a whole class input then in a carousel of 4 groups children rotate between 20 mins of focus work with me, independent task, choosing in the classroom and choosing outdoors. Then every 20 minutes we rotate the groups
    11:15-11.30 recap then dinner
    12:45 register and maths input
    1-2 maths (same as literacy rotation)
    2-2.30 outdoor time whilst I sit with readers
    2.30-3 re/music/Pshe depending on day

    This is every day!
    My head of fs is the nursery teacher who has been teaching in the school for over 20 years and he is coming in the whole day tomorrow to see what I would do for due diligence. He's already told me he has concerns for me although I haven't had a single bad observation.
    However, he keeps picking up on things I'm supposed to mind read. I taught year 2 last year and haven't been eyfs since my first year of uni! He picked up on things in my learning journeys though never told me it needed to be done.
    Although we're nearing the end of aut1 every kid is onto their second maths book, I have 2 half full literacy books and every kids learning journey has at least 8 pieces in them. I feel it's unrealistic and unfair the pressure and struggling to converse with him and the head as both have worked together over a decade and see their way as the only way.
    I want to leave but feel guilty for the kids!
    Another point that's rattled my cage, I bought a tool bench for the construction area but was told to take it out due to the children "just playing with it" I fought that they were being imaginative and using it in relation to the book we had been reading but I was told it had to go. All o have in my classroom is the reading area, maths area, writing, construction and focus table.
    Advice would be much appreciated! I thought my nqt year was supposed to be the hardest but I'm deflated and dreading every morning!
    Much love Shannon x
  2. dunnocks

    dunnocks Star commenter

    nooooooo, don't ever say that, the kids don't need you, they will be fine without you,

    this is the biggest lie we tell ourselves, that it is better for the children if we put up and shut up.

    No it never is. It would be better for the children to have happy, unstressed teachers, and the more teachers put up with stress and aggravation, the further we are from children having the teachers they actually need.

    You sound thoroughly unhappy, you don't need to be, leave and find another school, if it works out, great, but if you don't find a school where you are treated like a proper human being, there are other jobs you know!

    you only have one life, don't waste it on this.
    CooperSM likes this.
  3. Kartoshka

    Kartoshka Established commenter

    As you say, this is more like a Year 1 daily routine, and is not best practice for EYFS. In Reception "each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity" (from the Statutory Framework for EYFS). It sounds like all your focus is on literacy and maths, which means the children aren't getting any input into the other five areas of learning. They also have very short bursts of time for choosing, which limits the level at which they can get involved in a child-initiated activity (and therefore, the amount they can learn from it).

    I don't know that there is a lot you can do about it except to vote with your feet and leave (after Easter now, of course, unless you can get the school to agree to let you leave earlier). Not all schools teach EYFS in this way and you will be able find somewhere that will suit you better and not leave you dreading work each day.
  4. grumbleweed

    grumbleweed Lead commenter

    I agree. I spent 6 years in a school where I really believed I could change practice. I made small changes but I never managed to change 'thinking' about our youngest children. In the end I quit, realising that I should have done it 5 years earlier!
    Life is too short to spend it this unhappy. Start looking straight away. There are really good places out there, and other options. You must look after yourself.
  5. Camokidmommy

    Camokidmommy Established commenter

    Start looking elsewhere!
  6. cornflake

    cornflake Established commenter

    yes - there are EYFS classes, and HTs, who understand what EYFS should be like! Go and find one of those - or a HT who wants to change things and just needs a willing accomplice!!
  7. Jenkibubble

    Jenkibubble Occasional commenter

    This sounds like the school I used to work at - the head wanted 4 pieces of written work in their literacy books a week!
    Whilst they had some child initiated time, they literally used it to burn off the pent up energy which they'd held in whilst being sat for hours at a time :(
  8. lizdot

    lizdot New commenter

    How's it going Shannon?

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