Teach Secondary 14.4

+ The upcoming conference exploring how schools should be ‘Educating for Meaning and Purpose’ + How depersonalising misbehaviour can help diffuse tensions in the classroom + The government has recently updated its Digital and Technology Standards for schools – so what does that mean for you and your colleagues? + 8 pointers for how to engage teenage males in constructive discussion of online misogyny and radicalisation + Why schools need to explore alternatives to ‘one size fits all’ sanctions for pupil absence + 5 practical ways of reviewing prior learning in class CONTRIBUTORS MARK BEVERLEY Director of the Institute of Teaching and Learning, Sevenoaks School ROBIN LAUNDER Behaviour management consultant and speaker MEL PARKER Educational Technologist, RM Technology VIV TRASK-HALL Head of product and innovation, Thrive ZEPH BENNETT PE teacher and school achievement leader LEARNING LAB IN THIS ISSUE TEACHER UNIONS ABOUT THE AUTHOR ‘I, Teacher’ is a secondary teacher, teacher trainer and writer challenging binary teaching narratives. For more information, visit theteacherfilesexposed.wordpress.com or follow @i-teacher.bsky.social Thinking about … A nother year, another pay dispute. Another round of strike threats. Another letter home. Another rushed SLTmeeting about ‘contingency plans’. Another weary chat in the staffroomabout who’s striking and who isn’t, who can afford to and who can’t, and who thinks whether it will really, truly change anything. Conference season has been and gone, with both the NEU andNASUWT laying out their stalls. The hot topic? Strikes over pay. Now, before I’maccused of siding with ‘the man’, let’s be clear – teachers absolutely deserve decent pay.What we’re currently paid isn’t good enough. The unions should be fighting for salaries that reflect the late nights, emotional exhaustion and endless redesigns based on the latest fad from Ofsted, newSLT or – dare I say it – Netflix dramas. When I asked a former line manager of mine if he was striking in 2023, he said, “ If I weren’t to strike, what am I saying about the value of my profession? ” He was absolutely right, and I’ve since adopted his mantra as my own: I amnot against striking for better pay . And yet... Most of us (I hope) didn’t become teachers dreaming of mansion houses, butlers and private jets.We joined because we loved the idea of teaching. When we see 40,000 teachers leaving the profession within a year, we have to ask – are they quitting over the money, or over everything else that’s broken? I’mnot saying we should be striking over parents slagging us off on WhatsApp, Ofsted’s Nando’s-esque inspection charts or the reality that genuine career progression usually means less classroom time. But when the dominant narrative that reaches the national press is, ‘ Teachers are striking again because their third pay rise in three years isn’t enough, sneer, sneer... ’ you have to wonder if the unions are getting their message across in the right way. We want more teachers to stay, and more new recruits to join us.We want teachers to love their profession and be proud of it. So why does it feel like we’re embracing tactics that are scaring people off?Who in their right mind would sign up for a career that constantly seems to be one bad headline away frombeing vilified? Which brings me back to the unions. Striking over pay used to be the nuclear option – a last-ditch shout for dignity and respect. Now, it’s become little more than background noise. I’ve voted in so many strike ballots recently, it’s starting to rival my voting for Strictly Come Dancing . I don’t think pay is the main reason why teachers are leaving.Why aren’t we seeing similar energy spent on fighting for smaller class sizes?More funding for TAs? Holding parents accountable for ‘ I think you’re lying ’ responses when ringing home about behaviour issues? Fighting for better pay is essential, yet when we focus solely on pay, we lose a bit of the moral high ground. And a little more public respect. It’s not just the money that needs boosting; it’s the whole sorry, battered soul of the profession. Shouting louder every year about paymight win the odd battle – but it sure as hell won’t win the war. 75 teachwire.net/secondary L E A R N I N G L A B