Steps for Network Manager wanting to teach a class...

[ellisteph10]

Hi all,

 

Very general question I know but I am a network manager and wondering what steps are needed to be able to teach a class.. you need to be qualified? You need certain qualifications?

 

Any help gratefully recieved.

 

Thanks

EL

[mattmoo]

Steps would be getting permission from senior leadership.

 

Most Leadership teams will be happy to use you to teach classes as generally your cheaper then a qualified teacher, however, if your looking at going down the professional route and changing jobs then you would need some recognised teaching qualification such as a PGCE.

 

If you are a graduate you could also look at the GTP route and there's something called teach first but I don't know much about it.

[ellisteph10]

Thanks for that.

 

I just wanted to check the legalities fo actually doing it. To teach a class you must be qualified in this....'?'

 

Will have a look at PGCE.

[kylewilliamson]

7. Instructors

Instructors are 'unqualified teachers' who the law allows to carry out the same duties as qualified teachers. Instructors can be employed:

 

to give instruction in any art or skill or in any subject or group of subjects (including any form of vocational training), where special qualifications or experience or both are required, in order to give such instruction

 

if the school or local authority is satisfied that he/she has the necessary special qualifications or experience or both to do the job

 

if there is no suitable qualified teacher, graduate teacher, registered teacher or teacher on the employment-based teacher training scheme available for such appointment or to give such instruction

only for such period that no suitable qualified teacher, graduate teacher, registered or teacher on an employment based teacher training scheme is available.

This is by no means an exhaustive list but examples of instructors might include:

 

a linguist or an interpreter as an instructor to teach one or more foreign languages

an artist to teach art

a musician to teach music

a carpenter to teach woodwork

an actor to teach drama.

 

Instructor posts should only be offered for as long as there is no qualified teacher or person on an employment based route to QTS available to supply those skills or qualifications.

 

I believe, however, if you were to be an unqualified instructor you should, technically, have a reduced network manager contract (say 4 hours or whatever per week) and an additional contract in place as an unqualified teacher to comply with the relevant legislation as unqualified teachers should also be employed under the National Pay & Conditions where as as a Network Manager, you will be employed under the school's or LA's terms and conditions.

 

http://publications.education.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/School%20Teachers'%20Pay%20and%20Conditions%202010.pdf

 

That said, if you're in the private sector, I don't think this really applies...

 

Kyle

[mattmoo]

Nice post Kyle,

 

In the real world they wouldn't change your contract to add that on unless specifically requested. It is more likely that you would be asked to do the job in your core hours.

 

Thanks

 

Matt

[ellisteph10]

Excellent, Thanks Kyle. Really interesting.

 

The thought is simply I run a Lunchtime ICT Club so wondered if this could be branched into learning something rather than just sat there watching them on YouTube!

[Admiral208]

We have unqualified people teaching classes here when the class teacher has their PPA time. Personally I think its wrong because they get someone who isn't a teacher being responsible for a group of children. I have a lot of respect for teachers, they train for many years, and then any tom, dick or harry can come in and do the same thing. I know if it were my child i wouldn't want any old person teaching them. If the teacher is in the room at the same time, then I have no problem. For example if a teacher is not very good at spreadsheets, get someone who is, but I feel the teacher should be there at the same time.

[ellisteph10]

Agree, Admiral. This is an extra thing and wouldnt be to cover normal lessons... English, Maths, even ICT. Especially covering teachers PPA?! Very wrong.

[ellisteph10]

Are there any vocational Network+ type courses out there that count as GCSE grades?

[apoth0r]

Being unqualified doesn't make you rubbish at the job, it's just a way of the unions.

 

ECDL / Ingots / CompTIA certs - worth looking into any of those as its reasonably easy to become an 'instructor' without having to go down the PGCE route.

[penfold]

Excellent, Thanks Kyle. Really interesting.

 

The thought is simply I run a Lunchtime ICT Club so wondered if this could be branched into learning something rather than just sat there watching them on YouTube!

 

If you are going down this route, I would doubt you need a "formal" qualification to do this. I assume it would be voluntary for people to attend? If you were to go down the ECDL etc route then this could be in addition to GCSE but I doubt there is anything that you could teach that would count as a GCSE. That would be for a teacher to do.

 

Of course if you did become an ECDL instructor you could then teach your staff how to use their software properly which might enable you to get funding from the school

[kylewilliamson]

Nice post Kyle,

 

In the real world they wouldn't change your contract to add that on unless specifically requested. It is more likely that you would be asked to do the job in your core hours.

 

Thanks

 

Matt

 

I know the practice - but in theory, I believe it's illegal to do so unless you have a specific instructor contract as only those employed under the National Pay & Conditions Framework are allowed (by law) to teach in secondary education. This obviously excludes HTLAs and Cover Supervisors, but they are not seen to have individual responsibility for teaching & learning. With cover teachers those employed directly by the school are on the same framework, and agency staff are not really supposed to 'teach' just cover (I know what happens here)

 

The other major advantages of becoming a part time instructor are Teacher's Pension Scheme, and that you become entitled to join one of the teaching unions - and even though you are unqualified you become part of the 'teaching' staff - and evidence as such would be useful should you wish to potentially pursue GTP. It's a case of hats, but important legal ones.

 

As a CRB cleared adult, you should be able to left alone with groups of children under law.

 

As far as an ICT club goes, this is a bit different - the main legal difference between a cover supervisor/HLTA and a 'teacher' is that the teacher has responsibility for teaching & learning for a group of pupils - where as a lunchtime club there are no real T&L outcomes to be met so there should be no reason why you cannot run activities. Running a club that teaches a bit of programming in a lunchtime session is very different to teaching a timetabled class on your own.

 

Kyle

[HarryMonkey]

I was employed as NM a few years ago at a local school. Part way through the term, one of the IT teachers upped and left leaving a gap in the timetable. I was then employed as an instructor to take over a chunk of the timetable of the ex-teacher, (along with parent's evenings and such like). My NM hours were reduced accordingly and I was given a seperate contract for my instructor hours (although I stipulated that I would have to be paid at my NM rate for both jobs). I had two payslips ... one for NM and one for instructor.

 

Following the replacement of the teacher (the following academic year), I was kept on as an instrustor and given a group of disaffected students to do a Certificate Of Acheivement course in ICT. This enabled problem students to gain a qualification and relevant IT skills and allowed their former ICT groups to carry on undisturbed. All of them gained a distinction and I got quite a buzz out of knowing that I had made a difference to those young people.

 

Another upside of it was that I was also given a (what was then) DFES teacher number which meant that in later years I was elligible for the LfT scheme, even though I was now back to being a fulltime NM at another school.

[ellisteph10]

Thanks Steven, sounds like you enjoyed it.

 

Ive had a quick look at suitable courses that could be run but not quite found one suitable. Do you have details of this Certificate of Achievement course?

[HarryMonkey]

Thanks Steven, sounds like you enjoyed it.

 

Ive had a quick look at suitable courses that could be run but not quite found one suitable. Do you have details of this Certificate of Achievement course?

 

I'm not sure what it was. It's quite a few years ago now. I'll see what I can find when I get home tonight.

[GrumbleDook]

One of the other important things to remember is your insurance. Make sure you are covered by your union. Do *not* rely purely on the school for it as if there is a difference of opinion about whether you took appropriate action then the school could leave you out on the limb to protect themselves.

[TwoZeroAlpha]

I hope in to ICT lessons when the subject matter goes over the head of the teachers. I did have quite a large part to play in designing our schemes of work with the old HOD and now help the new one out. (Usually with HTML bits and Gimp in graphics). I'm paid as a tech and don't get any extra hours but everyone understands my primary role comes first and I'm just lending a hand. SLT are all happy so it's a win-win situation. Teacher stays in the class so no insurance issues.

[JPS]

We have unqualified people teaching classes here when the class teacher has their PPA time. Personally I think its wrong because they get someone who isn't a teacher being responsible for a group of children. I have a lot of respect for teachers, they train for many years, and then any tom, dick or harry can come in and do the same thing. I know if it were my child i wouldn't want any old person teaching them. If the teacher is in the room at the same time, then I have no problem. For example if a teacher is not very good at spreadsheets, get someone who is, but I feel the teacher should be there at the same time.

 

I understand your point but any teacher training could be considered tom, dick or harry, certainly in their first few months - they are not qualified and usually inexperienced. Everyone has to start somewhere. Also dont think that there is a qualified teacher in the room all the time with a trainee!

[JPS]

You may be interested in my situation (or was my situation). I have a particularly educational background but not a qualified teacher. In my capacity as an MIS Manager in my last job I was responsible for writing the schools timetable (a really big jigsaw puzzle!). Nearing the end of the procedure I had realised we were short on IT staff to teach the Functional Skills IT to the Diploma students. So for 3 hours across a fortnight I timetabled myself to deliver this part of their course. I do have an IT degree and the subject knowledge was not an issue. I was a member of a union (GMB) and had the full support of the SMT and IT HOD. I thoroughly enjoyed the lessons and had a massive high (better than anything before, legal or illegal) when I received the exam results to find out they all passed!

 

IMO, as long as you have the support of your management I would strongly recommend it.

[CAM]

I believe, according to talk around the school, that unqualified teachers can teach but only if a teacher is with them. They have to make the lesson plans and provide you with them at the start of the lesson (before is even better!). This is for public schools, after doing some sniffing around the GTP site I found private schools use what they want but it's rare for an unqualified teacher to have sole responsibility of a class.

 

I still wonder what the law says about supervision of free time though (i.e school library).

[HarryMonkey]

Thanks Steven, sounds like you enjoyed it.

 

Ive had a quick look at suitable courses that could be run but not quite found one suitable. Do you have details of this Certificate of Achievement course?

 

I believe they are called Entry Level Certificates now ...

 

Entry level certificate  | Information and Communication Technology  : Edexcel

 

Hope this helps

 

Steve