PK Education Newsletter: Unwrap the Xmas Edition
Happy Christmas!
Firstly – CONGRATULATIONS! You survived the dreaded, seemingly eternal Autumn term.
Now you can spend some time to enjoy a few weeks of freedom, whether that means hibernating in your reindeer onesie, overindulging in all the naughty things or obligatory visits to relatives you’re glad you only have to see once a year.
The time passes faster than a student exiting the classroom when they’ve forgotten their homework, so whatever you’ve got planned, we hope you have a great time.
In this month’s newsletter, we’ve got a few Xmas treats for you, as well as a bit of info we think you’ll find interesting, so grab your Baileys coffee (no judgement, it’s Christmas after all) or an orange juice and read on…
Workload Worries
Without trying to dampen the Christmas spirit too much, we wanted to touch on the results from a recent Government survey that revealed:
- 49% of teachers and leaders thought their workload was both not acceptable and that they did not have sufficient control over it
- The top ranked task that teachers spent too much time on was general administrative tasks
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed with workload, you’re not alone. Maybe your school has been introducing extra processes that are leaving you feeling more stretched than your waistband after Christmas Dinner? Don’t battle on alone.
Some New Year resolutions that focus on your wellbeing could help or maybe you need a more permanent fix.
Time for a Change? New Year, New Career!
We’re seeing lots of people making the switch from permanent roles into supply teaching, so if you are in a permanent role and are tired of ever-mounting workloads, school politics and holidays spent marking and planning, have you considered doing supply?
Supply teachers are in high demand and you might find it is the change you need, without throwing years of teacher training and teaching experience down the drain.
While there are some downsides to supply, such as less paid holidays and less stability of income, there are many big positives:
Less workload – Permanent teachers are slowly disappearing, submerging under a mountain of paperwork, planning and marking. Short-term supply teachers can leave the work behind them when the end of school bell rings.
More flexibility – Have you missed family weddings, your child’s nativity play or other important events due to not being able to get time off? With supply you have the option to pick the days and weeks you want to work, you can even book holidays at normal prices instead of the astronomical school holiday prices, would you believe.
Pay – Some supply teachers actually earn more than permanent teachers and the competitive rates, combined with less stress could make supply teaching more worthwhile.
If you’re considering switching to supply, get in touch because we can talk you through any of the questions you might have. You can check our latest vacancies to see how many regular jobs are available and the rates you can expect.
Get Creative with Canva
Have you tried using Canva design software yet? We think it is a really valuable tool for teachers, so if you have a bit of free time over the holidays, it’s a good time to explore the great features.
You can sign up for Canva for free, some of the content is only available on premium membership but the free version gives you plenty of useful tools including:
- Huge library of images, graphics and videos
- Loads of lesson plan and worksheet templates
- Engaging presentation templates which you can turn into videos
- Professional poster designs
- Seasonal quizzes – perfect for time fillers when you’ve had no lesson prep handed over
If you are looking for new teaching opportunities, you can also use stunning CV templates to stand out from the crowd.
Surviving the Christmas Party
It’s that time of year when teachers clock off and let loose. You can usually spot a teachers’ Christmas party a mile off, they’re usually the ones who look like they’ve been let into a pub for their first legal drinks. Oh, and those bellowing teacher voices are a bit of a giveaway too.
Whether you’re the person who keeps the constant order of shots coming from the bar or you are waiting for the best moment to make a quiet departure, what you don’t want is to be the subject of staff room gossip for the foreseeable. We all know someone who did something silly years ago and got stuck with an unfortunate nickname.
Supply teachers often have the opposite problem, with no team to go on an annual Christmas do with. Some would say this is a blessing in disguise; you won’t get stuck talking to Martin from IT about his heroic bug fixing escapades or dealing with the fear of what you might have said to the Head after one too many wines. Plus, you can organise your own Xmas do with other friends who are in the same boat.
Left it Late for Xmas Shopping?
Thanks to those insanely fast and frankly quite dangerous driving skills of the new breed of delivery drivers, you no longer have to fight your way through an army of last-minute Christmas shoppers.
Don’t forget you can get some great teacher discounts including:
10% off at Beaverbrooks (Blue Light Card)
Currys discounts including 10% off TVs and Dyson floorcare (Blue Light Card)
10% off at Clinique (Discounts for Teachers)
10% off at Hotel Chocolat (Discounts for Teachers)
You can also use the Blue Light Card Voucher Shop to get discounts such as 6% at M&S and 3.5% off at Waitrose, Tesco and Morrisons for your big food shop.
Festive Trivia
Here’s your Xmas brainteaser…
Q. I’m seen in December but not in any other month. What am I?
(Clue: it isn’t a Christmas item or character)
If you have been agonising over the answer to last month’s brainteaser, here you go:
Q. Turn me on my side and I’m everything. Cut me in half and I’m nothing. What am I?
A. The number 8 (of course!)
Happy Christmas from PK Education
That’s a wrap for this year! From everyone at PK Education, we’d like to wish you a Merry Christmas and an even better New Year.
We are looking forward to working with you in 2025. We’ve got some exciting things planned including giveaways and coffee meetups at our offices so we can get to know each other better. If you’re looking for a new role in the new year, get in touch.
