Staff+Duties+and+Responsibilities+Policy

STAFF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES POLICY **

Just like our students, we expect our staff to be involved in activities outside the classroom. This is regardless of the position held (the only exception being for our first year teachers who are completing their portfolio and familiarising themselves with the profession). It is expected that each teacher will have at least one responsibility outside of the classroom. Due to the diverse range of opportunities provided for our students at Society High it is necessary for staff to be involved in this capacity. If a teacher takes on more than one program outside of the classroom they can then apply to teach less classes in lieu of this. Types of roles that are on offer at Society High are year level co-ordinators, subject co-ordinators, homeroom teachers, pastoral care supervisors, house co-ordinators and sport coaches.

As with any school it is expected that staff are available to conduct yard and bus duties. Both these activities give teachers a chance to get to know students on a more personal level as well as being outdoors and moving. Teachers are expected to arrive at classes on time as per the laws relating to duty of care. They are also expected to arrive at school half an hour before the teaching day commences and not leave until fifteen minutes after the last bell. This is to give staff a chance to complete out of class work, such as marking or lesson preparation, or to socialise if they are already up to date with (or ahead of) their work.

Staff are expected to attend all briefings and any meetings that relate to their faculties. It is important that staff pay attention during these meetings. Due to the fast paced and evolving environment at Society High, things are often only said once. All announcements pertaining to the running of the school are deemed to be relevant to all staff. For example, an excursion for Science may effect your English class or vice versa. We expect our students to listen to us when we give them their homework or our instructions, so we must be able to do this ourselves. Teachers are expected to be up to date with frequent change.

Staff are expected to be courteous and to assist each other wherever possible. This is especially apparent when liaising with first year teachers. As adults who are in the business of helping teenagers it is expected that behind the scenes bickering, gossiping or backstabbing will not take place. Staff are encouraged to keep a positive attitude toward each other. It is unlikely to assume that issues will not arise and we do not expect our staff to say nothing when they do. Rather, we expect them to voice their concerns in a formal meeting environment or at morning briefings where all parties can contribute.

If a student in need approaches any staff member they must either assist the student or book them in to see one of our counsellors. We believe a student’s choice to approach a particular staff member makes them the best person able to deal with the problem. The student obviously places a lot of trust in them. If they are too busy at the time or do not feel comfortable discussing the issue themselves, they must make an appointment for the student to see the counsellor. Simply telling the student to make an appointment is not adequate, due to the fact that the student may not do this. If the student does not attend the session with the counsellor, then the counsellor is still aware of him/her requiring assistance. It is their job to follow this up.

**RATIONALE** We have an expectation at Society High that teachers will involve themselves in the extra-curricular program. We do this because we believe that teachers can be more effective in their role by immersing themselves in our school’s culture. D. Bennetts advocates the usage of a particular model to allocate extra-curricular activities to staff members. [1] He recognizes that both the school and the teacher work in a high pressure environment and that both have different needs. This is particularly important to us because we value our school and our teaching staff. We understand that our teachers work very hard and that sometimes the thought of more work can be daunting. However, the nature of schools is such that these roles need to exist for the benefit of the students. In particular, at Society High we provide a diverse range of services and activities for our learners. We believe that our teachers can fulfill these roles more effectively than anyone else due to the contact they already have with students. Bennetts also states that negotiations regarding extra-curricular work should be case dependent, that they should aim for a win/win situation, and that any party should have the right to cease negotiations. This is why at Society High we only have one mandatory extra-curricular activity for each staff member without lieu being granted. We agree that each case is different. Teachers’ work loads will vary and so will the extra-curricular roles. It is for this reason that the negotiating process decides how much lieu is offered for different roles. If the teachers are not happy with the process they are always able to walk away from it without harm to their salary.

At Society High we see the role of yard duty as more than just ‘guard duty.’ On this topic, J. Evans states the following:

‘Rules are necessary to protect children from unsafe play and supervision helps to ensure that they are adhered to. However, the challenge is to find the balance between providing a playground that is safe and one which still provides children with opportunities for active and passive play which they want and need.’ [2]

Having the teachers on yard duty means that the latter can be achieved. It should also be noted that teachers are encouraged to engage in the active and passive play that Evans refers to. This could be something as simple as playing ‘kick to kick’ on the oval or just chatting to the students – and it is easier for teachers to supervise if there is less distance between them. Our teachers are reminded that they need to maintain their professionalism. The students should not see them as friends, but as role models.

At Society High we deem it important that staff attend all briefings and meetings. In relation to this L. Veel states the following, ‘Alignment of individual, small and large group aims, purposes and values in a school organization are the most fundamental aspects of motivation.’ [3] It is for this reason that we expect staff to attend and contribute their opinions at briefings and meetings. It is essential that we create at a unified voice, and to do this everybody must represent themselves and pay attention in our continually changing environment.

Staff are encouraged to avoid bickering and to raise issues in formal meetings where it is more likely that the problems can be effectively addressed. Simply whining about it behind the scenes is not likely to solve anything. Open and honest communication is very important in our environment. J. Licata notes that having a structure like this in place ‘seems to assist principals in avoiding possible latent dysfunctions of informal interaction, nurture face among peers and allay anxieties associated with a blindside mentality. [4] As teachers and facilitators we should be beyond the ‘school yard antics’ we may have engaged in as teenagers and are trying to prevent in our students.

B. Johnson notes that students are likely to be happy to approach the teachers whom they know and hold in high regard and that these teachers are often best equipped to assist them. [5] At Society High, we feel the same way. Referring to extensive research he also notes the following:

‘Several students specifically said that they would not seek the help of school counselors ‘because I don’t know them’. In large and busy schools this isn’t surprising. It also reinforces Luthar and Zelazo’s (2003) point that the ‘most proximal and most enduring’ relationships seem to be the most nurturing.’ [6]

It is for this reason that we expect a teacher who is approached to make the time to talk with the student. The student should only be booked in to see the counselor if the teacher is extremely busy and the problem cannot wait, or if the teacher feels ill-equipped to deal with the situation. The latter would be very rare given that the teacher in question possesses an advantage over anyone else.


 * Footnotes:**

[1] D. Bennetts, Extra -curricular duty allocations: a negotiation model, __Theses__, University of New England 1999, p. 265. [2] Evans J. In search of peaceful playgrounds. [online]. __Education Research and Perspectives__; v.28 n.1 p.45; June 2001. Availability: ____ ISSN: 0311-2543. [cited 25 Sep 09]. [3] Veel L. Developing high performing teams in schools. [online]. __Australian Educational Leader__; v.30 n.1 p.35; 2008. Availability: ____ ISSN: 1832-8245. [cited 25 Sep 09]. [4] Licata, J. W., The other side of the principal: norms and beliefs, __Journal of Educational Administration__; v.23 n.2 p.195; Summer 1985. [5] Johnson, B., (2008) ‘Teacher-student relationships which promote resilience at school: a micro-level analysis of students' views', British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 36:4,387. [6] Ibid., p. 388.


 * Bibliography:**

Bennetts, D., Extra-curricular duty allocations: a negotiation model, __Theses__, University of New England 1999, p. 265-275.

Evans, J., In search of peaceful playgrounds. [online]. __Education Research and Perspectives__; v.28 n.1 pp.45-56; June 2001. Availability: ____ ISSN: 0311-2543. [cited 25 Sep 09].

Figgis, J., The head of the table. [online]. __Campus Review__; v.17 n.9 p.10-11; 6 March 2007. Availability: ____ ISSN: 1037-034X. [cited 26 Sep 09].

Johnson, B., (2008) ‘Teacher-student relationships which promote resilience at school: a micro-level analysis of students' views', British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 36:4,385-398.

Katter, N., Legal liability and the supervision of students : the law revisited. [online]. __Australian Educational Leader__; v.29 n.4 p.28-33; 2007. Availability: ____ ISSN: 1832-8245. [cited 26 Sep 09].

Licata, J. W., The other side of the principal: norms and beliefs, __Journal of Educational Administration__; v.23 n.2 p.195-210; Summer 1985.

Veel, L., Developing high performing teams in schools. [online]. __Australian Educational Leader__; v.30 n.1 pp. 32-35; 2008. Availability: ____ ISSN: 1832-8245. [cited 25 Sep 09].