Career as Teacher

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Really sad how our teachers kpi is all these nonsense

it's the same everywhere, starting from young where you have all sorts of extra things to pad your portfolio because L1R5 raw 6 or 90 rank points is nothing special anymore.

Nowadays when teacher hiring has slowed to a crawl, new teachers joining the service are only the cream of the crop. A lot of the post-2015 hires are ambitious, talented, and highly qualified right from the get go. They learn and grow fast, and develop solid aspirations within the first few years of service. Then they learn about the progression bottleneck and how few opportunities are out there for them to realise their aspirations in the service.

Then they land an irresistable job offer after their bond is over, with maybe a 20-30% pay jump, and that's it. Another scholar gone right after their bond.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

it's the same everywhere, starting from young where you have all sorts of extra things to pad your portfolio because L1R5 raw 6 or 90 rank points is nothing special anymore.

Nowadays when teacher hiring has slowed to a crawl, new teachers joining the service are only the cream of the crop. A lot of the post-2015 hires are ambitious, talented, and highly qualified right from the get go. They learn and grow fast, and develop solid aspirations within the first few years of service. Then they learn about the progression bottleneck and how few opportunities are out there for them to realise their aspirations in the service.

Then they land an irresistable job offer after their bond is over, with maybe a 20-30% pay jump, and that's it. Another scholar gone right after their bond.

non scholars leaving too...dont think its just about the salary. there was this geo3 who left to just become a normal fitness instructor. huge paycut but a lot happier

Originally Posted by Unregistered

it's the same everywhere, starting from young where you have all sorts of extra things to pad your portfolio because L1R5 raw 6 or 90 rank points is nothing special anymore.

Nowadays when teacher hiring has slowed to a crawl, new teachers joining the service are only the cream of the crop. A lot of the post-2015 hires are ambitious, talented, and highly qualified right from the get go. They learn and grow fast, and develop solid aspirations within the first few years of service. Then they learn about the progression bottleneck and how few opportunities are out there for them to realise their aspirations in the service.

Then they land an irresistable job offer after their bond is over, with maybe a 20-30% pay jump, and that's it. Another scholar gone right after their bond.

Sounds about right. Earn more and work less. Passion can only take you so far.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Fellow GEO5 teachers in mid or late 30s, and just wanna be Hot. can share your mindset on how to approach your career. I just want to do my job, have work life balance and enjoy time with wife and kids. Really not looking to go into SEO ranks. How to continue motivate yourself when it's like doing the same thing everyday.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Since you are not looking to promote further, should look for a committee and cca which are relatively easier. There sure are some committees and CCAs which have a lighter load compared to the rest. Don’t be afraid to say no when tasked to take on roles that are stressful. Try to leave school punctually when you are done with your lessons. Be friends and talk to the other highly experienced HOTs in your school and you will feel more assured and not alone.

After reading the past few posts, someone playing the devil's advocate can simply say that it is the establishment of these HOTs that resulted in work being thrown to the younger ones with promises of promotion.

For the younger ones, I guess the big picture is clearer now?

You can try asking your ROs why a relaxed GEO5 is drawing more than 2k in salary than you, but doing similar or even less work than you. Then see if you can see through the smokescreened replies.

Sometimes it feels sad to read the replies here. Seems like we are working too hard and need to just do enough will do.
Because no one will actually care about our work as long as the school is functioning well right?

Is there an age for flexi? Or it really depends case by case?

The only way to relieve the progression bottleneck is to hold every EO accountable if they fail to keep up with the evolving demands of their job. This is how it is done in more efficient organisations, for example profit-maximising private companies. You fail to deliver the value expected at your salary point, you get redeployed to somewhere that you can contribute better, or you are let go.

As long as we keep people around who aren't pulling their weight, and we don't level them up quickly enough so that they start pulling their weight, there will always be people who need to pick up the slack without also having the opportunity to advance.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

After reading the past few posts, someone playing the devil's advocate can simply say that it is the establishment of these HOTs that resulted in work being thrown to the younger ones with promises of promotion.

For the younger ones, I guess the big picture is clearer now?

You can try asking your ROs why a relaxed GEO5 is drawing more than 2k in salary than you, but doing similar or even less work than you. Then see if you can see through the smokescreened replies.

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with working within the responsibilities of what you are paid for.

GEO 5 people have GEO 5 level of responsibilities. such as being OIC, IC of committee, and CPE in national exams.

The question that should instead be asked, is why are lower-ranking officers expected to take on responsibilities way above their paygrade in order to promote? Shouldn't promotion be assessed based on how well someone is doing their job at their paygrade?

It is all along clear that teachers will stay at GEO5 if they don't want to go into management, which is fine, since there are plenty of people who are really not keen to take up management responsibilities as they have other priorities in life.

But that doesn't warrant slowing down the progression of officers who do want to climb. In addition to slowing down the pace of promotion from GEO3 to GEO 4 and Geo 4 to GEO 5, there are also new obstacles placed, such as requiring a minimum of GEO4 for KP-ship and HQ postings.

Other ministries and stat boards offer way faster progression. In the civil service thread, the following seems to be the GEO-MX equivalent:
GEO2 = MX13 (fresh grad)
GEO3 = MX 12 (default cohort promotion)
GEO 4,5 = MX11 (typically in 3-5 years after MX12)
SEO1 = MX11A (Assistant Director)

From this, can see that progression in MOE is even slower after GEO4. More so with GEO5A.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

After reading the past few posts, someone playing the devil's advocate can simply say that it is the establishment of these HOTs that resulted in work being thrown to the younger ones with promises of promotion.

For the younger ones, I guess the big picture is clearer now?

You can try asking your ROs why a relaxed GEO5 is drawing more than 2k in salary than you, but doing similar or even less work than you. Then see if you can see through the smokescreened replies.

So true. It’s these mid 30s to 40s teachers who often got no substance or ambitions. Hired in a period around 2009 ~ where any random person with a degree pass can get in. Now GEO5 but totally mediocre, collecting a fat paycheck while passing on work to junior officers. Sounds about right

Originally Posted by Unregistered

So true. It’s these mid 30s to 40s teachers who often got no substance or ambitions. Hired in a period around 2009 ~ where any random person with a degree pass can get in. Now GEO5 but totally mediocre, collecting a fat paycheck while passing on work to junior officers. Sounds about right

Think of this way, every school need a large group of teachers who are contented to be HOT and not HOD, since there are always classes to teach.

The school cannot make all of them go on the leadership track, there is simply not enough vacancies.

So because of the existence of this large group, there is room for groups of young and ambitious teachers to show their potential to be in leadership.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

How many years have you been in GEO3?

What have your performance grades been while in GEO3?

You can provide some of these info so that some people here can give you the advice for your approximate timeline.

2020- promotion to GEO3 grade C+ for work done in 2019 (practicum year)
2021- grade B for work done in 2020
2022- promotion to GEO4 grade A for wek done in 2021
2023-???

Just a lowly tsl in case anyone thinks I'm a high flyer