The Twenty-Sixth Republic -Half Term Horror?

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff only – a sort of room of requirement. Baiters, haters, goaders and bashers can jog on somewhere else.

If you are NOT staff and just have a general education query please start your own thread.

You can play here if you are a member of one the following groups-

-ABBA - anti bashers and baiting association
-SWAB - school workers against bashers
-SWOT - school workers opposing teacherbashers
-STARS - schoolworkers together against ranting + slurs

Do not give ‘The Every twat for Themselves mob’ the staffroom password as a number of them are operating in an alternative reality.

No DfE muppets allowed

Other requirements for staff room entry include the ability to find the staff room, the ability to find a clean mug in the staff room, knowledge of the photocopier codes, and the ability to sniff out where the toffee vodka is hidden.

If you are fed up with cakes and biscuits there is now a cheeseboard on offer

If you come with a stick to goad us then that is not allowed in the staffroom and you will receive a detention

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

So good luck Wales with your circuit breaker starting at 6pm!

[CallmeAngelina]

Phew.
Hi everyone.

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

The head did say that he didn't want to see groups of staff at the local pub ..

Anyway - good luck to all our Welsh colleagues on their two week circuit breaker - may all your gins be large ones

[MrsHamlet]

Hooray. I've got three tins of chocolates - help yourselves. I'll eat the bounties if you like.

[CallmeAngelina]

May I have some of the a Malteser one please?

[Butmiss]

Checking in. Happy half term!
Today a child brought me a note from home. It took me a minute to realise it was written on toilet paper. Schools are definitely clean and covid secure!

[TheHoneyBadger]

@MrsHamlet

Hooray. I've got three tins of chocolates - help yourselves. I'll eat the bounties if you like.

I can do a bounty if needs be! It's usually all that ds leaves me.

[flumposie]

Happy half term everyone

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Good luck Wales.

I'll fight you for the bounties, MrsH

3 school and childcare bubbles bursting today among staff at work. Just in time for half term. And I've had another alert off the app. Still no need to isolate, but feels like it might be a matter of time.

Work must have been reading the scottish one's posts. I've been given a pin badge. It doesn't say 'home guard' though.

[CallmeAngelina]

You're welcome to the bounties. Hate coconut.

[TheHoneyBadger]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4058860-To-offer-to-go-to-the-bar-and-buy-every-teacher-a-drink?msgid=101103623

It's actually hilarious that 20% of the voters think I'm being unreasonable to want to buy teachers a drink. Miserable fuckers.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Make sure you get at least a couple of days solid no school work rest.



This applies to you too. You are only allowed to give that advice if you take it.

[MrsHamlet]

Head sent deputy to buy tins of chocolate for staff this afternoon. She bought 25 so the spares are in our office for emergencies safe keeping.
According to the lady in repro, I made lots of people smile today - I'd left all my new staff a little bottle of wine in their pigeon holes.

[CarrieBlue]

I loved Friday lunchtimes in the pub. I miss Friday after school in the pub. The pub scenes were the truest bit of ‘Teachers’ (though it was a bit too documentary/close to reality at times, back in the day)

[TheHoneyBadger]

I'm taking it Rafals - I've worked my arse off in order to be able to pretty much forget about the whole thing for the majority of half term.

Only trouble being they have announced the tlr roles and I'm umming and ahhing about whether to apply for something with no clear boundaries (eg. time) for less than 3k a year. My previous experience in FE actually makes me really suitable for the role and in addition to the 'is it worth it' question there's the realisation that if they turn me down I'd have to conclude they really have no respect for me at all and no desire to keep me. It may well be they already know who they want to appoint and who've they've actually created the tlrs for.

But hush my thinking. Rest first.

[monkeytennis97]

Happy half term all!!

[TheHoneyBadger]

oh mrsH you sound lovely. Can you imagine if everyone took care of each other a bit? It sounds so twee but it makes such a difference. Isolated bubbles of stress and desperation or a sense of being a team who look out for each other. It's small things that are everything.

[MrsHamlet]

Feel free to share your thinking here - if we're not too drunk on the cheap wine stashed behind the copier, we'll listen.

[SquashedFlyBiscuits]

@MrsHamlet got any jobs going? I want to work for you.

Also, if there are any heroes, I'm happy to eat the eclairs.

Got a thank you from a parent today and one from SLT.

[MrsHamlet]

Thank you Honey.
Boss had to "tell off" a colleague this week for taking someone a cuppa during a lesson. She was in doing his appraisal at the time and we're not allowed hot drinks in lessons. Party line defended, I then had to give a quiet pat on the back on her behalf 😂

[TheHoneyBadger]

@MrsHamlet

Feel free to share your thinking here - if we're not too drunk on the cheap wine stashed behind the copier, we'll listen.

If that was directed at me I really wish I could but I think I've already added way too much information here sadly.

[MrsHamlet]

We're looking for a school nurse and a lab tech at the moment, Squashed
I'm a real grouch about a lot of things but I do try to keep my colleagues happy. I can afford a few quid on wine and biscuits and kindness from time to time.

[TheHoneyBadger]

Oh to be brought a cup of tea! There's one deputy head who sadly retired this year who used to make cups of tea and bring them to your table at parents evening. I used to feel like kissing her.

[Hercwasonaroll]

Happy half term.... We made it!

Hit the wall last night and was in bed for half 7, got lots done today but probably not enough so will have at least half a day of work.

Can't quite work out what half term is going to do to the spread. I'm anticipating a sort of circuit break but by end of November cases going crazy again.

My own child is isolating until Friday so no fun days out for us either. Halloween crafts galore here, going to embrace my inner primary teacher....!

[TheHoneyBadger]

I honestly feel very happy we have this thread. I know I'm mostly joking about the pub but it is a sad state of affairs that teaching is so much less 'communal' or..... team orientated that when I started out.

It's also one of those jobs where you just don't get it unless you do it. So in my little mad world tonight is on a par with Christmas or New Year's Eve but celebrated entirely alone :/

I confess I sent an all staff email asking if teachers still go to the pub and inviting anyone who feels like going for a pint next end of term to shout and I'll come. I'm so not promotion material and yet I kind of feel I should be. Nonsense 'staff wellbeing' initiatives like send each other 'you're a star' cards instead of normal human support and comradery need to go in the bin. Seriously totally outed if anyone is at my school.

Someone (just a classroom teacher and nice guy with a sense of community) sent a whole staff email today explaining we could easily get a £150 expenses refund by following a straightforward process reporting we have worked from home during lockdown this tax year. It was so normal and nice and human. There is just not enough of that anymore. I'm not harking back to imagine golden times (I mostly worked with men in grubby suits with egg on their ties in those days) but some things were better.