Secondary teachers, do you ever have shite day with horrid kids and then blame yourself?

Lol - love it!

Invigilation tag ..... well, just tag really! One invigilator is 'It' and has to 'catch' another invigilator. Obviously no running allowed !! But quite funny watching everyone walking nonchalantly up and down the rows, weaving in and out of the desks, trying not to look like they're speeding up. And of course attending to any pupil requests for extra paper, dropped pencils etc as you go along. You can introduce slight variations - eg desk at front can be 'homey' and you're safe there, but only allowed to stop for 1 minute etc. And of course you have to actually touch the other person to tag them. And do it all without the pupils cottoning on

I do less cover than I used to, but we are still being put on cover when cover supervisors aren't doing anything (why? If they would just tell us why this happens I don't think I would mind so much).

I put up my own displays because it's a pain in the arse to get someone to do it for me - although the option is there. Also I get mad attacks of energy and leap up and pin things up straight away. If I had to wait to get someone else to do it I'd lose momentum altogther!

I never touch money. I try not to even take in slips for stuff if I can help it. And we don't invigilate (but don't get me started on the bunch they have in to do it! They're a prime example of a little bit of power going to someone's head...)

We don't invigilate anymore but I was cross with the behaviour of yr 11 in their mocks (and not v impressed by some of the invigilators, one of whom had her mobile out fgs) so will probably go in as much as I can when the GCSEs are on. I have never played invigilation games though - please tell me more!

Cover - a fair bit but they are trying to cut it down

Displays - I prepared and put up 3 but a TA helped me; this year I've done none so far, so they are looking a bit dated now.

Money collecting - nope; a secretary does that.

Oh god, no, we don't invigilate any more, apart from some school exams. Def not external exams since the reforms. Tho I have to confess to missing some of those games we used to play....

None atm, because of Dh's illness, but for my collegues, not much, a drastic reduction and the PPA time is adhered to 100%

Some , but this is through choice

None, the kids do them

None, but I'm not a form tutor

None

Talking of workplace reform - how is it going in your school?
Last term how:
a) much cover did you do?
b) many displays did you put up?
c) many displays did you prepare?
d) often did you have to collect money from pupils?

Last year how:
e) many exams did you invigilate?

We don't do invigilation either.

Some of our invigilators are great, but some are shocking! One tried to read a book until one of the others stoped him!!!!

The only thing we have to invigilate is mock SATs. (not external exams and mock GCSEs)

Asgoodas.... have you played Invigilation Tag? It's great! Hey, we could start a thread on invigilation games....

Good luck MB. You seem so passionate about your work you can't be anything less than a fab teacher!

I work part time too (although in a junior school unit for HI) and we had an ofsted last july (a week before the end of term ffs! some of the kids books had already been sent home and lots of displays already dismantled )
unfortunately it was on a thurs and fri and I work on...

Mon, tues and weds!
Shame.

2 for me.

sods law would mean one of the two was on my busiest day!

whatever, they can take me as they find me

Hope it goes well MB! How many days are they coming for?

One local secondary recently had a one-day-only Ofsted (because previous ones had all been so fab apparently), which I'd not heard of before.

Lol Alfiesbabe - never been called gran!
Good luck MB. It wasn't that long ago that our school was in special measures so I'm quite used to OFSTED sadly. Mock SATs next week for us - boring invigilation where I count their tatoos, those wearing trainers, etc.

Oops - good luck MB. We had ours last term and it went really well - they do seem to be getting more and more human, the longer I teach.

I remember my very first Ofsted when I hadn't been teaching long. The registered inspector watched me twice in one day and then arrived in my room at hometime looking really serious. My heart sank, my knees knocked. He said "I have to tell you that the two lessons I saw today were both rated excellent" - cue much hysterical giggling on the part of Janeite; I'd thought he was coming to sack me or something!

At least now, most of them seem to know how to smile.

Hope it goes okay for you.

Since I shifted to part time, I don't work Fridays. However today i found out that we are being ofsteaded next week. Deep joy!

I tell you what happened today as well, that we haven't had recently in our school.

4 (particularly pleasant) PGCE students had their last day, and they had bought prezzies for their subject mentors and main contact/supervisor, plus big tin of choccies for all, and they did a presentation/thank you in Briefing.

Ooooh what a fab thread. Love the idea of a cyberstaffroom - just don't sit in my bloody seat you lot!!!
Lol at being called 'mum'(usually cute Yr 7s) and occasionally 'sir', but has anyone else been called 'gran'?? I wasn't impressed either.
Anyway, my Friday wasn't too bad - off to crack open the wine now

How do you do it? I am in awe of you all! How on earth can those who want to learn progress with this sort of mayhem ensuing. It would drive me into an early grave. Ladies I take my hat off to you.

Heyyyyyyy! itrs the weekend! We made it!

Mine were all human day, strangely! Even the "vile" girl from yesterday, was all sunshine today. One thing with this job - it's never boring!!!

Students were very loopy in school today. Cabin fever - too dark, cold, wet, miserable. Too many cover lessons. Resentful of being forced to do any work because 70 'rich kids' are on the ski trip this week!

I had stroppy, bolshy yr9s after lunch (drama cover - non practical though), and they were pretty awful.
I had to send three out
Actually, they're not stroppy, bolshy. At least half of them are perfect angels: that's what makes me so mad at the others.

Fortunately I didn't have the last lesson of the day (also yr9s) in drama, as they were a lot worse apparently.