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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To offer to go to the bar and buy every teacher a drink?

142 replies

TheHoneyBadger · 23/10/2020 17:27

Greetings, salutations and congratulations to every teacher who made it to half term with their health and sanity semi-intact.

AIBU to say that if I wasn't a poor single parent living on a 0.4fte salary I would go to the bar and offer to buy every single one of you a drink.

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

Even if the bashers still think we're lazy, workshy, overpaid marxists we know the actual realities of what we've ploughed through this term!

Give yourself a huge pat on the back and a large drink/slice of cake/netflix binge/insert your unhealthy reward of choice!

You're amazing. Don't let the bastards get you down.

OP posts:
Thehop · 23/10/2020 17:28

Agreed. I’m super impressed with staff at my children’s schools and nursery. Well done.

TheDowagerDuchessofMwwwahaha · 23/10/2020 17:34

Yes well done and thank you to all teachers

Saucery · 23/10/2020 17:34

Can’t fault the staff at DS’s school. Had a lovely end of term email today thanking all the pupils for their engagement when self isolating and slotting back into the routine when they returned. Plus best wishes to all the families and urging us to find some time for relaxation etc within the constraints of our Tier.

Please put my staff drink behind the bar for when I start going to pubs again Grin Haven’t been anywhere apart from work, outdoors and a small local shop who do SDing perfectly.

MrsHamlet · 23/10/2020 17:35

I've sent a bunch of emails to parents before I left today, praising kids who've impressed me this term... and I got several speedy replies thanking me too. It's nice to be nice.
Now I'm home, windows shut, vest off, gin in hand. Happy half term one and all.

Original poster
TheHoneyBadger · 23/10/2020 17:57

Will do saucery and look at you MrsH! It's a lovely idea but I haven't quite the energy. I have made a point of lavishing praise on kids who have been working hard and behaving well since returning in my lessons this week though. Way too easy to be so focussed on the ones who aren't getting it right that you forget to say well done to those who are.

I'm useless at giving housepoints but have really reminded and reminded myself this week to give them out to people who are just quietly chugging along and working hard despite the craziness.

Grin at the fact that currently 13% of voters think i'm unreasonable to want to buy my colleagues a drink and say well done. How much do these people hate us yet entrust their kids to us???

OP posts:
noideaatallreally · 23/10/2020 18:01

Respect to each and every teacher, TA, cleaner, site manager, admin staff, technician, lunchtime superviser, canteen staff and everyone I forgot - who made it through this half term. I have not joined you as I left teaching in July, but I have been worrying about you.

I know that many people will be on their knees after this half term. Try to rest, try not too do too much school work.

Cancangirlie · 23/10/2020 18:03

I have the utmost respect for my children's teachers and Headteacher. They have kept us posted on all developments, engaged my kids and kept them safe.

PoodleMoth · 23/10/2020 18:03

Agreed! Well done everyone! I sent a lovely email thanking all the teachers at my daughter's school and wishing them a relaxing half term

unmarkedbythat · 23/10/2020 18:04

School made my youngest child's life something other than a dull grind for the last few weeks and I am incredibly grateful :)

The feelings I have for the secondary school my eldest used to attend and which my middle child is soon to transfer out of remain incredibly negative (hence the transfer out!) but there are many individual members of staff there who are wonderful and I am grateful to them too.

Original poster
TheHoneyBadger · 23/10/2020 18:07

Thanks noidea! I have been told I've been working too many hours/shouldn't be doing stuff on every day off etc this term but I was absolutely determined (for once in my career) to make it to this half term with nothing to do but plan a few lessons for my return.

I NEED a proper 'circuit breaker' stress wise. Everything has been harder than usual and every autumn term is generally hard anyway. I am not going to do the self flagellating self criticism. I tend towards depression and anxiety and I am actually proud of myself for making it through all this mayhem and staying positive and kind and encouraging for my students this term. Haters gonna hate and all that.

OP posts:
Original poster
TheHoneyBadger · 23/10/2020 18:08

@PoodleMoth

Agreed! Well done everyone! I sent a lovely email thanking all the teachers at my daughter's school and wishing them a relaxing half term
That's lovely. Believe me this stuff gets shared with staff and it does make a difference. Especially in the current climate
OP posts:
OhioOhioOhio · 23/10/2020 18:08

What a lovely post.

RoseTintedAtuin · 23/10/2020 18:09

Well done everyone! Not a teacher and no school aged kids but you lot have kept more plates spinning in the wider community/economy than you could possibly know! Huge thanks and praise Gin

Sideorderofchips · 23/10/2020 18:09

As a technician I speak for me and my collegue when I say we are fricking knackered. So well done to all of us for getting this far!

ILoveAnOwl · 23/10/2020 18:11

Thanks! Mine's a gin!!

Original poster
TheHoneyBadger · 23/10/2020 18:14

I'll get you a treble ILove.

Sideorder my favourite people at school are the science technicians ladies and IT support guys (don't tell anyone). If I need a bit of sanity and a laugh I head to them. Thank you for all your work. Departments with technicians don't know how lucky they are.

OP posts:
Original poster
TheHoneyBadger · 23/10/2020 18:15

21% think I'm unreasonable for wanting to buy you a drink!

It's actually hilarious. What miserable gits.

OP posts:
monkeytennis97 · 23/10/2020 18:24

Well done everyone!!! We made it to half term in the most bonkers, scary half term that I've done in over 25 years. We are all amazing!!!ThanksWineGin

Awalkintime · 23/10/2020 18:33

Thank you, this half term has been the most difficult and exhausting of my whole career. It means a lot to hear a thank you especially when I've been told today by my council that the extra catch up lessons I've been putting on to help my kids every day before school will not be paid for with the catch up funding. No idea why but the council will not pay me for the extra classes I am putting on.

I will continue to put them on unpaid because it is for the kids benefit not my own but it really is disheartening to know that your hard work isn't worth any credit by those who employ you.

ConorMasonsWife · 23/10/2020 18:36

My ex is a teacher and worked his ass off, as did 2 teacher friends, sadly from my daughters school all we got sent was links to bbc bite size and they closed down and told people to go to a school a mile away for key worker care. Luckily they're a rare case and I'm looking to move her school anyway!

ConorMasonsWife · 23/10/2020 18:37

Well done and thank you to everyone that was there and amazing!

AyeAyeShipAhoy · 23/10/2020 18:40

@TheHoneyBadger

21% think I'm unreasonable for wanting to buy you a drink!

It's actually hilarious. What miserable gits.

That'll probably be the ones who would say "Teachers aren't the only ones that work hard y'know, what about...?"

As if it's a competition and that you can't praise a particular group of people.

I'd like to thank all my colleagues in school, but also my kids teachers and their staff that have gone beyond in helping my own kids settle back.

Mine's a pint (or 4)!

UnfinishedSenten · 23/10/2020 18:41

I'm not a teacher but work in a secondary school (kitchen).

All the teachers at the school did a fantastic job and so did the kids adjusting to the new school life.
If I had the money I would of bought them all a bottle of gin GinGrin

Original poster
TheHoneyBadger · 23/10/2020 18:42

@ConorMasonsWife

My ex is a teacher and worked his ass off, as did 2 teacher friends, sadly from my daughters school all we got sent was links to bbc bite size and they closed down and told people to go to a school a mile away for key worker care. Luckily they're a rare case and I'm looking to move her school anyway!
Honestly with the state of things these days in terms of funding and recruitment and retention it really is just the people who 'make it' you know?

If the ethos has gone down the pan with poor treatment of staff or poor leadership or really poor choices in recruitment and promotions it can go to shit very quickly. Conversely a few good eggs determined to be positive and do the best for the kids despite all the problems can make it soar.

I don't think people understand that continuing bashing and disheartening staff and even begrudging them a drink for their efforts (down to 19% of voters now) can be the straw that breaks a school community's back.

OP posts:
SliceOfFriedGold · 23/10/2020 18:43

Whoever decided on an 8 week term needs shooting - especially after many of the children hadn't been to school for such a long time. They were absolutely shattered - and so was I. Barely hanging on by Week 6, when the behaviour started to go south. I felt like such a failure, but short of introducing a Y6 nap time there wasn't much I could do to mitigate it all!

Next round's mine - even the fancy cocktails Wine