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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:
starrynight19 · 23/10/2020 20:38

ultrababy not at all , what is it you do ? Am sure a virtual drink is there for all Smile

acerred · 23/10/2020 20:38

YABU because it's not only teachers who work in schools. My daughter has the most amazing 1:1 and without her I doubt she'd manage to cope with one lesson let alone all day.

Mogtheforgetfulmum · 23/10/2020 20:38

@ultrababy have a drink with us! Gin

Original poster
TheHoneyBadger · 23/10/2020 20:41

Massive apologies for saying teachers rather than school staff - EVERYONE has been amazing and it wasn't my intention to leave anyone out just being me-centric with the word teacher (and reflective of the fact that it is teachers who've been slagged off so much).

Mog it's emotional because (i'm going to say especially for those of us who work in secondary) no one ever says thank you or well done and even now we get the odd dick coming onto a thread like this saying we don't even deserve a drink for working in packed conditions in an epidemic and looking after and educating everyone's kids despite mad conditions.

I feel desperately sorry for anyone who is bitter and hate filled enough to come on this thread and try and stick the boot in.

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IdkickJilliansass · 23/10/2020 20:46

We probably didn’t get slagged off as much because people don’t always realise we exist 😂 seriously though we all deserve a drink. I work in this job to not have the holidays off and that is massively over reflected in the pitiful pay but is my choice as @ultrababy’s is his/hers

IdkickJilliansass · 23/10/2020 20:47

To have the holidays off

Original poster
TheHoneyBadger · 23/10/2020 20:47

Idkick - well done! One day this term I had to remove three kids in one day and made a point of sending an apology lesson to the ladies who run the removal facility (I had obviously also emailed them with work for the students to do and explanations as to why they had to be removed) at the end of the day and thanked them for being there and acknowledged they must be having a hard time.

I've found myself saying thank you a lot more and saying sorry a lot more this term. It has been stressful for all of us and if I've ended up being a bit snippy in an email instead of stewing on it or leaving it like that I've found the person and said, sorry if i was rude/snippy/unclear it's not on but I was tired and overloaded. In response most people have been the same - no, it's fine, me too, etc.

I appreciate everyone who has helped us survive this half term and give the kids the impression all is well and normal regardless of how tired, worried or overburdened we all are.

It's lovely to see on this thread that some parents get that and appreciate it.

OP posts:
Bitbusyattheminute · 23/10/2020 20:50

Pubs closed at 6 here tonight. You'll have to. .deliver..

IdkickJilliansass · 23/10/2020 20:50

Wow @TheHoneyBadger I wish you taught at my school!

ReallyRatherNerdy · 23/10/2020 20:52

HoneyBadger those of us who are not teachers and who benefit from all the folks in schools who help our kids every day understand where you are coming from. Thanks too to all the teaching assistants, office staff, dinner ladies and jannies who keep our schools going, us at work and sane, and our kids safe and educated. Cheers to the lot of you!

Amanduh · 23/10/2020 20:53

Have been out of teaching three years now (baby then another baby!) and knowing the hell that is anything over 5 weeks in to the first term and sinking to my knees in relief after a 8 weeker, I absolutely bloody praise anyone working in schools this last half term to the gods! Well bloody done!

Bitbusyattheminute · 23/10/2020 20:54

Pubs closed at 6 here tonight. I'll need a delivery.

Original poster
TheHoneyBadger · 23/10/2020 20:55

@IdkickJilliansass

We probably didn’t get slagged off as much because people don’t always realise we exist 😂 seriously though we all deserve a drink. I work in this job to not have the holidays off and that is massively over reflected in the pitiful pay but is my choice as *@ultrababy*’s is his/hers
That's true but maybe as we get more money (if full time - which increasingly experienced teachers with kids of their own or health issues or other caring responsibilities can't cope with) we should be the ones to take the flack? Another 'perk' lol.

We definitely deserve a drink and I can't imagine how anyone could be offended by a school staff member saying well done and i'd like to buy all my colleagues a drink.

Have doctors or nurses not done the same? Maybe the clapping on doorsteps meant they didn't have to pat themselves or each other on the back? I wouldn't want clapping though and would far rather doctors and nurses had decent ppe and working conditions and pay than a clap.

I've thought about this and actually I think patronising clapping might be as bad as the vitriol us teachers have faced. At least vitriol and abuse is honest rather than hypocritical seen to be clapping in public whilst having zero concern for nhs workers safety or pay and conditions in reality.

OP posts:
IdkickJilliansass · 23/10/2020 20:58

I take a lot more flak than the pay reflects but I remain hopeful that restrictions will ease and it’ll get better, some afternoons 20+ kids get sent out and it’s just not manageable

IdkickJilliansass · 23/10/2020 20:59

I never clapped, I do my bit for the NHS by not voting Tory amongst other things 😂

Original poster
TheHoneyBadger · 23/10/2020 20:59

@Bitbusyattheminute

Pubs closed at 6 here tonight. I'll need a delivery.
Oh bless you. Hope you are well stocked at home. In reality I've just had a few glasses of wine at home alone. I was reminiscing with other teachers about how we used to go to the pub of a friday lunchtime evening especially if it was the end of term.

I miss the days of encouragement/consolation/reassurance/gallows humour in the pub on a Friday after school. Way more beneficial than a sicknote for 2 weeks off for stress.

OP posts:
Original poster
TheHoneyBadger · 23/10/2020 21:03

@IdkickJilliansass

I take a lot more flak than the pay reflects but I remain hopeful that restrictions will ease and it’ll get better, some afternoons 20+ kids get sent out and it’s just not manageable
20! I can only imagine. Hence the apology email. Three in one day is crazy by my standards but our year 8s have been shoved in a crappy block and left to develop their own lord of the flies like society and we needed to properly crack down on them. Hopefully that meant a pressure point for people managing removals and internal exclusions but a lower rate of use thereafter.

Who knows - we're all just doing as we're told and trying to make the most of it.

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theluckiest · 23/10/2020 21:04

Oh big up to all of you and mine's a G&T.

KS1 here. Decided to have a dress-up Halloween fun day as our little ones won't be having a party this year.

Which was a bloody ridiculous idea in hindsight Halloween Smile

8 week term, everyone is absolutely on the floor with tired & then we all dress up and have a classroom party. Who does that?!!!

Mental. Was ace. But mental. And I'm v v v v v tired.

Chin chin esteemed colleagues.. WineWineWine

Original poster
TheHoneyBadger · 23/10/2020 21:06

@Amanduh

Have been out of teaching three years now (baby then another baby!) and knowing the hell that is anything over 5 weeks in to the first term and sinking to my knees in relief after a 8 weeker, I absolutely bloody praise anyone working in schools this last half term to the gods! Well bloody done!
Thank you! On the other hand baby then another baby sounds like more than enough to bring you to your knees! I only managed the one.

Hopefully you'll come back when the time is right and add another good one to our ranks Smile

I had a long break from teaching and returned. The door is always open Wink

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MintyMabel · 23/10/2020 21:06

What a lovely post.

Yeah, lovely to see people patting themselves on the back.😉

I was speaking to the staff at our school, told them how well they had done. They were really quite humble about the success of the term, the words were “lots of people have had it a lot worse than us”

I’m impressed by what they’ve done but always rather put off by people tooting their own horn.

ultrababy · 23/10/2020 21:07

Sorry everyone. I’m feeling tetchy. It’s shit for us all. I didn’t mean to be unkind. I apologise. Cheers to everyone who are doing the best they can in a Shit situation.

Ohhgreat · 23/10/2020 21:07

Well done to all, teachers, TAs, cleaners, caretakers, admin, receptionists, finance, catering, literally everyone. You're all amazing!

ultrababy · 23/10/2020 21:08

@IdkickJilliansass

Jaysus *@ultrababy* 😂
I know. I’m sorry. I’m a bellend. I have given myself a talking to 😀
ultrababy · 23/10/2020 21:09

I agree. Not a good day. Had a word with myself.

Original poster
TheHoneyBadger · 23/10/2020 21:09

8 week term, everyone is absolutely on the floor with tired & then we all dress up and have a classroom party. Who does that?!!!

You do! And thank goodness for you.

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