Staff Room!!!

[ScienceTeacher]

It was suggested on another thread that we should have a staff room, so I thought I'd bite the bullet and start one.

Shall we introduce ourselves?

I teach Science (Physics A-level and GCSE Chemistry plus the usual general science in KS3, and also KS3 Geography). I work in a small girls' independent school. I started this job in September having spent two years in contract and supply. This was a getting back to teaching after an 8-year maternity leave.

I am a mum to five children from 16 (gcse!) TO 5.

I find how different people plan on here quite interesting!

Mb always plans on Sunday (she has mentioned this before). I hate planning on Sunday as I feel it is eating my weekend.

I have huge planning blitzes in the holidays, and plan and resource an entire terms work (sometime even 2 terms)

oh gawd don't talk to me about names after today!

I had year 12 period one - no problems there, only 14 of them and I knew some of them already. Then three lots of Year 7 - 2 classes of 32 one of 33 - only 16 desks, so one had to sit at mine. That's 97 new faces

They all look the same! I'm officially brain dead after saying the same thing (virtually) 3 times on the run - anyone want a Year 7 Geography lesson?

I have seating plans - A-Z boy-girl and when they ahve had their photos done I'll stick those in my mark book too.

Where's the wine?

oh I hate planning on a Sunday, but I'm lucky being part time so i can do it during the week when the house is quiet!

I teach 63 pupils and have 12 in my tutor group.

Oops, forgot Y6 - make that 77 pupils.

omg Squeakypop! I'm very of those numbers!

I have still yet to meet; Year 8 x 2 classes = 64 children
Year 9 x 3 classes = 64 pupils( smaller groups in this year)and fortunately I do know some of them - but even so.....

I don't know how some teachers manage with names.

As a science teacher, we tend to have fewer classes and see them more often. For teachers of humanities and arts, when you might just have one or two lessons a week, and sometimes a fortnight, multiplied by virtually every class in the school, it must be near impossible.

I taught in a grammar school a couple of years ago, and I think I had 270 pupils on my books. I worked there for six months and only knew a handful of them with confidence at the end (the naughty ones). Reports were a bit of a joke - so vague that they could apply to any student. The school records only had the photos from Y7, so not any use for a bearded Y10.

I can imagine the braindeadness of teaching the same lesson three times.

I have had two lessons that I taught last year, and I think am delivering them word for word. It all comes flooding back.

I feel that I have had more frees than lessons so far. We started Thursday with assmebly and lots of tutor time. I then had a Y13 lesson, where we basically talked about exams, career choices etc. Then a combine Y11 lesson because more than half the year group were out on their field course - so we worked on display for Open Day.

Today, I had a single Y8 Science lesson where we reviewed holiday homework, handed out books, and introduced the new topic. My Y6 double was cancelled because they were having an off-timetable day (which I found out when I went searching for them 15 minutes after the start of the lesson. I used that time and my subsequent frees to work on display. My final lesson of the day was a Y8 Geography, which was scarily similar to the lesson from the previous year.

I had to finish the day with prep - ending at 5.50pm

Hoi all, I'm sitting in the TA corner of the staffroom....have to say so far I love my new timetable!! All year 9s & mostly pupils I have worked with before. None of the year 7s that I just didn't take to last year because they were rude - yippee

HOORAY! We've survived the term. It's been a tough one, a busy one, and the students went rather wild this week, especially today: well some of them anyway!

Two weeks' break - wonderful!

Amen to that Roisin! I'm knackered! Did you work a normal day today or did you have a half day? We had normal timetable, all day! It really wasn't worth it. With every period that came along, they were getting worse and worse!

We played a rather rotten bunch of yr 8's at their own game, for the last lesson. CS timetabled for it, started them off and then 5 other CS's arrived late, chewing and on the phone! We sat on chairs and leaned back on them. We put our make-up on and we were generally a PITA! Even my boss (deputy head) came in and joined in at one point! He sat at the back and threw paper at me!

All done - 2 concerts and carol services in last 2 weeks - we are shattered (DH is my 'boss')!

Have my 2 kids to keep me busy now

That's fabulous MoMoMo - love it!
I could tell you what happened at my school today, but might be in big trouble if I was identified, so I'd better not
At least we finished (well sent the kids home at least) at 1pm!

Ooh you lucky people, am realising how much i miss term time only working now! I am knackered and working most of xmas

Love it Momo! We had seven 6th formers dressed as Santas skip through one class singing Jingle Bells !

I'm knackered too - we've had an inspection this term as well. I've had a cough for 2 weeks and can't shake it. I find it really hard to 'switch' off straight away too - still planning year 12 lessons in my head.

Can I sleep until 5th Jan?

Happy Christmas all school-type-teachers-TAs-CSs-folks