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 have checked the Ofsted time table and the only lesson that they can inspect of mine is with 10/7 (7 out of 8!)

Oh deepest joy.

Oh crikey! I hope they are better than our 10/7, who are truly hideous: what time of day is that lesson?

I hope they don't come calling.

alfiesbabe

My pet hate today : kids that smirk

Remind them of the task - they smirk
Explain something to them - they smirk
Ask them to turn round & stop talking - they smirk
Teacher tells them off - they smirk
Teacher then takes them outside and gives them a good telling off about their attitude - TA Smirks

Just after break and just before lunch.

they are (mostly) lovable rogues, but they have their moments

Hi, Fizzbuzz,

Came back in November for 3 weeks, have just done another 3, with 2 more to go before half term. Then 2 or 3 weeks back in france and back again for 10 days or so a month until work runs out.

Forgotten how truly knackering it is to teach. I also feel sorry for the kids in the school I'm in at the moment - they are fab, but I see some of them 2 or 3 times a day out of 5 periods, so the quality of their education must be lacking.

I had a Y10 group in science today - reasonably bright, but incredibly demotivated as they had 2 staff changes last term and their current teacher is on long term sick, so they've seen a succession of cover or supply staff. They say they do nothing but copy work off the board, or read and answer qs. It's sad seeing them going off the boil, neither challenged nor interested, and I'm sure it creates problems for other lessons to have bored and frustrated kids trooping into their classrooms.

Lovely to see you're still alive and kicking, FB. Stick with it!!! (any choice?!)

xx

45% is a heck of a work load for you.

We have around 20% on ours.

have you found that the number of children with statemnts on entry to secondary is falling? We have.

MB - we have too. Less statements but more seem to be SA or SA+ compared to the year before

sorry, that was a [durr] moment from me!

How many of the 45% are statemented?

Our SENCO comments that those who do come to us with a statement would have gone to a special school 5 years ago.

We have only 4 Statements out of 700 kids - IME the Local Authority are only writing them for kids with medical needs or really severe SEN. And yes, we're definitely seeing a lot of kids in mainstream who wouldve been in special schools in the past. I'm all in favour of inclusion, but we need the money to go with it!!

I totally agree about the statements. Over 65% of our pupils are on the SEN register but only 4 of them have statements. Two of those should be at special schools but because their parents have refused, the Local Authority says we have to keep them.

Hello - only just seen this. Am secondary English, working 3 days pw at moment. Have previously been 2nd in dept and acting HoD and KS3 co-ordinator and NQT mentor most recently. Am back to standard scale at moment as moved schools to escape Pig ex-Head and be nearer to the dds. But am in process of applying to be AST at moment and will be increasing hours in Sept probably. No guarantee will get this job, esp as have just moved authorities too so that might count against me maybe? Keen for promotion soon though.

good luck with the SAT application.

Do you ladies ever have those days where no matter how organised all your lessons are they just don't seem to work as they should?

moomin, what is the AST paperwork like?

My school want me to do it next year

Well, I handed in the HoY application (SIGH). See what that brings.
Anyone got any links for exam marking for this summer?I think I'd like SATs best, but will look at GCSE as well. Ta.

Hi Slouchy! Where's the job? (leave cryptic clues if necessary!) Full time - yikes! HOpe you hear back soon anyway. Can't find link to KS3 marking yet but am on the case...

AST paperwork is pretty mahooosive. There's a post in the County open to everyone so it's a long shot really, but I fulfill all the criteria and have got something I can write for each of the gazillion sections. The County Advisor is coming in to talk to me about it and observe a lesson after half term, which will give me an indication of whether he feels I should proceed [yikes!] But the job sounds fab and would love to get it. The booklet is here

SATs marking
GCSE marking

Hi moomin - its semi-rural, about 8 miles from here. Just inside staffs border. There are famous cave-dwellings in the village...

Yikes is right. Am seriously unsure (read: don't really want it). But Dh needs to me to contribute now and when I saw a job for HoY8 and English, that close to home, I kind of felt obliged to at least give it a shot. Might not go to interview yet, though.

Fab for marking links. have looked mysefl but clearly too dim at googling to get the right site. Cheers!

TMD fill us in ont he supply world
haev an interview on firday

Oh, that was quick! Good luck Cod.

What's a 10/7?

TMD, where do you stay when you do supply? Can't beleive you commute from France, but hear Eurostar is pretty fast these days....

slouchy - gotcha. Nice area... and nice size for school. Didn't even know that place is out of county

Be worth going to interview maybe just to get back into a school again and soaking up the atmos! Good practice as well. Good luck.