Crepeys who try not to look like creepy clowns....

[BeachysSandyFlipFlops]

Would that be OK?

Must try to avoid a thread switch on a Friday night

On the fifth day of crepemas, my true love gave to me...five biiiiiiig pants

Oi, oi, save the crepemas for next month!!
Remember, remember, the Crepes of November..
(or have we already had that?)

While it is of course not Christmas yet, thank Christ...

Rudolph the Kissing Reindeer

Crepeys Roasting on an Open Fire

12 Crepes a'Crashing

Or...

Crepey Movember - just the hint of a handlebar moustache

Agree please no Christmas inspired titles just yet...

I quite agree really. Not sure what came over me.

Crepey conker-knockers

My blue-egg-laying chicken has gone wrong. So I am taking her back and swopping her for 2 new ones. I must be turning into a real smallholder, because I completely ok with this and not thinking, "Ah, appalling, Flopsy is returning to certain death."
BTM, well done your ds for toughing it out today.
I don't usually check the thread when I'm at work, but I needed to today. Thank you again, you lovely lot. I am obviously now tortured by guilt for sending some TIHIS (telling it how it is) messages to dd at 4am, but am also trying to rationalise the sending of the messages.
Just to add to the 4am joy, it was at that point that Stroppdog got in bed with me to inform me that he had earache. So dh had to do his first-ever vet visit. I had to pre-warn the receptionist that dh doesn't really know how Stroppdog works, so she would be able to take over. This evening, dh was all: a) Stroppdog really doesn't like the vet, does he? And b) That was the most expensive earache in history.

Well done on Ofsted Herbs!

Magi, I have always wanted a weirdfish top and if they are good in wind I may splash out for summer hols.

Noooo Stropps, don't feel guilty. Telling her the truth is surely the other side of the hour-long phone calls coin? And is one of those delightful parenting jobs. Especially if she isn't talking to anyone else sensible who loves/knows her and wants her to take her meds. How does one know a dog has earache?

And yes, sorry, can't think what came over me either.

Jesus Stropps. Talk about micro-managing.

I'm feeling a bit cross about Ofsted. In the year I've been teaching, I have had pretty much zero actual help and advice on how to actually 'do' teaching. Like how to assess as we go, how to stretch able learners, how to track progress... all that. I've just had to muddle through, partly because I haven't really had a boss.

This morning there was a flurry of emails - 'make sure you embed maths', 'make sure you ask open concept-checking questions', etc, all with helpful attachments. Too late for my lesson, obvs, and would have been useful, like, a year ago.

I sent my lesson plan to two senior people to check yesterday morning, but they didn't look at it or reply.

So while the lesson went well, I thought, the feedback was a bit 'meh'. Good content and resources, but not enough individualised learning/checking. And not enough 'Prevent'. As the lesson was based around a text about Guy Fawkes, we talked about terrorism, problems between protestants and catholics, how religious violence is bad, man, I'm not quite sure how much more I could have done without shouting 'just don't become a terrorist, OK' at them. It's such a load of patronising shite. RANT RANT RANT.

Embed maths ...? - I wouldn't even know what that really means Herbs - well done for surviving anyway.

Stropps - agree with telling it like it is - especially as I dont think you have any alternative at this point. Don't feel guilty - and look after yourself, you need to be well for your other child.

I also want to know how the dog tells you he has hearache? Does he scratch it a lot?

Have ranted at DS for frittering his life away on his computer or phone - this is despite me trying to manage it. He has no interest in anything - we tried to take him to see a beautiful art exibition - Gauguin etc he refused - wants to sit on his bed and watch UTube. Have effectively told him he is a loser and needs to cultivate some interest in something.

Damn well done on surviving Ofsted with that indifferent level of support, Herbs.
I remember getting zero support during my NQT year in Norf London. It was all made extra-interesting by having done my training in the mono-cultural West Country, and doing a weekly commute from Dorset. And also the fact that I replaced someone who had allegedly persistently come to work v obviously wearing no knickers (according to both staff and pupils) seemed to not make anything easier either. My lessons were deemed dull from the outset, as I never flashed anyone.

Ahh, how times have changed... Thank God.

Lalsy, you know Stroppdog has earache when he grumbles to get in bed with you, and then rubs a poorly, stinky ear all over your face (so your divine powers will cure him).

Hatty, I has a similar convo with ds in the summer and he doesn't watch much less YouTube, but he has started doing more of other stuff to balance it out. However, as previously mentioned, he's not a teenager yet, and therefore still listens to me. On occasion.

Herbs, who is supposed to be doing the prevent stuff? Am I supposed to be doing it?

What can you do Stropps except keep on buggering on and trying to look after yourself too.

The most together and untraumatised teens find it quite a huge deal to leave home for uni - it's a big big step. Completely agree with the wise Auriga - it's a process, an unfolding, ongoing process. Really not sure how cutting contact / disengaging etc will help at the moment - she's not an addict, doing anything criminal etc even if she is totally infuriating and really worrying. She needs you and it's not like you'd stop worrying or caring if you weren't in contact with her is it? If you really think it's vital for her to take her prescribed meds then all you can do is keep telling her that. Thinking of you Stropps. Well done for teaching triumphs and hard nosed chicken-wrangling.

How are the troubled / poorly Crepey teen boys holding up??

Crew I'm late with my commiserations but so sorry to hear of the loss of CremCat. Hope you're as Ok as circumstances permit. What was your lovely cat called? Perhaps we can pay homage to him in our next thread title - 'RIP Crepey X' or In Crepey Remembrance of X Past?

Aren't you teaching in an independent school Stropps? They don't have terrorists or any need to know tow to Government dictates do they?

I am indeed teaching in an independent and extremely posh school. Where it is still the 1950s. So yes, GGG, you're right. (Alrhough we all had to do some online prevent thingy last year and tick some boxes. And then amble off in our tweeds, mumbling about how none of it applied, and how frightful it must be in those inner-city schools )

Soz for multiple posts. And wittering. I am feeling a bit odd and should probably go to bed. Dd has completely ignored all my 4am posts, but has just responded enthusiastically to a message I've just sent her encouraging her to study maths and become an actuary. Mainly because I said that the starting salary for actuaries is about 50K.

Cat thread a lovely idea, GGG.

Dd2 definitely inclined to fritter.

I want a banana fritter now.

In our English classes we have to 'embed' maths, safeguarding, employability, diversity and 'Prevent'. Because obviously it's all our fault if society subsequently breaks down. 'Embed' in this instance means shoehorning in something in a clumsy fashion.

Although I was rather pleased with my lesson on 'writing instructions', where we watched a video of a recipe and they then had to write step-by-step instructions, using the imperative, and the quantity. We then discussed grams and ounces, equivalents, etc. That counted as 'embedding maths'.

Planning lessons thus takes bloody ages, and adds to the rage.

Here's a DP-related AIBU.

I am running my first workshop tomorrow night. It is PowerPoint based. I need a laptop. I presumed DP would lend me his, but he won't. There is some kind of shonky old Dell one at the venue, but doubt it will have my funky American Typewriter font on it and thus it will look shit.

WIBU to just steal his laptop?

Do it, Herbs.

Yes, do it Herbs.

Think all schools have to do Prevent (and delightfully named Invacuation drills as well).

Well, Stropps, I'd take that as progress of sorts . My university careers service told me to be an actuary when I wanted to be a maths teacher. Apparently my maths was good enough for the former but not the latter....

Oh Stropps - if it helps to chat t us on here then do - if it doesn't then don't! Not surprised you're feeling odd if you had no sleep! Cup of cocoa, an early night and turn your 'phone off?

Definitely encourage being an actuary! Not responding to your 4am texts of truth (remember the trousers of truth?!) doesn't mean she hasn't read them or taken them in. X