Is it time the staffroom nolonger appeared in active?

[Changerofname987654321]

Inspired by previous threads. Are there any teachers or ex teachers out there who think MN should stop the Staffroom from appearing in active thread? Positive and negative responses please.

When we get some responses we can I/we can report the thread to MN and ask them to look into it.

I see the trending bit and then I look at topics I like such as staffroom and telly addicts.

Given that there was recently a thread on MN complaining about what teachers were saying on TES (and tbf it sounded bad), clearly TES isn't away from parents' eyes.

But the real problem with TES is that it's shit.

TES is full of non teachers - I don't know any teacher that bothers with it anymore. I know Mumsnet is a parenting forum - but it is also divided into sections. I don't actually want a broad range of views from parents in the 'staffroom' area, to be honest. I don't particularly care if non-teachers do post - but it strikes me as a bit odd, and I'm not interested in their views on issues that affect staff only. For me, the staffroom is an area to ask advice/moan/support other teachers. Frankly if you are not a teacher then posting in the staffroom area seems a bit pointless. If there were a 'GPs' section on here for doctors to post in I wouldn't chip in as a patient. People are fine to post in secondary/primary education or whatever it is they are interested in, but the staffroom is surely only really of interest to teaching staff? If you don't actually do the job I can't honestly see what you feel you could contribute to a discussion on teaching as career, for example.

Cross posted with noble re TES!

'teaching as a career'

TES is shit now. Officially shit now since Noble has stamped her hoof on it.

How do you all read MN if not through Active?

I read specific boards that interest me eg parenting, sleep, staffroom.

My original suggestion was aimed not to completely excluded non teachers but just reduce the detailed of chats.

Officially shit

It died about 8 years ago didn't it? I used to hang out on Opinion (obviously) and argue with OldAndrew. Bit weird that he's now being name-checked by government.

It's all Twitter now...

Does any other profession even have a board on MN?

Academics have got one.

Thing is, barely a day goes by on MN without a 'should I complain about this teacher' thread (those of you who don't go on Active might miss them!) and there are a lot of advice-seeking threads on Primary and Secondary Education. Obviously as it's a parenting site, many of the users have children in school and so it's in MNHQ's interests to have a lot of teachers around to help with stuff.

Once upon a time, before the internet, we would meet with other teachers, teaching the same subject in different local schools. We would pool ideas and give advice and do GCSE/ A'level moderation together. We might run inter school challenges. Then along came league tables and academisation. So we migrate to other ways we can share/moan, whether it's MN, FB or Twitter.

But when we met in the pub GFs didn't tend to come over and sit at our table and join in in an authoritative fashion.

Although it has to be said when people find out one is a teacher at a social event (say at DH's cricket club) they do always like to mention the 'paid holidays'

I think it needs to be in Active: there are so many myths about teaching, such as the long holidays; let the public see the reality, the damage done by those paragons of excellence Gove and Morgan, and that Ofsted is the tail that wags the dog (used by someone else on a thread about rewarding attendance).

I remember when someone spectacularly flounced on TES and then the next day their 'friend' came on to say that the poster had died. Obviously turned out to be bullshit. Loads of people on TES were so obviously fake and just talked total bullshit, but because it was a much smaller forum than mumsnet people were much more invested so it was all very dramatic! There was another poster who clearly had severe mental health issues and their posts were just total car crash but no one ever seemed to call it out. Hardly anyone actually ever talked about teaching, they just used to argue with each other on Opinion - the stock phrase of choice being 'the hypocrisy is breathtaking'.

Ah, the nostalgia

Chris2005 and his chihuahua... ah the good old days of TES

I loved TES in the old days - Moonpenny was totally mad. I loved ILoveSooty (who is now on Mumsnet) and LilyofTheField

I loved TES back in the day too. What a shame they spoilt it.

Aren't the opinions of parents useful?

Opinions of parents on whether a teaching workload is sustainable (which I suspect is what triggered this thread)? Why would it be?

Ah..
Ilovesooty
LilyoftheField - I can remember everything about her, even her sex life!
ElaineC

Those were the days!

I remember the 'war' with the Bounty forum!

Wasn't there an overzealous moderator called Beverley who everyone hated? Just before it got reformattted into that bizarre groups thing that made everyone leave.

...tiptoes in...
I find reading The Staffroom board quite interesting because I am interested in education in general so getting a view from the teacher's side adds to my knowledge.
...tiptoes out and closes the door quietly...

I don't think anyone minds you tiptoeing in for an eavesdrop on conversations, Teen. I do just shrug a bit when people who are clearly not teachers chip in with opinions. Like piggy says, the problem is people joining in as though they are some sort of authority. If you don't do the job you can't possibly make an informed comment on most of the issues that actually affect teachers. And idiots posting to tell us that teachers are twats or have an easy life of it with long holidays pisses me off a bit by the end of a 60 hour week.

The opinions of parents?

Not unless they are also teachers, Catloving. If I want to hear opinionated parents, there’s the rest of MN, and RL.
You know how parents say that one of the things they dream about is being able to pee without someone following you into the bathroom going ‘But Muuummmeeeee..’
Sometimes teachers dream of a space without parents and their opinions.

The flouncer on TES had a citrus cardigan, didn't she? And Chris had a very distinctive posting style.

I went to a meet about 7 or 8 years ago in Brum and met people who I still consider to be friends now.

I'm torn on the OP's question - it's very tiring to constantly justify how you are feeling. It's seen as unacceptable for teachers to vent. I'm pretty sure that it doesn't matter how many times teachers say 'not paid for 13 weeks' holiday' / 'it's not just 9-3' / 'the pay doesn't work out at a lot per hour' etc, it's not a message that seems to stick. People are too entrenched in their views. Presumably much of this is based on their own educational experiences. It's sad that many people don't value education though.