Anyone else's school ready to erupt into the end of year argument?

[49thJuly]

The tension is horrendous. Everyone is walking on a razor edge, people keep crying, the kids are all edgy as well. It's awful.

I think you asked me before remus : we definitely don't! But I think we live parallel lives.

No beef here but lots of cake in various places today so obviously the strain is being felt.

No timetable yet and a heatwave next week. Recipe for disaster.

We too have way too much cake.

Cake consumed through a veil of tears - multi-tasking is what teachers do best.

20 days to go.

To be fair, I've been counting down this year since there were 39 weeks to go and my colleagues have found it funny that I could always tell you how long til the end of the year.

I have the joy of the 'tricky' year.

On top of that, I'm moving year group and classroom. I think I'm getting the nicer of the two classes in that year as I've already taught the other class. But I'm desperate for TIME. Time to clear my stuff. TIme to meet with my new partner teacher and plan our topic.

Time has been promised, but won't materialise, I imagine.

Some arguments simmering in the foundation stage where class allocation could be interesting.

Some about to inherit the tricky year group who are dreading it - been there, done that.

Otherwise it's just collective complaining as we're all desperate for the end of term. No falling out between colleagues though. We don't tend to have that.

Nah, we're sailing though to the end now that year 11 & 13 have gone!

Only got a few things left to get through.

4 X year group 3 day residentials
4 X year group day trips
Yr 7 induction day
Yr 12 induction day
Summer concert
Sports day
Neighbouring primary school sports day
Whole academies sports day
Borough sports championships
Switching to 18/19 timetable on Monday
STILL not fully staffed

Piece of piss, dunno what you're all moaning about. Everyone loves each other at my place!

if you want me, I'll be rocking in a corner somewhere!

Switching to 18/19 timetable on Monday

Thank god thank god thank god my school don’t do this.

How does it work anyway when staff are leaving?

Oh God the early change to the September timetable. That was what made me decide to retire at 60. I had always planned to keep on to 65...in a better place now though and happy to keep going (and working through the summer, don’t keep to the academic year).

Goddamnit born you are smug, smugllily, the smuggest. I might get out in 7 years or more like 12.

Sorry! If it helps, I get thoroughly annoyed by colleagues who say “enjoy your day off, you’re so lucky to work part time” I’M 65 NEXT MONTH YOU NUMPTY, I’VE DONE MY TIME!
I do have to keep working though, only taught secondary for 25 years so pension is not quite enough to live on. Hope the next few years are bearable for you!

Well, I work in Alternative Provision, so as soon as year 11s leave we get loads of new referrals. So lots of new year 10s all jostling for position. And I was observed on Friday with some of them. And we have a school review in early July, two days of observations and scrutinies. Oh, and we have had a surprise restructuring sprung on us for next year. Yay.

I am however 50% through my A level marking allocation before the end of the first week. So I am actually winning at life!

I've never understood the changing to next year's timetable early. There are changes to staffing every year and it doesn't make sense at all for a teacher who is leaving to take a class for just a few weeks at the end of a long year. And teachers who have done the hard slog with year 11 and 13 often don't get the benefit of the gained time at the end of the year because they pick up new classes, and teachers who may not have done the hard slog with exam classes get the gained time because there aren't any year 7s to pick up.

I'm feeling a bit rebellious tonight and have done no school work since I came home. I can't actually remember the last time I did that, and I'll make up for it at the weekend most likely.

Yeah, changing over to new academic year isn't easy. We did it last year and no one was keen, but decided you can't just do it once and make a decision, so here we are again. All the teachers that are leaving are being replaced of course, so they've got the lessons of the replacements.

It's only 4 weeks and we work a two week timetable, so some of the classes only have an 'old' teacher once or twice. And obviously we only have 4 year groups, so it's not too disruptive. Especially for KS4. It does help with the yr 9' because you know how they get in the final weeks in option subjects. If they're not taking them, they're not interested. This way at least they get an introduction to their GCSE courses.

It's not great. We have an INSET on Monday to get sorted. Lots of room changes, so lots of lugging boxes around on Monday.

I like your of Course : all our teachers who are leaving aren't being replaced...

In fact all our teachers who are leaving have already left!

Lol, it was a sarcastic 'of course'. We are still 3 down in Geography and 1 in Art!

DD2's teacher gets bouncier as the term goes on and colleagues get knackered. She's now hit Tigger levels of bounciness and I suspect the ceiling tiles are in danger by the end of the term (it's fucking hilarious to watch as a bystander).

I couldn't cope with starting a new timetable at this time of year! Thankfully my school doesn't do this.

I'm too exhausted to be able to take on a new class with all of the energy and enthusiasm needed to set the routines for the year like I do in September.

I am feeling quite smug today though as I have ticked off a fair few jobs from my list that I need to do!

Next job is sorting the KS3 sets for next year.

Timetable isn't ready. There has been a glitch! Hoping and praying it isn't sorted until September!

Feeling mad as hell someone has made me feel guilty for not cleaning my classroom ( as in another member of staff volunteers to replace the missing cleaner then moans continuously about how much other work they have they should be doing)

Woodenhillmum Whaaaaat! that seems back to the rules for teachers circa 1900. Does she offer to lay the fire for classrooms as well?

Only smiling now I am home and have finished ranting at partner !

It's a bit of an odd feeling this evening. I feel like I should be finished! Lots of, 'Miss, it's our last lesson, so is it a fun one?' Also have thrown away a lot of things that don't count from Monday because they are effectively last years timetable!

Student timetables will be printed on Monday and were ready to push on through for the final 4 weeks!

All starting to fall apart today, and it’s only going to get worse. Lovely.