Tips for making it to Christmas

[AutumnMorningCoffee]

I've had the week from hell. Learning walks, books taken in, full moon, Nativity practice in full swing. I've worked every night until 10 and genuinely considered going in this morning until I firmly told myself no.

I'm going to try and make life easier for myself because I've never felt so bad this far away from Christmas.

I'm going to resolve to do no more laminating. It's bad for the environment for a start. Anyone else in?

Laminating is only useful if it will save time in the long run (e.g. I have packs of revision cards that come out multiple times a year for different GCSE topics and have had them since we changed spec 4ish years ago. They've saved me time)

Have your lunch for you and make a line of it with colleagues if you can. We find us all eating as a department means we rarely get interrupted because it means having to disturb the whole team.

Marking tokens / whole class feedback as appropriate

Avoid saying yes to any little extras

If a job takes less than 2 mins to do, do it when given rather than add it to the list.

It's a long slog through this half term.

I don’t have any tips: just thanks. I was thinking of baking some gingerbread for the staffroom at my dc’s school, to say thank you in rainy grey November, because there’ll be lots of treats at the end of term, but we’ve got a fair few weeks of slog first. This post has spurred me to switch the oven on and get out my recipe book!

Oh I know. We have a Challenge Partners Mocksted next week and muggings here is being seen.

I'm just taking each day as it comes and thinking fuck it to pointless marking as year 11 mocks are in 2 weeks and that'll be hellish enough.

Marking stickers, if that kind of thing suits you. It's saved me.

No tips, just solidarity.

I am in an extremely toxic school- totally unreasonable expectations from management, behaviour is atrocious and an upcoming mocksted.

I’ve handed in my notice and will be leaving at Christmas, but it still feels like a very long time to go!

I find gin very useful for survival this term

It's hard. Really hard. Hang on in there.

A calendar that you can tick off each day.

Marking stickers, if that kind of thing suits you. It's saved me.

I've printed off a load of these and will be essentially flicking and ticking as much as possible, good idea.

I've printed off 1 copy of each sheet I need tomorrow, which defeated my 'not work at the weekend' idea but does mean I can go straight to the photocopier and get ready faster.

I am so sorry to those of you really battling it out [flowers[

I’m in mock marking hell, managed to get a chunk done today. I’ve planned a few things for the forthcoming weekends to look forward too. This time last year I marked my mocks quite quickly, rather than agonising over every question. Nothing bad happened, the sky didn’t fall in so I now just plough through them and give them another look if they are near the grade boundary. This has saved me hours. Also if all the parents who complain could just avoid contacting me for the next 6 weeks I’d be grateful

Ariadnecrete we could well work at the same school! Sounds so familiar- does you head hide in their office too??

DH is in mock hell - 2 classes of English & 2 of Media Studies - and also took part in his Department's mock 'Deep Dive' this week. I had SIP visit this week and have a trip tomorrow and events after school Tues, Weds and Thurs. DSD is just completing her mocks and has not coped well with the pressure.

All 3 of us and my 3 DC have had colds all week. Even the dog is looking miserable.

We're having comfort food from the slow cooker for evening meals and am so lucky that my Mum collected my full ironing basket today and will drop it back later in the week.

I'm going to book next summer's holiday very soon...really need something to look forward to other than and

This really is the longest, hardest term of all isn't it. I sympathise and empathise and just, well, feel your pain

I am doing twice weekly lunchtime walks with work friends, badminton club with one of the PE teachers straight after work once a week. Whole class feedback. Also using QR codes to record feedback for KS4 writing.

September seems like it happened 17 months ago. I love December and the Santa excitement but that also seems so far away.

I had a better day today. Printing at home definitely helped. I also printed off a colouring sheet for RME today, which they all sat in total silence to do