Let's boycott all school threads outside of Education

[Everyexitisanentrance]

Honestly guys we are getting a kicking on other threads. We repeatedly have to explain our contracts, holidays, why we are not doing more online, why we should be doing less on ...... it is never ending. So far we have been off for the Easter break plus a max of two weeks. There is a lot of the population that do not need childcare. We are open for key worker children but that gets ignored. All the social distancing issues are ignored. All the ppe requirements are ignored. Now it could be that the trolls just see us as an easy target, hence all the forlough calls. So as a union member, I am requesting that teachers do not have to explain themselves on other threads as we are just fueling the fire. (I have been guilty of this).

So I am calling for a union boycott!

I need to confess that ds13 has done pretty much nothing schoolwork wise.

Dd 12 who goes to my school hasn't either. I have told her to do a bit of each but its a battle. Am not worried though. I will hammer her in year 11.

Tbh honeybadger I am very torn. Ds who is only 7 is very bright. A lot of it feels pointless and just going through the motions painfully. I do think they work them very hard in Y1 and 2. I don't see the point of making him upset. At the same time, this could go on for months and it's at least some novelty!!

He likes the white rose maths though. It's also partly as he's getting so bored and so if he does some activities his toys seem so much more exciting!

My nephew is 6 and is only just out of hospital with it but he still can't do much more than potter about. He's had it for 4 weeks now. It's definitely not a walk in the park for some children and the new info is very worrying.

My 13 year old has done a bit of english and maths and a ton of food tech. His mental health needs downtime right now. My 12 year old has done everything because that's the type of girl she is and her mental health needs that!

My mental health seems to need toffee vodka.

Phew not just me then 😀

A) I don’t feel like turning home into a war zone right now and B) I dread the nightmare of trying to work out log ins and passwords etc. He’s never even managed to get logged onto the student app for homework and I have tried to find out log on details for the maths package but only ever get the teacher telling me she’s told him and him telling me she hasn’t. I am resigned to finding a good maths tutor for gcse. He’s had a bad run of short term maths teachers mostly with limited English the last couple of years which added to innate laziness hasn’t been great

Your poor nephew phleb!

He's a healthy little lad too, a right little bruiser constantly with a football. Rapidly went downhill and had some dicey days in ICU. My sister had it but wasn't hospitalised Her other two children didn't get symptoms at all, and her husband is in the army so away. I think it's the randomness of the severity that frightens me most!

My ds struggles with maths too. He passed sats very well at 106 scaled, but the swap from doing maths every day to timetabled maths less frequently (also with supply teachers and one whose English was very poor) has made him nosedive. He is "head down, shut up and hide" kind of boy at school which doesn't help. I'm saving for a tutor as well!

And more toffee vodka.

Oh poor thing phleb! I hope he's well soon. A friend of ds's had a very high temp for almost two weeks and is still quite weak. He's 7.

When I think about it I feel the older years also (need?) are fine to have a break from study. They've had it intensely for years. Badly intensely I feel. Some children enjoy doing school work. For me, I was put off home work at around 7/8 by being made to do things I found extremely dull. I feel It's the kids who are able to self study so y10 and yr 12 who need the input purely to maintain some momentum with their courses.

Taking a step back, my son needs to become and independent reader and ride a bike!

Ooh yes, great time to learn to ride a bike!

Ds has cooked dinner all last week. Today he says he is going to make bread. He's never this keen to do anything at school!

Guides have been great for dd as have cadets for ds. They've both had virtual meetings and cadets have set pt and firemaking / bivvie exercises and guides are having a virtual camp out. They've both been given first aid stuff to learn for badges. Tonight we are making bin bag bivvies and i'm letting them camp outside. I'm so thankful for our garden.

It really makes me realise how narrow our curriculum has become. Ds' eyes light up when he's good at something - which is only ever food tech at school. Watching him whittle sticks and make a structure for the bin bags this morning made me really happy / sad. I'd like to think schooling could be wider and different in the future after all this.

I'd like to think schooling could be wider and different in the future after all this.

I really blooming hope so.

Whittling sticks should definitely be on the curriculum!

Nipping out for toffee vodka is an essential trip. #solidarity

Of course kids are going to get it in some version - they dont have a super immune system that is totally virus proof. Some posters yesterday were sounding as though they had attended the Donald Trump School of Medicine.

It will only take a few kids to be suffer badly in a school and then parents will be demanding we supply on line learning for those at home as well as teaching those in class.

#nowinners

Too true staff!

Bbc report

Coronavirus alert: Rare syndrome seen in UK children www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52439005

*phleb# that's lovely to hear I do think the way this is going, my subject (FT) is gonna be out stops feeling sorry for self and finds toffee vodka

The shame. My DS's teacher called and asked why he wasn't submitting any work. DS swears blind he's done it and absolutely refuses to let me check it. I honestly thought he and DD were doing it whilst I'm working here at the kitchen table. Mymaths was offline this morning, DD said she'd completed it, but couldn't possibly have as it's just come back on.
My mind is obviously elsewhere but now I feel I've failed as both a teacher and a parent

My DS's teacher called and asked why he wasn't submitting any work.

We have been told not to put pressure on parents and kids like that. That's ridiculous.

It's unusual times. Don't worry. Just start again tomorrow.

Quite a lot on education on the last 10-15 mins of pm radio 4 today.

The question was asked about how this will substantially change education and learning. The answer was based on the summer learning gap and that there "might have to be a bit shaved off some holidays to make up for lost learning."

My thoughts were more along the lines of "more whittling sticks."

Bad teacher. 😳

Ooh gcse in stick whittling - that’s an idea

@pinkrocker @RigaBalsam - the message that most of us are parents as well as teachers is lost in the arguments of baiters. The solution is toffee vodka or a cup of tea

#solidarity #wearenotfailures

"might have to be a bit shaved off some holidays to make up for lost learning."

Good God.Who said that??

How about shaving things off specifications instead? Just a thought.

I need to listen again. Well timed yelling from kids blocked it out.

Some overly enthusiastic person, possibly a head, was talking about how they were preparing the classrooms for socially distancing eg deep water butts for washing hands etc, and classes coming in half the week. Admitted SD was utterly impossible in reception.

The question was asked about how this will substantially change education and learning. The answer was based on the summer learning gap and that there "might have to be a bit shaved off some holidays to make up for lost learning."

Who said that?!

This wasn't guidance from the dfe, just what they've been talking about off their own backs.

The piece was in response to the ofsted thing today.

I can't listen again yet, bedtime. Was desperately trying to hear who said that!