The flowers thing...

[saraclara]

Can we not? The number of threads asking the same stuff on other branches is doing my head in, but the flower bombing is a really immature response which really isn't doing the profession any favours right now.

I know I've no right to ask and everyone can do as they like, but I honestly think it's giving people ammunition.

I disagree it's an immature response.

The immature responses are those given by the people who aren't in the slightest bit interested by reality.

It's been really helpful for me to disengage and leave flowers.

In that case, no teacher should respond on any thread that is attacking the profession and damaging the mental well being of our members

Either, I'll go with the majority.

You don't see any difference between responding with reasoned explanations, and leaving multiple posts of 100or more flowers @StaffAssociationRepresentative ?
Because to me the former seems intelligent and reasonable, and the other seems childish. And I'm going to assume that parents who are not teachers, will think the same.

When you have teachers complaining about the effect that these endless twatty posts are having on their mental health and inaction on the part of MNHQ in discouraging them, then something needs to happen. Ignoring them doesn’t work because there’s always some poor teacher who wants to defend themselves and the profession rather than leaving it unchallenged.

Passive resistance has actually reduced the number of teachers posting defences and given a sense of relief and solidarity that each individual teacher is not the only person who has spotted it and thought it unfair.

Reasoned explanations take time and mental energy, sara and actually, when you find yourself writing the same reasoned explanation over and over you realise that you’re wasting your time.

I don't disagree @noble giraffe. But surely better to just not post at all, than leave a post that confirms the OP's view of teachers being unprofessional?

Can someone explain what the flower thing is?

I'm a parent not a teacher, I was reading a thread about possible schoil opening dates that ended up as a lood of flowers posts, I thought I must be missing something and didn't post on the thread because of that so for me it stopped me discussing an important issue. Is that the intention?

Because every time I’ve bit my tongue and not posted, when I’ve gone back, someone else has. This is now happening far less often.

If someone is asking a reasonable and polite question they can get a reasonable and polite answer.

If they’re being a bitchy tosspot then a flower is hardly going to lower their opinion any further.

And you just know that a teacher who gets understandably upset or wound up will post something ( anything ) that ends up with a ‘I’m glad you don’t teach my kids’ bitchfest.

saraclara

The posters that are causing this to happen already have a low opinion of teachers.

coconuttelegraph

As noblegiraffe posted, if you put a reasonable and polite question, you will get the same as a response.

Those that post the goady, generalised points will get a flower as that is as much energy and mental load as it deserves.

But we've tried reasoned responses and explanations.

I don't see flowers as unprofessional.

The thread I was reading wasn't really about teachers, it was about schools reopening in general, obviously I haven't seen any of the threads discussing this, I'm sure everything that could be said already has been, just seems a little teacher-ish and yes I get the irony of that.

@coconuttelegraph

Would that be the one that went in to teachers don't want to go back. they are being paid so they should work. something about holidays.
pay. etc.

And it was explained many times, no-one knows. and teachers had no say in it.

coconut it wasn’t the thread in general that got the flowers, and there were hundreds of posts discussing the issue, including from teachers. The flowers were in response to individual posts being twatty about teachers, from posters who are well aware of what they are doing.

@coconuttelegraph - there have been some quite spiteful and horrendous threads. They may start off with good intentions but soon descend into a 'teachers won't do this blah blah blah' scenario.

We are now trying to take a stand against threads where we are constantly explaining the rules that we have to follow from DfE/exam boards/HT, how we are paid, terms and conditions of employment contracts, term time dates, what is safeguarding, why we cant just using the latest IT fad etc.

Threads normally result in teachers basically being referred to as unprofessional shirkers who are the lowest of the low. It is definitely not good for our mental well being.

We have had enough of all the posters who have missed the #bekind movement and as a result we are taking a stand.

It’s also a useful reminder to hold the line.

I've also found it's more visual solidarity, which has been really helpful.

@coconuttelegraph

There are also several threads about live streaming lessons and posters have complained that teachers won't do it because "safeguarding".

Yet on another thread there are parents discussing what they have seen in other people's homes due to video lessons.

There have even been examples of zoom bombing.

And that doesn't even go in to the use of these streams to capture and harass and bully teachers only.

Yet its the teachers that are wrong.

I’ve just stopped clicking on any threads about schools reopening or any work being sent/not sent home. It’s better for my sanity and mental wellbeing. I’ve had some lovely emails from parents that I’ve contacted. I’m sticking to real life issues.

And others have said in these times of uncertainty its nice to have a visual representation of support of each other.

It doesn't seem to matter how many times teachers try to point out what is happening, we still get the rubbish like "You're sitting at home on full pay doing nothing", "Teachers shouldn't get their summer holidays so that the kids can catch up on the work they're missed" etc etc. Unfortunately, you can't argue with ignorance. However, I'm surprised MNHQ isn't doing more to get rid of this sort of thing. It's affecting teachers' mental health at a time when we are struggling, to say the least.

Well MNHQ did seem to offer help the other day but it seems to have fizzled out rather quickly. I guess they are fighting their own battles at the moment.

We have to try and stand up for ourselves or leave the platform - that is the stark choice