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.

[pinkrocker]

Exactly Rara and Staff
I really thought MNHQ would do more.

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

Oh we action the comments from user have been deleted from our other thread. Maybe all is not lost at least on that thread.

[pillowtalkey]

Can someone explain to me what the flower thing is 🧐

[Piggywaspushed]

Many revolutions over the centuries and protests against injustice have been about symbolic passive resistance, often with flowers. The flowers on one particular thread definitely actively prevented the descent into a complete pile on.

Nothing else has ever worked.

No one is forcing you sara but also no one has to be professional on MN and over the years, one if the most irritating things on here has been the attempt to rent a bit, or air frustration about our work and then be scolded by non teachers for ever thinking anything other than fragrant thoughts.

[Piggywaspushed]

But, yeah, if MN could just delete duplicate threads, that would be a start.

[Piggywaspushed]

vent a bit!!

[Piggywaspushed]

randomuser moved over to a police bashing thread. That one goes to a whole new level.

[saraclara]

But, yeah, if MN could just delete duplicate threads, that would be a start.

Yep. Or if someone better at finding them than me, could make a post linking every single other thread about the same thing, and post it hot on the heels of every single new thread asking the same question, it might make the point!

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

I do not even want to look at the police bashing thread as the title alone annoyed me - dreadful behaviour

[LolaSmiles]

coconuttelegraph
Honestly, if you've got a genuine question then you're probably best off starting your own thread in one of the education boards and you'll get a range of really helpful responses from fellow parents and teachers.

Adding genuine questions into threads where it's already turned goady might mean you get overlooked.

As a general rule at the moment, any thread that contains things to the effect of:
"But what ARE they actually doing?"
"Schools are doing nothing"
"Teachers are doing nothing"
"Why aren't the schools opening?"
are likely to be largely goady threads where people are looking to stick the boot in and then complain and be goady to anyone who gives a reasonable reply.

[Piggywaspushed]

Don't forget 'they are public servants and I pay their wages' and 'they don't seem willing to play their part/ step up/ take any risks'.

[cheesecurdsandgravy]

“They want to try working in the real world”
“This wouldn’t be acceptable in the corporate world”
“Their pensions”

[cheesecurdsandgravy]

“Their holidays”

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

But when asked why they don’t become teachers too if it’s such an easy job, they have no comeback.

[SallyLovesCheese]

"Why do teachers think they're special?"
"All they do is moan."

[cheesecurdsandgravy]

“They don’t care about the children”

[SavoyCabbage]

"My mother was a teacher in the 70s so I am, by proxy, a much better teacher than my child's teacher".

[LittleMissnotLittleMrs]

Another one asking somebody to please explain the flowers thing. Pretty please 🙏

[Piggywaspushed]

Some of us decided instead of engaging in arguments with people who were insulting us, diminishing our professionalism and (often successfully) enraging us, we would form a solidarity act of resistance by placing a lovely flower on the next post to plant seeds of loveliness.

[LolaSmiles]

But when asked why they don’t become teachers too if it’s such an easy job, they have no comeback
Isn't the usual response "Why should I? Why do teachers always say we should become a teacher at the first hint of any criticism?" followed by some cheerleading about how teachers can't take any criticism, and maybe a reference to teachers being beyond criticism on MN/people worship them on MN.

[Piggywaspushed]

Oh haha , forgot that one! That was trotted out about the police today, too!

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

Isn't the usual response "Why should I? Why do teachers always say we should become a teacher at the first hint of any criticism?" followed by some cheerleading about how teachers can't take any criticism, and maybe a reference to teachers being beyond criticism on MN/people worship them on MN.

Yeah. That too. Anything other than realising their logic is flawed.

[SallyLovesCheese]

Yeah, they normally reply to a call to arms with "Teachers are sooo defensive"!

I got annoyed at the police one earlier, too, not least because my DSis and BIL are police officers. Just too much hate around at the moment, I have to constantly remind myself of all the nice things I've had parents and children say to me over the years!

[LolaSmiles]

As ever, it's the unreasonable, confrontational minority who are the loudest ones.
It's just like being at school. You can have a dozen or two dozen sets of parents who are really confrontational, go out their way to ignore the rules and communication, will swear blind their child has appropriate uniform and definitely isn't breaking the rules as the child is sitting there breaking the rules, who'll demand meetings, claim they can get teachers sacked, make stupid claims about challenging authority and not promoting blind obedience (which amusingly seems to go hand in hand with a child who is routinely rude and defiant in their attitude/conduct whilst other perfectly polite children are delightfully critical and willing to challenge in a much more constructive way), and forget that the other 1000+ sets of parents are amazing, supportive and challenge reasonably when required.
Those dozen or two take up a huge amount of staff time, lots of staff attention, diverts staff from more meaningful tasks, and can end up dominating headspace (but not in the way they want).

[Howaboutanewname]

I have to say, I am struggling. Probably no worse than any other person generally given the circumstances, but the persistent threads which totally ignore the fact that we too are just people going through the same as them, with kids to look after, aging parents to be concerned about, trying to grab an online shop slot in the early hours, have really taken their toll on me. I left to do supply a few years ago but in recent years went back part time and was loving it, But the last few weeks have been the nail in the coffin and I will resign by the dead line. Too many people out there are too happy to see us dead en masse. It’s not worth it.