The Third Republic - solidarity comrades!

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. Baiters and bashers can jog on somewhere else.

If you are not staff and just have a general education query please start your own thread.

You can play here only if you are a member of one the following groups-

-ABBA - anti bashers and baiting association
-SWAB - school workers against bashers
-SWOT - school workers opposing teacherbashers
-STARS - schoolworkers together against ranting + slurs

Other requirements for staff room entry include the ability to find the staff room, the ability to find a clean mug in the staff room, knowledge of the photocopier codes and the ability to sniff out where the toffee vodka is hidden.

Do any other countries have the issues of a) setting and b) option subjects that we have?

I know little about the French system but I do know Scandinavian countries don't have ability sets and I am fairly sure they don't in China or Japan either.

These are certainly complicating factors! We also don't have standardised national textbooks and routes through,. I have always been glad of this, but it is another complicating factor.

Sorry, Educating, I haven't explained well.

Say two Key Workers in Y3 are Group A. On M+T they would be with their normal class, with their normal teacher, with the rest of the group A children.

Weds, Thurs and Fri they would do the remote work set by the class teacher for all of group A, but would do it in school, while also being there for childcare.

Ideally, all KW children would be in the same group (otherwise Wednesday has a 'double group'), but if necessary, others could be on Group B and do online work set for the rest of Group b in school M, T and then the 'double group' spreads out a bit further into the school on Wednesday because no other children are present.

Yes, the 'in school childcare' children would be in a mixed age group - but we have found from all the weeks of lockdown so far that the children in school for childcare are pretty much equally able to access and complete the home learning materials as those who are at home with parents, because it is specifically designed for independence.

In Melbourne we may be back before the end of term 2 (June 26th) but apparently it'll be all in at once with a fortnight's settling in. The rationale for the first is so teachers don't get involved in online teaching and marking - if a student is away, the lesson is where it's always been, on the lesson plan.

There's no way that they will keep hold of the 2m thing when they want schools open, because they know it's not possible. My class of 30 has 15 tables. I could space them out a little and ensure 1m distance and minimal movement with my older primary kids. And I have one of the smaller classrooms. I'd have to move other furniture out to allow tables to be spread out more, but that will just have to happen.

I'm (low level) SLT and our HT has said that the county are asking how returning to school could look in our place. I'm going to forward my suggestion to him but I doubt it will be taken up.

I think we are going to accept that some parents, if given the choice, aren't going to send their kids at all.

We'd have to have packed lunches eaten in the classrooms and limit break times. Not sure how lunchtime breaks would work in terms of the teacher being able to have a break and a little time away from the class at lunchtime. Again, that would come down to our TAs - who already do lunch duties - relieving teachers so we could get our lunch and go to the loo etc.

@pfrench Looks like your thread (for those who want schools to go back) has been set upon by teacher-bashers.

Of course! I've left it now. I made my point about if they aren't fussed about education in June and July, then they shouldn't be worried about education right now either. So you know, shut up about teachers and schools.

I'm not going back after that post, it'll run out of space soon and no one will do a new one.

Pick up and drop off will be our biggest issues for reducing crowding, especially as it involves adults.

I'm also almost afraid to type this but toileting is going to be an issue too. Keep seeing recommendations that children shouldn't be mingling and even one person suggesting timetabled 'comfort breaks'. Good luck getting that one working

And they cut most of the TAs, who will now be even more essential (and grossly underpaid).

Dahh.

We're allowed to talk toilets here. Just nowhere else or you'll be accused of being a fascist destroying their human rights. And that teenagers have weaker bladders than post pregnancy peri menopausal women.

I'm not going back after that post, it'll run out of space soon and no one will do a new one.

Honestly feel like I live in an alternate reality. Every parent should be made to do a week in a school and pass just to understand.🤣🤣🤣

The 2 days in, clean other half plot looks good to me for primary as a secondary teacher.
I envisage our model ( helped by no 11 and 13s) to be different year groups in on rotation so minimising corridor/ lunch blocks but abandoning distancing in the classroom
I literally cannot see how any other model would be better than our current remote provision, i see no benefit and a lot of detriment to eg having half the year group mon/ tues and the other thurs/fri because depending on the week I might never see some of the kids, especially where i share with a pt colleague

At secondary level if the kids cannot move around the school/change groups for different classes and access practical work(which involves movement) I just can’t see the point in us returning. It wouldn’t be significantly better than remote learning and in many situations it would be worse.

And that doesn’t even begin to consider those who wilfully will not co-operate with socially distanced school.

Oh god yes the toilets too. 😫

Jesus Christ that thread is poisonous. It’s very depressing to think that some of my students could have parents who think like that. Somebody’s teaching (or not if you listen to them) their children. I am getting increasingly anxious about returning to work, which won’t be until August and I really must stop reading those threads!

I’m really starting to wonder about some people with ITU consultant husbands...

Yep, who end up with their own teacher-bashing threads deleted and try to pretend it wasn't their intent to upset.

I’m really starting to wonder about some people with ITU consultant husbands...

*Open marriage or just pure hatred?

Completely made up?*

Yep, who end up with their own teacher-bashing threads deleted and try to pretend it wasn't their intent to upset.
*And then take the shaggy response

' it wasn't me'*

@RigaBalsam - it is a load of tosh. All the advancements we have made in terms of equality and we still have women saying ‘my husband is a very important xyz so what I say is right’.

We should not give them the oxygen to fuel their flames.

I fear that as furlough ends that is when it will get really nasty as the unemployment figures rises; all public sector workers will be in for a real bashing

I nearly posted on that thread, wrote a big long reply... and deleted.

I had a nice evening, I don't need to be getting involved!

We should not give them the oxygen to fuel their flames.

Too true staff!

I think for a teacher to start that thread is a bit of an own goal really.

Own goal - why? It was doing very nicely and was sensitively and cleverly managed by the OP until the massed nutters descended late last night and really showed how unpleasant they are.

Currently, our school had set up a crèche for staff with v young children. This is only going to work if nurseries also open. I'll be scuppered unless Dh does that!

The other issue is that wraparound care will need to happen for children of teachers. I suppose though staff can do that? My school is 20 mins away from my son's.

Do we think the flu jab staff will have to go back? I do keep thinking about my colleagues with diabetes and ms. I have asthma and don't want to get it as I know it will knock me for six, but it's starting to sound like it's actually worse for those with diabetes in terms of risk of serious complications.

A little search on the will tell you she is pissed off because DH (who doesn't seem to work all the hours God sends) doesn't pull anyhis weight at home.

I think we are getting the backlash.

Since supermarket workers are the new heroes, I'm off to find a job in a Co Op. No shortage in teaching of willing recruits to the profession after all.

I do agree that thread was only going to go one way, but what is does show is that no one - not even the teacher bashers- know how schools can safely open.

It makes me laugh when they talk about the power of our unions dictating government policy. Oh do give over.

It is the various powerful unions who saw to it that the workers in shops were kept safe. It was various responsible private employers who shut down construction sites despite the government nudging them to stay open. It is the TGWU and Sadiq Khan who reduced the routes on TfL to try to force people out of the subways to keep people -and staff- safer (with much whining at first).

The teaching unions have for a long time been toothless. People who think they are militant are showing their age.