The Ninth Republic - stand by for the return of Year 10

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff. 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.

If you are fed up with cakes and biscuits there is now a cheeseboard on offer

If you come with a stick to beat us with then please do so elsewhere and not in the staffroom.

Shall we get Marcus Rashford to campaign for something else we all want now?

U Turn announced on FSM!

Yes, I've worked in schools with a variety of break lengths and the shortest ones always mean that students come into the first afternoon lessons still socialising (in a positive but unhelpful way) or - worse - carrying on some grievance that they've not had time to sort out. Then they want to disappear to run to HOY/Asst HOY/whomever does pastoral support. I much prefer a longer lunch.

Primary KS2 - we get half an hour in the morning and 45 minutes at lunchtime. Half an hour on break duty is a LONG TIME when it's cold. BUT, when not on duty I can get a whole set of books marked in the time. I like it.

Our school authority is funding packed lunch for the whole school and staff for the 4 (3?) Weeks we will be open for. All so the kids can be told to bring nothing but their coat and their water bottle.

Oh god the I need to go to the year office crap! It’s now officially banned for anyone to be allowed to go to the year office during lessons. Still takes time to say no and convince them you’re not going to change your mind.

I hate short lunches as much as the kids do. By the time I get stragglers out and collect my stuff and lock the door at one end and am ready in the next room logged in and ready with starter task on board the requisite 5 minutes early at the other end I get about 15 minutes to queue for a wee and try to rehydrate.

We get another 20 mins in the afternoon minus the same top and tail time loss. If you’re on duty and don’t have a free it really feels like you get on a waltzer at 8.30am and get spat out 7 hrs later

Has there been an announcement about the summer catch up yet? Or are we expecting something at tonight’s briefing?!

I haven't seen anything yet @Appuskidu

@Appuskidu

Has there been an announcement about the summer catch up yet? Or are we expecting something at tonight’s briefing?!

I suspect they're all still sitting round a table arguing it out.

They probably haven't started writing it yet! Have had to hastily amend it for FSM over the summer.

I don’t think they’d get everyone through the dining hall at either kid’s school Olof it was just 30 mins - but then that’s overcrowded schools for you!

They probably haven't started writing it yet!

I laughed when I read this, but you are probably spot on here!

If you’re on duty and don’t have a free it really feels like you get on a waltzer at 8.30am and get spat out 7 hrs later

That's perfect. I get told off for not responding to texts or whatever during the day. Erm... I get in at 7.30, my phone is in my bag, locked in a drawer from then on... I realise at 4.42 that I need to be in the car in 3 minutes, at that point I look at my phone. Soz.

It's been interesting being at home to see just how little my partner does in his day. He has time to swan off down the allotment at 'lunchtime' etc. I opened my laptop at 7.20 this morning, and have been flat out ever since apart from 20 minutes doing the school run. I post on here while waiting for video lessons to upload to youtube or the school website.

Yes, my dh "works from home" a lot too.
Still manages a bike ride, dog walk and to read the paper. Can't stretch to putting a load of washing on or unloading the dishwasher though, "because working."
I'm not meant to be working today, but am nonetheless spending the afternoon writing transition notes for next year's teacher.

Ah yes, my dp also 'working' at home ( finding time to fix things that don't need fixing, playing instruments, going for bike rides)
Can't quite stretch to replacing the milk that's run out though

There was one year when I had morning and afternoon gate duty, AND break duty, AND lunchtime club, AND no frees, all on the same day... Regularly set off a migraine the next day. Probably due to dehydration.

Confess that I’m afraid of being completely left behind re: online learning and ICT skills. I have no idea how to record or share my screen even let alone do voice overs on PowerPoint recording screen and sound. I have the horrible feeling it’s just going to be more that I’m just expected to know without any training

I used to have all my duties on the same day - get it out the way. Used to choose Friday if I had an option. Meant I could avoid the cake in the staff room. Also I tend to plan Friday as a minimal marking day anyway.

Honey - you'll be find, takes 5 mins to learn how to voice over a powerpoint. Primary issue was that we use SMART notebook more than PPT. Took some faffing to make things look smooth. I did it by changing everything to powerpoint, which is why planning is taking me yonks.

I don't use PowerPoint. I hate it. I use paper and pencil, and I currently record using my visualiser. So I don't screen share our anything, I literally stick my exercise book under the visualiser.

I have a computing degree (half computing and half maths really) but I still don't know half the stuff on Teams, because I haven't had much of a chance to play with it. I'm too busy setting lessons to have time to think about how best to use the technology to set better lessons.

Piggy that plan sounds crap for your year 10. That's what my hod wanted for my year 12, but I talked him out of it, lol.

Oh no, we are doing it for year 12 too!!

I do think different subjects are so different that each one should have what they need. Visualiser doesn't add much to me but I need a good , large screen and projector, powerpoint and a separate whiteboard (all of which I normally have). Oh, and the ability to actually screen a film. Sigh. I definitely don't need to narrate my ppts, however.

DH never uses ppt.

All of departments lessons are on power point.

I even looked up the cost of visualisers this morning thinking they do sound easier but they’re a bit out of my budget. I think I’ve seen one kicking around in our department which has no doubt already been commandeered.

Hi how do you record your own screen? I have a dell laptop from school and a Mac desktop. Would imagine they’re both capable of it or is it a specific software that’s needed? Sorry to be a pita

What’s the betting Boris has forgotten about summer catch ups and won’t mention it at all?!

Where on earth is Gavin Williamson. How long can he actually put off appearing.