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.

SallyLovesCheese

I only have one that is remotely workable.

I think our performance management meetings will be just like the usual "these are your targets, now tell me what I can write down so we can make sure you've definitely met them" then my hod listens to what I say and writes it down in much prettier and more flattering language. In my department you have to be pretty shit to not meet your targets as they are specifically designed to be met within your normal year of teaching.

@FrippEnos Do you think it'll impact you in any way? When they put not met or partially met on there?

I was thinking there be a caveat about the pandemic but my manager was just expecting me to tell her how I've done transition stuff with a pupil when I haven't had any contact with him since February.

I'm at the top of my payscale. Just as well, cos I've been lying around in the garden for the last 3 months.

Someone on that thread suggested a term from mid July - end of October.

Can. You. Imagine.

SallyLovesCheese

I'm UPS3 as well so I don't get anything anyway.

But like you I am hoping that they will take the pandemic into consideration.

Yes, I'm hoping so too, Fripp. I'll mention it in my comments so when it comes to the final meeting they can't say I didn't tell them it was tricky.

I saw that, goats! I was going to reply but MNHQ have removed it now. 14 weeks straight through! Just the thought is hideous enough!

SallyLovesCheese

Its not helped by my department head leaving.

They would at least have fought my corner.

but MNHQ have removed it now

It’s only been hidden so they can ‘take a look’...

I'm hoping no fighting will have to happen, Fripp. Surely, SURELY, the pandemic and lockdown will be taken into account?!

@Appuskidu

but MNHQ have removed it now

It’s only been hidden so they can ‘take a look’...

Oh, really? The last post was from MNHQ and the deletion message said basically the same thing, that many posts had broken the guidelines so it was being removed. I wonder why they changed their minds?

You would have hoped that they would have cancelled the whole PM targets.

But I would have thought that they would have to take it in to account.

Jesus Christ. Went off for a family gin/mojito/pizza/games evening and came back to carnage on the summer holiday thread.
Fortunately it was suspended before I got around to posting in my gin-inspired state.
Might have actually got suspended, instead of just threatened with it.
WHY do MN insist on leaving such hideous threads running? They delete others for not "being in the spirit," but those can stay? For the revenue/click-bait traffic I suppose.
Whatever happened to "be kind?"

Whatever happened to "be kind?"

Hasn’t and never will apply to teachers, sadly.

They have changed the message. Interesting.

Anyway, don't want to get this zapped by potentially being a TAAT, so I'll leave it.

I guess I should go to bed now. But I'm not working tomorrow so enjoying a late night for a change!

What has the deletion message changed to? I deleted the thread in a rage and can't access it anymore.

A apropos of children and three famed resistance to Covid: five children tested positive for Covid 19 in the last week, three primaries and a childcare centre shut down.

They don't do bubbles in Victoria.

There, not three.

@CallmeAngelina

What has the deletion message changed to? I deleted the thread in a rage and can't access it anymore.

It said lots of posts broke the Talk Guidelines so it was being removed (among other things like parents and teachers need to be able to debate. I actually have the text copied but don't want to post it in case it made this thread go zap). Then changed to say it's been hidden.

I've very much enjoyed looking at the homemade visualisers! It makes me want to try, but I've no reason to use one at the moment. I love how creative teachers can be!

@MrsHerculePoirot

Can anyone here help me with a couple of quick teams questions?

1. I'm trying to use classnotebook and have added a page to the content library. Can I now add it to their individual notebooks, or do they have to be instructed to do this? If so can they easily do it during a live meeting/lesson? Will it be useful?

2. Any secondary maths specific - any tips on how to get students to share their written work with you other than holding up to screen or some way of taking a picture and sharing it with you?

MrsHerculePoirot

There are two ways of doing this

• In the class notebook, click on the page you want to share in the content library, then click on "Class Notebook" on the top bar, then "Distribute Page - Distribute Page". (Choose individual distribution if you want to share it with particular members of the class). A menu will open on the right hand side of the page, then you can choose which section of the student books you can distribute this too. It can be a bit glitchy, so I'd only recommend doing one page at a time.

• The way I do it is through Teams. In the Team group, click on "Assignments" on the top bar, then create the assignment. I usually call it something like "17/6/20 - Drawing Gradients" or something. Then in the assignment, you can click on "add resources", then select "Class Notebook" from the left hand menu and then the page is automatically added to the students' notebooks. This only works though, for class notebooks that were created in Teams. I write the whole lesson (tutorial vid, worked example then independent work) on a page, then schedule the assignment for 4pm the day before the lesson.

2. I ask the students to upload photos of their work into their class notebooks, or where they can, ink directly onto their screens. If a student has a specific query during a lesson, then I ask them to share their screen (they are usually working on OneNote) via Teams, or I'll look at their Class Notebooks whilst they are writing and add comments. It requires the syncing to be working well though!

Dr Frost Maths homeworks now have the option that they cannot submit their answers before they have annotated the accompanying whiteboard, although mine tend do do a scribble just to be able to submit .

I was talking to a friend after just finding trying to do all ds's work yesterday would destroying; her school are only giving numeracy (white rose) reading and various suggestions for apps and websites for her y2. She's actually just doing reading eggs and math seeds.

My son's school came under criticism for essentially giving a full weeks worth of work that you'd cover in a normal week, although more written out rather than worksheets etc, plus links to things like white rose and BBC Bitesize, twinkl etc.

Interestingly as they're a first school and decided not to take reception but some key children across the whole school plus more key workers, it's possibly caused more division but also resulted in basically a full weeks worth of daily plans that I'd do as a teacher so those in school and those at home have the same.

My friend wasn't aware of any issues with the parents at her children's school. I real I think the mn panicked lot are a unique breed, I'd say there's a few locally. And I'd say for send / deprived homes it's a different matter but if the latter, I rarely see anyone who might be in that category here.

What was the main idea of the thread? That schools should teach in the summer?

Anyway, I'm reverting back to maths, spelling and reading. He at least likes the maths.

It said lots of posts broke the Talk Guidelines so it was being removed (among other things like parents and teachers need to be able to debate. I actually have the text copied but don't want to post it in case it made this thread go zap). Then changed to say it's been hidden.

It’s changed again! It’s now got some long spiel about how they know these threads are upsetting for teachers but it is a ‘hot topic’ and parents will want to discuss it. If teachers want to join in the debate, they can but it can’t turn into a bunfight or it gets zapped. It’s clear what their stance is on teacher mental health that’s for sure and it’s a shame they aren’t distinguishing between goady/spamming threads and genuine debates. Anything goes sadly.

Just watching about the fresh coronavirus outbreak in Beijing despite all of their protective measures (so interesting to see what has been in place for their schools) and wondering what that means for us!

@MrsHerculePoirot

Also sorry, someone asked about recording a screen - someone has recommended an app to me called 'loom' where you can record your screen but it records you also and you appear in a small circle on the bottom of the screen. When you finish it sends you a link which is what you can then use to share the recorded video.

Still catching up but just read this post. Thanks MrsHP. Would rather I had it to upload to where I want rather than it being stored remotely but will have a look.

@DreamingofBrie that’s really helpful going to try that right now! I tried distribute page but it seemed to just distribute a blank page! Off to use assignments....