The Tenth Republic - what is the new normal?

[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.

Sureitwillbegrand step away! Leave while it's perfect!

Haha, me too. I've turned off automatic notifications on my work email between 6pm and 7am because students are sending work at all hours and I really want to mark the (good) work straight away!

I’ve just seen on FB that they are taking about delaying GCSEs and A levels next year-wonder hope that would work?!

I'm knackered. Who knew that 12 children can be as tired as 31? I need my bed and a

*tiring! Case in point

Amused by Gavin's announcement today.

Later exams....so who's volunteering to mark all through the summer hols next year then?

I'm certainly not 🤣

What will happen with Private schools if they move exams to July? Local Independents break up on 2nd July this year.

I’m sure all those ‘retired supply teachers’ Adonis keeps twatting on about as the solution to all problems, will be well up for it. I’ve heard that they are so amazing that they don’t even need to be paid-they do it just for the love of the children apparently 🌈.

I wish we’d drop homework! Needless to say my hod is obsessed with it and regularly does spot checks on the system to ensure it’s being set every week. We’re no longer allowed to set our own and therefore make it relevant and valuable to the needs of the class. We have to pick one from a drop down box for that topic despite the fact it’s undifferentiated and way above most kids heads and requires serious marking. No homework = after school detention and missing buses. I hate it.

Just had an email from head to assure us we won’t be having longer days or shorter holidays and IF the school is open over summer it will be staffed by volunteers who will be being paid.

So pleased the old head walked

All these people who have holidays planned for post A-level next year. Haha. Last year when I wasn't working, we went on an posh all inclusive holiday that we'd never be able to afford in normal school holidays. Was last week of June, full of A-level kids on their last paid for holiday with their parents. Completely shitfaced the whole time! Them, not us.

I thought parents were paying for their holidays till 30 now?

Shielding appears to be ending on 1st August

Its a reasonably minor MP who wants the exams moved. I can't see it happening because of marking...we'll see!

I've been in school today. Taught one lesson with 9 pupils in, and another with 2 😁

There is a lot of chat, a lot of it not very sympathetic, about shielding on a range of threads. Never mind the clinically vulnerable who were discounted by MN as a load of worry warts ages ago.

What will happen to shielded children? I feel like if I were a parent of a shielded child I would want to wrap them away from the world? Not Chuck them in a crowded school.

The only example of vulnerable children they ever seem to cite is mild asthmatics. There are far more conditions than asthma! In fact, Jenny Harries just gave that as an example of a shielded child: a mild asthmatic wouldn't be shielded.

Now I've caught up with the rest of the thread.

My hod loves homework too, but we are allowed/encouraged to set our own and as such I can set nice easy basic skills homework for my weakest pupils. And I tend to set skills practice type homework for all classes so we can do the more difficult questions in class where I can help them and we can go through things together.

I would happily mark GCSEs in the first couple of weeks of the summer holidays. I used to mark year 9 sats and did those in the May half term, solidly working my way through boxes and boxes of papers for about 12 hours a day all half term week. I've not marked GCSEs or A Levels, mainly because they never seem to have vacancies for maths, but maybe I look at the wrong time of year.

The best work I'm getting is from one of my very weakest pupils. In normal lessons she's lucky to get 5 questions done (and we're not exactly talking difficult questions here!). But during lockdown she's been in school for the KW provision, hasn't had any help from those teachers as they've been told just to guide the kids by reading the instructions with them. She's just watching my example videos and cracking on by herself, then sending me pages of work. It's fantastic! Most of the ones sending fantastic work are the kids I would have predicted, but there have been a significant number of surprise kids in there.

I teach 2 kids recovering from leukaemia, 3 diabetics, and 1 with a serious heart condition. They should all really be kept away from school while there is a chance they could catch this!!

Absolute bugger of a day. Have had a (on a school night😮) and now on the hunt for chocolate. I tried today with short learning job then play, used a now and next board.. child just refused to engage with me or learning at all. Not sure I'm cut out for teaching if I can't even manage this.

Keep going - that child will be listening. Consistency is probably a good thing. Attunement strategy?

Also, 1-1 is hard without knowing the child. Have you been given planning? Ideas? Expected to guess?

@ohthegoats thank you! I have never heard of attunement strategy. I have the bubble planning. I guess I can only try. Child has been so disruptive and hurting others it's made me feel a bit rubbish today.

Spent most of the day emailing kids and calling parents (on my own home phone and phone bill - how many times I pressed 9 for an outside line). Shockingly high % of kids completely uncontactable, either not picking up or dead numbers. If these kids were at school and laying dead on the floor there's no way to get hold of their parents/grandparents/auntie/sister/ mums best friend

1-1 is so difficult name changed. I couldn't do it!! Calm and consistent seems to be the way to get through eventually, but it is eventually rather than straight away. That child needs time to get used to you and the way school is now, as it's different and change is a big difficulty for so many children (even NT children have a lot of difficulty with change). You can do this, it's just difficult right now because of circumstances outside of your control.

@namechangedyetagain agree with the others. Stay strong, calm and be consistent. You’ll be making more difference than you know.

@hedgehogger1 - I keep pressing 9 when calling parents too! Then remember t should be 141 to make sure they don’t get my number.