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.

I know it's only half 6, and there was the incident with Gav saying he thought that tables should be in rows, but so far today the DfE has not fucked up the weekend for school staff. No weird guidance, no thing for the weekend media to get behind slagging teachers off. First time in months! How refreshing.

It is highly possible that tables facing forwards is the solution to a pandemic...

Happy Friday everyone. Hope you are all taking a break. I am so glad I wasn't in school this week back again next week.

Holidays booked since Jan - always try and coordinate DH holidays and get booking in jan sales. Summer had visit to homeland (flights cancelled ) week in UK still going ahead and week abroad (only deposit paid so far) but only getting back 3 days before school starts back!

@Piggywaspushed

It is highly possible that tables facing forwards is the solution to a pandemic...

Yeah sent all the 🦠 forward to the teacher 😂

I saw something on twitter about Gav being a bigot for wanting desks in rows.

Then they realised it was about teaching in a global pandemic.

People are being more reactionary than normal aren’t they?

How are desks in rows bigoted? What on earth was the reasoning behind that? I've had my desks in rows for 15 years now, not because I'm a bigot, but because that way they can all see the board and see me, while not disturbing anyone else.

I do know that other subjects, and most primary schools quite like tables and other arrangements. But for secondary maths, having tried other arrangements, I always come back to rows.

I had to teach a tricky group in an English classroom with the desks in groups and it was fucking awful.

In subjects where you want them to discuss I suppose you have to put up with it.

But there’s this ridiculous battle line being drawn between traditional and progressive teaching methods, it’s getting a bit like a Brexit.

#rowsforlife

I rather like horseshoe type arrangements of desks but rooms are too small mostly

Or classes are too big

Anyone seen the TES article about keeping teachers apart, especially if they are from different schools?

www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-keep-teachers-apart-say-government-science-advisers

I can’t be the only teacher married to another teacher 🤣

I think the issue is that Gavla said row sand circles were 'wrong'. Presumably based on his extensive knowledge of pedagogy what with his wife having been a primary teacher for all of 5 minutes.

My impression is that he was referring to primary schools.

I'm a horseshoe fan, too.

Rows for the win here as well.

Told you no cosy lunchtime chats with colleagues. In the classroom with the kids for everyone.

I don't even understand what that article means user.

Who are these : should avoid meeting or using the same spaces as staff who do not have contact with children ??

The headteacher??

It has interesting implications for SLEs/ teaching schools/ advisers etc.

We have a maths admin person who works in our dept office so we presumably can’t go in the office when she’s there.

Except she has a couple of kids at the school. Does that mean we can?!

@Useruseruserusee

Anyone seen the TES article about keeping teachers apart, especially if they are from different schools?

www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-keep-teachers-apart-say-government-science-advisers

I can’t be the only teacher married to another teacher 🤣

What about our own children who may go to different schools as well?

WhyNot

Not only am I a primary teacher married to a secondary teacher but we have one child at a different primary school and one child at nursery.

I’ll have my butties sat in my car before I’ll sit in the classroom and eat with the children.

Yep, we're a four-school-household too

Oh god my child is going to be a year 9 in September and goes to my school! If I had to spend all day with year 9s that would be the end of me!

Next thing will be teachers are only allowed out for work to reduce spread.

I actually feel a bit better about my sons occasional dickishness having realised he’s basically a year 9 boy now. They’re mostly dicks till year 10.

My impression is that he was referring to primary schools.

I think so. But he seems to have pissed off the primary teachers who already have their children sitting in rows too. Perhaps the heat and lockdown is getting to everyone.

The only staff member I can think of who ahs no contact with children is the head the data person. So, he can't ever use the staffroom then. Or maybe he can, and we can't . Because we are robots, only on site to childmind teach children and we must never talk to colleagues.

Does that also mean we can't socialise with teacher friends at any point?

I have me, DH different school, DS2 different school and DS1 university...

I already have my tables in rows. Have done for years. By which I mean rows across - I have them in two sections so I can walk down the middle with my cane, rapping knuckles.