The Eleventh Republic - countdown to summer holidays

[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 think their problem is the government is bigging them up so much, so they look like a government project. If everyone knew it had been their idea and done form a place of goodness and public spirit then that would help but the government is positioning the narrative unfortunately

Agree with that. Bit I think it is a government project. Because mates. So same as everything, just jobs for your mates.

I hope they advertise jobs. Put the teachers currently doing it back into school/give them their weekends back, then have teachers who are vulnerable/have been shielding, the option to do these videos.

My personal problem is with any teacher who tries to say their stuff is best. We're all professionals. Some of my stuff is good.. so I make it work well for the kids I teach. I don't write a book and then stand in conferences telling everyone else they are doing it wrong. One of my staff is in danger of this. Her way or it's not good enough, because she once read some research. I had to block so many people on Twitter over this stuff.

I'm annoyed that there are SLT out there who didn't make online or appropriate remote learning stuff happen for their own schools. Makes us all look crap.

Basically, my partner got the cancer all clear today, we drank a lot of nice wine, I'm a bit drunk and feeling fighty... should probably get of social media.

@ohthegoats

What I don't get about all the moaning parents on here, is why they didn't just use them as they were intended. 3 lessons a day, easy. It would have been annoying if our school hadn't done stuff, but I'd have just plugged child into Oak or Bitesize. Both were well publicised. I linked them to friends who asked me for help.

That's exactly what I did with my own kids. They didn't really engage with the work the school set (don't want to be MN mum but they didn't find it challenging enough basically) so I set them going on BBC Bitesize and Oak. They picked what they fancied out of those plus CGP workbooks, and as long as I covered whatever topics school seemed to be doing, then everyone is happy? In fact dd1 (almost certainly ASD but undiagnosed) has absolutely stormed home learning and loved it! She preferred Bitesize daily but if a free resource is there to use, why bitch that your kid has no work?!

He stressed how teachers and union leaders are desperate to get children back to school.

But he also talked sensibly about the practical issues - how in general we are still trying to socially distance, but contrasting cramped Victorian schools with arrangements in supermarkets. Also how it’s not feasible to clean equipment between lessons.

He seemed clued up and the coverage was sympathetic to schools’ difficulties.

Ohthegoats that's brilliant news!

Basically, my partner got the cancer all clear today, we drank a lot of nice wine, I'm a bit drunk and feeling fighty... should probably get of social media.

Great reason to be drunk and fighty, you must be very relieved

Good hip!

I wish the Guardian would go beyond some niche reporters and do some proper coverage on this.

If anyone did miss the John Crace I posted though it's a good giggle.

My personal problem is with any teacher who tries to say their stuff is best.

Agree with this, there's a lot of this out there!
I don't Think Oak are saying they are the best in fairness. They're saying here's a resource which will benefit all schools, save a shit load of time and is pretty cheap. I don't care enough to investigate exactly who is involved and who their friends are, but this government is corrupt from head to toe.

I think research is important though and lots of the edutainment shite has been completed culled by researcher showing how ineffective it is. VAK, growth mindset, brain gym etc, verbal feedback stamps all complete rubbish.

Great news on your partner!

Herc do you think they will expect us to make video lessons in advance so that when we get sick they will be ready to show the classes? I wouldn't be surprised! Hopefully they'd have the grace to not use them if anyone actually dies.

Sorry that's a bit bleak

I'd like to think it doesn't have to be videos : just 'stuff'.

But all those self isolating kiddies will need work! Nightmare...

And yet the gov is determined all exams will be full content.

We have been told we have to make booklets of PowerPoint printouts and any worksheets / textbook pages of topics for students at home or in case we are sent home....

I think my department are being fairly sensible about it though and going to divvy up topics amongst us so we are not all doing everything. And actually as we cannot issue textbooks anyway due to sharing / contamination we will have to photocopy the pages anyway if we want to use them!

Steve Bell

It just seems a nightmare for a subject like maths where there's plenty of stuff already out there online. Each class needs an individual tailored lesson too. It's not like say History where all of Y7 could do the same booklet.

It seems there will be a LOT of wasted work.

Lack of tech is hard to get round but is there a place for students without tech to be added to the key worker groups?

Booklets going home is all well and good, but how many Ss will actually complete the work?

Brilliant news, ohthegoats!

Great news ohthegoats !

That's great -oh the goats

Thanks, it's a massive relief. The day of lockdown we began with the dodgy biopsy result, then we end lockdown with surgery. Obviously we'll be straight down the pub on Saturday to celebrate. Ahem

Ohthegoats great to hear some good news!

That's brilliant news goats You definitely need to celebrate, first ones in the pubs, last ones out 😉

Yay for all clear goats.

I’m a bit out of synch at the minute because I’m so overjoyed at not having to teach ks4 science anymore. They could have told me I was cleaning toilets instead and I’d still have gushed gratitude.

Reality will kick in. I’ll be teaching on top floor of main block so crushing corridor and stairs and missing ceiling tiles and buckets when it rains etc and no fire exit doors like we had in science.

The guidance for secondary is a total kickback in the teeth. All the if you can stuff is immediately cancelled out for us by ‘not if it requires more space or staff.

Think to be fair most of our schools were already doing what they’re asking for home learning. More targeted at the mythical mn schools that did nothing allegedly in lockdown.

Excellent news, ohthegoats.

I occurs to me, is your username a reference to Milligan or Melly?

I remember one of their biographies featured a soldier/sailor who used to sit up in bed and call out "oh, the goats".

Fantastic news OhtheGoats. It must be a great relief to you both.

Great news goats, if anything deserves a few drinks it's that

And to a lesser extent Honey too, you must also be relieved

Great news oh the goats