The fourteenth republic - watching Scotland and ever changing DfE guidelines

[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

[CallmeAngelina]

Not sure what dh is going to come up with - we're away for a few days on the south coast, staying with family. It's lovely actually - although I may have dampened the mood with my apparent "banging on" last night over supper.
I trained him long ago about how to buy acceptable flowers.

[Piggywaspushed]

Mine cannot be trained. Still Sainsburys is a step up from Murco garage.

I know he has been because he whined about the facemask.

[tadjennyp]

Happy anniversary for tomorrow! 🥂🎉
I also have a union card. I use it for discounts in Paperchase, when I feel the need for overpriced stationery!

[MrsHerculePoirot]

@tadjennyp which union gets you a paperchase discount - this could be life changing for me...

Happy anniversaries tomorrow!

[tadjennyp]

@MrsHerculePoirot any, they just want proof that you are a teacher!

[MrsHerculePoirot]

How have I NEVER known this 🤣🤣🤣

[MsAwesomeDragon]

Checking in on the shiny new thread 🙂

It's my wedding anniversary this week too. 5 years for us, and it seems really weird that we have been married that long! I won't get flowers, we've never really marked our anniversary (I'm not even sure which day it is, I think it's Thursday but it might be Friday).

Thank you to the Scottish tributes. Try to enjoy the last week of your holidays!! My nephews are in Scotland (in the borders) and the youngest is really excited to start at secondary school next week. The older one has his fingers crossed for a local lockdown 🤦

[Enoughnowstop]

Oh boy.... no idea if this is a reliable scientific source but it’s just come up on my Facebook feed

www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2020/07/31/new-evidence-suggests-young-children-spread-covid-19-more-efficiently-than-adults/amp/

[NeurotrashWarrior]

Oh great.

The thing is because they're mostly asymptomatic no one has been able to prove anything one way or the other with children before.

MOre solidarity to our Scottish friends next week

[NeurotrashWarrior]

Though I've just seen this which does help a little.


Coronavirus: New 90-minute tests for Covid-19 and flu 'hugely beneficial' www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53632043

[Piggywaspushed]

A lot of evidence gathering going on in US at the moment because there is very big concern about a return to school. Trump's administration making exactly the same noises (albeit even more aggressively) as ours and unions/parents/ states very jittery.

The research doesn't seem to be going Trump's way.

Begs the question why didn't people start doing this earlier?? But Sweden have been useless, where they should have been useful. They have gathered virtually no data on child transmission

[winewolfhowls]

Did somebody say paperchase discount?

[Piggywaspushed]

I might head over to academics'' corner and see how they feel.

Of course, they don't have to 'look after their young people in the same way as we do but I would think they are anxious about outbreaks.

I can't see why universities aren't a bigger cause for concern. Another thing I assume they are trying to suppress conversation about. A load of students descending on cities or towns all at one time with their social lives, communal living and their supermarket shopping etc will have impact in moving the virus around : especially in places with relatively large student populations compared to the location itself (DS is at Lincoln which would be a classic example)and also in self contained campus unis.

I also worry that students would be pretty poor at seeking tests/getting to test centres/self administering test. It's all well and good saying ' oh you can get them off Amazon' but not necessarily something a student would do. I hope they get mobile test centres set up for the freshers' period.

[Piggywaspushed]

So, after eventually finding it (how did they get that well hidden?!) thye spend all the time talking about teaching and have similar frustration there (but more autonomy over decisions) and are now discussing masks (unis seem to be pro mask wearing ). fedup went over there and was told unis were more dangerous because adults transmit more (right....) but what is interesting is they do not discuss student welfare at all.At all. They really don't have to think about it al all and, as individuals, clearly don't feel that responsibility. Teaching is obviously far more of a complex issue because of that. I think the discussion on HE will ramp up but am wary of starting one because I am on a nice board there but there are a few HE people who are very anti university staff (eg ferocious on the issue of strikes) and I don't want to cause a row!

[JulyBreeze]

Close friend of mine is a deputy vice chancellor and she is most definitely thinking about student welfare....

However she is in an extremely new university whose students are often local, mature, many part time, and they emphasise looking after welfare.

[CarrieBlue]

It was our anniversary on Friday - I don’t think he’s ever bought me flowers, we often end up buying cards for each other at the same time because we’ve forgotten until the last minute, he had bought himself a card from me as he’s the only one doing real life shopping at the moment but I had ordered him a thortful card. Nice take away restaurant meal though.
Two weeks into the summer hols must be peak teacher wedding time!

[echt]

I had my first online teacher/parent/student conference today and it was delightful. Lovely to see so many students I hadn't clapped eyes on for months as I shield.

Two things I noticed was that without exception all families were really in their homes, i.e. did not choose a background to make their homes private. I wonder now if it's a form of courtesy as I always teach without a screening background (mostly because I cba), so students always have a view of my home. The emerging etiquette of on-line teaching: I'll show you mine if you show me yours. :o

The second and by far the more important was the the universal support and frequently expressed gratitude by the parents. All generosity, all wanting the best. Lovely.

[starrynight19]

Happy anniversary to all of you celebrating this week
Enjoy your last week of ‘normality’ those heading back in Scotland next week.
I am hoping to be able to head away a few days this week even though we have had new restrictions put on us this weekend. We are still allowed to travel on holiday just not see family or friends in their house or garden.

[echt]

Were, not was. Jesus.

[3ormore3]

Good morning all

May I ask, from September are your schools planning to allow visitors in for meetings, such as speech therapists, ed psychs, specialist teachers, social workers etc?

[Piggywaspushed]

I am sure there are academics somewhere discussing student welfare july but it feels like those people are separate from the on the ground teaching staff whereas I feel we think we take that burden as classroom teachers.

[user1471525172]

@3ormore3 apparently we are not. No trainees either.

[ThrawnCow]

3ormore yes, if essential, and if we can find a space for them.

[Appuskidu]

@3ormore3

Good morning all

May I ask, from September are your schools planning to allow visitors in for meetings, such as speech therapists, ed psychs, specialist teachers, social workers etc?

Yep-we are. HT felt the guidance said all that was fine. Same for PE coaches, PPA cover and volunteers.

Our EPs have said though that they won’t be doing any visits in person in schools until spring 2021!

[Mistressiggi]

I am hoping to be able to head away a few days this week
Starrynight, I read this quickly as "I am hoping to take my head away for a few days" and did a double take Unless you are one of the seemingly many posters on other threads married to a HT!