The Twenty-first Republic - All back but for how long? Why is Big Gav still in post?

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff only – a sort of room of requirement. Baiters, haters, goaders 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 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

Do not give ‘The Every twat for Themselves mob’ the staffroom password as a number of them are operating in an alternative reality.

No DfE muppets allowed

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 goad us then that is not allowed in the staffroom, especially if you have not used the hand gel. Close the door quietly on your way out and put your mask on.

I know the idea of it is awful but I can highly recommend an evening swim. It’s saved my sanity two weeks running now. Too busy breathing and counting laps to think.

Woo hoo here again!

Thanks staff

Checking in. My day has been quite nice, but the logistics of break and lunchtime aren't working yet with the kids. They know they have yeargroup zones, but they haven't grasped that they MUST stay in their own zones and not wander around the school. Big groups of multiple years hanging around outside buildings waiting to go in for lessons with half of break still to go.

Dd2, in year 6, fell over in the playground today and needed first aid (she has grazed the whole of her kneecap, and had 3 giant plasters on in order to cover it). Apparently the dinner lady just put gloves on, no mask or visor, which I'm not sure I'm too thrilled about. Although, I'm very glad someone sorted her out, as it's the biggest graze I've ever seen, and she had to miss a lesson while they watched her for signs of concussion as she bumped her head quite badly too, and the sight of the blood made her go all wobbly. I expected that anyone doing any sort of first aid would at least put a mask on though.

Thanks @StaffAssociationRepresentative

I'm checking in.

Sorry to hear so many of you are struggling with zero SD or no lunch breaks or behavioural issues but no SLT to deal with it. We knew it would be like this, at least to some extent.

My day was okay today, but then I did have PPA half of it. I got too close to the kids (had to, SEN and all that) and probably didn't wash my hands enough, which I'll try to do more of, and it was frantic at times because it's the start of the year and FUCKING COVID.

But apart from that, it was so great to see the children again. They are so funny, they make me laugh a lot. So I'm holding onto that feeling!

Hope shes ok.

Saw a friends dd yesterday with a huge plaster on elbow. Not sure if they did wear a mask. But hers would have been outside. For me the issue is, putting both parties at risk. Over time the first aider will be higher and higher risk.

If people can get it at football surely kids outside shouting in playgrounds are also a risk

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/4017289-If-your-children-went-back-this-week

And another WHY NO SOCIAL DISTANCING

It’s probably a good thing that there have been a few shocked threads at the actual conditions in schools and exasperated threads that schools are already sending kids home. It will make it very difficult for the govt to blame the unions when it goes tits up because the parents aren’t now simply believing what they see in the media.

My dd1 got first aid last term - Apparently the adult didn't wear gloves or mask or anything , just washed hands! And this was after the school sent out a video that we all had to watch with our children several times, explaining that first aid would be PPE etc....

Thanks staff. Hope dd is ok awesome . Haven't quite finished planning tomorrow's lessons as didn't get the required information till gone 4 o'clock, then family life took over! It will all be fiiine!

jenny that’s pretty poor getting the info gone 4pm.

Hope all the family stuff and your mum are ok.

Thanks @StaffAssociationRepresentative just finished prep for tomorrow. Tbh if I end up in the right room and manage to log on before it’s time to leave again it will be a success..... sooooo tired...... and have a meeting at 745. FFS. Really.

Hello everyone, thanks for the new thread.

Thanks for new thread.

I'm lying awake fretting over ds's reading. Ds2 mophing from baby to toddler during y2 and me going back to work and illness stretched family life a lot and I always felt we weren't doing enough.

I wish we'd done more over the summer. He hates it though which I know is no excuse.

I feel he'll have more reason to feel he has to do it back at school.

Holding on to the fact that maths retention tends to be worse than reading.

@TheHoneyBadger

I know the idea of it is awful but I can highly recommend an evening swim. It’s saved my sanity two weeks running now. Too busy breathing and counting laps to think.

HoneyBadger swimming used to be my after school treat pre Covid 😔 How was the SD got to be better than school 😬

@NeurotrashWarrior
I have tutored quite a few children who have struggled with reading, including a student with ASD who had a reading age of < 6 in year 4 and who is just starting at university this year!
PM me if you think I could give any useful advice!

Neurotrash - exactly the same with my DS. I couldn’t get him to do more though, he was so distressed. I’m an SEN teacher and mortified that I can’t teach my own child anything. We’ve moved his school though and he started yesterday. Came home wanting to read to me so I could put it in his new reading diary. Fingers crossed...

@NeurotrashWarrior - try not to worry about the reading for now. Both my boys were reluctant readers - apparently it is a 'thing' amongst boys but as they got older they both found things they enjoyed reading and from then flew with it. We got a lot of comic book style books when ds1 was in year 2 which helped a lot.

First day back yesterday went well. But none of my students were in so it made for an easy day. Apart from making head and tail of my timetable. I realised I was struggling because of something so simple. My time table is orientated with day and period one way, but the students timetable is orientated with it the other. So I spent 2 hours (!!!) last night re-writing mine in the same way as the students, making sure all the rooms were correct (they weren't lol) and working out which of 2 students was meant as I have 2 students - one AB, the other BA (not real initials) and they'd been wrongly transcribed in places. I think I got there in the end 🤣.

I'm not sure how they're working bubbles though, I think they're treating us more like teachers as I've 2 students outside of my main group. One of them I met before lockdown and I think he's a hoot. The other is new to me so we shall see.

Oh, and we are allowed in our staff room. But have to wear a face covering while in there. So I am now sourcing clear vinyl to make masks so we can support our deaf colleague. We should aim to spend a max of 15 minutes at 1m SD from the students we are supporting, which won't be too bad as I've multiple students in each class. Face coverings required in communal spaces but not class rooms. And they have tried to distance the students as best they can given the limitations on classroom size versus student numbers. Some rooms are definitely better than others.

signing in

Thanks so much both

Parrot, I'm an sen teacher too so equally mortified! I think it makes me less pushy though; I don't push as I want him to enjoy reading and he rebels more. Now refuses to do reading eggs . Fingers crossed your ds's new school ignites an interest!

Thanks Arti any tips gratefuy received! I had a think and bought a set of blue bananas, lower end will be easy but push him to gain confidence. And a stage 5/6 ort Winnie reading activity thing. We are going to allow more Lego magazines but encourage him to read them aloud as well. He's actually probably almost bang on reading age but it's an affluent area and many are reading way ahead which means the school push ahead.

I think it's stamina he lacks, and then confidence but also interest in the books. Unless it's an enormous adult book on evolution or dinosaurs.

Ironically, Covid means out of school morning club is cancelled and school starts half an hour later. So going to use that time to try to do reading etc.

It's occurred to me reading will be much less in school so may as well plug that gap.

His first day today; I'm glad that's all I was worried about in a way!

Mini, I'm probably really over worrying this!!

Dh really worries and badgers me, ds won't read to him or allow him to read to him either, which might be half of it!

I rate Nessy quite highly for encouraging reading practice. Lots of fun games to practice different phonics.
The project X reading series really appeals especially to boys although it is not a phonic scheme.

HoneyBadger swimming used to be my after school treat pre Covid 😔 How was the SD got to be better than school 😬

Lane swimming only. Max of 16 people and you queue outside till it’s all clear and then they let you in. Tons of changing space. Showers not in use. Yes much more than school