The Twenty-second Republic - the DfE have no idea, Gav MIA, bubbles in and out

[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

For my sixth form I'm recording examples as I teach the kids in front of me. Then sticking them on MS Stream while the class get on with some independent work. It's working so far, but I can't do that with my year 7-11 classes because they don't do so much independently, so don't have time to upload the videos in the lesson. I could probably do the recording bit in the lesson, it'll just be shorter videos, but 2-3 per lesson instead of one longer one.

I'm currently not being asked to provide work for anyone who is not self isolating due to being a close contact in school. Other than the one pregnant pupil who the risk assessment says is not allowed in school, so she's getting home tuition using my resources.

So a pregnant student is not allowed in school (I'm assuming no other underlying conditions), but a pregnant teacher is?

We've got pregnant teachers in. My pregnant teacher friend in Leeds is working from home.

So, apparently zoom lessons can now be seen on your TV (that'll be the one the toddlers are watching to keep them quite?) and the hosted on Vimeo.

I really do think if all these non teachers know so much better they are in the wrong game.

Although ime the teachers who come into education because they have such great ideas about edTech aren't usually very good teachers and usually leave the profession to tout their wares.

I genuinely cannot be the only person in the UK who has never used Zoom... can I??

I genuinely cannot be the only person in the UK who has never used Zoom... can I??

FaceTime? Skype? WhatsApp video? Houseparty?

Zoom lessons beamed to your TV from a mobile you borrowed from a neighbour, piggy

I can’t imagine my neighbour’s face if I asked.

The people on that thread are insane!

Never used any of those things noble. DS uses Skype for his music lesson but that's it.

I've used zoom once for a Brownies planning meeting. We're planning on trying zoom meetings for Brownies this term. The church we normally meet at aren't open for community groups yet (understandably). I definitely wouldn't be able to watch it on my TV though as neither my phone nor my TV are capable of such things lol.

Yes, I queried pregnant pupil not allowed in school but pregnant teachers in as normal. Apparently we have to be more careful with the pupil than the teachers 🤷

@MrsHamlet

We've got pregnant teachers in. My pregnant teacher friend in Leeds is working from home.

I queried this. Apparently it's because they are part of a bubble, yet we are not. We are expected to socially distance.....

I thought it was your DH that was a Luddite, piggy!

I think he may just think zoom is a noise a plane makes when it takes off.

Or a really bad 80s pop song.

Tbh , I have nobody who I would want to do any of those things with.

But - no disrespect to pregnant staff especially those on this thread - I don't understand why pregnant staff are allowed to work from home and ECV staff aren't; pregnancy, even third trimester, was still considered lower risk than those in the shielding category...

my tlr has me in charge of leading the shit show that is blended learning

Mine includes online learning too. No one else had a scoobie back in March, so it got added to mine. I'm happy with what we did, but we can't keep up with 2 days off here and there etc. I get no break during the day, and booted out by 4.30. No time.

My concern is children who are choosing to stay off due to anxiety (parental). If we start providing for them, more will stay off.

@Piggywaspushed

Tbh , I have nobody who I would want to do any of those things with.

Before lockdown I’d have said I’d rather eat my own foot than video call someone but it’s been really good for my kids to see their cousins and grandparents.

Agreed re anxious parents. I'm currently having to provide work for one student whose parents were shielding. If he was in school, I wouldn't have to provide anything online as none of the others in that class are isolating yet. It does grate a little.

Please don't let my line manager get the idea of adding blended learning to my TLR.... I'm hated enough for the others as it is 🤦🏼‍♀️

So much panic on coronavirus boards tonight.

@Piggywaspushed can't deal with it all today (E.g. the panic on MN). Thank you to everyone who has been lovely to me today. Seeing DC tomorrow and hoping that this won't be the last time for a while...

Aww monkey .

I am ready to bet an extra couple of bottles of toffee vodka for the virtual Christmas party that we get a ‘special’ lockdown attached to the half term break.

If they can keep going long enough

I’ve managed a load of laundry and a trip to the shops and that’s about it today. Spent much of the day trying not to fall asleep. My throat feels a bit better though.

Will do a couple of hours work tomorrow but no more.

I’ve marked the books of all but one group and am starting first round of qma’s next week. Everyone has had homework also and I’ll get the next lot set up on go tomorrow.

All google classrooms are set up just in case.

Hoping we can stick with the no positive cases and no bubbles closed. Or if not some bubbles in and some out. I’d choose year 8 if it was up to me. Some of the groups are mayhem and the noise in their block is hideous

My throat is raw. I'm trying not to think about it (we have a positive staff case).