The Twenty Fourth Republic - conditions not great and are teachers becoming modern day lepers?

[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 yo

NQTs and new to the school teachers get a shit ride.

I remember maybe a podcast or something on twitter a few years back where super-experienced teachers were discussing how hard it was to move to a new school and re-establish yourself. They said that it’s not often talked about. All the tricks that worked at your old school suddenly fall flat and you struggle to keep on top of behaviour. You thought it was experience of teaching that made you able to control the kids more easily, but it was experience of teaching at that school.

Yes, I agree with that. It's just such a time suck at this point in the term - normally have it sorted by now.

I made 2 boys write lines today at break time for going mysteriously missing for 25 minutes yesterday. Out of their bubble, lost somewhere in the building. Soap all, over the toilet floor that they knew nothing about apparently. I've had 5 parents ask for me to move their child away from one of those boys, and one girl refuse to come in unless I moved her as far away from him as is possible. The other one lied to me today about stealing whiteboard pens, then kept walking away from me while I was getting his story out of him. Two autistic kids who hate each other but have the same support person and are working at similar levels, another autistic child who is super clever and loud about it, but can't stand unfairness, so is angry a lot about perceived issues with these other ratbags. 8 children who are very EAL, out every afternoon for Racing to English, but come back for the last half hour, which is totally useless. One kid who hardly ever comes into the actual room, just hangs around in the doorway or just outside. Another who has bladder problems that parents use as a excuse for everything, when actually he chooses to be a shit. Very emotional girl with CP who is in the base in the mornings, then sits terrified in class during the afternoons- today she cried about lumpy socks for about 20 minutes.

I have a part time 1-1 support for one of my autistic treasures who enjoys spitting and licking things and has pica, so you've got no idea what's in his mouth. Support spends her time getting him to spit things out. If/when he finally gets to panel for specialist provision, I expect I'll lose her too.

Rant.

I had my PM target setting today. My main target is 'work out a 5 year plan for getting out of teaching'.

NQTs and new to the school teachers get a shit ride

Thanks nobel I’m feeling a little better about that. I might pop into a few more of their well behaved classes. Let them know I am fully aware of the work and behaviour they are capable of.

They do. I was given Y11 Set 7 on my PGCE, who were being taught by an NQT. She changed schools and I seriously considered ditching the PGCE.

Agree with pps.

I've got a tough gig with y10 this year, worked out I'd never taught that year group before and I'm in a subject room they associate with messing around. Been at the school 6+ years and they are still tricky!

It was definitely the room!
It's really odd - I've long had my classroom desks in groups which other members of the dept hate because "they just mess about" (not in my room!!) but we're all rows this year and I don't like it at all.
I'm also only in my room for three doubles. I teach in a whole variety of untidy, badly cared for rooms and I feel different in them. My room is organised systematically with everything in its place clearly labelled. If you want the projector, the leads are all labelled so you know which you need. Other rooms are missing bits of equipment or it doesn't work. It's horrible.
Today I'm in my room last thing. It will be a shit tip when I arrive because no one else seems to make the kids tidy up after themselves. It won't be a shit tip when I leave!

@ohthegoats
It's classes like that that have me repeating the mantra "this too shall pass".

Mine started off a bit bonkers: lower expectations last year plus lockdown has meant that they are nowhere near the maturity I'd expect from my class. However, we're getting there. Behaviour is good now but they are still so very young.

@MrsHamlet
As soon as I can return to small flexible groupings of four, I'll be jumping on it. The rows and the distance just don't feel natural to me. I'm used to spending all lesson wheeling between groups and having interesting and meaningful conversations with pretty much everybody. There are some of my class who I still feel that I don't properly "know" in the same way yet and it's very frustrating.

I much prefer groups too but also the only member of my dept to do so!

@WhenSheWasBad agree with everyone else re consistency and being better in second year etc... one thing I sometimes finds helps is I use 4 question starters - I make at least 1 of them ‘easy’ and with a tricky class sometimes two. I find that if they feel that can do it from the very beginning and experience success early on they are more willing die the rest of the lesson. It’s annoying sometimes as I want to give them stuff that pushes them but right now especially building confidence back is important and I know when I say ‘well done if you got these two right’ or something it can sometimes help. It won’t solve it at all but just another suggestion!

Oh, I fully empathise.

The kids you describe fill most of our classes but that's a group of 8-10 and 3 adults. And we've been finding it tough. Two weeks off while SI has really messed up routines and others are processing the last 6 months. I did teach in mainstream though and well remember how exceptionally hard it is.

Fucking Halloween and then Xmas never help at this time of year.

So which behaviour management books to you all recommend- Sue Cowley ? Tom Bennett?
This is my mission this year - to become one of those teachers that can silence a room with a glare.

Taught our main boy with pica yesterday, I'd forgotten the fun of getting through and art lesson with him. Eyes in the back of your head, hands, neck, shoulders...

(He's the one who was attempting to drink the hand santitiser which prompted a search for non alcoholic.)

@NeurotrashWarrior

Taught our main boy with pica yesterday, I'd forgotten the fun of getting through and art lesson with him. Eyes in the back of your head, hands, neck, shoulders...

(He's the one who was attempting to drink the hand santitiser which prompted a search for non alcoholic.)

That could well be my DS! Ah the things he has eaten (rabbit poo anyone?).

I'll avoid that question; I only silence a room by getting out the playdough.

and then half of them eat it

(Behaviour management question!)

Aw monkey, I'd love to teach your boy!

I have to say we are all saying that actually, being with the kids in our place is often a lift. We can't change a great deal (I had one lying in my lap on Weds) so it's more washing and hygiene and we don't mix with other bubbles.

I momentarily forget about the horror. And not seeing friends (luckily 3 good school friends are in the same area of school so I feel like I'm finally seeing some friends; we have the no mingling rule.)

But the anxiety among us all is rising. Last week there were over 1000 cases in Newcastle (1500?); I remember when the whole country was panicking over 1000 cases in England.

Some staff feel they've had it already and it certainly sounds like it, in which case children may have too. But that doesn't ease it.

Luckily slt are being very supportive and kind. It's the only way we will all keep going in.

@RobertsUncle

So which behaviour management books to you all recommend- Sue Cowley ? Tom Bennett? This is my mission this year - to become one of those teachers that can silence a room with a glare.

Me too. I've been in teaching 12 years now but recently returned (to a new school) after a break. It's tough!

I can usually silence a room . Not sure I learnt it from books. The most valuable thing I did was not read experts (although I like Nicholls) but watch others when I was an NQT. And people who I could be like, too, not far fetched people who silenced a room with great height,, and the ascribed status of rank.

I don’t rate Sue Cowley. Gimmicky and full of stuff that works for a short time but won’t effect long term change.

I don’t know if I could silence a secondary school room now. I can do it in college but that’s a lot easier! The “look” is important, as is feeling confident in yourself that you have the right to ask for what you want - I struggled a lot with this early in my career and I’ve never been an amazing behaviour manager but it got better when I mastered that. Beware know-it-alls and students who try to undermine you by catching you out. Crush that IMMEDIATELY. I’m always withering and sarcastic although I know that’s not recommended! But it does shrivel loudmouth boys (and often gets them onside later weirdly). You DO know more than them, you are qualified, you’re the one being paid to be there, you’re in charge. It doesn’t matter if they like you. You could bring in ice cream every lesson and someone would bitch about the flavour so forget about fun getting them to warm to you. They rate good teaching and high standards (though they might not show it).

Bit off topic, but I've just been for a shop in Sainsbury’s and now in their cafe and I would feel twice as safe working here as I do in schools - lots of distancing, massive screens up at checkout, cafe has every other table out of action, calm and clean throughout. I don't wish anyone working here any less safety I just wish we had more.

@GravityFalls

feeling confident in yourself that you have the right to ask for what you want.

That is everything, imo. It meant that a rarely assertive 21 year old was never going to survive her first year of teaching (in a badly chosen hamlet school with an utterly domineering, unsupportive Head). Whereas a 50+ single mum of teens, having escaped DV, who's slowly increased her education setting experience (plus been dumped in at the deep end a few times), in a non-teaching role in a largely supportive setting, is now at a point where she seeks out opportunities to get in front of a class, and is working on her "killer look"!

Yes, we have rooms in our department where kids (mostly upper sixth) hang out at break and lunch. Sometimes I don’t mind but it’s next to our office and sometimes it’s too loud. For a LONG time I would have waited for someone else to go and tell them off but now I have no hesitation to stride into this room full of loud, tall 18 year olds and go “OUT!” and stand there until they go. And they do go! It’s amazing how it works actually.

@Mistressiggi

Bit off topic, but I've just been for a shop in Sainsbury’s and now in their cafe and I would feel twice as safe working here as I do in schools - lots of distancing, massive screens up at checkout, cafe has every other table out of action, calm and clean throughout. I don't wish anyone working here any less safety I just wish we had more.

I know! I went to a local farm shop yesterday and it’s so safe! Family run affair, so don’t think they take on middle aged women who fancy lugging boxes of carrots about

One of my favourite tactics is to stop talking, stare at the perpetrator, wait a moment and say quietly but firmly, in tones of wonder that they even think it appropriate to arse about, “Really?”.
That wouldn’t have worked at my last school, though. It’s about knowing your audience and there isn’t anything this cohort can do to top throwing a chair and telling me to “Fuck off, cunt” at age 8. Back up was great there, however, with a range of interventions and lots of outside agency input.

Silencing a room with a glare isn’t something I would recommend to NQTs simply because it requires that elusive ‘presence’ and ‘personality’. As a maths teacher with neither I would suggest a clear signal for silence like ‘3-2-1’ and anyone still talking gets a demerit until they get the message.

skwawkbox.org/2020/10/08/girls-10-19-biggest-age-group-in-new-covid-infections-with-boys-in-same-group-4th-largest/

Obviously this doesnt quite mean what they say as we cant tell between the school /umi age ranges but 10-30 numbers are huge for the last 2w

I'm backing away from a thread where a poster has written "yet again teachers think they are some sort of special profession" or words to that effect - due to a request not to email teachers in evenings/weekends. The right to email your child's teacher at any time must be maintained!!