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

Bloody nightmare, phlebas

Riga how about a faux innocent, 'have I missed an announcement/email regarding x and y testing positive? Should I be reporting if I've been in close contact with them?'

I think I've remembered the context and if so your head needs a good poke like that to see if he's willing to go all in to lying or just to be guilty by omission

Oh Phleb hope you are ok

@RigaBalsam

Bottom set year 11 shouts out today.

' ere miss that Boris is a gimp says I can't go round my mates house but can sit in here packed in. Well he can do one'

Give that child a merit certificate!

@Piggywaspushed

Someone said something a bit more eloquent about why we can't have an open evening but everyone can all be in school all day. better class of student

We are still having them with forn tutors. I hope this changes.

Eek Phlebas. Fingers crossed you stay ok.

Our magic ring of protection is miraculous apparently. No positive cases so far that might stop the giant MAT liking us Classes back up to full / 99% full.

@TheHoneyBadger

Riga how about a faux innocent, 'have I missed an announcement/email regarding x and y testing positive? Should I be reporting if I've been in close contact with them?'

I think I've remembered the context and if so your head needs a good poke like that to see if he's willing to go all in to lying or just to be guilty by omission

Yes I may have to come up with something like this thanks.

Ah shit Phleb.

Those Symptoms worrying too.

You've not had it yet?

I really think some parents won't get tests in the next couple of weeks actually, if they're going to go away.

I think it'll go bananas a week or so after half term.

Can I clarify SI. Any time at all spent within 1m is SI?

A boy in my year 11 hugged the boy who has tested positive and was told not to SI as 'it wasn't for long enough'. I told him to go with his conscience.

@RigaBalsam

So we actually have 3 staff with Covid but its not being mentioned and its all being kept quiet. Why I don't know!

But, that seems to happen at our place. We aren't sure why.

Which is why I've been spouting on that thread that communication about cases in school seems to be being discouraged from above.

It could be private info/ gdpr/ privacy re parents etc.

It has been at our place piggy. But Sen is impossible to ensure SD.

I suspect staff cases would be on the grapevine at my school, too. So for the part timers among us, it’s a case of unofficially keeping in touch with colleagues as to who is off and is it Covid related?
Pupil absence - no chance of knowing who and when unless you are actually in the building. They have their set bubbles and rotas and the onus is on the staff member to say “hang on, I was asked to nip into Class X for 20 mins while the teacher took a phone call” etc.

The shielding advice has been updated. Says adults should WFH where possible. Section on schools only mentions pupils. So it looks like shielded teachers are expected to continue even in monumental risk.

for Phlebas and Riga.

It's getting real again, isn't it?

We had a child try and come back in on day 14 of SI. He was sent home.

We have soooooo many kids at home with positive parents but the kids aren't being tested because their symptoms are not the classic ones, so officially no positive cases yet. I just don't believe it.

Also agree about the effort to set work for SI kids who didn't bother doing ANY work during lockdown. What a PITA.

We're going to run out of thread. Where are you staff???

@Piggywaspushed

Can I clarify SI. Any time at all spent within 1m is SI?

A boy in my year 11 hugged the boy who has tested positive and was told not to SI as 'it wasn't for long enough'. I told him to go with his conscience.

Someone on the CV told me that hugging doesn’t count as close contact because you’re not face-to-face.

Am a student teacher. Spent this pm crying in the staffroom. Nothing to do with the (lovely) children, everything to do with being pulled out of my lesson and bollocked by a member of SLT for a conversation I had in the staffroom in which I mixed up my words (nothing rude, aggressive, or mean, used an antonym then clarified myself), which she didn't even hear. I was baffled then sad then cross, which meant I couldn't calm myself down. She hasn't liked me from the start and she is my mentor I feel like I am constantly on show, constantly trying to do my best and I am taking constructive criticism about my teaching, but this felt so mean and personal.

Oh 13 that doesn't sound supportive at all. Is she your subject mentor? Any chance of changing?

Is she the professional mentor? It's entirely unprofessional to pull you out for a bollocking, whoever she is!

for 13. Sorry to hear SLT are not being supportive. Do you have a uni link? May be worth speaking to them.

I've had 'one of those days' today so feeling exhausted and unsure how much longer i can do this. Also had a bubble closed in the school due to a positive case - luckily not mine but is getting real now.

Well thanks Kier Starmer, for calling for a circuit break lockdown that doesn't include schools.

You too, Jenny Harries, for suggesting that family members of care home residents should have key worker status so they get access to regular tests and PPE

I am doing School Direct and she is my school-based mentor for my first placement. The school isn't a good fit for me, I have already established (and isn't part of my MAT), so not going to be applying for any jobs there and will hopefully have two more placements at two different schools, so just need to get through the next 7 weeks or so after the (2 week!!) half term. Worked in secondary before this, where I was treated like an adult. Thanks for the support @Hercwasonaroll and @MrsHamlet

Hugging is touching though!! We aren't supposed to touch. it was two boys, manly hugging. I saw it. Very much face to face.

Yep that sounds awful. Do record date time incident etc every time and reach out to someone for help. Are you also having time at uni with a tutor who you can go to? It all sounds completely unprofessional and out of order.

I have a student who hasn't dared take off her mask and shield yet let alone speak to a student. We have quietly (myself and the professional tutor) talked about our legitimate concerns about her suitability but have been nothing but supportive to her and she will be in front of my class for the very first time on Wednesday afternoon (week 7 of our term) doing a quick starter task for which she has lots of input and reassurance and I will be there on hand. Just telling you so you can get a sense of how it is for others elsewhere.

It sounds like you're dealing with a bully of which, sadly, you'll find many in schools.