The Twenty-fifth Republic - circuit breaker before/during/after half term

[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 and you will receive a detention

@CountDuckulasKetchup I mean WTAF? Complain to the advertising in standards - I’ll look it up and do it later. That is a blatant lie.

This has made me worry again. Long Covid.

Asthma - I know a woman who's still struggling similar age but she's not over weight.

I'm SI due to closed bubble and a tad nervous.

Long Covid: Who is more likely to get it? www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54622059

Actually maybe they mean reduced class sizes because they haven’t sorted out testing and kids are off left right and centre making some classes smaller so perhaps complaining won’t do anything!

@NeurotrashWarrior I’m diabetic, not amazingly controlled, and it worries me too. I’m not sure burying my head in the sand helps but it is what I currently do. A healthy friend, very fit, mid forties caught it and was hospitalised- fine now but scary at time as in the category of ‘suck it up as your not old or vulnerable’.

MrsHP I'm diabetic too, and mine is very poorly controlled. I have only been diagnosed for a little over a year, and still figuring out the right medication, diet alone is not enough to sort it. I too am burying my head in the sand, because there really isn't anything else to do. I'm getting control of my diet so am losing weight (I'm now overweight rather than obese, yay!) I'm hoping that I'm doing some good to my blood sugars, but I don't have a monitor and my next blood test is in November so I won't know til then. I'll keep in burying my head in the sand, otherwise I'd be a quivering wreck.

Just a quick one to say it's totally normal to feel like quitting and have sobfests as a trainee, an nqt and even occasionally as an experienced teacher. Welcome to the club, sorry

Hectic as hell day today. Worst one of my 2 week timetable. Please god no learning walks or drop ins today. I've already had one last week so hoping not to have another.

I'm sorry Mrs and Ms.

Psychologically I'd become more robust.
I think it was the only way to cope.

I'm now symptom spotting like crazy and half term is up the pipe.

I was given bottom set year 11 on my first teaching placement too. 3 weeks in, one of them was arrested for armed robbery!!!!!!

I am a lurker, watch threads but rarely contribute, teacher in a secondary school on the South Coast. We have a lot of social problems but not this (yet!)

Good lord I missed that!

This thread is both interesting from a timeline and symptom perspective and also really concerning reading Aragog's post on Monday, an infant teacher. She's not sure where she caught it but teaches across the whole infant group. Also clinically vulnerable.

A positive test- my journey so far www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4053589-A-positive-test-my-journey-so-far

@MsAwesomeDragon ask for a finger prick tester - honestly it is the best thing ever in terms of control. I do know exactly what I should and shouldn’t eat and what affects me and how... I just need to do it!!!

Ms and Mrs could you qualify for an implant tied into the app to measure sugar levels?

Morning all feeling a lot better than yesterday thanks for the support. Hope you are all doing well either in school or on half term. Xx

Right now I am missing wet play and I am taking a moment to enjoy that fact as I self isolate.

Lol with you squashed! it's the little things...

I don't know about anyone else but there were a lot of wet plays last week and this.

Confined spaces etc... surge in primary pupils in 2 weeks??

neuro I'd love one of those, but no, I definitely do not qualify for one. Round here they are only funded for diabetic children, and possibly some young adults who were first prescribed them as children. I know a few T1 adults who self fund them, but they're quite expensive I think.

MrsHP I asked for one, but they don't fund them any more in my authority. I was told I can buy one for myself if I want one, but until I need to go onto insulin I would not qualify for a free one. Both my parents and my sister all have them, but they were diagnosed quite a few years ago now (and are in different health authorities to me). I might invest in one at some point, but there are so many, I don't know which one would be best.

scaramoo yes, it was quite shocking. I think he injured someone quite badly in the robbery too. It was a very tough inner-city school. Behaviour IN the school was very, very well managed, but there were a lot of very troubled children there. My first day on placement was in October, and there were 3 ambulances called to deal with burns after fireworks were set off down a corridor and hit 3 year 7 pupils!!! I was very, very glad my placement there was only a few weeks!!

I've now taught 3 who are now in prison for armed robbery, but at least the other 2 waited til after they'd finished school before they did it. And 2 (that I know of) of my former pupils have been convicted of sexual offences as well. I've had quite an eye opening career, lol.

That BBC article says "old age" at the start and then equates this with "over 50" further down - I thought I was middle aged not old but I'd better face up to it!

Confirmed teacher case in school. A very careful teacher who I know has taken every precaution. So, this is it, it’s started properly for us.

Saucery. Whereabouts in the country are you?

I hope they have a mild case Saucery.
Will other staff or pupils have to isolate?

North West, Arti
Mistress whole class sent home and a support staff member. I spoke briefly to the teacher on Mon but in a corridor, 2m+ away and for about 2 mins, so I am not worried for me. But not sure what the staff who shared lunch break with her will do. We do all stay well away from each other in there, though. And I'm even further away as I eat in my car!
Staffing at critical point now. Limping towards half term!

Many will be having a miserable half term! We have a lot of staff self isolating during to the bubble closure. Hope the staff member is ok saucery

I made a visualiser.

Also had a depressive hour. Feeling better now and back onit.

It has rained almost constantly throughout half term so far here

Britain faces a second Covid-19 peak at CHRISTMAS, SAGE adviser warns
mol.im/a/8863559

I feel like I've been run over. Trying to observe the trainee at the same time as supporting supply in surrounding rooms and dealing with kids randomly wandering around out of lessons was interesting.

Everyone has been warned they may be used for cover. I'm not in tomorrow and not due in until it's time to teach on Friday so they can't use me but wouldn't be surprised if they tried to.

I will not be opening emails from the cover manager on Friday morning.

Nearly the end now.

Does anyone struggle with a trainee teaching their class? I'm worrying about the impact on learning and assessment outcomes. This is my first time mentoring and I may be a bit more of a control freak than I realised (struggling with sharing groups with one less than organised colleague too).

Need to complete a proper observation form tomorrow and try and get the balance between constructive and encouraging. So many things that need improving but I think I need to pick out a few and come up with concrete ways to improve them. Trainee not very reflective and not really applying the feedback she receives.

Sorry long rambling post. Brain is mush