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

Our head's pointed out that teaching staff might just want to make sure they take anything home they would need for online teaching when we break for our 2 week half term on Friday. Just in case!

I've been bringing everything home every day, just in case. Am now at the mental point of thinking that if I don't bring stuff home, I'll be the curse.

First sniff of schools closing, and there is a post in health about 'what did your school provide'. Good-oh. Scream.

Only just realised, N Ireland are having a two week half term, so literally losing a week of teaching.

And NI exams have only been put back a week compared to our three.

My plan for blended learning - that would have had the additional benefit of providing a better learning experience for weaker learners, as demonstrated over lockdown - and which would have made it easier to accommodate further lockdowns, was vetoed. So if we close, I’m taking nothing home except the work phone I refused to give back. I can do a bit over that.

I've only one day to go and I could hardly get up this morning! It's been a long ten weeks.
Hope the day is kind to everyone.

mobile.twitter.com/MrTeece_/status/1316240275245858816

1st - Call PHE. They need to know and need to be involved.
2nd - Don't call PHE, call the DfE instead. Don't worry though, they are working with PHE.
3rd - Call the DfE. They aren't working with PHE now but it's ok because they will still help.
4th - Look, don't fucking call us. Can't you just deal with it yourself? Oh but, by the way, don't send kids home if there's any possible way you can avoid it.

So...
Covid Secure regulations happen everywhere except schools.
Track and Trace happens everywhere except schools.
The logging of cases and outbreaks happen everywhere except schools.
Fucking national scandal!
How can people not be more outraged?

Czech Republic
Schools have been closed to tackle an infection rate of 521 per 100,000 people over 14 days - the highest rate in Europe.
The country's education minister Robert Plaga said: "It's necessary to do it and to do it fast."
The health ministry said the number of infected teachers and education staff had jumped to more than 4,500 since September - a higher number than among health workers.

Thanks @MrsHerculePoirot I did get an early night but dont feel better for it. Just going to push on to the weekend and take 1 day at a time.

Weve had a case at school, one bubble sent home till after half term. Our areas not had many cases until now but 2 schools have bad bubbles popped.

Talk of student teachers has reminded me of one we had a few years ago. Instead of using of our resources / planning own lessons, would take lessons from TES as they’d be been to ‘not reinvent the wheel’. They still took hours of everyone’s mine time figuring out what to teach. Didn’t even attempt to control the class - would just give up if the class didn’t listen. The uni tutor and I flagged them as cause for concern and they left the course. No notice to anyone. Just stopped answering her phone. I don’t mentor anymore. They broke me 😂🙄

That sounds like so many Riga.

Feel really fed up. Really wish I could post about my HoD and her behaviour but I worry about a flying monkey spotting it. My dept is not a healthy environment and it makes me properly feel like shit. I’ve just floated an idea that would really benefit our students. It’ll be turned down because it was me suggesting it. 🙄

@HerdyGerdy I hear you.

Mine is not healthy either. It's broken me, mentally. I could deal with my family crap, but having to deal with that too on top of Covid has pushed me to the edge. My anxiety is awful. I'm currently having paranoid thoughts that they want rid of me, that everyone else talks about me behind my back.....ugh. I know it's most likely to be in my head.

That’s horrible for both of you. I’ve been there before and it is awful.

I have the total rage today about it all. Why the fuck are we (London) moving to tier 2 but no-one has to wear masks or move to tier 1 for schools?!?!? I have raged far and wide to anyone and everyone.

Teacher Tapp has annoyed me today : there is no option for what is increasingly happening in schools : which is no formal contact tracing sending large groups of students home but not necessarily in whole classes.

I literally have half my year 11 off.

I have been there too. My hod literally ignores everything I say. It's embarrassing really.

@MrsHamlet

I have been there too. My hod literally ignores everything I say. It's embarrassing really.

Yes! That’s exactly it. I wonder sometimes I’ve become a wall display 😂

However. Based on some reading I’d done, I tried a new writing approach with year 7. Think it worked and felt better 👍🏻 Just need to keep ignoring HoD 😂😂😂

@Piggywaspushed

Teacher Tapp has annoyed me today : there is no option for what is increasingly happening in schools : which is no formal contact tracing sending large groups of students home but not necessarily in whole classes.

I literally have half my year 11 off.

Already having The Rage today I sent them clear feedback on the shitness of their options today.

Also we are EXPECTED to distance from everyone but actually in real life can’t. No option for that.

Yes expectations Vs reality!

Hugs to those of us with HoDs we can't get on with. Mine is v old school. Dislikes technology. Still back in 2005, does LOs, all/must/some etc. No clue about curriculum sequencing. Won't listen if I try to say anything.

I've given up. I'm just going to quietly do my own thing going to conferences, pushing my own cpd and wait for a job somewhere I want to work to come up.

I think t told today mrs that the Qs are made up by non practising teachers!

@HerdyGerdy I hear you as well!!! My HoF seems hellbent on disagreeing with me on everything.
But for some unknown reason - and certainly not my choice - the HoF has decided to run 2 new courses this year, with no prep or support. And I'm the only person who can teach these courses. I despair!!!
Every suggestion is knocked back, despite me being the subject specialist.
My current strategy is to just do my own thing, and ignore HoF completely. Not sure how long it will last.

Someone mentioned a good discussion on R4 earlier in the week, can anyone signpost me to it?

Thanks to those who sympathise - especially those who have the same issues. I'd love to know how these people get into HoD positions - do they start shit or do they just get disconnected from reality? I've had brilliant HoDs so this just frustrates me more.

My hod was a shit mentor my shit mentor when I trained and was appointed internally. He doesn't care. Can't wait to leave. Only asks yes men (always men) for advice. He would ask the bin man before asking me, even about things I'm an expert in. Want advice on paper 2 Lang or paper 1 lit? You over there with the testicles, what do you think? Definitely not asking anyone with ovaries even if they mark hundreds of them a year.
He was hoist by his own retard last year when he ran to the head to complain about my marking. He had evidence and everything to prove I was failing the kids. Sadly he was looking at the wrong mark scheme.

*MrsH
*
I think 'hoist by his own retard' may be the best autocorrect ever

I AM Loving "hoisted by his own retard". excellent typo and the first belly laugh I've had all day, thanks MrsH.