The Twenty-Sixth Republic -Half Term Horror?

[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

In this case, interventions would be asking him to stay behind at lunch to catch up with things he's missed as he's changed school. Or sessions scheduled with teaching assistants to help him catch up.

I found it a very worrying addition to the information I've been given. The rest of the information was very bland, but sounded as if I should already know the back story, which I don't, as nobody is allowed to tell me.

Mrs

If no one will tell you then all you can do is follow the advice that has been given for the moment.

If there are other children who could do with the additional input, think about 1:2.

DSLs should have supervision in my opinion. And sencos, since they often link.

Interventions is a very newfangled word these days, on a side note. What does it even really mean?

This

99% of them are stuff teachers do anyway. The other 1% are extra time SLT want you to spend with students for no extra pay and will have a negligible effect on student performance.

DSLs should have supervision in my opinion

I agree. That happens at my school, and my previous one.

Good point re SENCOs though. Although our SENCO has been doing it since about 1500 and would rather do the Macarena on live TV than get supervision 🤣

Sadly not, smile. This was only a year ago and she's now left (she was in y13). She's in touch from time to time but I worry about how she's feeling and whether she has a safe person to talk to. I hope so.
The worst of it was that I was expected to just go and teach as if this wasn't a huge burden for me to carry too. Because this woman's marking was more important than what I had just heard.

@SmileEachDay

Mrs

If no one will tell you then all you can do is follow the advice that has been given for the moment.

If there are other children who could do with the additional input, think about 1:2.

That's what I'll be doing. I have made the decision that there will be no interventions with him at all, and I will attempt to get any catch up stuff done in the lessons.

I've not even met this child yet, so I'll just have to see what he's like when he arrives.

Whoever said our assumptions are based on our own experiences is absolutely correct. If I was a male teacher and it was a female pupil, I would have assumed a history of making allegations. But because he's a male pupil and it's female staff who are being warned my assumption was that the female member of staff would be at risk. Because in my previous school (many, many years ago) a year 11 pupil sexual assaulted a female teacher. That was where my mind went, because that has terrified me for years.

It could be anything. Your first duty is to yourself and your safety / professional reputation.
We are given the information around precautions where necessary, without going into great detail. Although 2 staff for certain procedures never happens, which is a concern.

Mrsh sorry your DSL was rubbish when you needed her. I've had 2 pupils disclose something to me over the years. In both cases the DSL has been nothing short of fantastic. Actually, in both cases, she was on the phone to the police before I'd left her office, and the family member was arrested before the child got home that evening. I don't know how safeguarding leads manage to keep going after hearing that stuff all the time. I couldn't do it, it would break me.

The worst of it was that I was expected to just go and teach as if this wasn't a huge burden for me to carry too

It was undoubtedly a huge burden. I imagine you made all the difference to that girl - that she remains in touch speaks volumes.

I’m sorry you weren’t supported better. That’s not ok.

I will attempt to get any catch up stuff done in the lessons

Remote learning could help if you’re using Teams or similar? Upload catch up tasks for him.

It's awful mrsh. A lifetime ago I worked on a secure unit for adolescent girls with behaviour problems (private hospital so they only got there after their local authorities had exhausted every cheaper option). Behaviour problems turned out to be disturbingly victim blaming code for having endured levels of abuse that made you feel like you'd been punched in the gut just reading their file let alone them disclosing it to you in person.

I was young myself and it was a lot to cope with. Dark humour and drinking are the main coping mechanisms I observed amongst colleagues.

I will never forget some of those girls and their horrific stories and still feel angry that it was called a behaviour unit when it was quite clearly a traumatised beyond anything the psyche knows how to cope with let alone cope with as a child. Sorry but dark but I empathise

If your tas are like ours they'll likely know and discretely let you know. That's how I found out that a very disturbed and disturbing year 7 I taught had to have adult supervision at all times because he had sexually abused younger children at primary.

Sometimes I don't think people realise how far inclusion goes.

Sometimes I don't think people realise how far inclusion goes.

They really don't.

Having to teach a suspected rapist who was twice the size of me was unsettling. He was never convicted but I'm 99% sure he did it, just couldn't be proved.

Being forced to continue teaching the fuck wit who upskirted me (pre the upskirting law) was also another low point. I wouldn't stand for it now.

@TheHoneyBadger

If your tas are like ours they'll likely know and discretely let you know. That's how I found out that a very disturbed and disturbing year 7 I taught had to have adult supervision at all times because he had sexually abused younger children at primary.

Sometimes I don't think people realise how far inclusion goes.

Yes I've had this. I was told but "not told".

Oh Herc

People really don’t get it.

Does anyone know if my friend is trolling me?
They say that Morrisons are offering a discount to teachers for getting children back to school? Can't be true nobody is nice to teachers.

Inclusion takes up all of my extra time. Time I would otherwise spend on things like developing brilliant explanations, or I dunno.. having a life? Instead I'm scaffolding year 4 tasks to children working at year 1 level.

Looks like it’s true!

www.hotukdeals.com/deals/morrisons-discount-3573789

Instead I'm scaffolding year 4 tasks to children working at year 1 level

Yup. Except for me it’s reading ages of below 6 in Y7 classes.

I have someone working at ks1 in year 7. Can't read or write. Way beyond the scope of differentiation. I have to create a totally different curriculum. Parents insisting on him staying in mainstream

[quote Saucery]Looks like it’s true!

www.hotukdeals.com/deals/morrisons-discount-3573789[/quote]
Ooooooo

Well I've had the afternoon off! I've had wine, junk food and a good whinge.
Thank you for your help, I've sent a re jigged lesson plan which no doubt wlll still be wrong and have just a bit more of assignment to do.

Godsons I saw today are y 11 and y13. Both working hard but scared that actually they're not going to get their choice of places or a chance at exam results due to covid. I feel for them. So young and so much worry on their shoulders.

Our current year 7 have some really extremely weak students. Cannot read or write beyond basic phonics, and the number skills are below my 4 year Old's.
I'm very ashamed to say that I haven't done any real scaffolding with them other than made sure I have clear diagrams of what I want them to learn. Everyone else has to do labels and descriptions and definitions etc, these 2 just draw diagrams plus maybe one or two labels.
There is a TA for them but I don't really know if they are getting anything out of my lessons.

I get a horrible sick feeling about DS’s exams and Uni prospects, namechanged. Everything he’s worked for, all potentially going to shit because the govt can’t decide on a strategy and stick to it and make it happen. He’s very blasé about it, I try and take my cue from him