The Twenty-ninth Republic - lockdown light continues & good news for Welsh students

[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 staffroom password just in case it attracts the wrong sort

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 booze is stashed - Thirsty Tuesdays, Fizz Fridays now in operation.

If you come with a stick to goad us then that is not allowed in the staffroom and you will receive a detention

I've just read a post in an slt teaching group asking if putting a plaster on counts as skin to skin contact.

Obviously you'd normally wear gloves anyway but it hit me how very much we are physically touching our children as normal.

I've had to lower my threshold for worry considerably (gaslight myself!) but reading that brought it home.

And I've just posted elsewhere that we have a few who deliberately spit. Large amounts, to cause distress. (Those that dribble you can predict.) We have no visors or masks.

To cause distress - sorry, to provoke a reaction.

But it is distressing.

Surely your RA should say visors then, neuro?!!

how very much we are physically touching our children as normal

Oh, us too. My class has a number of individuals who need that contact. One of them is also a deliberate spitter. From now on it'll be mask though I guess.

I've noticed an interesting decrease in first aid incidents now the children are bubbled and they know they can't just go into the first aid room at will. The magic wet green paper towels are far less visible.
I don't think I have ever put gloves on in order to apply a plaster though.....
Midday supervisors at our place are not doing any first aid though.... another job for TAs!
CallmeAngelina oh yes, the mud!!!! Everywhere! My 1:1 likes to lick mud off the bottom of wellies. Yum (not)

how very much we are physically touching our children as normal

oh yes, we are all about the reassuring cuddles, bless them, lots of positive touch going on with my lot. Someone's granny's dog died and so I've had that one on my lap a lot this week snuggling up (don't tell DH)

Oh no piggy and noble - that sounds awful.

I had one of those yesterday.

We've noticed a significant reduction in snot related stuff. Colds are just not a thing. It's lovely.

Plenty of touching students in secondary, too... Mainly separating fights.

www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/school-reveals-breakdown-pupils-staying-4692672
Thats 0.9% of the students already and probably just the ones with symptoms.

My la had 130+ cases today up from 70+ yesterday its almost doubling! Not quite sure why its going up so much in lockdown for a week now.... My msoa hs 50 for the week but the area isnt that large. I cant see lockdown getting these down longer term

@Augustbreeze

Surely your RA should say visors then, neuro?!!

You'd think.

Though I can imagine then being ripped off.

Well, after 2 days of a full team, turns out NQT does need to self isolate

So, just spent the last hour robbing peter to pay paul in terms of covering classes/reducing impact. My one and only free tomorrow has gone up in a puff of smoke now as I am covering a lesson.

Does anyone else feel like their lessons aren't the best either I want to try new/different things but half the time just don't have the time/energy to plan it. Don't get me wrong, the kids are learning and I'm doing my best but I feel I could be better.

Our school has still only had a couple of cases.

I received my ECV letter today (only a week late) and will now be working from home calling in to cover teacher via teams to teach my classes. (I’m secondary) anyone have any wise advice for me?

We're getting more positive cases now, have had one in my class. We don't send year groups home, just pupils who sit within 2m

Same in my school. Teachers and pupils. It’s quite concerning (massive understatement).

Hope you are both ok piggy & noble

for piggy and noble

Let's hope tomorrow is better!

Does anyone else feel like their lessons aren't the best either

Oh I'm doing a shit job. I had to have a talk with myself yesterday and remember that one a-hole 7 year old should not be ruining my day/week/life, so today just went off piste completely and had a nice day with lots of reading. School business manager says she feels like she's doing a shit job too. It's just all fire fighting.

@hw09aam
During your lessons use classkick or whiteboard.fi ( both free to a point) to get students to write Live responses on, then you can see in real time what they know or don’t know when you ask questions.
Use screen sharing on teams to let them see your powerpoint
Showbie is your friend for resource sharing, use the the people icon to rapidly look at answers to particular questions

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot glad it's not just me (or teachers!).

I keep trying to just remind myself that at least my classes are being taught by their normal, specialist teacher which is more than some kids have at the moment (nobody's fault of course, just the way it is).

Yep, mine are getting a reading lesson, a maths lesson and a writing lesson every day. They are getting plenty of time to play with their friends, two lots of PE, a history, a PSHE and a science a week. That'll do frankly. The rest of the time we wash our hands. Ha.

I am doing a monumentally crap job.
Supposed to stay 2m away at all times so can't circulate to check work, can't change the seating plans to get upset kids away from other kids that are annoying them, can't lurk over the shoulder of the one who is being slyly disruptive, can't have a quiet word with the one who is on the edge and could go either way.... It's all absolutely shit.
Xs everywhere but no information. I have no idea if the kids themselves are positive or not.
I've had a large wine. I never used to drink in the week, and barely from week to week, but I'm struggling.

I too feel like a shit teacher at the moment. Every time I think, "God this must be dull for them," or "Ooh, I know, let's do that; it'll be fun," I have to stop in my tracks and it's "Oh. Wait. No we can't."

So, I'm trying to get comfortable with thinking that they're bloody lucky we're open at all, and anything I'm providing in a calm, organised classroom has to be better than remote teaching.

What are primary bods doing about hearing readers, by the way?

Agree with the feeling of being a shit teacher. I'm just reminding myself that being in the classroom even with the current conditions, is the least worst option (for the kids).

I now have Cat Steven's 'Matthew and Son' tune in my head to fit the word gaslighting twat.

Another of my class down because their mum is positive. Except we were informed of this fact AFTER the girl had been in school all day and while the Mum was awaiting the test results. From having symptoms and being unwell, not a random test. Not sure what's so difficult to understand about the whole family staying off if anyone's waiting for a test.

Parents eve on the phone for us last week.

Lots of 'I don't know how you do it with 30, I couldn't do it with just mine' from parents reflecting on lockdown. And saying how much happier and more settled they are back at school.