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 loved phone/Teams parents' evening - worked really well for us. Most parents liked it too - I phoned them while they were at work, or in the car, or whatever - no effort to come in. We've had the biggest uptake in parents evening appointments ever.

I just wear a mask when hearing readers. No protection for me...hey ho

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.

Yes. I also think this current (shit) situation is the best alternative, even with the risk to school staff. I don't want schools to close, and am dreading the first isolation period.

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

Normal. We also have no seating plan, and are using the carpet as usual. We have small classes in KS2 this year (20 kids - mostly due to children being stuck abroad somewhere), so decided to go with the proper tight bubble option.

Gosh look what Zoe are doing:

covid.joinzoe.com/post/covid-school-communities?utm_source=App

Schools can register as a school, upload what bubbles they have, then parents input symptoms for children and Zoe collates it all and reports to school (who in turn can report to parents).

I'm not sure whether many Heads will be up for it though??

I wonder how the DfE views it!

Hi everyone, how many weeks is it till Christmas?

I have no clue how full time teachers do it, I've been pt for 3 years now. Day off today but they are all filled with marking and planning at the moment.

Been off MN for a few days (too much work!), so hope that everyone is ok.

We finally have some covid protection in our department office this week. I won't go into the reasons why I think it was put there, but my cynicism was sky high for a couple of days.

dreaming "I have no clue how full time teachers do it" we teach crap lessons and fall behind on marking. At least I think that's how I do it. Or it might be that we have no family life and don't get enough sleep.

Today I worked all day (no frees, and bus duty at the end of the day), came home and worked from 5:00 - 10:30pm. That's not a typical day, BUT it's not massively unusual either. And I've come to bed still not actually having planned my year 10 lesson 🤷. It's only Pythagoras, I'll wing it 🤷 (I may be less successful in winging the year 12 lesson, but so be it)

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

Entirely as normal although I only hear one group that I'm also working with that day (ppa) and it's really not often. And hearing readers is probably a far more controlled situation than anything else I do!

No mask.

I'll have to look up that cat Stevens song....

Toddler just slept through till now, now being 5!

Woo hoo! Gosh I needed that sleep.

Especially as I've a day of isolating plus home school with both to do . Small needs park action but We try to avoid it at the weekend. Luckily ds appears to be enjoying how school are sending tasks and the additional bits eg times tables rock stars. However I really feel for anyone who's had this repeatedly.

Just catching up with ten Bristol rave, wow!

I wonder if Bristol has been able to track the wider implications of that rave?

I also love the video parents evenings - have done 4 so far, 2 in lockdown and 2 this academic year.

What I especially love is that we host them through our usual parents evening booking site and the program only allows the 5 minute slot. No more over running appointments! It is funny when it cuts off a parent 😆

and for everyone who feels they're not doing a great job. Good point about what we are doing being better than the alternative.

I am hoping for a fairly straightforward day despite everything.

Also hoping NQTs flatmate tests negative so he can come back on Monday!

I have no clue how full time teachers do it, I've been pt for 3 years now. Day off today but they are all filled with marking and planning at the moment.

I’m running in empty as a full timer that’s for sure! Made more difficult having to juggle my Year 1 DC because her school has no wraparound care and my parents have passed away so not childcare support there. So far, all juggling balls are in the air but I freak out daily, I must say!

@ChloeDecker 💐 Wow! DH and I have no outside care (our fathers passed, my mum in a nursing home, his elderly too). Luckily - and I SO thankful - the DCs primary opened their wraparound and even managed to staff it so can have an infant and junior bubble.

Childcare is such a stress. You’re doing a fab job!

See I don't think being in the classroom full time with a teacher whose health is taken for granted and who therefore feels devalued is the best thing at all. I have a really low tolerance for kids who are chatty and lazy at the moment. Luckily I have quite a lot but my patience for noisy, rude Year 7s and bonkers bottom set Year 11 is wearing very thin. It's not a lot of fun.

Agreed @SaltyAF. I nearly lost my shit at a Yr 12 who complained when I wouldn’t let them shut a window as they were cold. Felt like saying ‘be fucking grateful you’re in school. KS3 aren’t due to the numbers of staff out’.

I’m becoming so bitter.

Please tell me it's Friday? Been the longest week ever what with changing classes and playing catch up. Think we now have a plan going forward so that's good.

Attempting to teach maths this morning and having first observation in new class. Bit nervous as they are a bit chatty and very fidgety. Still wondering if I'm good enough to actually do this. Such a confidence issue.

Have put wine in the fridge for later but i suspect I'll be asleep on the sofa by 8💤

I'm bitter as well. It's exacerbated by SLT who, when they know workload is crushing us, has an obvious agenda of downgrading us on learning walks, presumably to show the impact of some magic CPD later. It's very demoralising.

Also doing a shit job here.
Tore a strip off a year 13 yesterday who told me he doesn't check teams so that's why he doesn't do his homework. I was moved to wonder what he was doing wasting my time and everyone else's.

We are very aware that welfare, health and stability are our focuses for the next few months. We’ve explained why the classrooms are set up like they are, why we wash our hands more, why we have to do the Socially Distanced Hugs etc.
We are assessing progress as usual but not panicking about catching up yet. SATs didn’t happen last year and the sky didn’t fall in.
We want to help get our children through this in an emotionally healthy way. And our staff through it too.
We miss Assemblies, collective worship, church visits, carpet time, trips, visitors from the community doing lunchtime clubs.......all that stuff is important.

There are shit things about my school, in case I’m in danger of being an irritating Pollyanna
Of course pressures are going to be different in secondary.

Agree about the First Aid. Either our cohort is miraculously more brave than all the previous ones or a lot of the Drama when they fell over was to ensure they got to go into the warm, cosy medical room to be fussed over by Yr6 First Aiders and have a hug from a dinner lady

No one is doing a shit job. The job is impossible to do ‘properly’ under current circumstances.

We are all doing our very best in the circumstances.

The pressure coming from govt and some slt is stupid. All that catch up
Stuff can't happen easily for at least another year.

We have specialist teachers so we know that some less core learning things are being taught, which is nice. (I argue those things should be core though!) Due to staffing though many lessons are starting to have to be simplified to make sure the children are safe without certain key staff.

Sometimes the fact they're in and with some familiar staff is the main thing.

@motherrunner

Agreed *@SaltyAF*. I nearly lost my shit at a Yr 12 who complained when I wouldn’t let them shut a window as they were cold. Felt like saying ‘be fucking grateful you’re in school. KS3 aren’t due to the numbers of staff out’.

I’m becoming so bitter.

I don't think there's anything wrong with saying that- minus the swearing though

You’re all doing fine. At the moment it’s about being a good enough teacher nothing more.

And having someone lose their shit at them occasionally won’t do them any harm.

No one is being shit. I'm the only person in my department who was on track with ks3 curriculum, qmas, reports etc and that's likely because I'm part time and work through my days off often currently.

It's another reason I've decided I don't mind over working currently. It means I'm ahead in new schemes of work and can troubleshoot lessons and resources and make alterations or write alternative PowerPoints or resources and send them to colleagues who haven't got there yet and are struggling.

Obviously I hope it's appreciated and doesn't become a standard expectation but it is what it is at the minute. Part of the reason I'm part time is I struggle with doing a half arsed job and I honestly don't think I could do anything but as a full timer. There's just too much to do and not enough hours or sanity in a week.

Late start today and a relatively easy day. Yr 9, yr 7 then year 8 so running between zones but all bar one lesson is a lesson I've taught at least once before and the one I haven't I've decided to massively simplify.

Off today as I'm getting a test - typically, the symptoms I was feeling last night when I booked have disappeared this morning!