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

Not dropped in for a while, hello all!
I'm also rewatching teachers, feel quite dejected that I can actually remember that it was possible once to go to the pub after work as the workload was a lot less. I remember watching it thinking that the characters were old compared to me, now I think they are so young!
So sorry to hear of everyone going through a bad time and congratulations to Noble on her new throne. Surely deification Roman Emperor stylee is just around the corner?

Let me guess.....teachers haven’t put in a full year’s work so don’t deserve any gifts?

@winewolfhowls

Not dropped in for a while, hello all! I'm also rewatching teachers, feel quite dejected that I can actually remember that it was possible once to go to the pub after work as the workload was a lot less. I remember watching it thinking that the characters were old compared to me, now I think they are so young! So sorry to hear of everyone going through a bad time and congratulations to Noble on her new throne. Surely deification Roman Emperor stylee is just around the corner?

I even remember going to the pub on Friday lunchtimes when I first started!!

@MsAwesomeDragon that sounds fantastic! I might investigate some pretty Christmas maths to do this year. I usually make polyhedra covered with wrapping paper (aka mathematical baubles) with my ks4 classes, but given that all resources must be portable this year it sounds like more hassle than it's worth...

Hello all,

Just following this thread silently. I did no work yesterday, having had an exhausting Friday (5 lesson day and also losing my lunch break unexpectedly). Think I needed to not work for one day, but a bit stressed with it all now.

Big mugs of and plates of for everyone who is going through a hard time. I'm following your boffin thread, noble and a few others, thank you to those of you who persist in exposing the data to people who don't work in schools.

NameChange, great news about the observation going well, and hugs to monkey, Riga and those whom I've inevitably missed.

MsAwesomeDragon, was that the Clarissa Grandi workshop? It sounds divine!

Things seem to be on a fairly even keel at my school at the moment - only one (small) group isolated so far, due to positive test in staff, and a handful of individual pupils isolating due to family members testing positive. We were set up on OneNote/Teams by the summer term, so remote learning has been relatively straightforward for those who need it. They should know to look as pretty much every KS3/4 lesson automatically goes on OneNote in my dept, although I usually have to put something specific on for my 6th form lessons, as they are 50/50 working on paper/electronically. I'm not chasing pupils who aren't doing the work, although I'm probably supposed to.

I think it's the relentless-ness of it all which is wearing me down. No let-up in anything, it feels, with increments of extra time and responsibility added on regularly. I don't feel as if I have any cause to moan because in school, it's generally going "ok", but I'm knackered, probably trying to do my job well and be a decent mum and counsellor to my own dc, who are getting through school with varying levels of being able to cope. I'm certainly drinking more alcohol than I would normally do.

Just wanted to post in solidarity, really .

It’s obly teachers who get gifts in the public sector, ridiculous, ungrateful etc

I have just watched Sophy Ridge with my Dad. He doesn't know a lot about education only what I have told him. Amanda Spielmen came on. When she finished he said ' Well she was useless, she didn't say anything'

So true!

Thanks dreaming

Please may I come in? I’ve got lots of gin although I won’t open it for an hour or so! I’ve finally joined Mumsnet rather than just lurking but the Republic threads (and all you regular posters) have kept me sane this year. I may also need some help in controlling my initial responses to certain posters on other threads so I am not kicked off straight away...

@DollyMixtureLulus

It’s obly teachers who get gifts in the public sector, ridiculous, ungrateful etc

Bollocks. We got loads of gifts in the other public sector area I worked in previously. Which I can’t be arsed to point out on those threads but it’s a pile of toss to say that teachers expect gifts. Depends on the cohort too. Some years you get lots, some years you don’t get any. I know it’s a cliche but a card in the child’s best handwriting is lovely (but no, I do not give out Pen Points for writing my name neatly in a Christmas card, as I have been asked in the past )

Morning all.

We have to set remote learning on the same platform as homework even if it's just to say work is on google classroom which is meant to be our platform for remote learning.

I clearly mark it as remote learning as the header and then include in the body of text 'this is only for students who are isolating and have missed this week's lessons'. Still had at least 10 emails from kids who are in school as normal fretting about the extra homework.

On the other hand none of the isolating kids have done the work or made contact. Slightly irritating having to go to the trouble of setting them work on two platforms and emailing them when they don't do it anyway.

@BustopherPonsonbyJones welcome!

I've pretty much stopped reading threads on the rest of mumsnet at the moment as it's depressing. We are not chasing work from kids isolating. Our head has said that as long as we are providing either appropriate work or a live lesson and giving feedback on any work submitted we can't do anymore than that.

I got back from doing a run about 10 mins ago. Was good but very wet and windy so about to have a hot bath and a cup of tea to thaw out!

Welcome bustopher.

Good to hear from you brie. Hope you're holding up ok.

I have delivery slots booked every Tuesday through to December 15th. Started booking as far forward as allowed since they started talking about circuit breakers. However Tesco had suddenly opened slots further forward than they had been and there is now nothing available for the week before Christmas.

Wouldn't be so obsessive except I don't drive and live in a village and was totally caught out last lockdown.

@PumpkinPie2016 just about to go for a long soggy walk :) DH is going to watch the Grand Prix and hopefully video call to DS later. Week 3 of not seeing him😢

My tiny bit of good news is I've reached 5 stone weight loss now (since March)🎉

My tiny bit of good news is I've reached 5 stone weight loss now (since March)

Ahh, fab. Well done! I finally stepped on the scales after a couple of months and all of the comfort eating and drinking has definitely taken its toll screams .

Thanks @DreamingofBrie x

Uh oh, teacher gifts thread. Open at your own peril

I’ve had a look at that. I kind of get why people might be annoyed at Xmas presents. It does feel a little like there is a an obligation to get a primary teacher a present.

But it’s not as if teachers are demanding presents, it’s other parents buying the presents that creates the expectation.

My kids teachers are awesome, I’m always more than happy to get them a present. My dds class are a lovely but insanely noisy rabble, their teacher deserves the yearly bottle of wine as a pressie.

@monkeytennis97 That is FABULOUS!! Well done you!

I am quite simply too terrified to step on the scales at the moment, but my waistbands are telling me the bad news. I lost 3 and a half stone a couple of years ago, so I know what to do but just can't. Yet every hour of every day I mentally shout at myself for being so hopeless.

5 stone, that’s like 1/2 a person. Amazing, well done.

I think it's about control with me... literally the only thing in my life I can control at the moment when usually (have been obese for most of adult life) I don't really care about it. Last big 'diet' I went on was after birth of DS2 when I lost 3 stone (but was still obese at the end of it). Last time I was this weight was pre kids (1998!) x

Hi all, delurking again now that I have avoided the main boards long enough to calm down.

First article on my news feed this morning was 5 ways to know you are ready to leave teaching! (Tes)

Can anyone recommend any feel good movies to watch on Netflix or Amazon prime? Preferably as super girly as possible. Wife is feeling imprisoned so trying to keep her busy but it's not really my thing so don't know what to pick.

BMI is still 29 so a way to go yet! Going to keep on though :)

Welcome, bustopher! Thanks for your post on the other thread, that was a bit of a lively one to dip your toe in the water on!

Wow monkey that’s amazing! Definitely celebrate in some way for meeting that milestone!

Yes I'm avoiding the scales atm. Hoping sun comes out later so feel motivated to do a big walk.

The BBC website article on Thu about no Tesco Christmas week slots being available prompted me to go and book my annual ASDA slot, but closest I could get to 24th was Sat 19th.

It'll be interesting to see what NS announces re the rest of term.