The Thirtieth Republic ( 30! who would have thought) - Is it too soon to book a staff Xmas party?

[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

The BBC reports that as a levelling off across the country

2 weeks after half term...I wonder if it will sustain?

@TheHoneyBadger

I saw about another pay freeze. If they bring in 30k starting salary and freeze the rest of the profession that really is adding insult upon multiple insults to multiple injuries.

Couldn’t agree more!

The overlooked issue:

schoolsweek.co.uk/teacher-absence-spike-forces-tipping-point-closures/

And yet, we are still only as at risk 'as other workers'

[quote Isthatitnow]And so it starts....no pay rise next year. NHS exempt...probably.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55011477[/quote]
They said on tv this morning that nhs staff would probably get one in recognition of all their hard work throughout this.
Whereas we teachers have been doing fuck all.

They said on tv this morning that nhs staff would probably get one in recognition of all their hard work throughout this.Whereas we teachers have been doing fuck all

Many comments on the Daily Fail’s story about this earlier said much the same. Lazy teachers with their militant unions making constant attempts over lockdown to close schools so they could kick back and do fuck all in their gardens.

Unlike nurses who are all angels (until they complain about being paid in claps).

Primary schools closing in Hong Kong for two weeks.

Schools do seem to be the elephant in the room here now they’ve closed everything else.

Presumably to save money, our heating goes off at midday.

It is freezing !

Quick question to @DrMadelineMaxwell (and @phlebasconsidered - am I right in thinking you're in Wales?)

Here in England if pupils have to self-isolate awaiting test results we have to set work for them. At home in Wales, the head at my DC's school is saying they will only set work if a case is confirmed. Is that right?

Im England and dc had no work awaiting test results.
There doesnt seem to be any for the year group isolating either though just oak link...

We’re setting Oak for isolating students, I’m not sure what the problem is, as it’s full lessons?

Or are they just literally linking to the main site?

Yep just a link to ks2 on oak.
Which is the same as for the other year groups, it's not been Updated. I expect they may have sent them stuff by email.
But there is nothing on the remote learning page.
Another school has done what you describe with a weekly link to the right bits of oak/white rose etc.
Though i guess it may be about not having everyone able to see the work as more kids might stay at home.

@Piggywaspushed

This bit really annoys me

The joint letter from Mr Williamson and Mr Hancock says: "Given that the chief medical officers of all four nations have been clear that the very best place for children and young people is to be in school, college and early years settings

the CMOs are not educationalists. This is based on absolutely NO academic research. It is what they ahve been told to agree with. I am sure they do , but that is not the point!

I don’t read that as the CMOs saying that schools should remain open at all costs or shouldn’t be on rotas. I don’t think that most of us on here would really disagree with that sentiment for most children.

I do however think that Williamson & Hancock might write a letter using what the CMOs might have said to make it sound like this decision was supported by them.

‘This period of national lockdown’ ends in just over a week doesn’t it? So perhaps the school closures & rotas will start on the 3rd Dec.

@SaltyAF

Quick question to *@DrMadelineMaxwell (and @phlebasconsidered* - am I right in thinking you're in Wales?)

Here in England if pupils have to self-isolate awaiting test results we have to set work for them. At home in Wales, the head at my DC's school is saying they will only set work if a case is confirmed. Is that right?

Yes. Wales.

I've had some doing the online work for the ones staying at home even though they aren't off! They then arrive in class to be given the same lesson... oh the fun.

Well I found out after my last lesson that we've announced the school will be closed to years 8 and 9 due to reduced pastoral and academic staff. That changed extremely quickly!

I've already set the first lessons work for my year 8 groups to appear on the day of their scheduled lessons. The close contacts sent out of year 9 first thing this morning were ok as I'd already set remote learning work due to a child isolating which was handy given by lesson 3 when I saw them half the class had been sent home. Then by period 5 it was announced they and year 8 would be out altogether starting from Monday.

So we're at tier 3 whether gavin likes it or not. If there's not enough staff schools have to close you ill informed barely present dickhead.

Ds is ecstatic obviously.

Where are you MrsH? Are you ok?

Noble I set an oak lesson for remote learning for my year 9s today. First time I've looked and there was a seemingly excellent lesson on Elizabethan government which was just what I needed. If taxpayers have paid millions to them I don't see why we wouldn't use the resources.

It happens so fast doesn’t it HoneyBadger?!

End of my week doing live lessons from home to my pupils in school and a 5 year old at home.

Never again. Please!

Another Teams related question sorry! Do any of you have your teams set to sync automatically with SIMS so that all classes appear as teams for you, and therefore if students move groups they automatically move teams? Ours is set up to sync, but this is causing a problem with shared classes as the team only appears for the teacher identified as the owner on SIMs (I think). I don't know enough to be sure, but think we might need to set up our SIMs differently so that both teachers become owners of the same class - does anyone know if that is possible?!? Or knows anyone that would know and would be able to possibly help us?!?

Hi Honey I'm here. I nearly committed GBH on a colleague today but I managed to restrain myself.
I taught a dreadful live lesson to y10 this afternoon - they all seemed to be comatose.
I've got a load of year 11 books, some year 12 essays and some paid marking to do this weekend - but I fully intend not to get out my my pjs til Monday.
Thank goodness that's over.

@MrsHerculePoirot

Another Teams related question sorry! Do any of you have your teams set to sync automatically with SIMS so that all classes appear as teams for you, and therefore if students move groups they automatically move teams? Ours is set up to sync, but this is causing a problem with shared classes as the team only appears for the teacher identified as the owner on SIMs (I think). I don't know enough to be sure, but think we might need to set up our SIMs differently so that both teachers become owners of the same class - does anyone know if that is possible?!? Or knows anyone that would know and would be able to possibly help us?!?

It is possible because we have it set up like that. Our data manager does it though. As an interim measure you could add the other teacher as an owner of the group and share it that way

@MrsHerculePoirot

Another Teams related question sorry! Do any of you have your teams set to sync automatically with SIMS so that all classes appear as teams for you, and therefore if students move groups they automatically move teams? Ours is set up to sync, but this is causing a problem with shared classes as the team only appears for the teacher identified as the owner on SIMs (I think). I don't know enough to be sure, but think we might need to set up our SIMs differently so that both teachers become owners of the same class - does anyone know if that is possible?!? Or knows anyone that would know and would be able to possibly help us?!?

I’m not sure actually. I haven’t had students move groups but for classes with more than one teacher, all teachers have owner access rights. Our IT tech guys set up the groups for us. We have had to change to having pupils wait in the lobby and we admit one by one as some pupils need were able to do something in Teams (don’t know how!) and crash lessons that aren’t there’s and post rude messages. Sigh. They always find a way!

So fast Chloe! Genuinely shocked.

Glad you're ok MrsH. I too will be in my pjs shortly.

My school also went from 0 to fucked (sorry, 'totally stuffed') in about a week. The smug 'my school has had no cases' brigade really should touch wood when saying that.

Hope you enjoy your pj weekend and recharge, MrsHamlet

Thanks @MrsHamlet and @ChloeDecker - we have tried that, but then when it syncs with SIMs again it loses those teachers from the class. We keep adding them back, making then owners, getting different people to add them, changing permissions etc.. but they keep dropping off.

You know when you search for a class in SIMs you can search for classes of a teacher (timetable) and classes of a teacher (curriculum or something) it seems to be the difference between that. I think we need to make all teachers owners of all their classes on SIMs, but I don't know if you can do that, or if you can only allocate one overall owner to a shared class? Don't know if that makes sense?

Agree, I have do much marking but I am totally done in. Covering a shielding colleague too so lost some frees. Taught all lessons plus befores school, break and bus duty today. Absolutely knackered.

It's me and the vino tonight, plus a takeaway. Conscious this term is definitely a marathon and need to not worry too much about marking Yr7, and just to focus on other stuff.