The Thirty-Second Republic - Christmas count down - end of term in sight

[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

Comparison is the thief of joy and that also goes for comparing this Christmas to last one.

Would anyone rather be in a covid classroom? Just look forward to being out of that mess for a bit.

I'm looking on the bright side - I can't be made to isolate over Christmas by a school contact as I'm going to be at home all week

I'm just hoping I feel well enough to enjoy the holiday, and that I don't lose my sense of taste as I want to be able to savour all the delicious treat food I ordered (I've lost my sense of smell but currently taste seems ok)

How are all these schools getting away with offering choices and that schol in Herts got so threatened?

Do the teachers in these schools really want to do a mic of remote and in person?? That's my idea of room 101.

Wrong thread doh! Will report and get deleted.

My new goal is Easter; we break up at the end of March. I think if we can all get to then we'll be on the road back to normal.

OMG this is madness!!!

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/dec/11/exam-board-invites-university-students-mark-some-gcse-a-level-papers?fbclid=IwAR3gg63PQKreUItKS-8Tfana-iaaS4S4TdVSYV75KXt1NShRztCdkHo0i3Y

@TheHoneyBadger

Managed to get fitted in by my overly busy hairdresser and have had a cut and highlights and ds had a cut. First haircut in months. She's well kitted out in ppe and I wore a mask. So nice to have something normal.

Honestly don't think we encourage enough kids to be hairdressers or plumbers etc. She will never be short of work and is loved by many. My parents have started using her too since Covid and my dad is a tipper as am I. I'm going to guesstimate between my parents house and here she made £150 in 3 hours this afternoon and she's fully booked till the 23rd.

I retired from secondary at 60 and have been working in Apprenticeships since. There are problems in the sector but there are problems in all sectors. Where it works well, it works very well and many bright, intelligent, sensible and hardworking young people (and some older people) gain a lot from it and become part of a valuable workforce. Many of the sillier souls grow up, learn how to apply themselves and succeed in a similar way. A few, sadly, don’t cope, for a various number of reasons. What really impressed me, and what I wasn’t expecting, was the level of support and encouragement from staff directly involved with learners. I know assessors and training coordinators who are contactable evenings and weekends and who regularly go the extra mile in many ways to ensure their learners succeed. The biggest problems are the Byzantine funding process and the sheer amount of paperwork generated. (Of course Covid has had a huge impact with so many workplaces closed.)

Hi everyone, just spent this evening skim reading to see how everyone is doing. I think the key theme seems to be ‘surviving - just’.

We’ve have tons of families say they’re keeping their children at home next week. Head has sent out a letter saying she understands and supports this choice, but that teachers will be unable to provide home learning unless children are actually self isolating. We all sagged with relief when she told us that!

[quote Piggywaspushed]OMG this is madness!!!

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/dec/11/exam-board-invites-university-students-mark-some-gcse-a-level-papers?fbclid=IwAR3gg63PQKreUItKS-8Tfana-iaaS4S4TdVSYV75KXt1NShRztCdkHo0i3Y[/quote]
Oh FFS. Of I end up being paid the same per script as some undergraduate I will walk. Neither am I having them in my team. What an insult.

I'm letting my older dc stay off the final two days (not next week though) but the younger one needs to be in since we will be at work. He seemed quite surprised I would agree!

[quote Piggywaspushed]OMG this is madness!!!

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/dec/11/exam-board-invites-university-students-mark-some-gcse-a-level-papers?fbclid=IwAR3gg63PQKreUItKS-8Tfana-iaaS4S4TdVSYV75KXt1NShRztCdkHo0i3Y[/quote]
Watch errors in marking go up!

Graduates and students have marked one markers in maths for years.

However they should not be marking longer mark stuff like essays.

My DC are going to be with their dad, who teaches in the Middle East and would normally have them half the summer, Easter and some half terms. As it is they haven’t seen him since February so despite the fact he might not be allowed back into his country before the start of term, his school have flagged him as a mental health risk and told him he basically needs to go back to the UK for Christmas. So I’m letting him have them for the whole two weeks (even though they need to stay in a hotel as his parents won’t let them stay there!). Which is great for them and god knows I’d love a break after this year but...it’s two weeks with just DP as neither of us are happy going to see people even in the “allowed” period. Normally I’d just feel like “bring it on”, but this year feels a bit flat. And if we can’t even go to the pub! I foresee lots of lie-ins and reading. And drinking. And a nice big Christmas mark two when the DC come back. But very much not a normal year.

Gravity how selfless of you. I presume you won't see them during the two weeks, that sounds tough. You're right about the two weeks with one person thing... Feels very flat.

I won’t see them during the two weeks - we’ve done that before and it’s really hard on the kids to go back and forth. Because their time with their dad is so sporadic, it’s easier for them to adjust if they just have a long chunk of time with him so they can settle into the different routines etc. In normal times that’s actually good - DP and I have been away for three weeks some summers, driving around Europe and doing child-unfriendly things, but it’s not so enticing when you’re going to be sitting at home in Tier 3 without even a cafe or an art gallery to raise the spirits.

I hope you’ve at least ordered in lots of goodies Gravity. That really is such a lovely thing to do.

Happy Sunday. Do you think I could pay a student to do my marking?

Still no marking done or decorations up here. Having lunch at bubble friends house later.

@SaltyAF I thought the same. I've had some shockers on teams in the past but that really would put the tin hat on it.

DS is home again❤️❤️😊 He is supposed to be going back to school tomorrow but I've asked his home to keep him off...

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/dec/13/heads-call-for-all-lessons-to-go-online-for-schools-in-mass-virus-testing-areas

Not that govt will listen, but this seems unfair. NAHT calling for online for next week in the mass testing areas in London/Kent. But my area still has much higher rates than those areas and we've not seen a peep of a mass testing offer. Will be furious if London gets this when their rates still aren't the worst in country!

I would hope that heads take the initiative there and club together to ignore the DfE.

“A Department for Education spokesperson said it was a national priority to keep education settings open full time and it was vital children remained in school until the end of term.”

Oooh a new soundbite. What happened to ‘the chief medical officer agrees that the safest place for children is school”?

And why is it vital for children to remain in school except the ones who can’t because of being riddled with covid?

I wonder if the posters we know and love (waves) will amend their parroted phrases on here? So, instead of statements like, ooh, I don't know, "the government is clear that...." we might start seeing more of things like, "it is vital children remain in school until the end of term."

Oh - except, as noble says ,for those who are out of school due to, erm Covid.

And I REALLY hope that all the parents at that school in Herts vote with their feet this week and keep their kids off anyway.