TES Community

[Scumble]

Where the dickens has it gone? Is it gone gone? Has it been renamed and I just can't find it?

I have to say I was shocked that it was down over the festive period, and that it may not return. For many years I’ve been on TES, both as a lurker and a poster though I don’t post that often these days. It’s helped me through terrible times in the early stages of my career, given me interview tips and sage advice before I undertook a stint teaching overseas. What I’ll miss most is the general feeling of camaraderie with others in one of the hardest professions in the UK.

I’ll be very sorry to see it go, but I do also remember the good old days before they changed it to ‘community’ and it became almost unuseable.

I miss the camaraderie of the real staffroom too under lockdown which is why I felt compelled to get involved in the new online venture.

I used to use TES under a different but related username. Workplace Dilemmas was so helpful; I can't remember the name of the lovely lady who retrained as a lawyer and gave such amazing advice, then was diagnosed with something like leukaemia. I do remember Lilyofthefields too.

The subject forum was really helpful. As a music teacher, in a 1.5 person department, you could ask for suggestions there. A couple of posters were bloody irritating but one, Florian Gasman was extremely knowledgeable, especially on niche A level topics, UCAS or conservatoire applications. My HoD and I used to wonder where this particular poster came from or worked.

Now, I use the Facebook forums. The Music ones are pretty helpful, especially the exam board ones for KS4 and KS5 as the subject officer is a regular contributor. At all key stages, posters willingly share resources or signpost things they have found, which during lockdown, saved hours of work. A couple of my old uni friends are on there too, some 30+ years after graduating.

I don't post much here but I do read. Unlike some parts of MN, I have found the staffroom to be friendly and supportive. So on that note, I hope you all have a safe end to the year and wish everyone the very best for 2021!

NAB I'd be very interested in a new teachers' forum. Will you post something in the staffroom here when it is running?

Thank you NAB. Or "NAB'd" as you appear to be called on here!
"Like"
Just one other point-when you get to the frozen screen giving the details of what was going on the moment before they took the site down, if you scroll down you can see your profile details, also frozen.
In these details, the post count and alerts and conversation appear as zero, so presumably if the forum is reinstated then all posting history will be wiped.
I am really quite sad to have lost the conversation function as I had some great friendships through that, and foolishly failed to copy down a couple of contact details.
It is quite nice how quickly some people have found their way to here though!

Like others I have found this thread whilst searching for TES community. Since the Covid crisis hit us I’ve used the site a lot and miss reading and contributing. I particularly feel sorry for those on their own and agree that it’s a terrible time to take it down. Fingers crossed it will be back up soon.

"so presumably if the forum is reinstated then all posting history will be wiped." said Hexadelica.

Do you mean we won't be "stars" anymore?

@PriscillaChinchilla

I had cake for breakfast...

It’s Christmas so that’s ok.

Was going to add a ‘laugh’ emoji but I’m not sure if this means ‘friendly laughter grin’ or ‘I’m turning into the maniacal Joker character from Batman grin’.

@catmothertes1

"so presumably if the forum is reinstated then all posting history will be wiped." said Hexadelica.

Do you mean we won't be "stars" anymore?

Nooooooo!!! All those lovely Likes

@Neededabreak

Hello there,

This is my first post here as this came up when I was looking for Community... we appear to have lost the teachers community and like others I have found it helpful to my career and various other aspects of life over the years... *around 16 years to be precise.

You aren't wrong about another site, it's in progress and I will keep you up to date with how it is going and will be sure to let you know of the launch date, a network for teachers is born!

Any tips and hints welcomed, hopefully we can avoid the glitches and negativity of the past and move forward in an innovative yet grass roots manner to support both serving and retired teachers.

Best,
NAB

Hi NAB A new teacher community site (online home?) sounds like promising news for 2021. I hope you can manage to give updates & info about it for the TES diaspora who have found their way here. I also hope others continue to find this temporary haven so they can see that all is not lost even if it turns out that the TES forum has gone for good.

"I feel somewhat bereft of Community like others have stated, yet another site is being developed as I type, I will keep you up to date with how it is going and will be sure to let you know of the launch date, a network for teachers is born from the loss that has arisen over this Christmas period." said NAB

Anyone remembers when there was a big fall out on TES and a new forum was created? Was is NotTES or Infet?

That sounds like a great idea so yes I will let you know when it's launching on the staffroom here, so far we have a domain and framework and are seeking ideas on improvements and things to avoid, it will likely start small and much of the content will be lead by posters because we know that how well that can work, the key thing is to avoid the issues we all thought troublesome and that takes some thought and consultation so I will pop back here to read your thoughts to see if we can incorporate some of them. We have an excellent tech specialist onboard because I am really no where near knowledgable enough to design that sort of platform however the infrastructure is being worked on as I type.

I am really excited about this because I know what a difference it can make to teachers from the beginning of their busy teaching career, through career development/change, the impact of changes to personal circumstances, then through to eventual retirement and post retirement across the sectors, so many teachers I talk too like yourselves have expressed an interest, we talk of wellbeing in school and there are many ideas out there though on this new teacher network we can truly look out for ourselves and each other. :D

I feel that I used to regularly chat to NAB many years ago. The name feels very familiar.

talk to... argh my typos followed me... will ensure we use the services of a professional proof reader ;)

I am another TES community lost soul. I also found this forum while searching for TEs community. I recognise a few ‘almost’ the same user names. Mine is a little different from my TES name. I’m glad I’ve found you all, I was missing you.

Hi hedgehogger1,

did you always use that name? I have always been NAB (needabreak) as I often did throughout my career, I never posted as anyone else so was easily traceable. I used to post on Subjects, Personal, and in the past Entertainment, occasionally I would have a nose in workplace dilemmas, and other places, I was once a "Fluffy" they were a jolly bunch and there was once a Fluffy meet in London. I have developed into a more mature poster who is now less likely to be found in Bauble's bar or Annie's Cafe (I think it was called) but used to be a regular when the NABs were small and getting out and about was more challenging. :D

Does anyone know any way of contacting others to signpost them here?

Not really, I never kept a record of who I was talking to, continuity is perhaps something I should consider for the new network... gosh these ideas are just flowing, thank you Murs!

No I think I was greathat. Was in the early 2000s I think

I was Coffeekid on Tes. I'll keep popping back onto this thread to see if there are any new updates. I hope you all had a nice Christmas, and maybe I'll see you... somewhere else. Best, D.

Oh I don't recall the name but it was a while ago, I was posting back then though not as prolifically, partly because I was in the main lurking and learning form others while trying to juggle the demands of a work life balance like many still do, good to catch up with you now though, do you still teach?

Yeah I could easily be wrong, was a long time ago. Yes still teaching now, but part time

Hello All. I am another TES-er who found this as a result of a search question. Completely different name here though. I'm a regular but not prolific poster on TES Personal and I am missing it. Hope we get to know what's happening soon.

@Neededabreak

That sounds like a great idea so yes I will let you know when it's launching on the staffroom here, so far we have a domain and framework and are seeking ideas on improvements and things to avoid, it will likely start small and much of the content will be lead by posters because we know that how well that can work, the key thing is to avoid the issues we all thought troublesome and that takes some thought and consultation so I will pop back here to read your thoughts to see if we can incorporate some of them. We have an excellent tech specialist onboard because I am really no where near knowledgable enough to design that sort of platform however the infrastructure is being worked on as I type.

I am really excited about this because I know what a difference it can make to teachers from the beginning of their busy teaching career, through career development/change, the impact of changes to personal circumstances, then through to eventual retirement and post retirement across the sectors, so many teachers I talk too like yourselves have expressed an interest, we talk of wellbeing in school and there are many ideas out there though on this new teacher network we can truly look out for ourselves and each other. :D

Sounds very exciting I’m in awe of your industriousness! Can’t wait to find out more .

Thank you Bebinn, that's very kind... I just think we deserve it... don't we?
:D