The Thirty-Sixth Republic - New Year approaching, no clear idea of what is happening next week and has Gav been sacked yet?

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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.

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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

Thing with us is, if we don't provide work, we get Indian parents teaching 8 year olds GCSE maths, and only speaking to them in Hindi. No reading or English writing.

@Timeturnerplease
I presume it will be down to school policy and your SLT’s interpretation of the DfE regulations - I had self-isolators most weeks last term and had to set work daily in the way you describe even where I suspected the parents were keeping them off for spurious reasons. It was soul destroying as barely any of them so much as looked at it, and it took hours to set up.

That's what our head has said as well. Although, if there are pupils in that class isolating the work is sent to the whole class so they get it anyway. One of mine who is off because their parents are worried has actually had EVERY lesson sent to them because there's always someone else isolating.

Oh phew. So long as there are no actual ‘rules’ about it from the DFE our Head will take that stance too. She’s very hot on workload, but won’t deliberately go against the DFE. Thanks for clarifying @Hercwasonasnowball.

I’ve unfortunately had quite a few isolating because their parents tested positive, so have had to provide work 😩

@HarrietDVane It’s the non core that takes AGES isn’t it. Maths I just link to White Rose (though have to download and then upload worksheets etc which is a faff) and English this term I’m not even going to try and keep in line with us; it’ll be an Oak unit for the two weeks. But flipping non core takes AGES!

@Timeturnerplease

White Rose has been a godsend but we aren’t allowed to use Oak for main literacy lessons so I’ve been adapting my classroom slides for home use and sending separate notes for parents explaining my expectations. I’ve used Oak for SPAG and the odd humanities lesson where the LO has been a good match. It’s exhausting and certainly more than doubles the workload.

We've had absolutely DOZENS of self-isolators because of positive parents, plus a few anxious families just keeping them off permanently.

Policy is nothing official needs providing for unauthorised absence, copies of ppts or worksheets only for individual SIs and mix of live and recorded lessons for whole class isolating.

[quote Timeturnerplease]@HarrietDVane It’s the non core that takes AGES isn’t it. Maths I just link to White Rose (though have to download and then upload worksheets etc which is a faff) and English this term I’m not even going to try and keep in line with us; it’ll be an Oak unit for the two weeks. But flipping non core takes AGES![/quote]
I'd just check the English - I'm pretty sure that what you set as remote learning has to mirror what you are doing in school so that a child could, in theory, slip right in when they return.

That's certainly what we are doing in my school but, yeah, I believe that's what the legislation calls for.

@Iamnotthe1 @Timeturnerplease

I'd just check the English - I'm pretty sure that what you set as remote learning has to mirror what you are doing in school so that a child could, in theory, slip right in when they return.

That’s what our HT is saying - home learning must exactly reflect what is going on in the classroom.

We're going to have to wait til tomorrow to hear anything, aren't we?

I've had an isolating student in the majority of my lessons so if parents are keeping them off, then they could access the work. However they aren't doing it and no one is chasing them.

Anecdata re reliability (not) of LFTs
Lateral flow tests do they work? www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4119668-lateral-flow-tests-do-they-work

Sorry - I know this isn't the mental health board - but does anyone feel up to chatting with me.for a bit? The urge to cut is very strong tonight

@Hercwasonasnowball Do you not have to chase it up? We have to ring home if there has been no engagement after two days (sooner if the child is deemed vulnerable) - even if they’re off because they personally have symptoms. I have been mildly amused (in an annoyed kind of way) by some of the excuses for little Jimmy not doing his work

I’m here gleaming. Do you normally have any distraction techniques for when the urge is strong?

@Piggyinblankets

You'd probably all hate me primary teachers for 'training them up' pointlessly. I never have headings, never know that the date is and couldn't give a shiny shit if sheets are stuck in. No time in my lessons for sheet sticking! I also don't have LOs

I also cannot stand the pointless faffing of girls with glue sticks trimming and sticking stuff in. Gives me the rage.

I'm in a girls school sometimes it feels like there's a faff competition going on

Here if you need to chat, @GleamingBaubles.

@RafaIsTheKingOfClay

I’m here gleaming. Do you normally have any distraction techniques for when the urge is strong?

It's been 15 years and £1000s in therapy since I last felt like this! Erm, elastic bands and ice cubes instead were the thing then. But right now I think I'm just incredibly stressed by the unknown of it all. It's not so much a self hate thing?

Hate someone deserving instead, gleaming, like Gav or Gove or Noel Edmonds.

Hi Gleaming.

The not knowing is incredibly unsettling.

Would it perhaps help to write down all the things that you know need doing, and which you can do something with over the next few days?

Even if the list is massive, it means your head doesn’t need to hold onto it. Writing the list may take a while too - which is good.

That’s completely understandable. It’s a horrible, stressful situation. Can you try the elastic bands/ice? It might not be the same situation as that which led you to harm before but the technique might still work to some extent?

Ok so I can't cope with recording lessons. O link to a relevant YouTube or oak Academy instead, plus the PowerPoint I would have used,s plus the BBC Bitesize pages . And then ask them to make notes or work through vthe tasks - whichever they choose. Then they all have to do a quiz or exam style question to check understanding.

That's ok, isn't it?

And ive put on about 2 stone since this time last year.

And I have no family left that gives a crap.

And my 4yo seems to be turning into a bully and unpleasant person.

And my department at school leave me out of stuff so it must be something about me - maybe I'm just a needy parasite, or just crap. I don't know. I wish someone would tell m e then I could work on it.

So yeah

I understand that. It’s kind of where I was earlier in the year. It does pass.

Sorry to hear you’re feeling bad, Gleaming. This may be trite, but have you tried a few grounding activities? Feet on the floor, deep breaths, being aware of your body etc? Helps me when I’m stressed and feeling a bit loose and frantic.

I'd happily take furlough.