The Thirty-ninth Republic - Covid Carnage continues and spring term is just about to start

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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.

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

I went on a course with Finton O’Regan (?) years back about behaviour and thought that was quite interesting. I haven’t actually heard of many of the others!

40ish KW in, in yr bubbles. All staff in doing teams etc in the classrooms we teach in - so still moving around. Would be better if most WFH with KW rota but what do I know?

I don't know any of these edu folk. I know some of the mathsy people on Twitter, but none of the people you're talking about.

@Cracklefraggle that's crazy. Perhaps there will be a change after Boris' statement tonight.

@MsAwesomeDragon the reason for me is that I have no interest in education lol... just my subject!

My day was ok. Teams lessons were well attended and pupils have been sending me pics of their work.

It was nice to see people from a distance as well.

Had about 90 vulnerable/KW pupils in who were in their normal classrooms doing their lessons -that part does help with social distancing if pupils.

I have decided that I'm incredibly lucky with my HT. Remote learning for all years this week, one half day supervising KW/V kids per week, Y11 in next week (maybe) and stay at home where you can. Not that it will matter after 8pm...

Tom Sherrington has written about Rosenshine's Principles in Action and other 'stuff'. One of his latest tweets is sticking two fingers up at the phrase 'Mock Deep Dive'. Gets a thumbs up from me!

I feel demoralised by my office stint too. So many emails from families where a member is CEV and the parents agonising decision not to send the kids in in case it killed Daddy/Mummy/Granny. And a few from children who shielded last time but arent on the list this time but the parents are scared.
Then the LA said we had to put unauthorised but no fine issued for 2 weeks of absence but then the parents were to consider de-regestering! I doubt it will come to that as I think things will have moved on but it goes down as a miserable day.

I sent out 4 video lessons this morning. That's a total of 80 pupils that got an email from me today with work on. Guess how many replied with their work?

Yes, you're right, one!!
I did get 4 more emails saying they thought today was an inset day so they would do it tomorrow. Pupils mustn't have had the same information we did as staff. We were told that inset has been swapped til next Monday, but it seems that today I was not supposed to set work for anyone

The almost-normality of school then home to predictions of full lockdown are messing with my head, seriously.

So, if schools do close - what's the point of the mass testing systems we're all now setting up? What another great fucking waste of time and resources.

@noblegiraffe

I bet Tom Bennett is lovely remotely.

I’ve said it before but he was awful in person!

We're on Inset today - but I've got a few students who have emailed me completed work from tomorrow's lessons already

Rosen definitely counts as education. His dad was instrumental in setting up one of the English subject associations, so he's on the side of the right :)

@RandomGrammarPun

We're on Inset today - but I've got a few students who have emailed me completed work from tomorrow's lessons already

You will get parental complaints tomorrow that they have no work to do haha!

he's on the side of the right

I think Rosen would be horrified at that statement - perhaps ‘on the side of the just’ would be better! 😂

I wonder if the testing prep won't be wasted as they'll still do it in February or whenever we finally return?

I can see us still having to go in. They seemed keen on that today.

Afternoon!

Piggywaspushed 8pm is just about my bedtime that was my first thought - like 8pm? I can be getting the rage that close to bedtime!

I did do the 9am meeting because she chased me down with texts and emails but I think it will be a one off.

Taught year 7 kw kids for an hour - only 6 of them.

Very few staff in. Had another meeting remotely at 3pm. Think the plan this week is that teachers can pick in school or at home but they'd need to come in for the day if they were rota'd for kw provision. I think the discussion of section 44 was enough at my school to make her give the option of working from home. Who knows about 11th onwards though..

We'll have to say what bojo the clown has to say for himself.

@CarrieBlue

he's on the side of the right

I think Rosen would be horrified at that statement - perhaps ‘on the side of the just’ would be better! 😂

Fair point well made 😂

I too have had quite a bit of work handed in already Keen kids! Remote learning doesn't start till tomorrow but I snuck mine on early knowing it was more likely to get done if it was on their first and parents didn't have the opportunity to choose maths and english over mine. Successful plan.

@RigaBalsam

I can see us still having to go in. They seemed keen on that today.

Apparently we were in because the community would expect it. FFS.

That's ridiculous Mrs H

UNISON finally emailed and they're more in line with NEU although say to follow their wording as we're obvs not teachers (altho didn't actually read the letter as am not primary/SEN.

So it looks like primaries will close tonight after one glorious day of mixing and a massive amount of stress for heads/staff.....