The Fortieth Republic - Schools are safe but they are vectors so go online

[SantaAssociationRepresentitve]

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'd think these DfE things were parodies but the parodies are less ridiculous.

We are on a week in week remote rota. I'm in this week which is nice because I already got my train ticket. We have 9 kids out of 50 in my bubble, more could come I suppose. My 1:1 would struggle with the difference between this and normal school but isn't in--I miss her but think that is probably a good call from her parents. I wasn't here last year but this is apparently way more than last lockdown. The NHS worker kids might not be in every day depending on shifts though.

Some of ours are struggling with the adjustment, we are KS1 so they're only little. Lots of hand holding and "Mrs Huts are you going to sit with me?" etc.

@phlebasconsidered

I actually hope we are at the same place; I would hate there to be more than one school like this!

@SansaSnark

The recorded lessons took forever to make and then I had trouble uploading them - I felt awful hassling more IT-savvy colleagues for support but it was utterly beyond me. I nearly lost it at the point of having to print out hefty paper packs for those who have no IT.

I feel broken and it's only been one day. I just hope it gets easier as I get more used to it. Our class sizes are ridiculous - one poor teacher has 26 children in (out of 30) - we might as well just be fully open!

MrsHP I think (annoyingly) you can't do what you say. You can have a big box then two answer boxes underneath each other. Some of the layout "rules" are a bit odd but must be something to do with the display.

Please do share. I did use mathsbot website for the graphics so do credit them too!

Felt on the verge of tears for about 36 hours straight now. Should feel happier now we're safer!

@hedgehogger1

Felt on the verge of tears for about 36 hours straight now. Should feel happier now we're safer!

I understand. It's awful

@hedgehogger1 I can identify with that.

one poor teacher has 26 children in (out of 30)

Thanks Sansa

@Lancrelady80

Skipped to end. Anyone in primary where all staff are expected to go in?

Union stance is that we should only have minimum staff needed for pupil safety, chair of governors say all in and head says his hands are tied.

Could be another rebellion on the way.

Yes we have all staff in as normal in their classrooms. We fully expected lots in as we did before summer. But half class size.

one poor teacher has 26 children in (out of 30) - we might as well just be fully open!

That’s insane I think ours will be capped at 15. The head needs to make the criteria stricter.

@phlebasconsidered

I've just had a snippy mail from the slt about "our children" and having the right attitude. I fucking hate her. In her office, telling us all to be jolly "for the children" when she has none and I do and she's not facing any risk.

They may as well have not shut our school. I am seriously investigating going off sick. The head sent an email asking all staff with anxiety around opening to meet them. Sent it whole school in a shaming way. Stressing those staff who are getting on with it with a smile on their face.

It's not the fucking second world war! Sod off!!!!

If we didn't rely on my wage I would just not go in tomorrow.

That's terrible, Phlebas .

Head and SLT (and MAT, as it happens) very good at my place BUT the language is always around "staff who are anxious" (or parents) - we all bloody should be if we had any level of critical thinking! - rather than "staff whose personal or family circumstances make them vulnerable" Grrrr

It is diabolical the way some of you are being treated. You are either teaching online or in school. If they want both they need to clone you.

That's horrendous phleb

to all having a shite time. We've had a couple of comments that have been victim blamey.

Union stance is that we should only have minimum staff needed for pupil safety

Haha, we didn't really have that situation between October and December.

What I don't get with our KW stuff, is that there are 5 or 6 kids who go to afterschool club in the whole school. Everyone else has parents who have been picking them up at 2.30 or 2.45 for the last 4 months. What KW jobs only happen between 8.50 and 2.45?

I had some lovely comments today about how organised we are, how great the website is and so on.

I agree @starrynight19 - I think some of those claiming to be KW are taking the piss.

What are your schools’ policies on marking/assessment during this lockdown? Ours remain unchanged and I’m still expected to deep mark (with my many coloured pens) daily in maths and English. I just don’t see how I can when I’m spending hours making recorded lessons and welfare calls.

@ItsIgginningtolookalotlikeXmas

It is diabolical the way some of you are being treated. You are either teaching online or in school. If they want both they need to clone you.

That's what I was saying to DH; but only am I stretched extra with the eldest at home with toddler, I'm also needing to clone myself for online plus in school stuff.

So 4 clones. Ffs!

[quote HarrietDVane]@phlebasconsidered

I actually hope we are at the same place; I would hate there to be more than one school like this!

@SansaSnark

The recorded lessons took forever to make and then I had trouble uploading them - I felt awful hassling more IT-savvy colleagues for support but it was utterly beyond me. I nearly lost it at the point of having to print out hefty paper packs for those who have no IT.

I feel broken and it's only been one day. I just hope it gets easier as I get more used to it. Our class sizes are ridiculous - one poor teacher has 26 children in (out of 30) - we might as well just be fully open! [/quote]
None of that is viable.

I made three recorded powerpoints today, and it took most of my day. There's no way I could do it and supervise key worker kids etc at the same time.

I hope things calm down for you and your head realises that this is unsustainable!

phleb I'm so sorry.

Everyone else has parents who have been picking them up at 2.30 or 2.45 for the last 4 months. What KW jobs only happen between 8.50 and 2.45?

Are grandparents picking up? That's our wraparound. Obviously not using them now so dh boss being sympathetic and letting him out for 20 mins to do pick up and 3yo then gets ipad til I'm back (or finished teaching online).

Not sure Harriet, but if sendning home schooling stuff is a lot of work I'm not marking. (My subject isn't core though.)

I'm yet to hear which classes have a child at home. It may not be that many.

I also think primary have been shat on with teaching kids in the building and providing online stuff.

Some parents are taking the piss. Woman on mat leave is sending her kid to nursery because she's a key worker

MsAwesomeDragon we have similar neighbours with shed group chill sessions. (Which come with a stink that blows across into our garden). They did that the whole mar-jul lockdown
Dc school at about 37%! so probably about 22 of yr r in. So that could be 2 classes.

@Monkeytennis97

DH is having a breakdown trying to switch from one screen to another on Teams. He has resorted to emailing all YouTube links to kids to avoid it. Dreading tomorrow when I'll be teaching and not able to help him in the other room😳😩

You can send links in Teams via Chat.

Thanks @HercwasanEnemyofEducation!