The Forty Second Republic - Lockdown 3 online learning struggles continue

[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

Just checking in - not much to report and very tired today.

Sorry to hear about your in-laws @HerdyGerdy

@RandomGrammarPun

It's not even about being affluent. In rural and semi-rural areas, the broadband can just be totally crap however much you're prepared and able to pay.

Yeah, that's definitely the case here. Lots of people just have crap broadband because of where they live and it's not really solvable on an individual basis.

I think that's part of the problem with a lot of things being run from London- people just don't realise what it is like in large parts of the country.

We have been really careful with the scheduling of live lessons to ensure that core subjects don't overlap between year groups, as a lot of families have told us that 2/3 kids on teams at once just doesn't work for them.

@TheHoneyBadger the book 'Other People' s Children' by Lisa Delpit is great for insights on racial dynamics in the classroom. It's American and pretty old now but I still find it a goldmine. I'm so glad I read it when I was training as its really shaped me as a teacher. It addresses race dynamics rather than sex dynamics - it sounds like you're experiencing a combination of both which must be very tricky.

Both in hospital now. Best place but not a brilliant set of days. I’m going to head off of the internet for a little while probably just this evening 😂 because I’m fairly sure I’d rip into anyone who says that everything we’re doing to prevent people dying is bollocks.

@SquashedFlyBiscuits

Sorry to hear the news about your brother *@JanuaryChill*

Today, I set my year group the task of drawing a diagram of the digestive system. One child submitted a drawing of a castle. Sums online learning up for me really!

A castle 😁 Have to ask - what year?!

@HerdyGerdy

Both in hospital now. Best place but not a brilliant set of days. I’m going to head off of the internet for a little while probably just this evening 😂 because I’m fairly sure I’d rip into anyone who says that everything we’re doing to prevent people dying is bollocks.

Oh no. Big unmumsnetty hugs. Look after yourself

Well thanks Mr ‘don’t blow it now we are on our way out’Hancock! We all all be offered jab by September so no school disruption next academic year

@HerdyGerdy

Both in hospital now. Best place but not a brilliant set of days. I’m going to head off of the internet for a little while probably just this evening 😂 because I’m fairly sure I’d rip into anyone who says that everything we’re doing to prevent people dying is bollocks.

that's awful herdy. My thoughts and prayers are with your in laws, hoping they can make a full recovery now they are getting medical care. They really are in the best place as you say, but that doesn't make it any easier for you. Hugs.

I see what you are doing on the Board From Hell enemy

Cheeky!

@Piggywaspushed

I see what you are doing on the Board From Hell enemy

Cheeky!

Thanks for reminding me - just bumped a couple back up

Sorry @HerdyGerdy .

@herdygerdy I really hope things turn out ok for you family. It must be really tough.

@enemyofeducationno1 year 4. We aren't even doing any history this term.

www.facebook.com/540910475/posts/10159539414345476/

Demo of our relationship with the DfE

@RandomGrammarPun agreed. I live rurally and my broadband is terribly slow and often needs rebooting. We are not on mains gas or water so I don't hold out much hope of ever having good broadband.

I'm glad I can teach from school or remote lessons would be a nightmare!

@Staffdontblowitnow 🤣🤣🤣

Welsh minister for education mentioned several times in her briefing about wanting to work with schools about...
being flexible re how to make returning to school safer - good
perhaps even considering rotas - good
and looking at how to move school holidays to extend the year and create scope for catch up - very bad.

Much frothing by parents on social media about how we slackers should be forced to work through our holidays. Again. It's like March all over again, except this time it's more time face to face in school with the kw kids, more pupil engagement online and no lifting of the curriculum.

They also failed to note that last year's proposed additional week to be added on to the school year while the cases were still low would have been paid back by a 2 week half term in Oct. I doubt they are considering that this won't be additional weeks learning.

I'm sooo cross that the fact that we are still working is being overlooked. I'm concerned we will be expected to work through our half term (again). And def pissed off at the thought that they will mess with contracts etc and make us be in the classroom in the summer when we will (as parents and kids will) deserve to actually be able to start clawing back some semblance of normality when cases drop again into the summer.

@HerdyGerdy

Both in hospital now. Best place but not a brilliant set of days. I’m going to head off of the internet for a little while probably just this evening 😂 because I’m fairly sure I’d rip into anyone who says that everything we’re doing to prevent people dying is bollocks.

So sorry to hear this I think stepping away from here is a good thing. It’s just too much at times. Hope they make a full recovery.

and looking at how to move school holidays to extend the year and create scope for catch up - very bad

Hmmm!

When are they talking about moving the holidays to?

[quote PumpkinPie2016]@RandomGrammarPun agreed. I live rurally and my broadband is terribly slow and often needs rebooting. We are not on mains gas or water so I don't hold out much hope of ever having good broadband.

I'm glad I can teach from school or remote lessons would be a nightmare![/quote]
Absolutely, I want intending to imply that crap broadband is a poverty issue. A lot of our staff can't teach live lessons at all because of their rural broadband. Those of us who live in the city/town have decent broadband, those who live in villages/hamlets/farms have what they can have from the one internet provider that covers their village, which is usually crap.

and looking at how to move school holidays to extend the year and create scope for catch up - very bad

I’m that rare breed of teacher who would like shorter summer holidays (4 weeks at summer, extra week at June half term and extra week at Oct half term).

But even I’m cross at this suggestion.

I will be ill and unable to teach in the holidays. Not a chance.

I might book a holiday.

Staffroom trip!!!!!

Ideal time to pop over to Honey’s place in Egypt I’d have thought!

I think I might book something now for the first and last week's of the summer holidays. I won't be working during the holidays unless there's a huge financial incentive. They can bog off.