The Forty Third Republic - Lockdown learning continues - when is half term?

[Staffdontblowitnow]

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

Sorry team had an online parents' evening. Honestly, my hair is starting to look like Michael Sheen in Staged

Oh that is quite bad!

I don’t know how you’ve managed a parents evening too - hats off to you.

My class had two fortnights of isolation in term 2, and now obviously are mostly online learning again. I’m losing track of their attainment, given that my cohort have about 80% of their parents (Year 3) firmly in the ‘pushy’ category, and so those who previously couldn’t spell for toffee are now using words like ‘discourteously’ without an error in sight....

Thanks Staff

@Timeturnerplease

I don’t know how you’ve managed a parents evening too - hats off to you.

My class had two fortnights of isolation in term 2, and now obviously are mostly online learning again. I’m losing track of their attainment, given that my cohort have about 80% of their parents (Year 3) firmly in the ‘pushy’ category, and so those who previously couldn’t spell for toffee are now using words like ‘discourteously’ without an error in sight....

I have a sneaking suspicion that some of the mums on the call have seen a hairdresser recently. I bet they have contacts with a stylist who goes to their homes

Signing in. Thanks Staff... we’ve got our parents evening tomorrow 😱

Thanks staff

Thanks for the new thread staff

Thanks for new thread

Thanks Staff. Well done on your parents' evening!

I tested negative from Monday's test, so that's a relief. But I'm feeling so bogged down in work right now. I only work two days but last week was live teaching and meetings ALL day and today I didn't get chance to eat lunch because I just had meeting after meeting when one finished and another started. Plus I work two other jobs, both of which I was doing for a couple of hours today, so I've just finished and I'm knackered.

Hats off to all of you doing this full-time. It'll be something of a relief to be back in as normal next week!

Dh went to the shop and did not buy me the chocolate I had asked for. Aibu to make a new patio.
Have had a break and now back on with lesson planning. Without chocolate.

mistress I'll come and help you if we can make extra space. Made dinner tonight like I always do and ex picked through it and left all the greens like a child

I know I should let him sort himself out but I like cooking and it's not worth cooking nice food for one.

Also, the head needs patioing.

Thanks for those on the previous thread who suggested work arounds for creating write on pdfs... but it's not me having the issue, it's the kids being able to open and write on work consistently despite them accessing them on different devices.

Teacher made has been a winner today with lots of the children telling me it was easy to open and change. And so many of our parents want them to be able to access work easily that it was worth the time to get familiar with it. AND if it marks the maths for me too now I've set up the sheets to do that (really a 5-10 min job) then it will be well worth it!

I'm feeling jinxed today.
Partner colleague - off sick still since the start of term.
Replacement (long term, very good) supply teacher - had an accident and is now signed off for a month or more. Which leaves them able to manage the online provision for their class - and we have a great routine working together and sharing the creating of the work - but it means that the 2.5 days in, 2.5 days out rota is now me in full time!

Thanks for new thread Staff.

So, I've got out of doing the 'welfare calls' as am on somewhat undefined in length compassionate leave. My boss has been doing them and has asked my permission to tell DH to take me off the list altogether. She said she's had a couple of quite intense conversations and that it's really not the kind of thing someone recently bereaved should be doing and why hadn't he thought of that! Don't know what she meant by intense yet though.

F* off Trump party now over.
Have over eaten and over drunk

So, my gripe today is that I've had a couple of parents complain about marking. Not that we're not doing it! But because it means they have to open up their child's returned work and read the feedback comments.
What lazy workshy fuckers we are, eh?

Signing in - thanks for the new thread Staff!

Another long day and no further forward regarding testing. Another meeting tomorrow; hoping it will be covered then. I'd just like to know what is expected of me.

Hi everyone. Thanks for the new thread, Staff. Nothing much to say, just so so tired. I had ambitions to make a chicken pie tonight but ended up falling asleep so putting all of the chicken in the air fryer instead . Made a sweet potato curry to go with it, inspired by recent food talk in the staffroom!

Thanks for the thread.

Not too bad a week here. Obviously screen timed out and not loving live lessons, but feels more successful. I'm also learning the dark art of winging a live lesson. Turns out it's far easier than winging a covid classroom lesson.

Did you see Wales has decided.. wait for it.... to let teachers decide on GCSE and A level grades for their students!!!! No mini exams or whatever.

Thanks Staff!

I have a Parents Evening next week-I’m so not looking forward to that long day in front of a screen!

Tiredness is definitely the order of the day in the Staffroom, eh!?

@JanuaryChill

Did you see Wales has decided.. wait for it.... to let teachers decide on GCSE and A level grades for their students!!!! No mini exams or whatever.

Interesting!

I'm so glad I don't have to do any virtual parents evenings at the minute. The next one I should be doing is after half term. I do have to write full reports for year 11 though. I will need to go into school to get their mock exams for it to be any way meaningful, as I don't have any data at home about their skills and weaknesses. That's all in my filing cabinet at school.

Must admit to breathing a sigh of relief for DD for her exams being cancelled officially now. She has missed so much time that they couldn't really have brought the external assessments forward to the end of next month, which is when they were due to start, and she's not a 'pull it out of the bag last minute' person anyway so has high predicted grades.

Hello all!

DH and I are pootling along with the live lessons. They are going ok. He's got much more confidence now than 2 weeks ago when he was practically shaking with fear about it.

Daily phone calls with DS are getting hard again, been 3 and a half weeks I think (since we saw him on Boxing Day), God knows when we'll see him next. Had a little cry after tonight's 15 seconds'chat'.

On the positive though was wonderful to watch the inauguration, like a moment of springtime.