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
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-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

Hmm...I don’t think the content of what I’m teaching is essential (nobody’s life has ever hung in the balance based on what they know about Buster Keaton...) but I do think for a substantial portion of my students providing an ongoing presence and setting work is essential. I do wish the other requirements (open evenings, assessment points, performance management) would fuck off though. Just let us engage with classes in the way we think is best for them and accept we’re trying the best we can.

I agree it's good for them but critical? Like doctors and nurses and people who keep food and power chains running and policing?

No one is going to die because 11 year olds ended up learning about the treaty of Versailles or the five pillars of Islam or the structure of the atom a few months later than in normal years.

I've been playing along with it but suddenly I'm like hang on a minute I'm a teacher and my job is to teach and that is not critical short term and certainly not worth tens of thousands of extra deaths ffs.

Critical that they keep doing maths otherwise they forget it all. Shocking the difference it has made to Y7 not having crammed for SATs, even though they were in school from June.

Maths skills build on each other so they need to have covered the current stuff to be able to access the next lot. They can’t just skip a bit and be fine.

I think I see it differently because I’m not required in work at all. That I think is definitely not essential and I would be massively pissed off at having to do it.

@TheHoneyBadger

I agree it's good for them but critical? Like doctors and nurses and people who keep food and power chains running and policing?

No one is going to die because 11 year olds ended up learning about the treaty of Versailles or the five pillars of Islam or the structure of the atom a few months later than in normal years.

I've been playing along with it but suddenly I'm like hang on a minute I'm a teacher and my job is to teach and that is not critical short term and certainly not worth tens of thousands of extra deaths ffs.

Felt like this for years tbh about the job not being important..

Probably since 1996...

And if kids can't cope with a couple of months off school how the hell are they going to cope in life. Are they meant to be shielded from any scrap of adversity or boredom? At the expense of peoples lives and livelihoods? I know children are precious etc but us4them want to sacrifice us at the altar for some deluded utopian state of childhood and school that doesn't even exist.

I'm having one of my rants sorry. Don't mind me

The jobs important monkey and I'm sure you've made a difference to lots of lives. I only mean now, in the midst of all these deaths and the risks involved in having schools open as normal.

@noblegiraffe

Critical that they keep doing maths otherwise they forget it all. Shocking the difference it has made to Y7 not having crammed for SATs, even though they were in school from June.

Maths skills build on each other so they need to have covered the current stuff to be able to access the next lot. They can’t just skip a bit and be fine.

Yes, we've asked our children/parents to do maths first, and that is the thing we teach live every day. Also, the parents culturally think it's important, so they will spend time helping their kids with it.

As for the rest, let's do an old-skool 1980s project about a book we like. I'd flippin' love that, and I bet they'd produce ace work.

Can I join in honey? Just had a load of chew and tantrums off my daughter. I am off work with anxiety. Her best mate has some how got a place to attend based on mental health so now she wants to go in too. Despite initially saying ' I would not dare go to school' . So we have had a major tantrum and sulks as she now wants to go despite me being off with anxiety.
Sheesh! No wonder I am crackers!

So many kids added to the list each day.

bylinetimes.com/2021/01/21/parents-campaign-against-school-closures-receives-pr-support-from-boris-johnson-advisor/

If only the government had met with the unions or any head teachers as often as they appear to have met with T4T!

We could just look at Maslow. Bottom layer is food , warmth and shelter ... education a bit further up . Ergo not critical.

@TheHoneyBadger totally agree with you. Yeah I've made a 'difference' to loads of lives over the years. Still don't think my job is important though, particularly not now. I love my subject but it's been dying on its arse for at least 10 years across the country. I don't have the will or strength to fight for it anymore really. 😞

Yeah @Appuskidu we had a good look at that very well-researched article earlier!

Yes honey, this is the essence of it isn't it? It wouldn't matter to most children's wellbeing if they missed a year of what we teach them/ the books I supply them with (although 😭, obvs).!BUT what would matter is the safeguarding aspects (which I guess schools have always carried to some extent) and the childcare, not for their own good (presuming they wouldn't be chained to bedposts or something) but for The Economy.

And in a sense the only loss, if all children missed two whole years of schooling, is to The Future Economy. It's not like there's a developmental need to know the Dewey system before puberty 😂

@Piggywaspushed

We could just look at Maslow. Bottom layer is food , warmth and shelter ... education a bit further up . Ergo not critical.

Well maybe if you’re not a STEM subject you’re not. No maths, no boffins, no vaccine

Seriously though there is definitely a place for music, literature, art etc in terms of processing what is going on and allowing children to express themselves in different ways which will help them calm their soul.

Think of the war poets.

@JanuaryChill

Yeah *@Appuskidu* we had a good look at that very well-researched article earlier!

Yes honey, this is the essence of it isn't it? It wouldn't matter to most children's wellbeing if they missed a year of what we teach them/ the books I supply them with (although 😭, obvs).!BUT what would matter is the safeguarding aspects (which I guess schools have always carried to some extent) and the childcare, not for their own good (presuming they wouldn't be chained to bedposts or something) but for The Economy.

And in a sense the only loss, if all children missed two whole years of schooling, is to The Future Economy. It's not like there's a developmental need to know the Dewey system before puberty 😂

Oops, I didn’t see it was posted earlier! It’s crazy-why the hell have the MS media not been all over this?!

why the hell have the MS media not been all over this

I suspect because they know and are in on it.

@noblegiraffe

Tory Recovery Group

You’ll find it’s basically the ERG. Brexit lot. They found a new cause.

Really sorry. I read "Tory recovery group" and instantly thought is might be some sort of 12 steps help thing for recovering Tories

Will go back and read the last 2 pages now

Ooh I'd 12 step them. I'd be a fascist of a sponsor

@noblegiraffe

why the hell have the MS media not been all over this

I suspect because they know and are in on it.

It does feel like that but seems so incredible to believe.. that every journalist working for every single mainstream paper has agreed with whoever U4T (and their close friend in the Tory party are) and said schools must stay open -no matter what-it just seems so odd.

Is it Gove and journo wife of Gove?!

Also Johnson was a journalist, and still is at heart.

Doesn't take every journalist though, just every editor as directed by the owners? I presume there's lots of pay off in playing the game too such as getting 'leaks' and keeping relations friendly with inside contacts and not biting hands who feed you scoops. I may be very cynical but isn't this why it rings alarm bells when one media group takes over lots of the market?

There's not very broad representation amongst media moguls either is there?

@TheHoneyBadger

Doesn't take every journalist though, just every editor as directed by the owners? I presume there's lots of pay off in playing the game too such as getting 'leaks' and keeping relations friendly with inside contacts and not biting hands who feed you scoops. I may be very cynical but isn't this why it rings alarm bells when one media group takes over lots of the market?

There's not very broad representation amongst media moguls either is there?

Right, no I guess not-I was thinking there must be some renegade young journos with a scoop like this who would run with it, but if their editor is telling them to stfu, that would explain why we haven’t heard a peep. I just don’t get why all the editors care that much.

So, anyway, reading to the end, it sounds like Molly (Michelle) Kingsley is an ex-corporate lawyer. Presume she likes to work from home and her kids are a fucking nightmare so she wants them kept away in school. Wonder if she’s trying to claim a KW space for them? And the other one, Chloe (Barker, Baker?) has a failed fitness app business and just wants lockdown to stop ASAP.

failed fitness app business

I hear that Joe Wicks is doing well out of his. That must really grate.

She should have spent time giving free PE lessons to kids instead of bitching at teachers on here.

I think this lockdown's eyebrows will be worse than the last one. The situation is not good.

I was on rota with one of our NQT's today and was quite shocked about how loudly and frequently she proclaimed how great she was She then went on to complain at length about how she was bullied in her last school. Dear God the end of day could not come fast enough.