The Forty Fourth Republic - primaries sort of in, secondaries out, Gormless Gav says two weeks notice

[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

I don’t know of anyone in my school who would do summer school-paid or unpaid. The TAs are mostly older and want to see their grandchildren. The teachers are exhausted.

They’d have to change the whole teachers P+C, wouldn’t they?

I can imagine some doing summer school but I can't imagine the government paying teacher rates. I just worked out my daily rate (just counting school days not holidays or weekends) is £187. In reality a bit less because I presume part of our pay includes statutory holiday pay. I'll calculate that as 4 weeks...

That brings it down to just under £170. Haven't factored bank holidays but they generally swing it so we never get one in term time.

Im at top of mps so nqts are cheaper obviously but I'm pretty sure they'll prefer cheaper options.

There’s an interesting bit in this Inside Health episode (broadcast yesterday) on exercise.
They talk about school sport/exercise, and though boys’ team sports have suffered, interestingly it appears that girls do better over lockdowns, doing exercise they enjoy at times that suit them. I can’t say I’m terribly surprised. It’s in the second half of the programme, I think.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000rlpj

@TheHoneyBadger

I can imagine some doing summer school but I can't imagine the government paying teacher rates. I just worked out my daily rate (just counting school days not holidays or weekends) is £187. In reality a bit less because I presume part of our pay includes statutory holiday pay. I'll calculate that as 4 weeks...

That brings it down to just under £170. Haven't factored bank holidays but they generally swing it so we never get one in term time.

Im at top of mps so nqts are cheaper obviously but I'm pretty sure they'll prefer cheaper options.

Good point-I’m UPS3 so I very much doubt they’d want me anyway!

Can I come and sit in the corner for a wee while ? I have only popped in every now and then but today I feel the need to come and say hi.

I work in pastoral care and the amount of emotional support some students (and staff) need at the moment is huge.

Thankfully I work in one of the 'good' schools with supportive SLT but it is still overwhelming at times.

For those of you who work in schools without that I send you all the gin.

I’m getting annoyed by people who seem to think the death rate is the only problem. They’re not collecting any data on how a positive test is affecting people post-isolation. We’re on week 5 since H’s positive result and he is still not back at work in his usual capacity. So that’s one frontline worker down. They have several others isolating too. I’m managing to hold on as I’m at home and 0.6. I wouldn’t be coping in school. I’ve just had 2 days working plus a day off that was slightly less busy than a usual day off would be (no run, more sitting on my arse than usual, no school runs to do or activities to take the kids to) and I feel awful today. Sore throat, coughing and really tired. It’s crap.
Both H and I are early 40s, no underlying issues, both physically fit and doing regular exercise.
Sorry if I sound whiney, but it feels like the general view of the public is ‘so what? You’re not dead.’

Sorry to hear that Medra - and exactly

Yr 7 lesson on distance time graphs has just descended into chaotic fascination that a pencil sat on a table is stationary stationary. My head is cabbaged and I have A level next

Absolutely. Sorry to hear you are both still unwell, Medra.

I have two friends with proper, disabling Long Covid from last March. But apparently it doesn't count because "post viral syndrome has already been a thing."

@Cracklefraggle

Yr 7 lesson on distance time graphs has just descended into chaotic fascination that a pencil sat on a table is stationary stationary. My head is cabbaged and I have A level next

I love this so using this with my GSCE class. It will go nicely with my old favourite' what is the unit of power?'

Riga

I know this is not an exact science but looking at my fit bit heart rate on average school day in November vs a day on Teams in January. It's actually quite a stark contrast.🥶

That's great @Cracklefraggle and @RigaBalsam , but can I point out that you can also include some valuable literacy /spelling in your no-doubt fab lessons?

• The thing that is still is stationAry.

• The pencil is an item of stationEry. (E for envelope is how I remember it)

As you were....

Thanks Jan the literary coordinator will love that.

I use Envelope too! Bang on endlessly to my sixth form mechanics students about it, I think they wonder why I care.

Riga

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55825991 social workers fear a tsunami of needs after lockdown.

Just thinking, they, as many sensible people, want a roadmap for how lockdown is going to release and schools reopen.

That's exactly what Boris didn't give yesterday. MSM concentrates on the date, which is exactly what he was warned by scientists not to give.

Everyone, from leaders of industry to those MNers trying to encourage a mother at breaking point with home educating her Y2 plus working, and caring for a toddler, is focussing in the "only 5 more weeks". Ignoring the fact it might not be that quick, if the key metrics don't, for whatever reasons, line up.

@JanuaryChill

That's great *@Cracklefraggle and @RigaBalsam* , but can I point out that you can also include some valuable literacy /spelling in your no-doubt fab lessons?

• The thing that is still is stationAry.

• The pencil is an item of stationEry. (E for envelope is how I remember it)

As you were....

I remember it as cArs are stationAry, but pEns are stationEry

Does anyone else on here live with another teacher?

I am finding being DH's TA rather draining. It definitely adds to the stress. Plus we have really rushed conversations about what the education news is of the day and stress each other out.

DH' I just read this in The Times'
Piggy 'harumph, Right wing MSM but yes I saw that yesterday and told you about it then dear'
DHPIggy : 'let me just mansplain it to you for a while though'
Piggy : 'I think the truth might actually be this'
DH Puggy ' what would you know?'
Piggy ' well, Schoolsweek and MN says'
DH Piggy ' you spend too much time on MN, Can we just speak about what I think.'
Pause
DH Piggy ' I just want a vaccine really. Not especially bothered about anyone else. Boris is a wanker.Now could you just fix my phone for me and show me how to work teams?' Stabs laptop screen in blind panic.
DS2 Piggy -sighs and closes his door while trying to do his assessment
Piggy - 'I am trying to stuff food down my face in my 8 minute lunch hour'
DHPiggy' where is DS??. DS, I demand IT assistance'

I do Piggy. Mine is the one assisting though as he is better than all of us at IT. He does send me stories I have already sent him though and comments said on Mumsnet three days earlier or a lot early incase of the lateral flow testing.

I am jealous he can work from home mainly too and I can't.

@Piggywaspushed 😂 yup

Thanks for once again making me feel grateful to be single

@Cracklefraggle

Yr 7 lesson on distance time graphs has just descended into chaotic fascination that a pencil sat on a table is stationary stationary. My head is cabbaged and I have A level next

Oh god, graphs with year 7. So hard.

Piggy - loved that!
I've had to rapidly replan a lot of my lessons to be oak Academy today as my 4 year old is being very disruptive, and apparently daddy is NOT acceptable

God it must be frustrating living with a teacher who is not on MN. They must be so behind the times all the time!

@JanuaryChill

Riga

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55825991 social workers fear a tsunami of needs after lockdown.

Just thinking, they, as many sensible people, want a roadmap for how lockdown is going to release and schools reopen.

That's exactly what Boris didn't give yesterday. MSM concentrates on the date, which is exactly what he was warned by scientists not to give.

Everyone, from leaders of industry to those MNers trying to encourage a mother at breaking point with home educating her Y2 plus working, and caring for a toddler, is focussing in the "only 5 more weeks". Ignoring the fact it might not be that quick, if the key metrics don't, for whatever reasons, line up.

I might be being arsey, but when I read that I thought - so social workers are avoiding contact with 18-26 families, while teachers are expected to have much more contact and without masks - and social workers are hoping schools go back as soon as possible so some physical contact is made? Wtf?! Maybe they need to be actually doing some house calls - with appropriate PPE obvs.