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The staffroom

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

Original poster

The Forty-fifth Republic - Is there anyone there? Surely time for half term

999 replies

Staffdontblowitnow · 02/02/2021 12:46

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

OP posts:
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17
RigaBalsam · 03/02/2021 10:54

Introvert! Duh

WhenSheWasBad · 03/02/2021 10:54

The head has just emailed those of us in the maths department to tell us how much he values what we're doing but he's worried about our mental health

Wow that’s really good. Ours keeps telling us how impressed the parents are with online learning. They bloomin well should be impressed we are working our arses off.

FlagsFiend · 03/02/2021 10:55

I could quit, my husband earns far more than I do and we could live happily on his salary - my live in a cheap area and are both quite frugal/boring. But I've tried being a housewife and I get bored and don't do all the things I intend to do, so feel miserable and unproductive.

Stepawayfromtheminirolls · 03/02/2021 11:09

We need me to work, but even if we didn't I think I'd still do it. I'm the same as FlagsFiend - I took a short maternity leave and it still felt a tad too long! I don't think I could do full time at the moment though, four days in school and one with toddler seems to be a good balance for me. Three and two would be even better, but we can't afford that!
There is no other job I would rather do. As thecatfromjapan says, I'm addicted!

RuleWithAWoodenFoot · 03/02/2021 11:16

I think it's partly that any other job would go so slowly.

Yes, that. This is complete outing...

I did 3 ski seasons and summer seasons after uni, then I was on the civil service fast stream grad thingy. I now know that it's something mad like 1 out of 700 applicants who gets on to it, but I just did the selection process like a treadmill. Hated working in an office. I worked in John Prescott's office just after labour got in in 1997, so it should/could have been quite exciting, but jesus it was so boring. I used to stare out of the window most of the time. I left after 9 months and went to work in a tiny start up company for less money. Still bored though, and left that after a year to go travelling.

Then followed patchwork time of 'pretty important technical job' and 'bumming around in ski resorts or hiking up mountains in various parts of the world', until eventually I had a work related breakdown. By that point I was on the board of a big European company, working insane hours, living in hotels and in and out of European countries all the time. Had no life, was early 30s and was fat and lonely. Hence breakdown.

Phoned a friend who was a head teacher to go and do some volunteering while I was signed off with stress. She said 'About time...' Started doing that 2 weeks before the Easter holidays, started GTP there in the September, and ta daaaa...

I find teaching much better for the low boredom threshold thing. I like the emotional side of things - as in, most primary schools are pretty good on supportive stuff - and like the social stuff of being with kids and building relationships with parents.

I want to get out of it really, but have no idea how/where, so won't. Also, months of being sat at a desk have been awful. I hate it.

I'm seriously considering asking to go part time next year, but would only go down to 4 days. All depends on how we manage to pay for our house extension really.

Goldensyrupissticky · 03/02/2021 11:29

Am going slowly mad, am in school part of the week with KW, vulnerable and whoever else comes in, plus live lesson/cover at home. So isolated at school, barely see another adult for a conversation, have to have breaks in a small room on my own. It is really miserable and exhausting. The numbers joining are creeping up but we have already closed 2.5 bubbles this week.
But despite that, going into school at least gives me the chance to see familiar people from afar!
The thought of carrying on in March and beyond is just awful. It’s crazy, a class of 10 should be a dream, but is the isolation, the personality clashes and the fact there is no variety in people, no Head popping in, no visitors that really is the issue.

Beachhuts90 · 03/02/2021 12:18

I've been on hold to HMRC for 30 minutes and counting. Got a letter today saying they think I will owe £200 in tax next tax year so have reduced my personal allowance for 2021-22. I don't see how it's possible to owe anything seeing how I make £12k at the moment and they are taxing me anywhere between £85 and £200 every month, seemingly at random. In fact I would argue they owe ME quite a lot of money, and should perhaps pick on someone who makes more money. On the verge of tears. Has anyone else had issues like this? School not really able to answer any questions.

thecatfromjapan · 03/02/2021 12:44

@Beachhuts90

I've been on hold to HMRC for 30 minutes and counting. Got a letter today saying they think I will owe £200 in tax next tax year so have reduced my personal allowance for 2021-22. I don't see how it's possible to owe anything seeing how I make £12k at the moment and they are taxing me anywhere between £85 and £200 every month, seemingly at random. In fact I would argue they owe ME quite a lot of money, and should perhaps pick on someone who makes more money. On the verge of tears. Has anyone else had issues like this? School not really able to answer any questions.
Yes.

In my limited experience, it was sorted out quickly once I managed to actually get through to someone on the phone.

Really stressful, though.

Beachhuts90 · 03/02/2021 12:48

Result--just about the exact time your message came through here haha. They're very helpful once you get through! Lord I am glad I don't work a job where you have to know the tax codes though. Even reading the explanation on the letter they sent me was like reading hieroglyphs.

noblegiraffe · 03/02/2021 12:55

Glad you had success, Beach, I was on hold to HMRC for about an hour before Christmas and finally got through to someone who sounded like they’d just woken up or maybe was really hungover. Painful.

Beachhuts90 · 03/02/2021 13:44

@noblegiraffe

Glad you had success, Beach, I was on hold to HMRC for about an hour before Christmas and finally got through to someone who sounded like they’d just woken up or maybe was really hungover. Painful.
Oh no!! I hope they got your issue sorted. The lady who answered my call was delightful although it was funny as she was somewhere echoey, maybe working from a kitchen.

Kind of related, our whole school got an email from our headteacher saying to make sure our videos are free from distractions and interruptions. Now I am paranoid that the story I recorded and put on Tapestry this morning breached a rule because my husband coughed once in the other room in it. I suspect not, but might have to banish him before I do another one.

noblegiraffe · 03/02/2021 13:54

No, Beach I decided I’d rather lose the money than go through it all again! I hate phoning people so it was a massive effort to do it in the first place.

The guy really was terrible. Asked me if I’d googled what should happen. Like, isn’t that his job to know?

Piggywaspushed · 03/02/2021 13:59

I was very tempted to channel Carrie and write 'suck it up buttercup' as response to a 'poor me, poor me' email from a sixth former just now!!

Cracklefraggle · 03/02/2021 14:35

Sooo many problems with teams crashing today Angry. When it was working it was laggy and, well just crap. My internet signal is fine though Confused

Mistressiggi · 03/02/2021 14:36

Before I go down an internet warren, does anyone know if there's a way to set a cloze passage in one of the Microsoft teams apps?

I would not redo a recording because of a cough, swearing perhaps!

DrMadelineMaxwell · 03/02/2021 14:43

Our school is very near the vaccination hub and the ht has asked us all to give our details to them in case any no shows mean vaccines would be wasted. We may get a call to go and get one to avoid it going to waste.
Sonata least our authority are starting to try and find ways to vaccinate a few of us as and when they can.

noblegiraffe · 03/02/2021 14:48

Can you not edit the video to remove any noise? I've had to trim loom videos before to remove a very loud toilet flush.

noblegiraffe · 03/02/2021 14:48

I don't do my recordings while in the bathroom by the way!

GravityFalls · 03/02/2021 14:52

God, who gives a shit if someone coughs on a video?

Mistressiggi · 03/02/2021 15:11

..:however, if someone shits on a video..

noblegiraffe · 03/02/2021 15:21

Seems they do things differently in Scotland Shock

Piggywaspushed · 03/02/2021 15:29

Any noble or awesome mathematicians about to answer this Q from another thread?

Just wanted to ask my DS is doing A levels maths, further maths, physics and computer science. He is thinking of dropping computer science at end of year 12. He wants to do a maths degree. I just wanted to ask whether further maths was classed as a full A level.

ItsIgginningtolooklikelockdown · 03/02/2021 15:33

@noblegiraffe

Seems they do things differently in Scotland Shock
Haha. We wouldn't say shit anyway, it's always shite (As in "miss! I cannae wait till breaktime, I need a shite!!")
TheHoneyBadger · 03/02/2021 15:34

That was all fascinating Rule - glad I'm not the only one with a rather disparate cv checkered by restlessness and burn outs/break downs. Scuba diving rather than skiing here though and it sounds like you were a lot more high flying than I ever was. I resisted recruitment by advertising agencies in my final year at Uni and do sometimes wonder what earning that much money would have been like.

I really don't know what one moves to after teaching - I've left and come back and 'think' my next chapter after ds is independent will be a stint in international schools to try and procure some kind of retirement fund and ability to buy something here in the UK.

I sometimes dream of opening my own school and writing the curriculum.

TheHoneyBadger · 03/02/2021 15:38

Noble - you can here the dog gnawing at himself in the background of many of my videos.

Next week is the last week of term. I wish I could think of something to make me feel excited about half term but what?? It's all so meh.

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