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

It’s not cheeky, name! They don’t know your future plans or whether you would like to work there, unless you tell them. Which you have, so that’s Step 1

Yep, you'll need to watch they don't get too fat, because they are walking dustbins. But being overweight isn't inevitable. Even the best trained ones aren't bomb proof around food.

Supposed to be going to check out a breeder and a litter for my mum. God knows how I'm going to get it home to her now. She might need to wait for another litter.

Cloze in teams, bit clunky but if you want it self marking. Use forms. Have numbers for each missing word and then a separate question asking them to type each word in. Not sure I've explained that well but it's been a long day.

Also, staffies are better than labs.

Have already been cheeky and let Dep Head know that I'd like a job there

That’s great name and not remotely cheeky.

We want a puppy. And it would be a lab that we go for. Not quite sure when we'll manage to get one. I don't really know anything about getting a new puppy without getting caught out by a puppy farm. Dh wants to wait til the summer anyway really.

GSDs are better than both, IMHO, EvilEdna

I am noticing a trend for dachshunds. I had a wire haired miniature dachsie when I was young. They are very daft dogs, don't like walkies, are impossible to toilet train , get bad backs, snap at strangers but are adorable.

Apparently retired greyhounds are very easy dogs. Sleep all the time. Just don't let them off lead in a field with a potential rabbit in it.

My mum offered to come and stay so she could sort the Kids home schooling why I did my live teaching all day. I wanted to say yes but OH says no. Feeling in proper breakdown territory

Sounds like you need to overrule OH then hedge?? Poor you.

Interesting re private schools
Private schools are breaking up early for Easter www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4155611-Private-schools-are-breaking-up-early-for-Easter

Yes it’s working line. The parents are both KC registered, seen all the documents and health checks and 5 generational information. Dad is working gun dog and family dog I think army family.

We thought we’d have to wait for ages as loads of breeders stopped for now. However friend of friend and because of situation word of mouth advertising. We’ve been initially vetted and are on the list but will depend on how many puppies born. Due any time now... just seemed such a coincidence when the message came through! I’ve got everything crossed and haven’t told the kids!

@Mistressiggi with the cloze could you make a worksheet using teachermade and then adding it through teams? You could do it where they type the word or do matching?

Thanks for the tips MrsHP and EvilEdna. I will give it a shot tomorrow!
I wonder can I up my copying and pasting game, you can only save one thing to paste at a time, right? (Thinking feedback here). I suppose I could write several statements in a word doc and flip back and forth.
I've been reading a maths book tonight (not my area!) so my brian is well and truly fried.

Apparently (according to MN) Matt Hancock said somewhere that people in Bristol (where there's also a variant of concern apparently) should eat all food stocks before going out to shop, in their efforts to Stay At Home.

Don't suppose any LA in a surge testing area is making increased efforts to check children are only in school for totally legit reasons, are they? Genuine question.

Are you doing it through assignments on teams?

On class notebook you can record audio feedback really easily. Game changer.

You could do something similar on something like mote maybe and then paste the link into the feedback box? My DS (6) LOVES a voice note from his teacher!

But yes copying and pasting would be easy enough from a word doc!

*Sansa sounds like you'd have to get pretty assertive. Email senco cc'ing head explaining today and that you cannot do remote, in person AND manage this child's needs (emphasising impact on kids education) and ask them what they suggest?

I know cc'ing is seen as aggressive but it's also the only way of getting taken seriously sometimes.*

I raised it with the deputy head who manages our in school team in our debrief today, so I might email and cc him in tomorrow if I am feeling brave. He's more likely to get something done than the head who is pretty hands off.

To be honest, I feel this child has been let down since starting at our school in terms of lack of support and the SENCO has been very hands off.

I've also had issues with another member of my tutor group who needs SEN support which came to a head last week. I know it is probably the nature of the lack of funding that things have to reach crisis point before something is done.

I just feel exhausted at the moment, and I'm not sure I've got the energy to chase this on top of everything else I am trying to do!

We’re near one of those areas @JanuaryChill. There has been so much confusion. Some schools have not allowed teachers in until negative PCR but have allowed kids. Some have just allowed everyone in. Some have asked families from that postcode to stay at home for now so it’s all a bit of a mess tbh. Lots saying LFT ok to allow people in to school. No clear guidance you won’t be surprised to hear...

@JanuaryChill

Apparently (according to MN) Matt Hancock said somewhere that people in Bristol (where there's also a variant of concern apparently) should eat all food stocks before going out to shop, in their efforts to Stay At Home.

Don't suppose any LA in a surge testing area is making increased efforts to check children are only in school for totally legit reasons, are they? Genuine question.

We have increasing numbers of kids in because they were doing no work at home- which stretches the definition of vulnerable I think.

There were over 60 students in today, and that is not the full number we could have in because some are self isolating and some only attend on certain days. The total number of possible students we could have in is probably at least 100 and they are interacting with different staff throughout the week. The students are in bubbles, but distancing between bubbles is not being brilliantly enforced.

We are lateral flow testing them the first time they come in each week, which is obviously not perfect anyway, but also means a student could come in on Monday, test negative, catch covid on Tuesday, spread it around to 20 odd people over the course of the week- they pass it on to their families and so on.

I'm sure the situation is similar in lots of other secondary schools. It is ridiculous, and dangerous.

name Just joining in with the consensus that you should definitely tell them you are interested, and soon. Don't worry about interview nerves - that doesn't matter, you are at an advantage because they can already see what you are doing day in, day out. They would rather employ you than someone who might just be pulling their one good lesson out of a bag on interview day and talking the talk in the interview. Plus it sounds like you are doing a good job, you fit in and you would like to work there.

I had a terrible first teaching job - awful head, high staff turnover and the only highlight was that we genuinely kept a staff vodka bottle in the staffroom filing cabinet.

Anyway I digress. After a year I spotted an advert for a job at my final teaching practice school, and I got it, probably because they knew I was ok. I'd loved being there on teaching practice and also loved working there. Another teacher at the new school had been a student teacher there too. I think both the school and the teacher benefit.

We only have 15 kids in school, ever. I can't believe so many schools have so many kids in school!!

We're actively discouraging students coming in. Currently about 30 across all years at secondary.

I'm not sure if I completely agree with this. There are some students who absolutely should be in for their wellbeing and learning. We have students not engaging at all with online learning who would if they were in the building. They would also come into the building if 'allowed'.

I suppose I could write several statements in a word doc and flip back and forth.

Even better, you can write several statements in a word document and have it open alongside your marking so you’re just moving it across the screen instead of flipping between different applications.

Game changer: go to the bar across the top of word, click and hold. Drag to the left of the screen till your mouse hits the edge. At that point the word doc edge should spring to the middle of the screen and when you release the mouse, you have a half sized window.

Then you do the same to your marking, click the top bar and drag it to the right hand side of the screen. When your mouse hits the edge, it should also snap to the middle.

You now have two docs open alongside each other and can copy and paste between them with ease.

A lot of ours would struggle to come in even if we were allowing them to, as they rely on the school buses which aren't currently running. It's difficult to get to school if the bus isn't running and the one parent who drives is busy elsewhere. There are a few of our vulnerable kids who would engage if they were in but their parents don't want them to come (even though the kids want to be there)

I think the thing that bothers me is we have a number of Y10 and 11 students in who's parents are keyworkers. They could manage at home, but their parents want them in school because they think it is better (and it probably is for their child).

There are also truly vulnerable children not coming into school because their parents/carers are concerned about the risks.

We had 85 in today. Slt seem hell bent on forcing every kid who's not doing much to come in. The year 10 and 11 are just in for the social and we've already had to send some home for their behaviour, it's ridiculous.

Hi all. I'm dying on my arse here. My own remote teaching is going well but I just don't know what to do to convince my DC's primary school to bloody teach them. I'm sending them back out of desperation.

Surely if we can't provide decent blended learning, we can't argue for safer school opening.

Advice pleas, I'm at the end of my tether.