The Forty Sixth Republic - online learning has killed the 'snow day'

[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

Good luck Piggy!

I am not even remotely tempted by a leadership role, even a middle leadership role. I had quite enough of management type responsibility in my previous existence and I hated it. I admire those who can manage others well.

World Book Day?? Seriously?

What about Miss Trunchbull?

@CallmeAngelina That's pretty much my normal look; people might not realise I was in costume!

That's pretty much my normal look

Say you’ve been stuck in it since the very first WBD and so don’t see the need to dress up.

I'm 0.8 so not much off full time and thinking for my pension I need to go back to full time. Not that I want to.

I veer between wanted to progress up from being "just a teacher" (my kids came along just as I was looking for HoD role) as I feel I've nowhere near met my potential, to thinking it's just not worth it. My department situation makes it harder still.

Rocks and hard places indeed.

Bought more double deckers from the onestop too.

@borntobequiet You're a genius!

Welcome @sherrystrull! It's far nicer here than it is on the main boards for teachers.

Thank you @ChloeDecker and @EnemyOfEducationNo1. My dc have worked so hard and generally just been brilliant, so I was really disappointed with the feedback from their teachers this week. They've just had enough and need a break, tbh. Counting down the lessons till half term now.

@HarrietDVane (I think for WBD?), my ds went as No Face from Spirited Away (he has the cartoon book so I think that counts? He wore my graduation gown, made a mask from cardboard and nice toasty clothes underneath it .

@HarrietDVane you could always find a green duvet cover, wrap yourself in it (held on by belts), bit of face paint - the very hungry Caterpillar

@JanFebAnyMonth no, in Edinburgh, he must recycle his comments (bit like my lessons!)

@Appuskidu I'm also part time and nearly 50. Been teaching 24 years and the plan was to quit at 50 for numerous reasons . But I'm a single parent so that won't be happening during a pandemic.

@GuyFawkesDay

I'm 0.8 so not much off full time and thinking for my pension I need to go back to full time. Not that I want to.

I veer between wanted to progress up from being "just a teacher" (my kids came along just as I was looking for HoD role) as I feel I've nowhere near met my potential, to thinking it's just not worth it. My department situation makes it harder still.

Rocks and hard places indeed.

Bought more double deckers from the onestop too.

I'm thinking of going full time and stepping back from management. I honestly don't think I could do both and survive with my sanity and I've pretty much decided management isn't for me.

In the last few years I've done quite a lot of soul searching and realised that I feel I've fulfilled my potential in being the best class teacher I can be. Management takes me further from the classroom and that's not what I want.

It's definitely worth thinking carefully about what aspects of the job you really enjoy and focus on them.

Just to confirm borntobequiet that I was being tongue in cheek as I know the subject certainly has a rep!

Part of my challenge this past decade has been to inspire curiosity and a little bit of love in tech and how it works! I’m getting there and my uptake of girls and BAME pupils is getting better too but still working in that area.

MrsH I have had two pupils go off to the big circular beast in the past 4 years (being interviewed as part of their security background checks has been pretty exciting!)

Chloe it's exciting isn't it?! She's actually gone to one of the big accountancy firms instead, which I was a bit gutted about!!

I'm thinking of going full time and stepping back from management. I honestly don't think I could do both and survive with my sanity and I've pretty much decided management isn't for me.

I’ve been there and I completely understand. I have stepped down from management roles back to just being a classroom teacher and in non pandemic times, it was the best decision I ever made (I now have far too big a timetable for live lessons, ha ha!)
To be honest, the reduction in pay is really negligible which only shows how poorly paid TLRs are in actual relation to the work and time demanded of you.

I’m another part-time UPS and with a TLR who feels completely stuck. I don’t want to go full-time because I feel like I’m too busy with my own kids to do the job properly full time and give them the time they need.

@ChloeDecker Thank you for your honest experience. I agree about the negligible amount of money from a TLR. The hassle from it is ridiculous as well.

@Medra I agree. I sometimes feel though that I work full time hours anyway, I might as well be paid for them. It's such a balancing act isn't it!

@HarrietDVane

Oh FFS.

Just been informed that despite everything currently going on we are expected to join in the complete fuckery that is dressing up for world book day.

Any ideas for warm costumes for a very large late 40s teacher and her similar age but much more svelte TA? I don't mind buying stuff if it makes my life easier and can be recycled another year.

I normally wear a generic medieval lady outfit and claim to be Maid Marian/Juliet/fairy tale princess du jour. But that is in normal years when I don't have all the windows open and a force 9 gale blowing through the classroom.

Big black robe. Can be snape, a witch, a nun or priest, different every year!

How about a grey fleecy jumper and a mask. Be the big bad wolf!

Totally empathise Appu

Top of mps and very part time. Any tlr that comes up is given to young cheap pe teachers who won't question the fact there's no non contact time allocated to do the role.

Have wanted to go up by 0.2fte for a couple of years now but opportunity hasn't arisen. Feel a bit taken advantage of because I'm experienced and end up doing more than full time nqts in some ways and picking up their slack but not actually being paid or recognised for it.

Reality is though my very part time salary is still fairly decent compared to how many hours I'd have to work in a different role to earn the same money and no one ever seems to advertise part time posts and I'm not ready for full time teaching. I do feel very stuck sometimes. Top of mps and very part time yet supporting students and rewriting crap sow and lessons.

I've had a good moan there for all it achieves.

Best thread ever for light relief
twitter.com/weetabix/status/1359074254789165059?s=19

I also stepped down from a middle management position

I’ve always been a bog standard chalk face teacher, no TLRs. Been 0.7 for years, can’t imagine ever going back full time and no chance of promotion as they don’t give them to part timers in my school.

As my kids were getting a bit older I was starting to get bored, but then covid came along, lots of exciting tech skills to learn and of course a stealth campaign to close schools to mastermind.

Love the Weetabix thread, can’t believe some of the accounts they’ve got replies from!

Love this Enemy!

MrsH this response made me smile based on our discussion