The Forty Seventh Republic! Happy Valentines and get some half term rest

[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

@GuyFawkesDay

Question for you: if your HoD sent an email about what we are teaching after half term which is wrong, and is asking what/how we are teaching KS3, what would you think?

I like everyone else has said would wonder why your HoD doesn't know what you're teaching!

Yes to lack of training. I also think there is a culture of promotion of anyone who says yes despite whether they have the skills for the job.

All the male HODs I have worked for have been very disorganised, child free and able to wing things on the hoof. It is very telling people come to me if they want any information and not HOD. Hearing HODs try an sell themselves for other jobs is interesting.... The way they perceive themselves is v different to anyone working with them!

Thank you to whoever shared the Positive Behaviour zoom lecture in a past republic, I attended tonight and thought it was fantastic.

Interestingly I have worked for 5 HoDs. 3 male, 2 female.

The young, childfree RQT was great. I'm taking the credit as I argued for him to be employed at interview. The two women both great. One was a workaholic and possibly expected too much but definitely made me a better teacher.

Other two were blokes on their 50s, who clearly just didn't really want to be there. Farmed out all the work to the underlings. One was a delight to work for though, and freely admitted we were better with tech but he was a lovely mentor and coach.

Interestingly my doctor mate reckons effective strategy would be vaccinate down to 50, then do older teens and teachers, due to the amount of transmission in schools

But there’s no transmission in schools. The numbers simply reflect the cases in the community

Yup. I mean kids spread norovirus, rhinovirus, flu, colds, nits and worms bit not Covid. Covid is special

It's the magic tape

I was there too beachhuts, it was great. Thanks for the recommendation Noble

Blimey-is this true?! Worldbeating, huh?!

I don't think anyone else is delaying the second jab, so yeah.

It's an interesting graph with a v misleading y axis.

It relies on 2 doses having been given. I think we're going for loads getting one dose and then kicking in with 2. Whether our strategy is right only time will tell. The graph is misleading from that pov.

Yeah, that bit where it flattens out in the UK is where we stopped giving 2nd doses and switched from 3 weeks to 12 weeks for dose 2.

I think the graph for 'at least 1 dose' rather than fully vaccinated would look very different.

So my DSis (police) and Cousin (teacher) in the US now both been vaccinated.

That said, not my 81 year old DM.

I would be totally unsurprised and would email back straightforwardly: I have planned x, y and z as my year 11/13 haven't finished the course. I expect to start revision on x date. But I'd leave it till Saturday. If reality is undermining for them that's not your problem.

We were told by slt to put an out of office response on our emails and if we must email anyone to leave it till the end of the week as people need a proper break.

Have to say the new recruits to slt seem decent and to actually have people skills and that fits with the new heads. There is one particular tosser who really needs to piss off somewhere else and get a reality check on his competence and how he thinks he can treat staff. I don't think he will sadly and so timetabling will remain shit forever and I will see how long I can hold my anal glands tongue

Hahahaha!

We are really lucky, SLT are lovely. All of them. And pretty good too. Newish team but I trust them. Head is fabulous.

It's one reason I want to stay.

Mathmo people, give yr views on this please, just been posted on Data thread - estimated impact of school reopening on R (prim/sec/both):

cmmid.github.io/topics/covid19/comix-schools.html

I saw that earlier Jan. I'm not a maths expert, but I did think it was a shame they didn't split out KS1 - they are struggling more with remote learning than upper KS2 for sure. Obviously I would hope that all of my colleagues have more safety measures put in place - such as monitoring ventilation.

Are they vaccinating by potential for contact, piggy?

Well the one on the right is an interesting graph that shows we're screwed re-opening schools if R>0.7

And the one on the left is nice little pastel-coloured piles of sand of weirdly varying heights.

They have long lists of occupations saucery. DM hasn't been done because she cannot get to a mass vaccination centre and local places seem to be always not available/ unbookable. NYC really needs to sort out provision for less mobile, otherwise they will miss older people and people form deprived communities. Most New Yorkers do not own cars.

the one on the left is nice little pastel-coloured piles of sand of weirdly varying heights

In-depth analysis from Dr Noble there

@chocolateisavegetable

the one on the left is nice little pastel-coloured piles of sand of weirdly varying heights

In-depth analysis from Dr Noble there

Because she teaches maths innit

Most New Yorkers do not own cars.
Bloody hell, even I know that and my knowledge of NY is limited to pretty much to Ghostbusters and The Fisher King.
I hope she gets her vaccination soon.
It’s similar, although much bigger scale, to the Mega Vacc centres being set up here. If you don’t commute/can’t travel to them then sit tight and wait for your GP to get in touch