THE FIFIETH REPUBLIC!

[StaffRepFeistyClub]

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.

Do not give the staffroom password to others 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.

Kagan, the bloody snowball one was chaos at a training session I went to, balls of paper thrown everywhere.

I'm pretty sure the hats were a thing when I was in school as a child, think we used them a lot in English. Was also the generation of literacy and numeracy hours. I did brain gym (although was rubbish at it) but not sure when or if I was training by then.

[quote RuleWithAWoodenFoot]Have you already talked about the thing that if staff are doing testing, they can get a vaccine? Sorry if so.

twitter.com/jopheadinheels/status/1365587513100955649?s=19[/quote]
I did wonder this yesterday! it looks like a couple of responses on that tweet say they were turned away predictably.
It’s doing more ‘frontline’ health work that back office/wfh NHS staff and social workers!

I know the conversation has moved on but my local college is doing online cpd which is free. Takes about 8 weeks, is supposed to be about 15-20 hours. They do things like mental health, autism, learning difficulties etc. A bit formulaic but all online so you can swear about it in the privacy of your own home. Found them interesting and they're flexible if you need an extension. Free as long as you're not a student elsewhere.

@phlebasconsidered

I did bloody Kagan shite- we even had the stupid buzzers in the middle of the tables. I hated most of it but I do still use the one where they walk about and share answers on their whiteboards.

We did too had to set up our tables in groups of 4 the kids thought they were in costa coffee.

I know it’s often seen as older teachers are resistant to ‘new’ methods and research and I was guilty of this when I was a young NQT but it really is because we keep seeing these new fads become debunked pretty quickly!

Brain Gym being one (was that really popular around 2007 if I recall!? Time flies!) or thinking hats or learning styles that you had to put in your lesson plan to get a 1/outstanding back then.

Whereas, the most success I have found is rote/repetition right from Year 7 as regularly as I can, mixed in with some creative opportunities here and there which starts to show results after a few years.
Even then, I find the ‘creative’ tasks can be hit and miss if done too early in my subject. Like teaching what a programming variable is with actual boxes which the kids love and is a ‘fun’ lesson. But then a few weeks later when asking “what is a variable?” You tend to get “was that when we did the boxes, Miss?” Provoking a head in hands moment!

I like pedagogy techniques that I can implement easily in every lesson regularly, than those ‘fads’ that require hours of prep that benefit just one particular lesson.

My school is somewhat of a timewarp. Training is part led by someone who believes learning styles are A Thing (in fact the uni does too) and lots of us still snowball.(including me, but only sixth form!).

When my old head used to tell me I was 'abrasive' or 'obstructive' (select any misogynist adjective of your choosing), De Bono came in useful because I could tell him I was Black Hat Thinker.

There was also The Big Picture which was fun.It actual was. But only in theory. Never in an actual classroom with a normal class. Lessons did used to be more fun, though. The knowledge curriculum has led to very dry teaching approaches and very repetitive and scripted lessons. One day they will discover this does not benefit 'theworking classes* as much as they think. Depending on what they want out of them, I guess...I think the current government has very dangerous ideas about the purpose of education.

Am also fed up of people spewing the term 'cultural capital' without understanding that the person who coined it was a Marxist!

We once got David Didau in for CPD. He was quite good but prior to the training nobody knew how to say his surname.

It became a standing joke people saying
'You know David? He did ow bathroom'

Guess only works if Northern. Still not sure how it pronounced he did clarify but was a while ago.

It's the last day of summer here in Melbourne and it's been a belter: 27 degrees, dog to the beach, throwing sticks. Utter bliss. It's been a very uneven summer (disastrous tomatoes and peppers) but the autumn is usually the most stable, so fingers crossed.

Nearly as good is the new regs which mean no masks compulsory in schools. Now I get to know what my Year 7s look like. And don't have to nag the rest.

I'm 1b on the snail-like vaccinations roll-out.

I like pedagogy techniques that I can implement easily in every lesson regularly, than those ‘fads’ that require hours of prep that benefit just one particular lesson

I agree Chloe - children enjoy learning when they feel successful and can see their progress. The minute you start trying to construct a sentence out of wine gums the medium becomes the focus, not the content.

Good news, echt 😊

Oh, he has a new book out.

He is not really a very nice man and has become increasingly arrogant. I think because some of his ideas were a bit old hat (excuse pun) so he has loudly updated them and sneers at 'old school' types on Twitter.

A lot of the current educationalists believe that if teachers aren't doing things their way they are just plain wrong. We didn't used to think like that in the profession : we just sued to think some teachers were more chalk and talk and some more informal . I think I blame Ofsted for this competitive pedagogy.

Yeah piggy - but if you let teachers teach in their own way then they’ll start thinking they are trusted professionals and they’ll want vaccines or something. It’s a slippery slope!!

I was once so incensed by Brain Gym bollocks that I asked if I could contribute next session (these were twilight sessions) and showed Colin Blakemore’s video saying what a load of tosh it was and evidence from other scientists too. That slipped off the radar soon afterwards.
Once before the turn of the century I was disputing something when the trainer came over and put his hand placatingly on my shoulder. He removed it when he realised that if he didn’t, he’d get a smack in the chops.

Morning everyone, had a lot to catch up on new thread and everything, you have been busy!

Interesting week and had a really positive observation but then the wibbles are back. Took the day off yesterday and went out for a walk in the sunshine, sat in the garden. Now feeling super guilty and really behind.
Have the weeks English to plan this morning. Well it's in my head but I'm worried it won't be good enough for the other class.

I have such low confidence in myself and no idea how to fix it. My personal statement is still a blank word document so that's bothering me as well.

Oh and Dm is in hospital, we're waiting for schools offer - dd will be disappointed as she wants an out of catchment popular school so worried about her and THE job advert is out this week. Aaaaaarrrrrggghh!

Sorry that was a long stream of worries.

I find that with a lot of the so called ‘education experts’ Piggy. Especially the loud/self promoting ones on Twitter. It’s usually their way or the highway!

God all these approaches and theories, yes I've been a skeptic throughout.

The best ideas Ime are the ones that are actually part of an intervention (most probably wouldn't recognise) eg Numicon, alphabet arc and a few other sp and Lang things, and are routinely used throughout school.

I do remember an older teacher dissing the literacy strategy and saying, "we never start a lesson with a

@SmileEachDay

Good news, echt 😊

Thank you, SmileEachDay.

We've had good luck and good (mostly) government that's seen us through this, and not for one moment do the vast majority of Victorians take for granted our gains, and what it means to lose them.

I feel for my UK colleagues who have done so much, for so little recognition. The Republic is a haven of sanity in the often nut job world of MN.

Love to all of you.

😷🐨

smile

Speaking of which, it is DH's Big Day today : being jabbed at 12.45.

About 2 years ago I heard one of the main researchers into mindfulness and depression at oxbridge giving caution into its use in schools as school isn't always the right environment for such a thing. And mindfulness for a child can be playing or exploring a sensory thing. Just as my school were going gung ho into mindfulness.

Now feeling super guilty and really behind.

Sadly very common in teaching and unless you experience the situation, it’s hard for other people to ‘get’ hence the teacher bashing we get.

It’s all definitely a juggling act and hopefully, you’ll get to feeling what you can juggle along with having a decent ‘home’ life!

It was a lovely day yesterday wasn’t it?! I too ‘took the say off’ (although have shed loads to do today) and went for a sunny walk with the family.

Unfortunately, little Decker fell off a log she was climbing on and now looks like she has done three rounds with Bruno. She’s meeting her new childminder on Monday for her wraparound care starting 8th March. Typical!

Took the day off yesterday and went out for a walk in the sunshine, sat in the garden. Now feeling super guilty

No no no. You have to have at least one day a week where you don’t think about school. Otherwise you won’t be the best teacher you can be. I never, ever work from Friday eve through to some point on Sunday.

Why do you think the English won’t be good enough? Which bit is concerning you?

Re the personal statement- if it’s worrying you, I’d be tempted to just crack out a really generic one, the edit from there. “My ability to differentiate for all learners has flourished and I have developed a particular interest in how oracy impacts on access to the classroom” type stuff, then you can shape it. It’s harder working from a blank page - start with a list of things you enjoy/are interested in, then add things that have been positively commented on.

Fabulous news piggy!!!!!!

I know. He is almost excited but is now worried about side effects because his physio helpfully told him the whole office got side effects...

It would have made sense to jab teachers at half term wouldn't it? I fully expect cover when my call up comes. I am not faffing about waiting patiently for a school friendly time slot.

Great news @Piggywaspushed