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.

Students so rarely have to draw themselves a scaled axis in maths that we pre print. From memory one exam question EVER has needed it.

Do students have to draw their own in Science/Geography exams?

Deciding an appropriate scale for a graph comes in at y4.

That’s completely surprised me about the scaled axes.

Do students have to draw their own in Science/Geography exams?

Yep annoyingly!

It doesn’t matter how many lessons my DH devotes to it, in any key stage, kids still muck it up

The amount of times he starts swearing about it, when marking in the evenings and I go, “Graphs again!?” always makes me chuckle but I do sympathise!

It seems to be a surprisingly good illustration of how screwed up the English education system can be.

unherd.com/2021/02/why-we-should-abolish-schools/

@MrsHamlet

just be prepped for a WWYD Q at interview! I had to physically restrain myself in an interview once when the response to the "what would you do if a child told you that your hod had touched them inappropriately" was "I'd tell them not to lie and warn the hod".

I would record exactly what was said, and report to DSL. Unless that was the HOD then I'd report it to the chair of governors.

What should I do in that situation? Any other questions likely to come up?

First I need to get my planning finished. Then wait for the job advert. Then apply , THEN see if I get an interview!

Neither of mine can use rulers or compasses or do area. Could never get SEN interested in this as they are above averagely bright. Didnt half get on my nerves when maths teachers or geography moaned about their presentation as if it was just sloppiness.

Lots of graph drawing in economics A Level noble.

Any other questions likely to come up?

A kid asks if they can tell you something in confidence. What do you reply?

I can report from adult education that graphs stump many people. The most surprising thing for me is how poor some people are at interpreting them, even simple things like “the shop’s sales were highest in May (or whatever)”. The perception is that graphs are drawn to complicate rather than to clarify matters.

It's Friday afternoon and it's raining. I cone to your lesson. What do I see?

Neither of mine can use rulers or compasses or do area.

Area is an issue for lots of people. I’ve come to the conclusion that when they say “I can’t see it”, they’re speaking literally rather than metaphorically.

@noblegiraffe

Any other questions likely to come up?

A kid asks if they can tell you something in confidence. What do you reply?

That I'm pleased that they've trusted me enough to talk to but sorry I can't keep a secret for them ( if that's what they mean). I can do everything I can to help keep them safe but it may involve telling other grown ups in school.???

Ooh MrsH that is a good question.

Name That's a good answer.

I'm on a curriculum chat as part of an interview panel next week. Anyone got any good questions I could ask? Maths job.

@MrsHamlet

It's Friday afternoon and it's raining. I cone to your lesson. What do I see?

Steamed up windows, a horrible smell of wet dog and kids fighting over who gets to dry their shoes on the radiator.

Me saying ‘come on, just another half hour and we can all go home. Let’s just get through this’

Everyone packed up and standing behind their chairs with five minutes to go.

The job is yours noble
That was a standard question at ours for years.
What's your least favourite thing to teach and why?

Herc NQT role or something more?

A kid says to you ‘when am I ever going to use this in real life?’, what do you respond?

When I last interviewed (which was for my current job) saying that I would check school policy first before making sure that I complied, for the ‘what would you do’ questions.
Seemed to do the trick!

A kid says to you ‘when am I ever going to use this in real life?’, what do you respond?

Never. Next question.

[quote TheHoneyBadger]unherd.com/2021/02/why-we-should-abolish-schools/[/quote]
That’s a bit of a grumpy author there! It’s like that author doesn’t realise that a teenager’s response to a lot of questions is “I’m bored!”

I also don’t understand sometimes, why being bored is so terrible? Boredom can push creativity and problem solving, with just a little bit of effort.

A kid says to you ‘when am I ever going to use this in real life?’, what do you respond?

Are we not experiencing real life right now?! Are we in the Matrix

Maybe they will grow up to be the ones who think teachers don’t live in the real world like office workers do but that parallel universe that exists just to instil boredom

What a twatty article. Let’s abolish schools and send kids down the mines!

“Children are technology-literate in ways that their parents and teachers don’t really grasp at all.”

Hahahahahaha remote learning shows that is a lie.

NQT role noble but possibly some RQT candidates. Haven't actually been told...

A kid says to you ‘when am I ever going to use this in real life?’, what do you respond?

In your exam. If you want a real answer come back at lunch.

they’re speaking literally rather than metaphorically

In the case of my DSs this is definitely true. I literally think shapes swim about in front of their eyes.