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The staffroom

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

Original poster

THE FIFIETH REPUBLIC!

999 replies

StaffRepFeistyClub · 25/02/2021 16:52

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
16
RuleWithAWoodenFoot · 28/02/2021 16:56

Our go-to is domino toppling videos. We've even watched them over Teams together.

HarrietDVane · 28/02/2021 16:59

[quote rainingcats]The duck videos have reminded me of the lemonade stand duck song! My year seven form used to go mad over this video and I still to this day have no idea why. I would play it for them as a reward for having no detentions!
m.youtube.com/watch?v=MtN1YnoL46Q[/quote]
I had a Y3 class a few years ago who loved this - they would beg and plead to watch it and it was a useful bribe reward. I might try it on my current gang actually!

noblegiraffe · 28/02/2021 17:06

I've got so many different answers to 'when am I ever going to use this in real life?' Depending on the class, the kid and my mood they might get a short 'it's in your exam' or 'ah, so you subscribe to a totally utilitarian view of education? Well I disagree and think that the job of schools is to create well-rounded citizens with an appreciation of scientific achievement and cultural heritage that goes beyond the mundane day-to-day etc etc'
Or 'well some of you will use this in real life and we don't know yet which of you that will be so it is the job of schools to make sure you have a thorough grounding in as many areas as possible so that when you come to make choices about which paths to follow you'll have as many options open to you as possible etc etc.'

I'm one of those teachers that can be derailed by the right class with the right question. One of my top set Y8 classes loved to poke me by claiming that science was a more useful subject than maths. Another one would know that saying mathematicians should just create an answer to dividing by zero would be a good five minutes.

MrsHamlet · 28/02/2021 17:09

I'm good for a derail with certain classes. I like knowing things. I have a couple of students who are in my fantasy pub quiz team ... if someone knows something interesting, they get added.

SmileEachDay · 28/02/2021 17:11

rainingcats

This is an outstanding video.

MrsHerculePoirot · 28/02/2021 17:12

@noblegiraffe we ask for proof of negative results as in if we sent students home, or if parents say they (the student) is isolating due to one of the three symptoms. If they don't, then they stay at home and we offer them the opportunity to remotely attend lessons where we can.

We had so many issues with kids pretending to have a cough to be sent home, thinking they could then rock up the next day and parents claiming symptoms as excuses.

I know lots of other schools do similar in our borough...

noblegiraffe · 28/02/2021 17:14

Don't forget Duck Song 2 and Duck Song 3!

My own kids love the Duck Songs.

RigaBalsam · 28/02/2021 17:15

Maybe we should just answer with for your cultural capital.

ChloeDecker · 28/02/2021 17:17

Don't get me started on KS2 / Y7 transition.... secondary school colleagues simultaneously asking WHY children come up with no knowledge of something that hasn't been in the primary curriculum since 2014 and then insisting on starting able Y7s on Y3 objectives....

Oh we know that’s not to do with the primary teachers but the curriculum and totally understand but it’s still annoying and definitely lays at the door of those meddling in education every 3-4 years and in fairness, there can be similar objectives at GCSE level than there are at Year 7 level. It just is what it is!

PhysicsCat · 28/02/2021 17:20

Going back to graphs - can anyone explain why maths defines a line of best fit and a curve of best fit as 2 different things .... then the science exam questions use line of best fit for both. (Guess what I’ve been marking today!)

JanFebAnyMonth · 28/02/2021 17:24

Oh yeah the Lemonade Song!

No I know they "can't" ask for results noble, but they (sensibly) politely request them!

MsAwesomeDragon · 28/02/2021 17:29

I'm good for a derail too. Sometimes all they have to ask is what I'm up to at the weekend 🤷. I am occasionally the disruptive influence on some of my classes Blush. Year 12 working quietly is a cue for me to start wandering the room asking them questions because I'm bored.

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 28/02/2021 17:33

@physicscat Up to GCSE in maths, they only examine linear correlation using a LOBF. Therefore every exam question is a straight LOBF. We never teach that it can be a curve, because they'd never see one in maths GCSE.

By top level GCSE Statistics and A Level stats non linear correlation is included.

I'm good for a derail about anything gender/sex related. Y10 will bait me!!

Saucery · 28/02/2021 17:35

My class decided which cake I made this weekend (lemon drizzle). One asked me what I was doing on Friday afternoon, I said baking, they wanted to know what..........turned into a vote after the proposer of a type of cake had to give me a persuasive argument as to why I should make it. Lemon Drizzle Girl was very passionate about her subject, although Fruit Cake Boy was also very convincing Grin

PhysicsCat · 28/02/2021 17:37

[quote HercwasanEnemyofEducation]@physicscat Up to GCSE in maths, they only examine linear correlation using a LOBF. Therefore every exam question is a straight LOBF. We never teach that it can be a curve, because they'd never see one in maths GCSE.

By top level GCSE Statistics and A Level stats non linear correlation is included.

I'm good for a derail about anything gender/sex related. Y10 will bait me!![/quote]
Sadly in physics they get curves frequently and just to add to the fun need to find instantaneous values by calculating gradients of tangents.

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 28/02/2021 17:39

Mad isn't it. I was Shock when I saw the level of Statistics required for GCSE geography.

When they do the gradient of a tangent in physics, is it from a point on the curve? Or draw a tangent and work out the gradient of the line? Sorry for my ignorance. This is really useful!

MrsHamlet · 28/02/2021 17:40

Year 12 working quietly is a cue for me to start wandering the room asking them questions because I'm bored.
Yep. Me too 🤣
Except now I'm trapped in my bloody box

piggywaspushed · 28/02/2021 18:01

I obviously wasn't the only parent who couldn't get their DC to a LFT appointment. DS's schol now putting on evening appointments to do the tests...

HarrietDVane · 28/02/2021 18:15

@piggywaspushed

I obviously wasn't the only parent who couldn't get their DC to a LFT appointment. DS's schol now putting on evening appointments to do the tests...
I wish DD2's school had been so flexible. I've got a horrifying lunchtime dash to cope with - possibly twice - this week, as the testing slots begin at 9am and end at 2.30, which is less than helpful for any parents who are actually out at work.

I could send DD2 on her own as it's walkable from home but she is very anxious, so I've said I will accompany her for hand-holding purposes, at least for the first one. I doubt if they will let me into the building but I can hover outside. Hopefully it will go ok and she can then be unaccompanied for the second one.

I will then owe my TA a large bunch of flowers for covering supervision for the whole lunch period (we take half an hour each at the moment).

TheHoneyBadger · 28/02/2021 18:20

Sorry - I meant to add that my sister had sent me that article and it seemed rather a strange thing to send to me as a teacher.

PhysicsCat · 28/02/2021 20:15

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

Mad isn't it. I was Shock when I saw the level of Statistics required for GCSE geography.

When they do the gradient of a tangent in physics, is it from a point on the curve? Or draw a tangent and work out the gradient of the line? Sorry for my ignorance. This is really useful!

Draw tangent and determine gradient of the line. Comes up on motion graphs and also in chemistry for instantaneous rates of reaction.
DrMadelineMaxwell · 28/02/2021 21:16

No graphs back when I did A level economics - one essay paper, one multiply choice! Those were the days.

RuleWithAWoodenFoot · 28/02/2021 21:31

I did maths stats A level, I have no memory of any of it. Nor of all the maths I did in my MSc. I'm hopeless.

Appuskidu · 28/02/2021 21:36

Ffs-have had a weekend of getting texts from people (who don’t leave the house for work) who are sooooo pleased they’ve now been jabbed! Am sick of it!

I’m also constantly amazed that people think we’ll all be back to normal by June and that schools going back as normal will have no impact on anything. Would they fancy sitting in a doctors’ waiting room with 31 others with no mask, no jab and no window for 6 hours?! I’m fairly sure most people would refuse.

Enjoying more Gin than normal on a Sunday night as it’ll be back to school proper in a week which is nice but am getting cross again Angry