Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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 Fifty-second Republic - Beware of Education’s ides of March

999 replies

StaffRepFeistyClub · 06/03/2021 13:13

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 non-staff as it attracts the wrong sort of crowd.

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. Do not sit on the chairs and do wear a mask.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
Original poster
StaffRepFeistyClub · 07/03/2021 21:18

just done my LFT - still in the clear.

I have three marks ready for tomorrow.

Still lots of marking on Teams - I am thinking of deleting a couple of Teams by mistake.

@Loveagoodbuffet - welcome

OP posts:
Mistressiggi · 07/03/2021 21:19

@noblegiraffe

Anyone tried weeing on their LFT?
Make sure you don't put it up your nose after if you try this.
WarriorN · 07/03/2021 21:25
Grin
RuleWithAWoodenFoot · 07/03/2021 21:33

What a weird end of term/back to school combo weekend this has been. I feel like I do in September- ie, why am I a teacher? I hate teaching... will be alright by Wednesday. I did an antibody test to see if vaccine has kicked in yet (8 days ago) - so far nothing.

I took my child swimming at my parents yesterday - ok, so its a half hour drive, but they only waved out of the window, so we 'exercised' nowhere near them, then left.
I also had to pick up another child from school on Friday - childcare of KW child reasons, so allowed. She was in our house for 10 mins because she got wee in her tights having a wild wee, so I couldn't stay in the park as planned.

I'm going to imagine that my child will be going on at school tomorrow about going to grandma's and having a friend to play, so must try and rise above my feelings of annoyance with others. Zen.

Good luck everyone, hope it goes OK...

WarriorN · 07/03/2021 21:40

It must be incredibly weird, and stressful too, I imagine for many of you.

All that shite about holidays has been a kick in the teeth. #wonthappen

Business as usual here. No side kick tomorrow though (fingers crossed bubble remains open!) I must not watch netflix all day

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 07/03/2021 21:44

Re teams marking, if you're doing it via assignments, just return a few... Looks like they've been marked then. (Not that I've ever done this or anything.....).

MsAwesomeDragon · 07/03/2021 22:01

I'm in school so day tomorrow, even though there are no pupils in. So I need to set remote learning before I set off for work, then sit in my classroom without any pupils in front of me all day, other than however long it takes to do my test, and a department meeting for an hour (all in one classroom, but "socially distant"). I've got my new homemade masks ready (cotton, nicely shaped, 4 layers).

Dd is feeling very sad tonight about going back tomorrow. She's been hiding under a blanket all evening. If she was to talk to her teacher she may well say we've been to grandma and grandad's house (we did, we were delivering stuff to them), and that her friend is coming to our house for tea (she is in our childcare bubble, and will be coming for tea 3 days a week). So I am trying to be very understanding about some of the things the kids tell me. Although, I only teach teenagers, who surely don't need childcare.

MrsDanvers123 · 07/03/2021 22:01

Our school is seating students together who are not wearing masks. I see this as the only solution as how can I seat them with students who are wearing masks? I wouldn't sit next to somebody not wearing a mask, so why should I expect them to? Anybody have a better solution? Up for any answers!

JanFebAnyMonth · 07/03/2021 22:05

Blimey, I've realised the evening is very much the wrong time for me to do a test - you have to manage a whole 30 mins beforehand without eating or drinking anything!!! Grin

Or maybe it's the right time...

noblegiraffe · 07/03/2021 22:09

This is why I couldn't do one in the morning before school. No way could I do anything that fiddly without having had my morning cup of tea.

noblegiraffe · 07/03/2021 22:09

Make sure you don't put it up your nose after if you try this.

Grin And definitely not on your tonsils Envy

Aplace4 · 07/03/2021 22:11

Honeybadger you speak the truth! Keep on speaking your (our) truth (about schools) if it helps you. I find often when I do, others (people who don't work in schools) think I'm just having a rant and making it up so i just get even more cross.....

CarrieBlue · 07/03/2021 22:14

Feeling quite worried about getting printing done tomorrow morning - our kids are coming in to a staggered start over the week but I’ve managed to get a full day of teaching, which means everything in place for the day as I’ll have no breaks. Not had a day like that for quite a while!

That and worrying about the rest of the family in 3 other schools - I’m sure we could close half the schools in the county if we tried hard enough to catch the virus Grin

noblegiraffe · 07/03/2021 22:16

There was tumbleweed from everyone except teachers when I posted my thread back in June about how lockdown had made visible to parents the sometimes patchy and poor provision in schools and that they shouldn't assume that things are any better when the kids are in school. Out of sight, out of mind, though.

It does also remind me that we have a significant PGCE drop-out after their first week in school now that we're no longer allowed to require school experience. If you go through school as a top set kid, you really don't know what schools can be like.

Aplace4 · 07/03/2021 22:17

Also, someone way back asked about Ormiston MAT. I worked for them for 1 year before a mat leave. The DH openly said that they didn't believe in pastoral care.....they had 'student services' instead. It wasn't just a semantic issue. Kids with behaviour issues 'disappeared' off role. Kids with SEMH issues pretty much ignored. Lovely girl was self harming with scissors in my lesson. Ref to DSL , I was asked if I was 'sure' about what I'd seen. There was blood on the carpet FFS. I was asked back after mat leave. Said no thank you. Might be different exp as an advisory role but in a million years I wouldn't work for them again. Just my view and experience...

noblegiraffe · 07/03/2021 22:23

How can you have a full day of teaching, Carrie?! I don't think I'm actually in the classroom with kids till Thursday.

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 07/03/2021 22:25

I've completely missed the eating or drinking rule. Is this mentioned before LFTs in school or other test centres? (I didn't really read the papwork)

WhenSheWasBad · 07/03/2021 22:32

@Frlrlrubert

Is it really bad that after doing my first home lft I'm really tempted to post a 'can you see a line 🤞' thread? 😂
Do it. I love a good pregnancy test thread,

Also welcome to buffet

JanFebAnyMonth · 07/03/2021 22:57

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

I've completely missed the eating or drinking rule. Is this mentioned before LFTs in school or other test centres? (I didn't really read the papwork)
No!

But ours is not to reason why....

noblegiraffe · 07/03/2021 23:04

I've just looked at the instructions my school has sent and it has a big 'This booklet is obsolete (blue booklet with guy in his kitchen on front) and should be replaced by this new booklet (plain blue)'.

The test I got from the pick-up site for primary school households has the obsolete booklet in it, so wonder what they've changed.

CarrieBlue · 07/03/2021 23:10

@noblegiraffe

How can you have a full day of teaching, Carrie?! I don't think I'm actually in the classroom with kids till Thursday.
Unlucky I guess! It’ll be ok, pru so 1-2-1 most of the day but way more intense than mainstream - I’ll be asleep on the sofa tomorrow about 4pm!
PumpkinPie2016 · 08/03/2021 06:00

Well, here goes!

Good luck everyone!!

I managed to sleep well remarkably Shock maybe it will catch up with me tonight(I hope not).

I have a feeling it will be a long week!

SoFranCisco · 08/03/2021 06:05

Business mostly as usual for me and my SEN class - 2 coming back having been learning at home, so fingers crossed they manage the transition back to school ok, but the other 10 have been in throughout, along with most the staff anyway! Going to be chilly today so the thermals are back on and have seen we are in for windy weather later in the week which always seems to mean a busy day behaviour wise, it’s like the wind whips them up! Good luck to us all x

Saucery · 08/03/2021 06:11

All the best to everyone going back to full schools today.
All my physical anxiety symptoms are lining up to have a go this morning even though in my head I’m resigned to the next few weeks. Buscopan at the ready!

Oooh, just typing ‘resigned’ then gave me a little lift. If only !

motherrunner · 08/03/2021 06:18

No remote or face to face teaching for me this week. This week I am not a teacher, I’m a tester. If it goes well I may hand my resignation in and decide that this is my calling.

Good luck everyone!