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

[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 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.

And so many H and S ‘breaches’. E.g. none of the buns where we dispose of our PPE, the used swabs or the test reader have covers, they’re all open.

*bins

Well ai'm glad I'll probably never have to redo today! Shut in a smallish computer room with 11 Y7 KWVs who weren't exactly keen to focus on their lessons.

Exhausting. But hey, I got to do my fave thing - in desperation, for the last 15 mins, I nipped into the library, grabbed a book and read to them. OK not all of them listened but at least they shut up.

If there were buns they might get more volunteers mother.

@MrsHerculePoirot thanks 😊

@motherrunner sorry to hear that. I don't mind supervising (outside).

@JanFebAnyMonth

If there were buns they might get more volunteers mother.

So true!

The fire alarm went off today. It was strangely comforting to stand on the field for half hour, was like lockdown hadn’t ever existed (we have a very sensitive system!)

There’s a thread on AIBU from an officer worker who doesn’t want to go back to the office as there’s 14 other people in there.

Everyone supportive. Already had one vaccine dose as well.

W.T.F.

Testing seems to be going relatively well in our school. Although the 2nd tests will be done when they are all in school so there will be some disruption to lessons

It was lovely seeing my Y11s and 13s today although some of my 11s are looking motivated they're quite a tough group - mocks just done, about half improved on last time. Having another set after Easter so going to have to hammer the revision and keep trying to motivate them. Also making files of evidence for the grade we put in.

Y13s were great but just did revision today and starting mocks tomorrow.

Marking coming out of my ears and still a million things to do. Feel quite stressed this week

@motherrunner I saw that too!

It’s not the OP I’m shocked by, more the tone of the thread. Even the posters who don’t agree with the OP are calm in their response.

I think I read that thread with a different hat on. I didn’t see it as mostly supportive. Mostly a lot of ‘if you’re not CEV what’s the problem?’

@RafaIsTheKingOfClay Think you’re right. I’m now used to seeing so much aggression that when poster who disagree but it a more measured way respond, I see it as support 😆

"But children don't get ill, children don't spread it!"

• as the husband of a member of school staff told me yesterday.

Is it just round here, or have any others noticed a rise in the number of police/verifiable community Fb notices about missing Y11s? Horrible, horrible.

In first lockdown there was one older boy I knew. I think this lockdown two known to me, one known to a friend, and one other locally.

All those recent ones were Y11. I wonder if, in some ways, they're most impacted by lockdowns? Lack the means/nouse/money to escape difficult home situations in a more planned way; alternatively, most likely to be suckered in by immoral individuals and gangs?

Or maybe it's just coincidence.

Don't think I'll get much sympathy out there, but need to say that my first full face-to-face teaching day started with not one of 32 year 11 students wearing their face mask in my 2 hour (plus 30 min registration) lesson this morning.

I queried their general mob mentality with HOY who popped in, for her to agree that it is their 'personal choice', merely 'advised by the government'.

So our Head has made a point of face coverings being mandatory; letters, welcome back videos, live assemblies etc. and apparently that doesn't matter.

The risk assessment says the windows should be open for ventilation, so coats can stay on, but the HOY swiftly pounced on a boy near the window and made him remove it before leaving me with them.

They proceeded to question the wisdom of being back before Easter if firm plans for more assessments haven't been made by exam boards (and therefore us) and complain that we intend to give them a choice/chance to complete exam sections of any and all parts of the course to boost their result, which I will of course mark.

That's appalling, McVities!

Every single child I've taught in the last two days has worn their mask. We've about 2% of the school population exempt. The rest all totally compliant.

Bob has already raised his head above the parapet. Sigh.
I only saw y12 today, which was lovely, but they're LOUD.

The tone is definitely different, I agree there. I think I’m reading it with my CV hat on and not my I have to go to work even though I’m CV one on.

@Mcvitoes !

Reminds me, the library ended up completely unsupervised today (my boss is still away) which was OK as only a few sensible Y13s were in there.

However, whoever had unlocked (which didn't happen til beginning of period one afaik), hadn't thought to open any windows. I was not impressed when I arrived for Homework Club and emailed library SLT member and cover supervisor politely telling them so.

No one should be unlocking any space and departing leaving it unventilated in the current situation!

Back, squashed in a classroom with 31 smalls clambering around with no awareness of social distancing. One even sneezed right on me.

I want to be vaccinated and I remain livid that there is a vaccine developed and being freely given to people, but I am being forced into a room with 31 others and I simply can’t have it.

That's awful mcvitoes. I've taught 2 lessons today, with about 40 year 11 in total (one class is my very small nurture class) and they were all wearing masks, although I did have to remind a few that masks should cover noses as well as mouths. They thought I couldn't tell who was talking because I couldn't see their faces, bless them, but I amazed them by being able to correctly identify every voice that spoke (because this is the 5th year I've taught them, I know them all incredibly well!!!). And in my 2 lessons I had 2 mental health/safeguarding referrals to make. Apparently they didn't want to speak to form tutor, hoy or the nurse (understandable, she's in charge of testing this week), but I'm the one to go to if you're feeling bad. I really have no idea what I do to make them think I'm the person to open up to, but a lot of them do it. It might be because they know I genuinely care about them as people not just as grades, or it might be because they know I follow up on things and chase pastoral until something is sorted (even if that something is just a friendly ear and a cup of tea and a biscuit)

Well done awesome.

motherrunner I read that thread too. I think everyone should be back at work if I’m back. No lie ins, no coffee breaks, no working in your pyjamas - get back to the commute and 12 hour day. Misery enjoys company and no matter what they say, they are not providing such a good service working from home. (I do know it will spread Covid if everyone goes back too soon so I am only joking. Sort of).

@Mcvitoes
That is appalling. All of the children have worn them in my lessons. What an unsupportive SLT.

@Mcvitoes

Don't think I'll get much sympathy out there, but need to say that my first full face-to-face teaching day started with not one of 32 year 11 students wearing their face mask in my 2 hour (plus 30 min registration) lesson this morning.

I queried their general mob mentality with HOY who popped in, for her to agree that it is their 'personal choice', merely 'advised by the government'.

So our Head has made a point of face coverings being mandatory; letters, welcome back videos, live assemblies etc. and apparently that doesn't matter.

The risk assessment says the windows should be open for ventilation, so coats can stay on, but the HOY swiftly pounced on a boy near the window and made him remove it before leaving me with them.

They proceeded to question the wisdom of being back before Easter if firm plans for more assessments haven't been made by exam boards (and therefore us) and complain that we intend to give them a choice/chance to complete exam sections of any and all parts of the course to boost their result, which I will of course mark.

I’ve just spoken to my teen DD who went back today and asked about masks. She said ‘everyone wore them-it’s compulsory’. Interesting that she thought that-clearly nobody in her classes is saying they aren’t going to wear one so far!