The Fifty-third Republic - Ides of March Part 2

[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

I vote Chris as PE teacher. I volunteer to do his observations. I have a feeling he may need a lot of observations ...

Good luck name !

Minibus to the literacy conferences - not on a week when choc is observing the new recruit though of course....

Chris is perfect. Gorgeous and a nice guy. Contract must include that he is to wear shorts all year round.

Another yr10 positive test. Half the year group is now at home. Joy!!

Can I go to maths conferences instead of literacy conferences please? I'd like to join all theatre trips and PGL as well. I was supposed to be going to PGL with my Brownies last Easter but that obviously didn't happen. I was gutted.

I'd like to be involved in redesigning the KS3 maths curriculum too, as I've been campaigning to do more new stuff in year 7 for years. We repeat far too much of primary maths in KS3, but I'm constantly outvoted and told they need the practice of the stuff they've already seen. Which they do, but they ALSO need something new and exciting to learn.

If all male teachers could not want promotion that would be good. that way I might actually get one.

I don't want to go on any trips, unless they are university open days with which I am obsessed and never normally get to go to midweek ones.

You all know Chris actually does have a fitness training programme right? centr.com/join-us no end to his talents.

Heard Matt Hancock say something interesting this morning on R4. He said that they started with the assumption that asymptomatic people couldn’t transmit and based policy decisions on that but that was wrong and they’ve had to make policy changes. Well that explains why they were so gung-ho about schools and so confused when infections rocketed. Idiots.

I think we'd better stop objectifying PE teachers.... also, we appear to be very hetero on this thread!

Can I lead a strand of PSHE about healthy relationships?

Name, try to get into the headset of "I'm capable, I can do this" (OK I can think of a certain motivational vid that might help with that!) rather than "I need this job". Not to prepare for any unhappy outcome, but for your self esteem, which in turn will shine at interview.

Yes I heard that noble. I think a lot of people/governments a year ago were refusing to believe the evidence coming out of China etc about asymptomatic spread. I remember reading about it, at least as a likely possibility.

I’ve had some excellent male colleagues in my department. Not at all ambitious.

So Rule is HT. Who are SLT? MrsH and Piggy obvs. Who else has designs in that area?

What would be your ambition noble?

Also, Dr Khan not only didn’t answer my question but blathered on about how effective LFTs are in the face of the concerns I mentioned from the RSS.

No ambition, Jan! I would just want to teach maths. Y7-13. Further maths GCSE (love it). A-level and further, but would share classes so someone else taught all the stats. Sixth form tutor group, but no PSHE. No cover, we will have a crack team of supply teachers who will leave the room tidy.

UNLIMITED PRINTING BUDGET

No PGL trips for me. The occasional maths inspiration theatre show, and those nice end of year trips to e.g. the zoo where the teachers just need to be around, so can sit in the cafe.

I know the maths department will be a bit overstaffed, but I can also teach ks3 French and music. Also if it helps with the diversity, I can fulfil the B part of the ever expanding acronym. Although when you marry a bloke everyone assumes hetero.

Ooo, and please please please can I go on any theatre trips? I'll always help with school productions too.

@StaffRepFeistyClub should we have you leading on staff well being, or in "RL" would you aspire to something else/ additional?

Can I please be in charge of filling the copier? Our repro lady thinks I'm mad but I love it.

This morning, whilst teaching Hamlet, we also covered credit cards, why you should always have a well equipped toolbox, and being true to oneself.

Happy to be display monitor. I'm a weirdo and LOVE doing wall displays

DH here with responsibility for ks3 please. Tiny teaching timetable of 9 lessons a week (still more than most of the fuckers do). Ooh I'd love to have an office. I've only had my own office in one job and it was bliss despite being the size of a cupboard.

Every block should have a free coffee (good quality) machine.

I could once have also fulfilled the 'b' of the alphabet soup but perimenopause, exhaustion and cynicism has probably rendered me A.

Just super prepping all lessons for tomorrow so I can focus on interview and no matter how screwed my head is after I should be able to auto pilot through my lessons afterwards. Should probably wash my hair and find something to wear I do wash honest but find hair washing a drag. This is also perimenopause related because I always use to let my hair air dry naturally but now find damp hair makes me go into hotflush/sweat overdrive.

I'll do the stats noble. Would love to be involved in mentoring any Nqts we have too.

another English teacher here full department 😂 but primary lead please. Curriculum cross overs, none of that pastoral stuff!

English bods - what would you teach for a mixed ability year 9 group for their first intro into unseen poetry? About 30 minutes as lesson shortened for special assembly. Need some wow-y but stuck completely for ideas.

I was once told I say what everyone else is thinking, so I'll do that. If I get annoying you can manage me out, but I won't be bothered as I'll have retired twice already.

We might need to rethink the SRE curriculum. Just chatted to some Year 6s I used to teach en route to leave for my scan. Staring at the KitKat in my hand, one girl suggested I might not want to eat that beforehand in case it ‘blocks the nurse’s view of the baby’. This from a supposedly very intelligent 11 year old 😂

schoolsweek.co.uk/five-fold-increase-in-secondary-pupils-isolating-due-to-in-school-covid-contact/

Interesting!

Bit of a misleading article though, Canta

11th March
5,000 pupils with a confirmed case of coronavirus, 0.1% of pupils on roll in open schools
7,000 pupils with a suspected case of coronavirus, 0.1% of pupils on roll in open schools
33,000 pupils self-isolating due to potential contact with a case of coronavirus from inside the educational setting, 0.4% of pupils on roll in open schools

18th March
7,000 pupils with a confirmed case of coronavirus, 0.1% of pupils on roll in open schools
21,000 pupils with a suspected case of coronavirus, 0.3% of pupils on roll in open schools
127,000 pupils self-isolating due to potential contact with a case of coronavirus from inside the educational setting, 1.6% of pupils on roll in open schools

So the 'fivefold increase' in pupils isolating due to close contact is not due to a fivefold increase in cases, but due to the fact that secondary schools are now generating way more isolations because the previous testing regime and staggered start meant positive kids didn't have as much contact with others.

Woah, how come I get HT?

I'll be V hands off - hate micromanaging people. You've got an endless budget and can do what you like. Don't be arses.

Off you go...