The Fifty Seventh Republic - the joy of bank holiday marking

[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

Just checking in!

Glad you have seen improvements @MsAwesomeDragon. I was in a similar position with my Y11s and thankfully, their final assessments show good improvement!

They've been a challenge to say the least. I inherited them and they came to me really disengaged so it's been an uphill battle.

I am pleased we won't have to wear masks in class after this week -it's a nightmare for me as I wear glasses all the time (can't wear contacts) so I am constantly steaming up.

So sorry that you’re all having such a stressful time and are now being thrown under the bus (again) by that specious apology for a sentient being that is our PM.
I was thinking of sounding out a bit of supply after half term but now may not. I mean, I feel safe enough - had both jabs - but I wouldn’t feel comfortable in that environment. How on Earth sensible young people are coping with the mixed messaging I can’t imagine. Maybe they just pigeonhole it with all the other needless shit grownups (present company excepted) pile on them.

Ones where you don't impregnate the person you're hugging and then abandon the subsequent child.

One for the PSHE SOW. Do they still call it PSHE? It’s been called so many things.

KS3 are chugging on as normal Born and most kids don't seem stressed at ours. Our year 11 are going before half term and year 13 just after them. It's generally a slow term for supply due to gain back time and more availability for cover and the fact that if they've made it to summer term most staff limp on for the finish line. Probably a good time to sign up and get to see a couple of schools though without having too much work come your way and worrying about whether saying no will stop them offering.

Yet again I had to eat lunch in front of the kids after spending my 'break' dealing with child issues

Yep. I eat a Babybel and some nuts one handed while standing up supervising children eat their lunch and have done all year. Our ‘lunch’ break is spent queuing for the loo, wiping down tables and door handles and dealing with playground issues.

Another parent today assumed we’re all vaccinated. When I informed her that most of our teachers aren’t, she said ‘oh but you’re pregnant’. Yes, I’m a 34 year old, 27 weeks pregnant teacher working with 30 children in an attic room with one Velux window that automatically locks when it rains. Oh, and I also have gestational diabetes again but I can’t receive an official diagnosis because apparently it’s too dangerous for my NHS trust to run the test, despite me being so dehydrated that I have to sit down to teach for fear of passing out.

And yet despite all this, is it fine for everyone to eat together in a crowded restaurant while our children cannot even play outside with another class?

We've got to fill in a separate sheet for each paper on which we colour in the mark scheme.
The mark scheme is full of errors.
I'm just colouring because pointing this out for the 35775th time will get me nowhere.

Probably a good time to sign up and get to see a couple of schools though without having too much work come your way

Thanks Honey, yes, that was the plan! I’ll probably stick with it.

That's a lovely doggo, i look forward to the tales of what he has chewed!

That’s just awful Timeturner. Shocking and disgraceful. I’m so sorry you’re in the position you’re in, and presumably other young women too. I’m sorry I called the prime minister specious, I should have used a much nastier word. They’re such shits, the lot of them.

That sounds frustrating MrsH. I think you're on to a winner with just colouring stuff in and hoping any comeback lands on your hod.

You lot will like this new slogan (well, I do too, really!):

mobile.twitter.com/amateuradam/status/1390408405785980928

Open the F window, says Jan

@noblegiraffe

Open the F window, says Jan

I'm wondering which font to use for that slogan if I were to plaster it all over my classroom.

Am I allowed to say that to the kids after they sneakily shut the window they're sitting next to? I think they would find it amusing. But it might destroy any future learning in whatever lesson I said it in.

Thanks @borntobequiet. I’m more cross for the children than anything. I also selfishly want my lunch break back to chug some water and have a chance of making it to the loo.

Whenever I get grumpy, I read this thread to remind me that at least in primary we’re not dealing with the assessment shitshow.

@MsAwesomeDragon

That sounds frustrating MrsH. I think you're on to a winner with just colouring stuff in and hoping any comeback lands on your hod.

Given that this is MY paper, he can sod off if he wants to complain about my marking!!!

Anyone else feeling a sense of deja vu out on the main boards tonight?

I did get told to shut the fucking window on the bus the other week. Plastering open the fucking window over them might help.

Normally a lurker here but if you had a Y11 unwell (high temp, negative LFD, no PCR yet) during the designated ‘exam weeks’ how would your school deal with it?

High temp means isolation at home and PCR, surely? That's not up to the school.

Kids who miss assessments are being caught up later in my school.

They should have written a procedure / risk assessment for it?

Yes - that’s what I thought!

DS will be staying at home until he’s PCRd. but school want him in! 2 exams tomorrow... he’s so stressed . Fairly sure it’s not COVID (he’s had one vaccine dose as is clinically vulnerable) but he’s really not well.

Catch up later at our place. That's the "beauty" of this years approach..

TAGed to death here. Obviously this week it is vital SLT resume their face to face work scrutinies.

@Timeturnerplease

I’m kind of at the point now where I’m thinking that if people can go to pubs/hug/mix indoors, why on earth can’t our primary children all play together on the playground?

At the moment we have one adult out per class in separate coned off areas, and then they eat in their classrooms with one adults to serve and clean up per class. So that’s all teachers on duty every lunchtime, lucky to grab 15 mins to go the loo and set up their afternoon lessons.

Don’t even get me started on having them in rows with NO SODDING SPACE to move, or letting eight year olds bring pencil cases in and therefore spending a good 10% of each lesson choosing a pen.

As the only TA in the school who has managed to be put on break duty every day, oh my gosh yes. Apparently before covid it would be a rotation and you would have a couple days a week with a break yourself. Not anymore!

(I'll add our teachers only have one playground duty a week, so luckily they are getting a break and a lunch most days. On their duty day it's 30 minutes not 60.)