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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 Fifty Seventh Republic - the joy of bank holiday marking

991 replies

StaffRepFeistyClub · 03/05/2021 09:57

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
9
MrsHamlet · 04/05/2021 18:42

Thank you all. It's a huge punt but I've nothing to lose except my self respect

Piggywaspushed · 04/05/2021 18:42

MrsH, can I interest you in the role at my school? Pay is entirely reasonable, I think. I mean , obviously, if you could also teach Latin that would help.

MrsHamlet · 04/05/2021 18:43

I actually did Latin until year 9. But my Latin teacher died (she used to take snuff in lessons!!) so that was that.

Piggywaspushed · 04/05/2021 18:44

Oh well, perhaps we could negotiate you down to £3,000,400 pa

MrsHamlet · 04/05/2021 18:47

I suppose I could do it for that

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 04/05/2021 18:58

I did Latin for GCSE. I’m willing to consider a job share.

namechangedyetagain · 04/05/2021 19:02

@eitak22 I know the threads you mean now Wink. I'm not the best trainee by any stretch but I did have the sense to work as a TA (you know, in a school) to get some idea of what schools are like. I'm also paying for my PGCE, around 18k in all with the maintenance loan. No bursary here. But it's what I want to do.

At least I thought so until my class were wild today. Utterly wild. And now I'm knackered.

TheHoneyBadger · 04/05/2021 19:03

I'd say the former colleague too MrsH.

Our HT keeps happily saying that we can get rid of face masks soon. I'm actually rather happy having them in the classroom funnily enough - she also says we can ditch social distancing but I'm afraid it's one or the other for me - either they keep masks on and I'll go closer or they'll take them off and that's me tucked in my magic box.

I've never taught latin but I'll happily take 10% of the salary to be a dedicated ta.

WhenSheWasBad · 04/05/2021 19:22

If I’m honest I’m getting utterly sick of masks. Except being able to mutter under my breathe - quite enjoy that.

But if it keeps the schools open then we need to do it. Sick of spending my life telling pupils to wear them properly.

I’d happily move for that pay piggy

Mistressinthetulips · 04/05/2021 19:36

Not sure where I've been lurking but I'm back.
Sure I could brush up my latin for the right amount Smile

cantkeepawayforever · 04/05/2021 19:46

@Piggywaspushed

MrsH, can I interest you in the role at my school? Pay is entirely reasonable, I think. I mean , obviously, if you could also teach Latin that would help.
Primary teacher willing to transfer to secondary for right money (and with Latin O-level) over here... though I fear you are not quite in my neck of the woods...
HarrietDVane · 04/05/2021 19:54

I will also happily brush up my Latin for a job sharing opportunity if that's the going rate!

Hit with another wall of pointless paperwork today. I have been close to tears this afternoon. Every time I think I'm getting things under control, they heap more on. I'm not sure how much longer I can do this job. I think I'm cracking up Sad

JanFebAnyMonth · 04/05/2021 19:58

Look, I could in theory commute to piggy’s place I reckon, so the job’s MINE OK?

Sorry to hear that, Harriet Flowers

JanFebAnyMonth · 04/05/2021 19:58
Wink
noblegiraffe · 04/05/2021 20:02

I’m starting to get a bit worried about Jan, she’s really becoming rather bolshy...I swear she was a mild-mannered librarian at the start of these threads.

Piggywaspushed · 04/05/2021 20:13

I mean, let's be honest, with that pay you could arrive by private jet.

MrsHamlet · 04/05/2021 20:17

I think we should all apply to Piggy's place as a massive job share.

Mistressinthetulips · 04/05/2021 20:23

Who's giving you all this paperwork, Harriet?
and I will tell them to get tae fuck

cantkeepawayforever · 04/05/2021 20:23

30 minute rota, splitting the salary.....

DreamingofBrie · 04/05/2021 20:27

@HarrietDVane

I will also happily brush up my Latin for a job sharing opportunity if that's the going rate!

Hit with another wall of pointless paperwork today. I have been close to tears this afternoon. Every time I think I'm getting things under control, they heap more on. I'm not sure how much longer I can do this job. I think I'm cracking up Sad

Harriet Flowers and Wine. Total empathy with the paperwork mountain. Hope that you get control of it tonight.
HarrietDVane · 04/05/2021 20:35

Hoping this isn't outing, but we have a new HT who is making sweeping changes. Former HT retired after decades in post. New HT is very focused on Ofsted. Former HT was more interested in nurturing and developing the children. The whole ethos of the school has changed and I am struggling with it.

MsAwesomeDragon · 04/05/2021 20:37

I did Latin, I can do it Grin. Have they noticed their mistake with the pay yet?

Harriet what more paperwork could they possibly expect you to do? You've already told us about more paperwork than I would be expected to do at any time other than after the exam classes have left. Flowers Is this something you can put off til a less busy time? If there is ever a less busy time.

I've spent a lovely evening writing worked solutions for statistics past papers for my year 13. The teacher of the parallel class said "I'll organise which papers we both do if you do the worked solutions" I've definitely come off worse in that deal. But he's the hod and has so much work to do this half term I'll take this off his hands without moaning too much. Still have to plan for year 12 tomorrow morning, and I'm not quite sure when I'll mark the year 10 exams they did today, but it won't be tonight.

HarrietDVane · 04/05/2021 20:53

Harriet what more paperwork could they possibly expect you to do?

HT has decided that we need to plan targeted interventions for each half term in advance, with full lesson plans and full resources ready and waiting for A N Other intervention TA to deliver to certain target children. TA must deliver the input, children's written work must be photocopied and put into a special file in addition to their normal intervention folder, TA must write full notes about each child after each input session.

At the end of each half term we are to assess progress against target outcomes and record that separately but additionally to our normal assessment in e.g English. There was some further bollocks detail about calculating the cost/value per session and feeding back but I burst into tears and went home switched off at that point.

Normally I plan intervention groups roughly weekly depending on how the target children are progressing, and add in an extra 10 mins here and there to address misconceptions as they arise.

What's the point of it all? This is insane, isn't it? Or is it? Is it me?

HarrietDVane · 04/05/2021 20:56

Oh, and learning walks and book scrutinies will continue at least weekly until the penultimate week of Summer term so we can be 'Ofsted ready.'

The only thing I feel ready for is a large glass of wine and a swift return to my previous career.