The Fifty-Eight Republic - Do no masks mean that Sports Day will take place?

[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

phlebas I've been teaching year 6s that (& turning a division into a fraction and simplifying) this week.

I'm relieved to see you suggesting it here. They were so unfamiliar with the idea, I'd begun to worry it had been banned, or something!

I taught long division as a group activity. I found that it helped a.) children memorise the process - because they pool their efforts and b.) prevented backsliding into short-division.

But, yes, only really necessary for primes (but I notice that they do get primes thrown at them, I guess in an effort to force that long division).

I ❤️ HRT.

I always thought (when I was younger) I would resolutely avoid 'unnatural' HRT ... and then I experienced a pretty gruesome perimenopause.

HRT gave me my life back.

So pleased you got referred for your menopausal symptoms. Many GPs are shit at treating menopause.

My las GP was great - he said that he was happy to prescribe it, but wanted a consultant to check out my blood issue. After 2 disappointing female GPs, I was expecting worse of a bloke, but was pleasantly surprised.

I full intend having a mirena until I'm eligible for HRT. Its been amazing, on my second one now. No periods, no bother. Love it.

Oh God

www.tes.com/news/exclusive-8am-6pm-extended-school-day-table

😁 @Piggywaspushed

Well ...

I've been doing the NTP tutoring thing.

By accident.

I was sort of tricked into it (long story).

It's pretty much exactly as you'd expect from a scheme rolled out by this government.

I strongly suspect any 'extended school day' plan to either come to nothing/vanish into the ether like a fable or to be a complete shambles.

Complete shambles first, followed by vanishing into the ether , probably.

piggy I'm filing that under "will never happen". PR stunt I expect.

Tell us more, cat

I can't see many parents being delighted by 8-6, and the practicalities are horrendous before you even get to staffing.

I can't, MrsHamlet. I'm genuinely too traumatised right now.

Give me a couple of weeks and I'm sure I'll be able to rant about it.

But right now, it's too raw!

🤦‍♀️

Yes, and because of that I fear the extra half hour at the end of school day option...

The half hour won't happen because they won't fund it.

It would kill extra curricular and directed time would need looking at. It's a good headline though if you want to look like you're tackling "the gap".
When did I get so cynical?

Rather sinisterly, Our new timetables on our management system have space for an extra period at the end of the day ...

What use is an extra half hour? Genuinely can't fathom what they'd do in it at secondary. Five minutes getting there, five minutes packing away, 20 minutes doing....??

Unless they save it all up for .... Saturday school

Hush. They may be watching us!!!!

Talking about getting your life back, my iron tablets have kicked in. I have spent the day pottering around doing stuff instead of slumped on the sofa. It feels really weird to not be wanting a nap all the time.

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

The half hour won't happen because they won't fund it.

Yes, even half an hour a day = approx 4.4FTE extra teachers in our medium-sized seconday. No way are the government going to be funding that across the country... Or if they have got the funding for us to have 4.4 more teachers, it would be far more effective for us to reduce class-sizes (increased in recent years because of funding pressures) or more PPA time (reduced to the minimum a few years ago because of funding pressure) to alleviate teacher workload pressures. Focus of quality of learning rather than quantity of time in school!

@noblegiraffe

Talking about getting your life back, my iron tablets have kicked in. I have spent the day pottering around doing stuff instead of slumped on the sofa. It feels really weird to not be wanting a nap all the time.

That's great!

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/22/no-10-tried-to-block-data-on-spread-of-new-covid-variant-in-english-schools

Not.

Glad the iron tablets are working Noble.

I'm really pleased to hear that the a) I'm not the only one who went bonkers on the mini pill and b) said bonkers going people have found the mirena ok.

I'm actually wondering whether to just get started by claiming I need the Mirena for contraception and then going and saying right so I've already got progesterone so we just need to add oestrogen next. I do not want to go through them giving it to me orally if they mirena is more subtle and bearable.

Wuss question: does it hurt having it put in?

I've had 3 coils in my life. First two were normal coathanger ones, this one is a mirena.

First one was fine to have put in, second one involved the word 'fuck' a couple of times and a small fainting incident, the third one also involved the work fuck, but was otherwise OK. So.. random.

I had the third one put in by a trainee practice nurse as her final 'practical' before passing her whatever exams. Could have been dodgy, but was fine comparatively.

Be prepared for cramping afterwards - sometimes for months - then if you don't get any, it's a win. They have always settled down eventually for me.

I've had 2 coils and found them the same as a smear in terms of pain when being inserted. Mine have both been copper ones so do lead to heavier periods. Mooncup and period pants has helped with those.

Does the mirena work with migraines? I'm not allowed the pill due to migraine so wasn't sure about the mirena coil.

I've had two rounds of having CIN3 removed (basically cut off with an electric loop then soldered - never expected to have smoke coming out of my vagina) from my cervix, plus the initial hole punch biopsies to diagnose so it's a bit daft of me to worry if it hurts

I had a near fainting incident with the first time when they tilted the chair up afterwards because I said I felt fine and then everyone in the room looked scared and stopped me from getting up and put fans on and tipped me back again. Apparently I went a very funny colour.

The ladies at the blood bank never believe me when I say I'm ok either - obviously I mentally think I'm fine but the colour of my skin tells another story. I tend to have low blood pressure so I think I'm just inured to room spin and dizziness and push through.

If I have the mirena I'm assuming there'll be less arguing for me to try a combined oral medication as I'm already getting progesterone. Is there a benefit to cream over patches for oestrogen?

Sorry to turn the thread into the hormone clinic. I've just been looking up sexual health clinics where I could get a mirena fitted - it has the strange effect of making me feel like a naughty teenager.

Wuss question: does it hurt having it put in?

Sorry - I had to have a GA for it (had a hysteroscopy at the same time) but I have a badly scarred cervix from a cone biopsy I had done in my early 40s. Most people find it painless, uncomfortable or mildly painful at worst, I believe.