The Sixtieth Republic - One half term to go - just need to survive Sports Day and Activities Week!

[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 for school staff to let off steam.

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. Finally, upload your covid test results twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Primary teacher here too. I got stuck in KS1 for SEVEN years at the start of my career, until my begging finally paid off and I was moved to KS2. Now teach Year 3 but hoping to move up after this last maternity leave. Have told my head in no uncertain terms that I’ll be leaving if I end up back with small people.

I now have a toddler, so you’d think reception wouldn’t be too much of a jump from that, but I honestly look at EYFS teachers as absolute heroes. How they can cope with all they do and smile all day long is beyond me.

Have we talked to you before about the conscious competence learning model, name?
You're in the bit where you're consciously incompetent some of the time, and consciously competent some of the time, and unconsciously competent some of the time. And that's okay and normal.

Loving your Baftas dress (not), Helena Noble.

It does get easier, Name, I promise. Look how far you've come in one year. Many of the things that you have to consciously consider now will soon become second nature so you won't have to think about them so much; you'll just do it.

I love my wheelie chair which I use exactly in the way you describe - to whizz along the front row.

She does not give any fucks, does me she?

Didn't win though :(

Awful because I should be able to do everything no trouble now

NO. WAY.

I mean, even the best PGCE students continue to be a bit shit for their NQT year, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. You're not expected to do everything no problem, it's why you also have support in your NQT year. It's a job that you get better at with experience, because you're not doing everything for the first time.

On top of that you've had what has to be the most bizarre training year ever. You'll be good at stuff that previous trainees have never even had to consider, but you'll have less experience of teaching....normally.

name you definitely shouldn't be able to do everything no problem now, that's not how teaching works. Truthfully, I was completely crap for a good 2 years at the start of my career, so much so that I really, truly thought I should just give up and do something else. I am significantly better at it now, but that's because I've been doing it for 17 years and have a lot of experience and a brilliant department that I discuss things with.

Awful because I should be able to do everything no trouble now.

Noooo, don’t think like that. I qualified in 1998 and still cock plenty of things up! Go easy on yourself .

Awful because I should be able to do everything no trouble now

No No No and no.

I was shit for at least 3 years and only semi decent by year 5 of teaching. I'm pretty good now but it has taken time! Experience really does make you a better teacher.

11 years in and some days I feel like I'm rubbish. Every day I learn something new.

Agreed! I'm 5/6 years in and have only really recently started to feel confident/competent. I still have days where it's all a bit crap and lessons where I think 'Thank goodness nobody was observing that!'

That is good to hear. I am still especially rubbish at writing detailed plans. I like to know where I'm heading and how to get there but I don't write every little thing down, which i know i should be.

Yes, I completely envisage next year being just as bad! The only thing I'm really grateful for is that ive been in school since Sept and taught all the way through. So loads of experience of things going wrong, and things going right.

I think this weekend ive had that "shit I have a month left and all this work to do and not enough time to do it all and teach as well" realisation.

Tomorrow is another day though. And as soon as I'm back in class I'll be ok. Always feel odd the day before term and I'm not sure why. We've only been away a week. Also I'm going to miss them so much and that makes me feel kind of sad about placement ending.

You're all so lovely putting up with me

I still have days where it's all a bit crap and lessons where I think 'Thank goodness nobody was observing that! God yes!! Mainly Monday afternoons because my year 10 nurture group just can't cope with afternoon maths lessons. They're awful, I never feel like we've managed to learn anything. In a normal year is remove a couple to sixth form lessons but that's not allowed in covid times, so I struggle on and pray nobody ever chooses that lesson to observe me (not that I've been observed this year, my last observation was in June 2019!!!)

noble is actually Helena Bonham Carter 😮

Always feel odd the day before term and I'm not sure why that's not just you either. It's a known phenomenon that teachers sleep badly the last night of the holidays. Those who sleep soundly tonight are the oddities imo, us normal teachers are all restless thinking about all the things we should have done but haven't unless that's just me and everyone else is super organised

(Claim to fame: I know Ken Branagh’s SIL!)

That is how I am going to turn up to our Enemies of Education meet-up. Pose, dress and everything.

Always feel odd the day before term and I'm not sure why.
This is definitely a thing. I always get The Fear the night before going back after the holidays. It's worst before the new school year starts in September, because I always manage to convince myself that I've completely forgotten how to be a teacher.

@noblegiraffe

That is how I am going to turn up to our Enemies of Education meet-up. Pose, dress and everything.

Brilliant. We'll all recognise you then, your majesty.

So, according to the Data thread, piggy may be related to Churchill.... and Anne Boleyn.

The spider was a bit yuk.

Surely it must have been Gav warning us not to take his name in vain.

Brilliant. We'll all recognise you then, your majesty.

Glad to see you have read the handbook in preparation!

I can really never meet you lot. The piss-taking will be unbearable!

@namechangedyetagain

Oh no. I have been very unprofessional and messaged my mentor having a bit of a breakdown. Feel bloody awful now.

Hello all, Returned from a fantastic visit to London last night (went to see Princess Diana's wedding dress with dd and did lots of nice eating and drinking), and not yet caught up fully on the thread but just wanted to address name's post above.

I honestly can't think of a mentor I haven't cried on (I'm in my 7th year now), so please don't think that's unusual - they are used to it! Echo everyone else about being a bit rubbish for the first couple of years and still having rubbish days every so often now. I think in teaching we have to remember that the kids forget far more quickly than we do .

I've marked my Y8 tests and one child has got a full 30% less than anyone else in the class. He's a nice kid who does try hard in class, but possibly doesn't push himself at home. I'm dreading the conversation with his parents, although it won't be the first time we've spoken about his progress this year.

We've only got a short half term. I'm hoping it passes quickly but then I don't want my own dc to move up another year 😭.

name others are more experienced and have put it far better. You've got this!

Hoping everyone has a good day today, the end is in sight.

Just popping in to say 'good luck' everyone - it's the final stretch!