The Sixty-fourth Republic - good luck to those still gliding towards the holidays especially after euro final

[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.

We are still waiting advice on chairs and masks but keep the windows open. You don’t have to upload LFT results during the holidays.Do not sit on the chairs and do wear a mask.

We've worked out where this year went wrong. By October we had loads of staff shielding, an absent Head, deputy and SENCO, and bubbles began to go. Anxiety was high among staff and children. Children were quite isolated in small bubbles, with very crowded days - shorter breaks, same staff on all duties, less time to eat etc. Behaviour began to go downhill, but there was nowhere for teachers to go to for support. Low level disruptive behaviour couldn't be dealt with properly, because not enough support in classrooms to do it safely, and no one to call.

So it wasn't smacked down quickly enough. No sanctions possible because all staff on duties, or with 10 min lunch, so couldn't kerp them in even for a chat. Low level became standard, and higher level for some children. Will little recourse.

Then January happened, and lockdown princess behaviour came back on top of the above.

That's why we're all specially tired. At my school anyway.

Morning all! Thanks @StaffRepFeistyClub for the new thread.

I’m wondering how many times me and the kids can say ‘it’s coming home’ without DH (Irish and Catholic so will be supporting Italy) punching us.

In work related news it’s all shit and roll on Friday. Think that sums it up.

Also Irish and catholic here 🇮🇹😂

Agree with low level behaviour not squashed early on or being able to deal with it properly.

Exam groups gone, work experience next week I am counting down the number of lessons now (it's 8!)

Omg Chloe UCAS references… I won’t even be thinking about them till after summer! Currently trying to get my tutor group to write their personal statements 😫

Thanks for the thread staff.

I'm honestly done... got 2 more weeks but am shattered and getting increasingly annoyed at low level behaviour. The children find our where they are next week so will be dealing with that anxiety. Bob has been on holiday for a week and is back Mon, honestly dreading it as he will be off the wall.

We’ve not been allowed to give detentions all year so the only sanctions have been demerits (kids don’t care) or being sent out. It means that there’s been a lot of low level disruption as kids just keep the right side of being sent out. Y7 in particular I think have got the idea that their zone is their territory that teachers occasionally visit.

I enjoy hearing about kids who forget quite basic stuff.

Let me tell you then, MsAwesome about the Y13 who forgot to halve for the area of a triangle, or the one who put 1x1=2?

I suspect you don’t mean those

Chloe - you're amazing! I intend to write my UCAS references this week... but it might very well not happen.

Thanks for the thread staff

mobile.twitter.com/ProfColinDavis/status/1413610364533682183

Nothing to see here.

@noblegiraffe

I enjoy hearing about kids who forget quite basic stuff.

Let me tell you then, MsAwesome about the Y13 who forgot to halve for the area of a triangle, or the one who put 1x1=2?

I suspect you don’t mean those

Or the ones who "forget" to wear a coat (or to get it out of their rucksack) in torrential rain.

@noblegiraffe

I enjoy hearing about kids who forget quite basic stuff.

Let me tell you then, MsAwesome about the Y13 who forgot to halve for the area of a triangle, or the one who put 1x1=2?

I suspect you don’t mean those

I've got plenty of those myself from me occasionally Just yesterday one of the year 12s had 3x3=6

I meant more like forgetting that science labs have sinks, or calling me mam, or grandma on one memorable occasion.

Here you are

Standing in opposite corner to sure, sulking as I still have two weeks (nearly) to go, a stupid sports day with face painting and gazebo, two meetings and a compulsory voluntary staff BBQ.And Monday will no doubt be annoying. And my timetable is so not sorted. How can I have 25 consecutive lessons next year and someone else in the dept have more than twice as many frees as me??!? Nearly as many frees as I have consecutive lessons in fact!!

Also not English so not really bothered if it comes 'home'. More pleased for Mark Cavendish tbh.

Anyway, as you were. Just assume I am checking my pigeonhole or something over here in sulkers' corner.

face painting and gazebo

I get the objection to face painting, but what’s wrong with a gazebo? I hate sitting out in the sun so would love a sports day gazebo.

Your timetable sounds wrong, don’t let it go!

That's a very interesting Twitter thread rafa.

Exactly the same in my school Rule. Still no follow up for behaviour (I was sworn at by one of mine last week, the whole class heard it, no consequence).
This week is going to be interesting- am keeping my fingers crossed that England win, as behaviour will be even worse if they don’t.

Because gazebo+ every dept. looking happy sitting underneath said gazebo organising games and activities.

Sport Days are meant to be PE's big day and yet even then they somehow manage to magically delegate nearly all of it.

Thankyou for the new thread.

@noblegiraffe Our detention system and y7 have been the same. It’s had a real effect on low level behaviour.

We’re trying to work out how many of our isolating pupils will actually return next week for the last few days of term when they could end up having to isolate again.

I'll never forget the year PE had to run the behaviour room on sports day. Who made that stupid decision?

Sports day shafts form tutors of 7,8,9 because they have to be with them all day "supported" by another member of staff. Said other member of staff usually disappears.

I wonder if, if instead of IE parents had to pick up their child the minute they abused a member of staff/other child etc and the child couldn't come back to school until the parent accompanied them in and sat down with said member of staff and had the child apologise then we might see an improvement of behaviour?

It seems like the only thing that really gets parents motivated is having to have their own children and be inconvenienced.

Thanks staff

Chloe I am also a Y13 tutor next year and I am really looking forward to it. Met my group the other day and they are lovely. I haven't been in Y13 for a while as had 7/8 and I have missed it. In terms of pastoral, 6th form is my happy place.

I slept like a log last night but still feel tired just the time of year I think.

Sorry my grammar and punctuation is awful. I can, if needed, write properly but I'm lazy and quick on the internet. I'm aware some people take great pride in their grammar and apologise for mistakes but I generally cba. Sorry English teachers. Call it switching register. Internet = a bit of meh to grammar, punctuation and capitalisation for me.

Honey Don't judge me and I won't judge you! Mine is pretty bad all over. I have tried hard to learn grammar rules but my knowledge is mostly from reading.

Eek..

I did maths cover yesterday. In y10.
Question: express 75% as a fraction.
Answer: I dunno. That's well 'ard. How'm I meant to know that.
Eventually I got 1/4.
How do they not just KNOW that?