Sixty Seventh Republic - under temporary guardianship

[Hercisback]

In the absence of staff and her fabulous thread titles and witty openers here is a 67th thread. The broom cupboard is overflowing so time for another Republic. Hopefully we hear from staff soon.

Stolen from thread 66.
'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.'

Sitting waiting for my back-to-school lateral flow test to develop. New style one, not sure if they are more or less accurate than the other ones!

It's insane. Every publisher I've ever worked with has had layers upon layers of editorial. That's got past loads of people 🤦🏼‍♀️

Some editorial decisions are amazingly poor though MrsHamlet. Did you see the storm around Some Kids and What They Taught Me? Some of the comments about students and their race, class, disability were awful, and the publishers doubled down and backed the author.

The Flowflex nasal-only ones Mistress? They’re more accurate, at least a bit.

Yes that's them. They were certainly easier to use, and quicker for the result and doesn't rely on me having half an hour when I've not eaten

I didn't Lola... but I didn't really warm to her in person either.

Someone went through the book and showed all the problematic moments.
The parts I saw read like a series of anecdotes someone full of privilege might enjoy telling at naice dinner parties where they can show off what a good person they must be to work with children like that. I didn't get the impression she did much learning, more she viewed the students she worked with as fodder for her own ego.

The publishers stood by her apparently excellent teaching record, but others pointed out that most of these roles weren't actually teaching roles. The publishers and the author also refused to consider the safeguarding issues of identifying children and speaking of them in that way. It leaves me feeling very wary of DC ever being involved with visiting authors and I'd be asking questions in future.

She d actually work in the schools she writes about : she wasn't a visiting author. I liked the book when I read it but I did find some bits a bit dubious. hen it all kicked off, I did reflect unlike Kate that it was all a bit smug and self satisfied.

It really really needed a proper editor - but then they are mostly white, middle class, and lack knowledge about education (like most education journalists!). Her response to it really needed mediating.

That book is on the shelf in my kitchen waiting it's turn to be read. Some kids I taught and what they taught me. Think someone on here recommended it.

Good luck back at school Mistress - our terms are so different. I'll be starting half term tomorrow.

I know that piggy and was clumsy in my criticism earlier. I felt a lot was made about her amazing teaching career when most of the time she was in a nice little author role for various lengths of time. Much of her teacher status was all about her credibility in education, but she didn't spend long teaching.

I thought she was basically in inclusion units but I may have misremembered ...

It was probably me that recommended it...I have reevaluated a bit.

A colleague has tested positive (PCR) - so that's her half term gone

Oh no! That's miserable.

Thank you, Honey, at least I have in service so only need to be half awake..
Enjoy your holidays

Good luck to al those back in today. I have had a positive lat flow so off for a PCR test this morning 😭. Happy fucking half term!

So sorry to all of those testing positive on the first day of half term- same happened with ds2 . In some ways that was easier as I didn't have to worry about who would stay home with him, but he's had a few strops this week when his brother and sister have been out to do nice things and he's not been able to.

Wishing you all good weather and a VERY good rest.

Oh no Sure!

Brie I’m confused, are you now halfway through a two week half term?

That’s awful luck sure hoping beyond hope that lateral flow is a false positive.

I lolled at how many times children and schools are just blithely mentioned here:

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/covid19-cases-fall-november-plan-b-government-modelling-b962272.html

I am still bitter that I missed my entire summer holiday because of bastard covid.

Hmm so that article says

“It is understood ministers have seen forecasts by several groups, with cases dropping to around 5,000 a day before Christmas in one scenario, the Daily Telegraph reports.”

What’s the betting that that one scenario, modelled two weeks ago mind you, has boosters and teen jabs administered at least twice as fast as the reality; everyone including children naturally cutting down their social contacts and the new variant of delta suddenly disappearing?

Yep, pretty sure it will.

Oh to be in French schools

It is understood ministers have seen forecasts by several groups, with cases dropping to around 5,000 a day before Christmas in one scenario

Submitted in crayon with "Us4Them ROOLZ" given as the name.

Brie I’m confused, are you now halfway through a two week half term?

Hi @JanglyBeads, yes we are! Ds2 finisges isolation today so we're off to London for a few days - he hasn't missed his whole half term!