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.'

I thought the same noble. I was surprised to hear about a daily SLT meeting, let alone at that hour in the morning.

You’ve all focused on middle class though. Working class means something too and I think trying to sweep that identity and ability to identify yourself as a class with shared interests would be politically disempowering. Plus people can be proudly working class with no desire to be seen as or called middle class.

I’m not at all surprised thatcher wanted to do away with it.

Schools never think equality impact.

I didn't do that ! I said the whole Tory assumption is that people don't want to be working class and that there is no pride

Sorry. It’s just interesting that most people focused on what it means to be middle class.

And I find the American approach well intentioned but depoliticised and how do what we call the working class mobilise when caught up in a fiction that everybody bar the homeless and the mega rich are in the same boat.

I’m reminded of that sickening we’re all in this together of the tories for selling austerity measures. No we fuckin’ ain’t mate!

I missed out the word rhetoric sorry.

Yup, honey. The whole 'squeezed middle ' thing too...

And I find the American approach well intentioned but depoliticised and how do what we call the working class mobilise when caught up in a fiction that everybody bar the homeless and the mega rich are in the same boat

Australia has a bit of this, a formal denial of class, but it exists in the discourse of battlers, bogans and cashed -up bogans. And of course there are swathes of society on low incomes. The land of the fair go is far from the truth.

@TheHoneyBadger

How is it the middle if there’s no working class? That seems a bit like a denial of income and opportunities by semantics. I’m talking about socioeconomic groups rather than poshness or making a comment on worth when I talk about classes.

Interesting to hear about the American take on it but surely there’s even bigger disparities between a lawyer and a janitor in the USA given the cost of education and healthcare? Doesn’t that get swept under the rug by linguistically pretending they’re in the same socioeconomic lane?

I did say in theory, and the reality can be quite different!

But in my opinion I like the idea of middle encompassing a much larger amount of people. Middle being...perhaps people who can afford to live on their salary rather than having the connotation of being a bit fancier. You know? It's hard to explain online!

And obviously the US is one of the worst countries for divide between the rich and the poor.

But a big difference is that class is more fluid there too. See the Marcus Rashford post above re: income and background here.

Triple posting on myself, but I do find this all interesting as an immigrant and someone who doesn't fit into it all here. I enjoyed reading all of your takes, as the general class threads on MN do go a bit mad and hard to follow.

@namechangedyetagain I don’t write much at all (very lucky to work in a school where there is no standardised planning format) - but would focus on what is the key learning in this lesson, stem sentences, key questions etc. Basically what am I going to say alongside the ppt, how will I challenge, who will I target for extra support etc.

The ncetm pd materials are amazing for further developing your subject knowledge & thinking about precise use of language. You will have to sift through to tie them up to WR but they are really great documents.

I actually didn't work much over the holidays so it's my fault I'm feeling stressed!

Never think like this name! It is never a teacher’s fault that they are always chasing their tails. Get some sleep tonight and tomorrow is just another day!

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

She wants to be a politician.

I think so too. I won't be surprised if she becomes a Tory MP next election and eventually education secretary! There is a reason she is being so loud on social media and doing all these interviews.

Lying in bed listening to the wind howling around the house and the rain pelting it down outside... Today is going to be fabulous

I am so tired, this does not bode well for today (or this week).

Good luck to all of you back today in whatever capacity.

Long and fascinating unpicking of JCVI minutes:

mobile.twitter.com/karamballes/status/1454235882400145414

@eitak22 also very tired here. Already.
Good luck for today everyone!

Good luck everyone back today.

Still no test results here. How long are PCR results taking these days?

Last time it was only 9 hours, I was expecting it to be here overnight.

New thread needed in 3 posts!!!

Not sure Rule, let’s hope they arrive soon.

I really came on to wish everyone the best with the new term, and to say to @CarrieBlue 😮 at that poster on the other thread saying “surely one of the points of vaccination is so we can go on holiday”!

@JanglyBeads - glad it wasn’t just me who was at that!

Still no effing results. What do I do about tomorrow? Officially from a covid pov I can go in, but partner not really in a state to look after child alone right now.

Ask for compassionate leave on those grounds??