Sixty-Eighth Republic - still under temporary guardianship…

[MrsHerculePoirot]

In the absence of staff and her fabulous thread titles and witty openers here is a 68th thread. The broom cupboard is overflowing so time for another Republic. Hopefully we hear from staff soon.

Stolen from previous threads…
'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.'

Ooh, I missed this news. Very good.

Really good news about the booster!

Our school 12-15 vaccines were last Friday and there were quite a few spares at the end because a lot of pupils had got fed up of waiting for a date and already had them done elsewhere.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a spare (they offered to all under 50 as ling as 5 months+ since second dose) because next month I will be 5 months since my last dose, not this month

It reminded me of lots of those posters who kept telling me last March/April/May that the delayed rollout to 40-49 group wouldn’t matter in a few weeks as I’d forget about it, to stop whining or that education staff were awful for wanting the vaccine.
Well, it did matter in this instance!

Knowing I might get a booster in January helps a lot of the disappointment I had on Friday. Covid is rife throughout my school and it’s soul destroying.

Whenshewasbad form time must be part of contact time though, surely? So the children shouldn't have to spend longer in school than they do anywhere else? (Is it a private school?

Not private Mistress I’d have to check my hours. SLT sweat it fits in with directed time. To be fair most staff have more frees than we should have so everyone is happy (well happy ish )

So pleased the over 40s get boosters.

On the NHS website it says it’ll update from Nov 22nd to allow under 50s to book boosters.

OMG - my school is mental AGAIN. Just like last November/December. I can't believe that was a year ago, but here we are. Whole classes with no staff because teachers and TAs have covid, me a lemon, staff being taken from all over the place to make sure numbers are in place in EYFS, kids everywhere with coughs, but no official child covid absences. Only the slightly hopeless supply teachers left, none tomorrow so TAs covering.

I'm already dreading tomorrow.

I'm very happy about post 40 boosters.

You’re a 🍋 Rule??

Here in Melbourne there have been no cases at my school, and I hope heartily we'll get through to the end of the academic year: 17th December, I'm looking at you!!.

Teachers were pushed to the front of the queue for vaccines at the end of the last lockdown but one. Indeed we were not allowed in the building without the vaccine passport.

Much sympathy for all my UK Republican colleagues on enduring the illness itself and the chaos of managing so many absences.

Ooh not long now Echt!

Yes, a lemon - as in, my first day back today, I needed to take it easy and sort out what the f had happened in my class last week. But no, I get in at 7.45, have 10 minutes to sort out my own day then spend 45 minutes sorting out supply cover and so on. Nightmare.

We only have tas for 1:1 high needs children. We have lots of tas out. The supply agencies have no staff to send us. Exhausted and stressed is the mood at my place. It is reassuring that it isn't just us but still stressful. Feels like all the crazy has been going on a long, long time now. Everyone is so tired. When are we going to get back to just normal tough job?

Latest on tiktoks:
www.tes.com/news/appalling-teacher-abuse-videos-evade-tiktok-action

Anti bullying week being see at our place to launch a email address to report stuff (I think), which when I first saw it thought was something to do with said SM platform

[email protected]

*com

Let’s try that whole para again, sorry

Anti bullying week being used at our place to launch an email address to report stuff (I think). Unfortunately when I first saw it I thought was something to do with said SM platform -

[email protected]

It feels like Friday. So much illness.

The kids in one of our classes (with both main staff off positive) are beginning to go down now too. And the kids in year 6 at my own child's school are all out after catching it on their residential last week. Oops.

What actually happens when there is no supply available? We'd have to close some classes?

Yes, a (primary) school I know of has 4/14 classes closed because they have no staff to staff them, not because of cases in children.

A primary school near me has completely closed. 10 teachers down.

Also, a school can't run entirely on supply - or 50% on supply. That leaves the other 50% of staff in a right flipping state. No education of note would be happening- just lots of busy-work.

This article is perfect re schools (although should it it be “sleptwalked”??):

www.newstatesman.com/comment/2021/11/how-the-uk-sleepwalked-into-another-covid-disaster

Aargh. Can't sleep, am really not in a good place rn. I am wondering if teaching is for me. Have had such a bad week, a terrible first observation which I can't get over. My confidence is shattered. I have lost any ability at all to teach. Have another one coming up this week and i seem at the point where i can't face going in. And I'm literally losing sleep. I think ive made a huge mistake .i know one bad obs isn't everything but I'm now so worried about it all. And i can't pick myself up from it.

I will come back tonight and there's so much going on and I'm not feeling that supported outside of being given my time out of class and ect sessions.

I genuinely can promise you name that virtually everyone has felt exactly as you at some point in their school career. It sucks but you are not alone, not doing anything wrong and not necessarily wrong for teaching.

That school might not be for you name rather than teaching. I’d consider if you might be better looking elsewhere. If not now then maybe when you have finished the ECT programme.
In the meantime, take a step back emotionally.

1. Observation is in the past. It will be the making of you, as in, you’ll learn from it. We’ve all had ones that have not gone well-usually out of our control. Think of just one area you will focus on (worrying about any more is too much at this stage)

1. You aren’t being supported and that is not your fault. It’s a rubbish time for all and probably means everyone in your school is just treading water at the minute. Be kind to yourself and acknowledge everyone is grateful you are there: pupils, parents and staff.

1. What positives have happened? Beautiful work produced? Smiles on little faces? Kids happy to come to school? The fact you are getting through each day? You rock, name. You just need to be reminded of it.

1. If you get a moment this week, pen an email or speak to someone at school. Even the union rep but doesn’t have to be. You’ll feel a weight off your shoulders even if nothing can be fixed there and then.

You’ve got this name

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

The kids in one of our classes (with both main staff off positive) are beginning to go down now too. And the kids in year 6 at my own child's school are all out after catching it on their residential last week. Oops.

What actually happens when there is no supply available? We'd have to close some classes?

That's happened to one of the schools near me. Y6 went on residential last week and now near enough half of the year group have Covid.

We've got our own residential coming up in a few months and I'm really hoping we don't have the same thing. We did a one last year and it had no impact on the spread of coronavirus so fingers crossed.

Thank you @ChloeDecker . Positive is I've had some lovely comments from parents about how happy their children are to come into school and how they've been excited about what they've been learning. I also have a lovely partner teacher.

But the rest I can't do. Im worried I'll end up on capability or something after last weeks obs that was graded inadequate.

@namechangedyetagain first of all lessons shouldn't be graded so that is bobbins.

Talk to us about what was said about it - either here or by pm - and we can try to help. Between us, we have hundreds of years in the classroom to draw on.

As for support, are you getting your hour a week with your mentor?