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.'

@namechangedyetagain fellow ECT here. You were so supportive to me last year, please try to be as kind to yourself. For various reasons, my class got very little done today, but I can argue why if needed. My data is really quite poor in many areas. Again, there are reasons and school is (generally) supportive. I am up to date (finally!!) on the TeachFirst platform. Hope you sleep and rest.

I need a blooming good sleep and to feel normal again. I don't fare well in the winter, grief is back with a vengeance. So I know I can't make any future decisions at the moment.

Equally the children, my partner teacher and TA are the only things making me haul myself into school.

At a previously good school. Recent chair of Gov quit, la monitoring visit and suddenly there's lots of talk of going over to academy.

Im trying things that slt / senco suggest with my tricky ones to no avail. Im on my second ta and everyone is being pushed from pillar to post. My cohort is so low and lacking independence (covid?) That I can't cope in core subjects by myself. Obviously i should but i can't. Have been told off for being negative. But I feel so lost and like im screaming but no one is listening.

I will be back over the weekend but tomorrow I need to take a break, eat nice food and just sit in a quiet room.

Having issues with a refuser, my data is not great

Literally the story of my life!! Honestly, every day.

Our year 3 data isn't good either. They've not had a whole year of school since reception, they are really 'young'. Complete lack of independence, extremely needy.

They'll turn a corner after xmas though, year 3 always do.

If it's any consolation my year 7 and 8 data was looking atrocious up until the most recent assessment. It takes a while at the best of times let alone after all the mayhem of covid. Plus whilst you are getting somewhere you then have end of term exhaustion (yours and theirs) to deal with that makes you feel you've gotten nowhere. Marking the most recent assessments you realise ah something has clicked and it turns out that I/they are not disastrous it's just the usual autumn term delay of brains kicking in and routines falling into place and repeated messaging finally getting through.

Who are these other people who said you weren't good enough? I can only remember you telling yourself that repeatedly last year Name. Telling someone off for being negative is a bit counterproductive. Have a good rest over the weekend and then make it through next week and then have Christmas off. Passing Christmas is a huge hurdle passed. No decisions now.

We are nearly there at the next 'there'.

Oh name try not to doubt yourself. First ECT year is so hard. Especially in autumn.

I was an NQT last year. I was very close to being put on a support plan. School were not supporting, head of department was great, but an behaviour was seen as entirely my fault.

It got so much better after Christmas. I could have stayed there. But I moved to another school and I’m so much happier (and a better teacher). It might be that the school is a bad fit for you.

I think it’s probably just that the autumn term is a bastard. Get some rest over Christmas and I’m sure the winter term will be better

twitter.com/docmoschos/status/1469579458537533440?s=21

Large french study shows R inside schools consistently higher than local community rates.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

Having issues with a refuser, my data is not great

Literally the story of my life!! Honestly, every day.

Our year 3 data isn't good either. They've not had a whole year of school since reception, they are really 'young'. Complete lack of independence, extremely needy.

They'll turn a corner after xmas though, year 3 always do.

I could have written this myself. I always feel despondent with December data - this year more than usual - but somehow they always get their act together after Christmas.

name I agree with the others that the first term of being an ECT is awful!! It's so exhausting, everything is new, people expect you to be able to do things as well as experienced teachers but that's impossible. Get yourself through to the end of term, being kind to yourself. Have a good rest over the holiday. Start again in January, hopefully feeling more refreshed and ready to tackle the difficulties in your class.

I was terrible in my nqt year, but I stuck it out and then changed to a better, more supportive school. So a change of school might be what you need, but you can't make decisions about that now while you're exhausted.

My nqt year (there was no such thing as an nqt then though) was 23 years ago. I can still remember the feeling of absolute exhaustion - I know I could not have taught for another five minutes that year. I only feel a little bit better now but I know now not to worry about it.

Hang on in there name and rest as much as you can this weekend.

And as for bad data.... mine wasn't a shock, it's such a slog atm but 😢😢

I'm trying to console myself about all the progress they will make ..... right? 😂

This term has been really hard. We're nearly there, don't give up!

Some of my year 10 have done disastrously in their assessments. That's not me... it's them!

Some of my year 10 have done disastrously in their assessments. That's not me... it's them

Mine too MrsH I teach bottom set. Every lesson feels like two steps forward one step back (some lessons it feels like three steps back).

Robert Halfon is at it again! I’m sure there would be loads of retired teachers who want to do unpaid teaching in covid-filled schools!

Heaven forbid they might actually pay this army of supply teachers to teach our nation's children.

I bet real supply teachers would be delighted to be undercut too.

It's the disgusting way that teachers and schools have been treated during this whole pandemic (and before) that will be the cause of me retiring early.
Would I fuck return at ALL, but unpaid? They're having a laugh.

Nope, Halfon , you dick , that's not going to work.

Some supply teachers are in their 70s anyway!

Volunteering in a vaccine centre is not the same as supply teaching. This is just so insulting. And says everything about what Halfon thinks teaching is.

Thanks for highlighting that, Appu

New thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4423678-The-Tories-STILL-dont-give-a-shit-about-your-kids-or-their-education

I've just read your post name and I feel your despair but don't give up. Please remember that even in a normal year, year 3 autumn term is a bastard- they are reeling from a combination of being off all summer, moving up to juniors ( what do you mean we don't have golden time every afternoon), higher expectations both academically and socially. This year given so many of them have had little formal infants school time they are truly terrible. They are needy, inattentive, on the whole very much behind in writing (although less so in maths and English) and lacking in general independence.
It will get better in the spring and by the summer you will have them fully trained up just in time to send them on to year 4.

My parents are both retired teachers.

The day they work for free in schools will be the same day hell opens it’s first ice rink. Idiots.

@Appuskidu

Robert Halfon is at it again! I’m sure there would be loads of retired teachers who want to do unpaid teaching in covid-filled schools!

Ha ha! No.

Bit late, but what a lovely last lesson, echt. Looking forward to hearing about your post-teaching life too .

Name, first term as an NQT was a complete shocker for me, don't give up. Everything gets a little easier after Christmas - the days get brighter, the weather gets warmer and the terms are shorter. I think in my first few years of teaching (I did the first 3 years in 3 different schools), I only really felt as if I was "flying" around February time. And I think most if not all teachers are on their knees now.... I've got to the stage where my marking pile is insurmountable....

I loved the bit about going round the country. :o

Do all these retired teachers have DBS clearance?

I love it that it's an army. Remember the mum's army proposed years ago? And the real army?

Remember the mum's army proposed years ago? And the real army?

Yes! Troops to teaching, wasn’t it?! Well, that went well!

Will Ofsted still be inspecting the lessons by those 70 year old volunteers, I wonder?!

Honestly, does Halfon not see the difference between retired nurses working fully masked, in a building with strict hygiene regimes and vaccinating one masked person at a time, and teaching 30 children in classrooms where there is no ventilation, nobody is vaccinated or wearing a mask?!

He is spouting such bollocks!

Us4Them were going to set up a volunteer army of concerned mums weren't they?

I wonder why Halfon decided to go for retired teachers and Ofsted inspectors instead.

All you need to know about ventilation in schools, courtesy of the land of echt:
(NB it says in conjunction with masks….)
twitter.com/pmgpsc/status/1444982942422339584?s=21