Support and Teaching Staff Safe Space - bring biscuits! (edited by MNHQ)

[BehindTheSequinsandStilettos]

Didn't we have an inner staff room within The Staffroom - you know, where we could chat and vent about the week?
Am I being stupid or has it gone?
Rough week, needed to chat x

I have had a really lovely break.
Only switched my laptop on for about 30 minutes earlier to check emails and just go through tomorrows lessons.

I don't really want to go in tomorrow but this will be my last half term in the run up to Christmas as I'm retiring next year so I'm going to try and enjoy it.

Hi all, hope you don’t mind if I join. Have been teaching in a secondary school for over 20 years and really dreading going back tomorrow 😔. I found last half term really tough (combination of some difficult classes and all the usual stresses of teaching plus stuff with my own children at home). Feel like I’ve hardly relaxed over half term and so not ready to go back! I do love my job but find the relentless pace never gets any easier. I long for a job where I could hide behind a desk when I’m having a bad day but in teaching that’s never an option!

Im nervous about going back.

Got the first half term under my belt but I don't feel like I've found my feet yet (I'm a trainee TA).

Finding it hard juggling everything and also the job itself is physically exhausting! And mentally draining there's so much to remember and get to grips with.

Absolutely love it though!

We got through the first day back.
here's some cake - we all deserve it

There's been a huge increase in completely unregulated kids on my first day back. This has only been going on for the last year or two and seems to be the accepted new normal. Same as kids not doing any revision for their first set of mock exams.

Hi all. Year 11s in my new school are a nightmare. (I do Supply). Am I right in thinking these were Year 7 when COVID broke out? I lose track…

They were in Y6, so no SATs. This will be their first big assessment in a very long time.

I like my year 11s. Year 10 seem more stunted developmentally. Year 12dodn't seem to know how to speak up. Year 13 are really confident. I'm not sure this is all down to Covid.

@Piggywaspushed same. Don't tell my 11s I said that though. That would never do!

Evening All,

Busy week for me this week Parents evening until 6.45 2 days, plus my first lesson demo to other teachers which I am feeling a little nervous for, but I am hopeful my lovely bunch will do me proud ( I may have bribed them just a little with some reward time...)
Week 2...let's go!

I’m struggling to keep going in the evening with the dark nights. I have work I should do but my brain just seems to shut down once the sun goes! Anyone else feel the same?

@OhBeAFineGuyKissMe do you have to do work every night? Would maybe planning a night off to look forward to make the work nights a bit more bearable? Or nice snacks while working? Sorry I'm only a trainee so this is all new to me aswell

If anyone has any tips on juggling being a trainee TA so placement plus college plus (large) family life plus all the usual life admin that would be much appreciated!

I feel like I'm getting so much wrong at school because there's so much I don't know yet and I'm doing exactly the same job as the qualified staff just for no pay (yet!)

Good morning.
I just put my shirt in the drier to warm up as it's 4 bloody degrees out there and all the buttons have pinged off! I think my Pudsey onesie will be frowned upon and am now wearing a crappy tee underneath my ruined shirt. Boo!
How many weeks to go?!

Isn't it Children in Need time? Your onesie might have been right on the mark!

Our Y11 are even more lethargic post-mocks than before. There is just zero motivation to work and I'm tearing my hair out trying to engage them.

And it's full moon time and it shows. Honestly, I am sitting here nursing my drink and contemplating my life choices. Only semi-joking.

@OhBeAFineGuyKissMe My SAD lamp has been going for the best part of the year; it's been so dark and grey, even over summer. Do you have one? They are a great aid.

Nah, we weren't doing this year. I kept the tee and covered it with a floaty scarf. Thank God it's Friday. I am going to eat a pack of Tunnock's Teacakes, watch Hot Frosty on Netflix and chill my boots.
Wishing you all a toasty weekend Xx

Our year 11s are quite apathetic this year too. Our mocks aren't until January. Wonder if they'll change...

I've been on the year 6/7 camp this week and I'm utterly exhausted. The lowest point of the week was a Dad collecting his child at 11.30pm at night after she sent him a text (They weren't supposed to have phones). He arrived shouting and swearing and actually squared up to me when I told him to calm down.
Thank god that's over! Sending hugs to all teachers. I'm just reading a nasty teacher bashing thread in AIBU. Some parents have no clue what we do.

That is seriously rubbish. Children having phones causes so many problems.

I had a really long day yesterday - out from 6.30am until 11pm. A day in bed / being a coach potatoe today. Any good series to binge watch?

I'm really enjoying the resident on netflix. Bit far fetched at times but an easy watch!

@fixme that sounds horrible 😢

Hope everyone is still doing OK. I have had a good couple of weeks back so far which is nice.

It's been completely kaiboshed this weekend though! I have a cold which is rubbish but DH is really ill 🤒
He has sinusitis causing trigeminal neuralgia which us incredibly painful 😢 zero sleep as lying down hurts but also gets waves of pain sat up. W visits to A&E to try to sort pain relief (still not got anything that works properly- he now has something for nerve pain but it can take a few days to work).

So, I have been supporting and looking after him, on the phone to 111 multiple times and then had to ring again as A&E gave a hospital prescription that you can only collect from hospital pharmacy....which is closed on Sundays 🤯 finally got out of hours to redo it so had to trek out to collect it. Also had to arrange someone to take ds to/from school tomorrow as dh isn't well enough to drive.

He is completely exhausted and still struggling. I am totally shattered too. Got a pretty full day tomorrow and still may end up driving him back to hospital yet.

It's going to be a struggle tomorrow and I feel totally unprepared- lessons are there as we are centrally planned and thankfully, did my printing Friday, but I haven't looked over the lessons so will have to totally wing it 🤯😳

Wow that was long but good to offload 🤣

That sounds so tough. So much to deal with, I hope your DH is feeling better now and you can have some down time.

Happy New Year.
Struggling with snow and insomnia.
Hope you are all faring better x

Had 2 snow days so not been into school yet. I teach in a rural village school so driving conditions are bad.

No snow here. Just flooding and ice making my journey to and from school ‘fun’.
Year 11 mocks. I’m and English teacher. We do all the papers. So. Much. Marking.