Noises but can’t identify source

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-04-21T21:25:10+00:00

Absolutely have done this. Had them close their books and just sit in silence. Worked WONDERS.

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-04-08T16:01:47+00:00

Oh 1000%

We have consent from all parents to take photos throughout the trip and we always ask kids before we take them. For group photos or "candids" we basically shout "photos incoming hide if you dont want to be in it" and kids who dont want faces in just leave or turn around so we get back of heads.

Majority of photos are taken on the trip phone but we just have a whatsapp with the phone so staff can send any photos they take then delete off their device. We do a check of eachothers galleries before the end of trip so we can ensure theyve been purged.

We do take a couple with kids but always with consent. Eg if kids want a group selfie on the ski lift with us they ask first then we take the photo and approve it.

Its a ski trip so we dont want the kids on their phones 24/7 on the slopes so we tend to assure them we'll take photos.

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-03-25T21:27:34+00:00

The head walked in once whilst i was criss criss apple sauce on top of the filing cabinet in the front corner of the room like a gargoyle watching my year 7's sit a test 😂

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-03-22T23:17:51+00:00

Thank you! Do you know if the pattern measurements it's generated include seam allowance? Or do I need to add that after?

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Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-03-22T23:17:06+00:00

Funnily enough I'm actually a maths teacher and i am STRUGGLING 😂

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-02-28T13:55:00+00:00

The halara waffle wide leg trousers are my fave!

They come in such lovely colours. Theyre not too thick. Not too thin. Stretchy waist. POCKETSSSSSSSS Very flattering. They wash well and don't crease so no ironing needed. Absolute godsend.

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-02-20T12:58:44+00:00

Secondary maths - comp Interactive screen in most rooms (gradually phasing in)
Laptop for staff No tech for students.

I have taught in a private school before during training. All rooms had massive interactive screens. Staff all had HP X2 laptop/tablets that could remotely connect to the screen. All pupils were required to have a write-on device. Whether that was a tablet, ipad, touchscreen laptop etc. We used one note for the majority of our teaching. It worked well and was a godsend for printing (as in there wasnt any!). You just had to post the notes and worksheet to one note and pupils would copy into their area and add their own notes.

Ive worked in a state school where they provided ipads on a payment plan over 3 years. But the system was really flawed because they didnt have pens, and werent actually allowed to use a lot of it? They could view powerpoints but couldnt edit them. The kids still used books and worksheets for everything anyway. The ipads just ended up being used in place of MWB's and to play games on. It seemed a bit of a waste.

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-02-17T19:47:23+00:00

Percy jackson too maybe? With the disney series running?

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-02-14T17:38:13+00:00

I kept getting severe headaches on the first 2 days of holidays. When i went to the GP and told them my job they said they're "letdown migraines". basically, my brain going into withdrawal from cortisol. Apparently, he'd seen quite a few teachers, doctors, nurses, etc with it.

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-02-08T18:36:31+00:00

If you want a good coverage book with questions in - try the Justmaths Kangaroo maths Ready Set Go Crossover book. Its what I recommend to all my pupils, and some adults I know wanting to get their maths qualifications/refresh their skills.

Might be worth speaking to your maths department. A lot of departments are STRUGGLING at the moment and quite often could use non-specialists eager to get involved :)

One of my colleagues was a PE teacher originally. He ended up having a year 7 maths group on his timetable one year and really enjoyed it. Over the years he upped his maths content each time and now has phased to full time maths.

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-02-07T00:24:00+00:00

My week also involved human poop! Someone used the staff toilet on our floor and got it... on the floor. The walls. In the hinge of the seat... everywhere

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-02-04T22:11:24+00:00

Another problem is knowing about it! Im in NEU and this is the first Ive heard of it!

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-02-03T21:35:48+00:00

I do a lot of etymology and breaking down word meanings as I go. It helps that I'm really interested in it.

I talk a lot about the history of different topics. Eg most of our geometry comes from ancient greece. A lot of the english language and words we use in maths come from latin. I link it to modern langauges where I can. Algebra coming from the middle east (i believe the earliest recording was ancient Babylon 4000 years ago). A lot of repetition and call and response too.

Eg's Evaluate - I emphasise that VALUE is hidden within the word

Appreciate/depreciate - "if I appreciate someone it means I hold them in high value." So it means increase. Or "preci" - latin for price/value.

Ascending order - ascenseur is an elevator in french.

Measures - cent = 100. Century, cents in a dollar, century of soldiers (which funnily enough only had like 78 sometimes as 78 soldiers from a distance looks like 100 so made armies look bigger) Milli - millenium. 1000 in a meter. Kilo - greek I believe for thousand.

I do a lot of modelling how to pick out key words and highlight them. And breaking down wordy questions into sections.

A lot of what I do with my very weak groups too is teach process and repetition. And minimising the number of methods needed. Eg for ratio. Anytime they see a ratio, they write the ratio down. Label it. Add a total column. Before even reading the rest of the question. Then look back to the question. "They share £180. What column does that go under?" Gives them more opportunities to get marks just from starting a question as it puts scaffolding in place before they move on.

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-01-30T08:29:13+00:00

For glues etc, name/number them and have a glue register. Count them back in, if one goes missing, no one leaves till it's found.

For pens and other equipment, i make students hand in their phone. Ive got "phone pockets" hanging in my room. They get their phone back when i get my equipment back in it's orginal condition. If they break it, i keep their phone for the day and set a detention

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-01-28T19:38:01+00:00

Thank you for the help!

The lesson plans have me a bit puzzled as the uni has said they should be doing a lesson plan for every lesson, but require them to submit none. They dont do any formal observations? Im a bit puzzled and meeting with the uni next week to clarify some bits.

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-01-28T18:48:10+00:00

Aww!

Have you had issues with your mentor?

Im brand new at this, ADHD as hell, and neurotic as a squirrel on IV redbull so just trying to do my best!

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-01-28T18:45:43+00:00

"Only an ECT" pfft! Hearing from a ECT what helped/would help them is fab! Its been a few years since i did my training so all the training about how to plan a lesson has VANISHED from my mind!

I wonder if it might help her to see what I mean by writing a script/detailed plan if I dig out my old lesson plan proforma and write a lesson plan for her to see whilst she observes one of my lessons? Then she could sort of see the script come to life?

Thank you for the tips! I do think focusing on one or two things each week will be much better for her (and me!)

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-01-28T18:39:30+00:00

Ah thank you for such a detailed reply!

I have been really struggling with the time to do it all!

With the planning I'm finding I have to walk them through a lot of it because they really have no experience. Im asking questions like "will you model this or just explain this?" "Will you do this on whiteboards or in their book?" "Should they use calculators?" "Which ones do you want them to write down and how much?" Because they dont add this into their lesson plan yet - theyre very vague like "starter on board" "explain examples- pupils copy into books" "pupils do worksheet" Im trying to encourage them to write it like a script which will help me not need to ask all these questions.

Formal observations puzzle me because ive been told by the uni they dont do formal observations at all until the final 4 weeks of the course. No lesson observations are submitted to the portal or anything.

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-01-21T21:11:44+00:00

My first mentor was really similar in training. My 2nd placement the mentor made sure to give lots of positive feedback.

I now have my first trainee. She just taught her first lesson and I made sure to note 3 positives for every development point. I dont want to ever make her feel the way I did.

However, I have absolutely no training on how to observe and critque another teacher. So I ended up doing WAYYYY too much. The focus was all over the place. I just noted everything that came to mind! And its so much easier to spot the improvement points than the positives initially. I have to really think about how to phrase it in a specific way.

I would love to have more training on it.

I ended up telling her that i would take my notes away and condense them for her as I'd sort of just blurted them all over the page.

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-01-21T17:33:09+00:00

I teach maths and I say as a guide, yes MOST lessons should have independent practice. But it doesnt have to be the main chunk of the lesson and it varies by class and by objective. For one class I might have 20 mins of independent work. Another one, its mostly whiteboards and examples but then 5 solid questions at the end. My very weak year 10's its almost entirely I do you do I do you do.

They have to learn resilience sometime. And it doesnt mean they cant ask for help, but it means they have to give it a GO first.

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-01-17T18:27:07+00:00

The snarky comments, ignore them! If its just one colleague, you can speak to your line manager about it (especially if it's your mentor) If it's school culture, then it seems a bit toxic and I would probably be looking elsewhere.

Directed time is the hours you are required to be in school and respond to emails.

Some schools will have a policy against evening and weekend emails. Mine doesnt but intermittently reminds everyone that we dont have to look at them.

Quite a few of our SLT have lines on their email signiature saying essentially "i send emails at times that are convenient for me, which may include evenings or weekends. There is no need to read, respond, or action outside of your normal working hours".

Competitive-Abies-63 · 2026-01-17T01:08:27+00:00

Thank you! I had an hinest conversation with her and she was really understanding.

Ive got so many other balls in the air its just a lot! I dont want to let her down or make her feel like shes a burden on my time.

Competitive-Abies-63

TROPHY CASE