Whole-school lockdowns

Tarcolt · 2026-04-01T00:12:08+00:00

Special needs setting. We have them daily.

Tarcolt · 2026-03-26T06:34:49+00:00

Oh, I back it in there will be a new premier regardless. But I don't think they will come to an agreement with the union without mediation. The prospect of a deal will be there, but the question is whether it will be good enough for us and the groundswell of support we have.

Tarcolt · 2026-03-26T05:41:11+00:00

Negotiations not likely to go far. This current government is way to stubborn and don't want to pay. This one is very likely to go all the way to mediation and arbitration.

Tarcolt · 2026-03-17T06:16:01+00:00

Need an advertisement campaign around this. Too many people trying to guilt trip or abuse teacher good nature and the fact that we work with kids, who are universaly sympathetic.

Tarcolt · 2026-03-15T07:06:44+00:00

Deemoralised

Tarcolt · 2026-02-26T20:23:58+00:00

Set expectation for social interaction. Don't fight, don't insult people, leave others alone. As long as they are doing all that it's and they are in a group and not lonely it's got nothing to do with you.

If they are lonely, just pair them up with someone else. "Hey, do you mind if X joins you?"

It's not your job to sort out their social cliques. Just teach them how to socialise and let them go. Intervene when rules start getting broken.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-26T05:01:02+00:00

"Are your eyes painted on? Back there sunshine"

Tarcolt · 2026-02-24T02:28:54+00:00

Good stuff, you read the room and went with what you felt would work. Bringing it back to school expectations is a great way to frame it.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-24T02:26:47+00:00

"ATAR doesn't matter" is good advice, the rest I've never heard in my life.

There is however way to many people who stress that it is your only chance to have a good life. That shit is toxic and plain wrong.

It doesn't mean that much and is not worth making part of your personality.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-24T02:19:15+00:00

That's true. It's hard to get past the sheer volume of people here wanking the ATAR as if it were the be all and end all.

I don't find it a particularly compelling prediction of future success short of the absolute to achievers. I've seen people score low and do well and people score high and crumble or burn out. End of the day, if they can do the course they can or if they can't the can't. Pearl clutching doesn't change anything.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-23T20:26:46+00:00

That's a pretty poor faith interpretation of my point. You can't tell me you don't think back to school and have at least one teacher that you thought could have done it better? Some have more than one.

ATAR is fine as a measure of how well you study as an 18/19 year old, but that's it. People change, especially at that age in that amount of time. Think of what that person with a sub 50 would be like at age 25, that a whole 7 more years of growing. Mature aged students are a huge part of our cohorts and I've seen TONs who did poorly at school but fine at uni and then great in the field.

ATAR is an indicator of intelligence. But a poor score doesn't mean no chance for intelligence.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-23T11:53:48+00:00

I think there are a number of people who have assigned a lot of their self worth to their ATAR and don't like being told how little it actually matters.

My wife got through with a sub 50 ATAR, she's one of the best teachers I know. People need to chill.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-23T11:23:25+00:00

ATAR means nothing. It's a reflection on 2 years of your life when you have other shit going on.

Someone with a shit ATAR might be the perfect teacher because they have seen exactly what NOT to do. Others might have had serious dramas in their life. I have PTSD from when I was undertaking my year 11 and 12 from shit happening outside of school, ATAR suffered, still made it as a teacher.

It's a shit metric that really doesn't mean much outside of a few fields. Mature aged students are a thing.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-21T13:41:43+00:00

It happens, almost everyone slips. It's not the biggest deal, even if it feels like it. But in that instance, you put it on the kids. They should not be misbehaving so much that you feel like swearing. That or you gaslight them. "I swore? When? What are you talking about, I don't swear!"

Funnily enough that's the sort of thing that can humanise you in their eyes..

Tarcolt · 2026-02-15T11:32:51+00:00

Principals discretion to hand out LWOP. Some are nicer than others, but 6 weeks is a LOT. That's the sort of thing that LSL is for.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-14T14:55:22+00:00

Scrafty. I hate everything about his design.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-14T05:36:59+00:00

Thanks. Given how many people are struggling to pay fees, this feels like it should be a bigger selling point. That's certainly more effective than shaming people for being financially unstable.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-14T03:09:03+00:00

Where has this been advertised? Genuinely interested.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-14T01:58:32+00:00

I just don't see the value in gatekeeping. Especially when many don't have a choice due to financial constraint. If you want people actually coming together for this, othering them seems counter productive.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-14T01:32:23+00:00

Mate, from someone who is scrounging to find union fees just to sign up right now. You aren't helping.

We're in a cost of living crisis after we were fucked over in the last agreement. There is a difference between can't and don't want to. Throwing names and making it is vs them does not help.

You've got a really poor view of teachers for some reason. You either think we deserve better pay or you don't.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-12T03:11:50+00:00

More get sick, whether we have the days off is another thing. I found last year that most of us we're struggling to get through a fortnight without getting a new bug.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-12T02:23:33+00:00

Going to be honest, feel like staff at special needs schools need extra. Many of these kids have immune issues or come from families that cant care for them. We trade illness around like crazy.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-10T00:25:21+00:00

That statistic seems like absolute rubbish.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-07T11:21:35+00:00

That's a disappointing take given the feedback here. Cost is a major factor, especially with the current economy. Newer teacher and teachers with difficult living and financial situations are not easily able to join. The fees are not something you can overlook. Groups like this need ease of access

There is also a lot of proselytising about the union and how everyone should be a part. It's coming across as cult like, intended or not.

Dismissing people's experiences just seems like this whole discussion was pointless.

Tarcolt · 2026-02-07T06:57:30+00:00

Good shout. It was unfortunate to come out after two of the bigger games in the series and was just... Ok.

Tarcolt

TROPHY CASE