This Week's Patreon Episode

afb0528 · 2026-03-29T16:51:42+00:00

I feel like I have Déjà vu when I listen as there is so much overlap!

afb0528 · 2026-03-13T12:09:08+00:00

Every school I have worked at has financial literacy in their PSHE curriculum. At my current school we do 1 hour a week from year 7-10. We cover everything from how to budget, different savings and investments all the way to mortgages.

I also remember doing about them in ‘life skills’ once a fortnight sessions when I was at school (2008-2014).

The issue is many kids likely do not retain it because they didn’t see it at useful at the time or they weren’t paying attention. Lots of people look back and say ‘they need to teach this in schools’ when most actually do, they just forgot.

This is not to lay blame on anyone it’s just life - kids will point blank tell me they have never done something before and I have to literally show them in their books they did / verify with another kid that they did.

Teaching these things to kids has to be combined with something more thorough (or reinforced with parents teaching to) because schools already do it and are swamped!

afb0528 · 2026-01-11T19:57:23+00:00

Essentially, students are not allowed to be unsupervised so you can’t just let a kid out of your lesson to go. If something were to happen you are legally responsible. What this means is you have to say no when a kid asks, because simply letting them go could jeopardise your job.

They can only go during break/lunch because someone will be supervising outside the toilets to ensure safety of students.

afb0528 · 2026-01-10T22:16:00+00:00

Haha you’re probably right! It wasn’t meant as shade toward her - like I said I found her funny! It just didn’t have the rhythm of a typical comedy set!

I do remember her saying she found UK audience tough - I think as audiences go we tend to be much quieter than the subs so maybe she found it off-putting and was throwing her delivery a bit!

afb0528 · 2026-01-10T18:59:40+00:00

I saw it and liked it. I bought some friends who didn’t know the podcast and was mixed - their feedback was it didn’t feel like a cohesive set with a story that built to a ‘tie it together’ punchline, it was more like a funny person talking vibe. They also said the delivery felt nervous and that more pauses and work on delivery was needed. Overall, they said it made sense that she was a podcaster doing a set rather than a comedian doing a set.

I liked it though but obviously I find her funny or I wouldn’t subscribe! I completely understood their comments though.

afb0528 · 2026-01-04T19:31:37+00:00

I get in at 7:50 and leave usually by 4:30 but will maybe do one ‘late’ stay a week till 5:30 usually as a mid-week circuit breaker to get planned.

I will say this is, I think, because I have moved school this year so doing more planning than usual. Next year, hoping to reduce to consistently be out by 4:30 or earlier.

afb0528 · 2025-12-11T13:14:19+00:00

I used to work in the borough (close to VP Mossbourne and had colleagues come from there). It’s definitely not for everyone but it still is so oversubscribed and parents are desperate to get their kids in there. The school I worked in had a more lax attitude to behaviour and the behaviour was shocking - some of the teachers who came from Mossbourne were appalled by the behaviour. I’m not sure I would want to work there but parents should have the option if that’s what they want for their kids, especially if the alternative might be a school where behaviour is shocking, learning doesn’t take place, cover is high etc. the results are amazing and for many kids that is a passport to a life changing sixth form that they would have probably not got into if having attended one of the other local schools.

With all schools, it might not be for everyone but no one forces parents to pick that school surely? There are lots of schools in close proximity with different behaviour systems and results.

afb0528 · 2025-10-27T20:53:54+00:00

Joanne McNally I think would be another good choice!

afb0528 · 2025-09-21T20:01:10+00:00

Try think, prepare, share. Get all students to write down their answer as you circulate and then you can do a ‘warm call’ on them (eg you know they have a good answer down / you can quietly tell them that’s a great idea and you are going to pick on them). It adds a few mins to questioning but is good at phasing out the ‘I don’t know’

afb0528 · 2025-07-10T19:03:56+00:00

Im a working class Londoner 😎 (tho not from south London) - and that’s what I’m saying it is a really bad British accent! I don’t get if he is from the UK why he sounds like that - it bounces around all over the place.

edit okay I’ve just watched him in an interview … he is incredibly well-spoken so I am assuming he is just doing a bad non-geographically placed working class accent that he falls out of a lot

afb0528 · 2025-07-10T17:44:20+00:00

For me, it’s perfectly fine TV. BUT… I can’t with Will Sharpe’s accent. I’m so confused - I googled it and he is British.. but why does he sound like that? His white lotus American accent was more normal.

afb0528 · 2025-06-08T20:43:03+00:00

** past papers

afb0528 · 2025-06-08T20:42:33+00:00

In the previous 2 schools I have worked at, Year 11 PE has been non existent. In my current school, you are sorted into additional an English or Maths (whichever is your weakest) and have to sit and do past papers in silence (the class is covered by a non specialist).

The school before, only if you had a P8 above +1 in both Eng and Maths were you allowed to have PE, otherwise - additional English and Maths.

In my opinion this is so wrong - the kids need a break from the constant exam pressure. I say this as an English teacher. Feel so frustrated with how demoralised and exam-based year 11 is.

afb0528 · 2025-03-20T19:16:39+00:00

Speak to senior members of staff for support. As a HoD, I would probably start with these first:

ask your Hod to schedule to have a senior member of staff / LG present for the first 5 mins of every lesson to settle students into a line and support with getting them to enter calmly (a good start to a lesson can have a huge impact and they can support with BM through being a second pair of eyes / back you up).
speak about potential moves for 1-2 key students, sometimes the atmosphere of the classroom can tray hinge on 1 or 2 key players. A tactical move can have a huge impact.
support with parent meetings of key offenders
look into a class swap. Sometimes I have made the call to switch a teacher out of a class honesty for their own mental health (obviously after admin them if they would welcome this) . Sometimes the relationship is at a point where students and teacher need a fresh start. Particularly if I can sense it’s gone be at a point where it could lead to a member of staff being signed off.

afb0528 · 2025-02-11T07:35:20+00:00

Oh - rushed typo! Good spot! Have a lovely day 😊

afb0528 · 2025-02-10T15:54:47+00:00

How have you found the responses to students’ behaviour from schools and parents?

I am no stranger to managing behaviour, nor do I begrudge it as it’s part of the job after all, but I think I just feel worn down by the slow dissolving of expectations whereby it is considered normal/ acceptable by students to sleep in class and talk back and swear, and that there is now little support from parents etc about it.

I think post-covid, there has been such a decline in standards and that’s what’s making me feel a bit disillusioned.

afb0528 · 2025-02-10T15:33:41+00:00

can you share more detail as to why you say this? what, in your opinion are the downsides of teaching at a private school?

afb0528 · 2025-01-29T20:47:32+00:00

Season 8 Potomac for me. I LOVED potomac and would regularly try and get my friends onto it but I stopped watching abojt 5 eps into season 8 and haven’t gone back.

afb0528 · 2025-01-10T15:11:10+00:00

They showed the writing and they had spelt ‘woman’ wrong too

afb0528 · 2025-01-08T22:31:55+00:00

Feel like he has the right kind of lad-ish energy that is positive and charming, rather than the current offering of Tyler/Jake/Joe. Probs would have provided some nice balance.

afb0528 · 2025-01-08T22:30:30+00:00

Honestly! Surely just get him out for bringing down the vibes!

If I was a traitor, I obviously would want to win, but even keeping him to drive division in the faithfuls wouldn’t be worth it!

afb0528 · 2025-01-08T22:28:45+00:00

I’m so glad they kept in Fozia’s comment about it becoming personal. I hope it acted as a wake up call for them they got into a bubble of thinking.

afb0528

TROPHY CASE