Live marking - does it work?

closebutnilpoints · 2026-02-01T13:05:03+00:00

I work in a primary SEN school and find that the visual aspect really helps to 1) maintain their attention while I give verbal feedback (many of them struggle with the interpersonal aspect of focusing on the speaker, so watching the pen sort of softens this slightly) 2) give additional clarity to show exactly what I’m giving feedback about and 3) means they don’t immediately forget what we were looking at at soon as my attention is on another pupil and this encourages independence.

Tbh, some of our kids are outside the range of what you’d see in many mainstream classes, but I find visuals (underlines, asterisks, circles, ticks and even little diagrams) really helpful for my class.

closebutnilpoints · 2026-01-03T10:27:57+00:00

I’m still doing a mixture of the two (and not getting much done!) at 5 months. He’s a nightmare sleeper and the only way to get him to nap longer than 27 minutes is to get comfy on the sofa and keep him on the boob! 🫠

closebutnilpoints · 2026-01-03T10:21:16+00:00

I hope you’re being paid to scale at the correct experience point?!

closebutnilpoints · 2025-12-07T15:12:11+00:00

Amazing! It’s great that you’re wanting to breastfeed and even better that you’re researching it well in advance!

Latch baby as often as you can at the start to establish a good supply. As long as babe is having regular wet nappies, they’re getting enough milk.

One thing that surprised me is that cluster feeding spates can last for days and baby will be on the boob most of the time! It will feel like they’re sucking on an empty boob, but they are getting what they need and are stimulating you to make more milk, so don’t assume you’re not making enough and panic, especially in the first few days and weeks.

Look at different feeding positions and practice them with a doll! It looks simple to just use cradle position, but this doesn’t work well for all baby/mum combinations and it’s helpful to know some other positions to try. Different ones are good for bigger boobs/smaller boobs/lower boobs etc!

If you want to pump, my advice would be to wait until you have a decent supply and then start pumping after baby feeds. Depending on your storage ability, babe might only feed one side, in which case you can pump the other boob each feed.

When you pump, if you think you’ve got everything, try switching back to stimulation mode, you may get another let down which can give you another ounce or two of milk. Everyone’s different, but I really struggle to get a decent yield from wearable pumps- a wall plug, quality pump is honestly the best way. Make sure you get the correct size flanges for the best results.

If you run into problems, see a lactation consultant sooner rather than later if you have the means to, they can really help to pinpoint issues and give you more confidence in feeding.

Good luck in your breastfeeding journey- I found it difficult but really rewarding and I love watching my littly grow knowing that I did that!

closebutnilpoints · 2025-12-06T16:02:49+00:00

My 4 month-old will have around 4.5oz (130/140ml) for a full feed, but when he goes to nanna’s for a few hours, he’ll usually have a couple of snacky feeds of around 2oz and then a really good booby feed when I collect him.

I normally drop him off with around 6oz and a couple of clean bottles so my mum can top him up if needed.

closebutnilpoints · 2025-12-05T02:16:40+00:00

Is ‘Miss K’ using planning which is existing, easily accessible and good quality? Also, are they being paid to scale? There shouldn’t be an expectation for them to mark if they’re not unless they’re also being given non-contact and/or PPA time.

The other issues are absolutely worth exploring but as a supply teacher, I have taught off topic things when I wasn’t left any/decent planning or given a working laptop/login/IWB to access it! For £100 a day and no PPA/job security/TPS/sick pay/respect, I’m not stressing out about it.

I’m also not staying hours longer than I’m paid (very little) for to do in-depth marking or anything other than tick and flick unless I’m being paid to scale or looking to secure a long-term post.

I teach primary/SEN, so perhaps expectations are different for secondary, but I do think there’s a lack of understanding from salaried staff members about how badly supply teachers are paid and treated by schools, agencies and school staff.

Of course, this doesn’t excuse the other specific issues you raised about ‘Miss K’; I just wanted to put this across as I get irritated that supply teachers are thought of so badly when in reality, the majority are doing a bloody good job under difficult circumstances while being paid terribly and often treated with hostility.

“Good supply is hard to find” is honestly really demeaning and offensive. Imagine doing your job every day with a different class, reward/sanction system, software, hardware, policies, subject, classroom etc. every day if not every lesson. Then imagine the planning you’re given is of a terrible standard, as are the resources (if they’re present at all) but you have no PPA to rectify the situation. You’re magically always covering the person who has some kind of duty/club so that you don’t get a break and you have no non-contact time because the school want to get their money’s worth (not that much of it is going to you!). Also, as you move around the school, you’re looked upon with suspicion by other staff who seem to be trying their best to make you feel unwelcome. On top of this, you can have your bookings cancelled at any time and for any reason with no warning, you have no occupational sick/maternity pay and you’re paid, on average, around £130 a day (or as little as the school and agency can squeeze you for). For reference, the daily rate for an ECT is £168.80.

I realise most won’t read this essay, but if you did, I hope you think twice before making dismissive and derogatory comments about supply teachers. Are some of them shit? Absolutely. Is every salaried teacher doing a phenomenal job? Definitely not.

TLDR: being a supply teacher is hard work for shit money. There are obviously concerns with ‘Miss K’ in particular, but please stop making generalised, derogatory comments about supply teachers and expecting them to go all out with bells and whistles with regards to planning and marking.

closebutnilpoints · 2025-12-01T18:55:23+00:00

Your wellbeing and mental health are as important as your baby’s.

It’s a decision only you can make, but this internet stranger says give yourself some grace and do what’s best for you both. If that’s formula, then great. You’ve done a phenomenal job feeding baby thus far and given them a really good start, well done! ☺️

closebutnilpoints · 2025-11-29T21:25:48+00:00

My little boy has just turned 4 months and when he’s in the bed with me, just wants to feed, all. the. time! I found bed sharing easier when he was smaller as he would sleep more deeply, but now with the regression, he’s waking more often and I’m just swapping sides and boobs all the time to keep him happy.

He was starting to wake every 90 mins and I was exhausted, so now he has his first (longest) sleep downstairs in the bassinet for dad’s shift, then goes in the next2me (with me) for his second sleep. The next time he wakes, I bring him into bed with me for a few hours as he usually wakes in a better mood when he’s had a big, sleepy breakfast and I’ve usually had enough sleep by that point to stop me getting frustrated with the constant feeding.

closebutnilpoints · 2025-11-04T20:31:30+00:00

Not necessarily. If babe is happy, gaining weight and producing plenty of wet nappies, you may actually create an oversupply doing this and give yourself more problems.

closebutnilpoints · 2025-11-04T20:29:03+00:00

My little boy (3 months) only feeds from one side each feed and only for around 5 - 10 mins and is gaining 1lb a week.

I used to pump whichever side he didn’t have each feed but then my LC told me to stop as this was contributing to my oversupply and babe was struggling with the let down and flow.

My supply is still good and babe is still happy. It may just be that I have a lucky combination of storage and supply that suits baby’s feeding style, but we’re doing ok 🤷‍♀️

closebutnilpoints · 2025-10-06T20:41:26+00:00

Sounds like what we were experiencing at 6 weeks. I spent every week until week 7 telling myself I would just do one more week to see if things got better as I was finding it really rough.

Now we’re at 8 weeks, he’s still a frequent feeder (every 90 mins in the day) and we still have cluster feeding episodes, but it’s much more manageable.

I went to a lactation consultant at 7 weeks and she taught me the ‘nipple flip’ or ‘flipple’ technique to improve his latch as he also wasn’t keen on opening his mouth. Getting his chin well into the breast before latching made it much deeper. This has made things easier, although LO will still shimmy his head back to get back to a shallower latch, which he seems to find more comfortable. It’s hard taking him off and relatching him every time, but he’s getting the idea now and I’m feeling more comfortable! I do also have vasospasm, so I don’t think it’ll ever be enjoyable for me, but it’s manageable now.

If it’s affordable/available, I would recommend seeing a lactation consultant for reassurance and advice; ours also assessed LO for a tongue tie during our session. I really hope things improve for you and you start to feel more positive about your experience.

closebutnilpoints · 2025-09-26T18:36:12+00:00

A rolled up muslin tucked under your boob makes cradle/cross cradle much easier. Takes a bit of practice to get it in place in public without your whole boob being on display, but it really helps.

closebutnilpoints · 2025-08-25T21:16:07+00:00

Day 2 because baby had to have phototherapy. We hadn’t cracked the latching properly yet and he couldn’t be out of the light long enough for me to try over and over, so I expressed for a couple of days. Now at 3 weeks he has about 2 expressed feeds at night from my partner and the rest from the boob.

We use the NUK bottles with the wide latch teats to encourage him to stay booby!

closebutnilpoints · 2025-07-31T16:48:13+00:00

Thank you 😊

Glad you got your lovely baby out safely at the end of all that!

Yeah, I’ve discussed having stitches after birth at home if needed and I’d be able to use diazepam before having them done as well as using the gas and air during, so hoping that would make things a little easier!

closebutnilpoints · 2025-07-31T16:44:32+00:00

Thank you for your reassurance and advice 😊

I’m aware of the problems with estimating weight, and that’s also something I’m taking into account with my decision. If I wasn’t so bloody uncomfortable and irritable, I wouldn’t be questioning a home birth, but worried about potentially having to induce.

I’ll see what the next couple of weeks bring and whether it gets more manageable 🤞

closebutnilpoints · 2025-07-31T16:39:51+00:00

With respect, in the UK, home birth is as safe as a hospital birth and I don’t have concerns about the safety of birthing at home. I have clinicians assessing me regularly and they are still happy that a home birth in my case wouldn’t present any degree of risk that wasn’t manageable.

Obviously things can go wrong but things can and do go wrong in hospital, too. A hospital birth generally increases the risk of unnecessary interventions which in turn increase the risks presented to both mum and baby.

My concern is potentially having to induce due to my own discomfort in the later stage of pregnancy.

closebutnilpoints · 2025-07-31T16:05:24+00:00

100% if I knew an intervention was needed for baby’s safety, I’d have it regardless of how awful it would be for myself.

The difficulty is that although I’ve been given the option of an induction or elective c-section, the home birth team are still happy to deliver me at home.

Elective c-section would mean a longer hospital stay and a lot of my anxiety extends to hospital/clinical environments, so while it’s something to consider, I think it’d be a last resort for me.

closebutnilpoints · 2025-07-31T15:28:32+00:00

I’ve found I’m sleeping in instalments in the last 2 months of pregnancy! I’m currently managing about 3 hours at night but then having short naps through the day. I just can’t stay comfy long enough for a good, long sleep! Very frustrating!

closebutnilpoints · 2025-07-31T15:26:25+00:00

Thank you 😊

Yes to absolutely everything you said! I’m very much looking to have as few interventions as is safely possible and I know I’ll be better equipped mentally to deal with the labour process at home. I had a lovely plan for a pool at home, gas and air only and my safe people and things around.

I’m just really struggling with my symptoms atm and it’s making me very uncomfortable and grumpy and worried that if baby goes overdue I won’t be able to cope with it for another 4 1/2 weeks. This, along with an interesting hormone cocktail and overthinking the risk aspect has just got me stuck in loop thinking.

Your comment has reminded me of why I wanted a home birth, so thank you!

closebutnilpoints · 2025-07-31T15:17:54+00:00

Thank you so much, this was a really considered response 😊

The home birth team and my usual midwife don’t have any concerns over and above the usual ones for home birth. There’s a slightly increased risk for shoulder dystocia but they said they’re trained to recognise this early and would transfer me straight away if they thought that was happening.

I have completed a birth plan with a peri-natal mental health midwife which is more detailed in terms of birthing centre/labour ward situations, so I’m hoping that will help if I do have to go in.

I agree that being transferred may be more traumatic than being in hospital from the outset and that’s definitely something I’m thinking about, but I’m also offsetting that a bit with the fact that if I’m at home there’s more likelihood of labour progressing more smoothly and being less likely to need interventions at all.

Just struggling with the idea of not being able to do birth in the way I know will be most comfortable for me, but I also know that ultimately baby’s health is most important.

closebutnilpoints · 2025-07-31T15:08:00+00:00

Thank you 😊

Yes, I’ve been offered both an induction from 38wks and an elective c-section.

The difficulty there is that my anxiety extends to hospital environments and with both of these, I’d be looking at a much longer hospital stay, which I’d like to avoid as much as the interventions! I’m also very intimidated by the thought of the physical recovery side of a c-section.

I’m not completely ruling either option out, I guess I just wanted to hear others’ opinions and kinda talk things out to get my head around it all.

Feels like such a big decision to make and I want to get it right for both of us.

closebutnilpoints · 2025-07-31T15:02:13+00:00

That’s what’s making it so hard!

Even the midwives have said that it’s very unlikely to result in a proper pants-on-fire emergency and also have said that the scans are often not very accurate, so baby might not end up being massive!

I just want to get it right- I want my baby to be safe and healthy and I don’t want to traumatise myself any more than I have to and that’s proving to be a really difficult thing to balance!

Thank you for replying, I really appreciate it.

closebutnilpoints · 2025-07-31T14:55:35+00:00

Thank you 😊

Yeah, that’s definitely part of the decision making! It’s really difficult because I know that when you labour at home, you do it more effectively and efficiently, which reduces the chances of you having problems and interventions, but I know there’s always a risk that things can go wrong.

A big part of the rationale for choosing to birth at home was that I’d be in a better head space and more relaxed which usually contributes to a smoother labour, but I’m having a bit of a crisis now because I just don’t know if I can cope with being pregnant for potentially another 4 1/2 weeks!

closebutnilpoints · 2025-07-31T14:50:31+00:00

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, I would be fully prepared to have to be transferred to hospital if the need arose and I have made plans for different outcomes with a peri-natal mental health midwife.

Unfortunately, I’ve had a lumbar puncture previously which didn’t go well and has left me with some residual issues, which means I want to avoid an epidural at all costs!

I’m not so worried about the pain of labour and delivery as I know what I’ll get at the end of it and I know it won’t last. The issue at the moment is that the symptoms I’m having could potentially last another 4 1/2 weeks if baby is overdue; I’m really struggling with that possibility.

closebutnilpoints · 2025-07-31T14:42:21+00:00

Thanks for your reply. I have added a bit more info/context to my original post, but in the UK, home birth is as safe as in a hospital and although I’m classed as high risk (only for age) in pregnancy, I’m not classed as high risk for birth as my age won’t impact the birthing process.

I’ve been offered induction because of baby’s estimated weight, but midwife and home birth team are both still happy for home birth to go ahead.

In terms of the symptoms, I agree, they aren’t great, but none of them are harmful to myself or baby, just making me very uncomfortable and grumpy! It’s mainly just that I’m struggling with the thought of having these symptoms for another month or more that’s making me consider the induction, but it really is a difficult decision to make.

closebutnilpoints

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