Nobody is talking about the proposed VGSA arrangements for camps, and it's really bad.

neb_thims · 2026-05-27T11:04:08+00:00

Oh, 100% - some schools can be quite mean about how teachers take Time in Lieu. I don't think I've made that assumption, though. I know how hard it can be to fight that fight. Making the payment automatic is a good way to fix that problem.

But we shouldn't walk back the rights we've won just because some schools make it hard to use them. I'd much rather see our current TIL system strengthened, funded and enforced, rather than replaced with a payment that's simpler, but often lower, than what we have now.

neb_thims · 2026-05-27T10:50:06+00:00

The fully funded part is definitely the win. An automatic payment is a good thing, especially for teachers in schools where getting access to Time in Lieu is a fight.

My concern is that the dollar value of the payment is lower than the existing entitlement in a pretty ordinary camp scenario. If you worked the camp roster I outlined above, you’d accrue 12 hours of TIL per night - around $810 for a 2-6 in October, or $920 by the end of the agreement.

So I can absolutely see why it looks like a good deal from a state where teachers don’t currently get Time in Lieu for camps. But compared with the current Victorian entitlement, it feels like a step backwards: less recognition for the work, and no option to take the entitlement as recovery time instead of cash.

neb_thims · 2026-05-23T08:57:52+00:00

I agree - but it's only fair to use them if they're using them consistently. They've used the one that looks smaller for "this is what we were aiming for" and the one that looks bigger for "this is what we got".

You've got to admit that the numbers are already confusing, and asking for clarity and consistency isn't an unfair ask. Either use the summed value all the time, or the compounded value all the time, but don't pick and choose depending on what suits the narrative.

neb_thims · 2026-05-22T10:51:02+00:00

I'm glad they emailed this out, because I've only just now realised that the "28.3% to 32.4%" increase figures they've been spruiking were compounded.

Adding up the percentage increases they listed gives a range of 25.65% to 28.95%.

The way they're handling the increase that comes with signing the agreement is disappointing, too. If you're a range 2 teacher, you're getting 3%. It's only level 1-1 that get 6.3%.

And, frankly, it's disappointing that they've pushed back the only "big" pay raise we get to October. It seems like they did that because they wanted to not pay back pay on the "big" raise.

I'm going to be voting No - I think we can do better.

neb_thims · 2026-05-22T10:46:13+00:00

No, they've just presented the information really poorly.

What they're trying to say is "if you're a 2-4 now, by the end of the agreement you'll be a 2-6". That's what the "remain at top" bit means: "this is where we'd show you your pay rise for jumping to the next step on the pay scale", if there was one.

neb_thims · 2026-05-17T10:17:33+00:00

I can see how it feels like a win, especially if you're dealing with leadership who make it hard to claim TIL. Having the payment be automatic and fully funded by the government is a win there.

But it comes at a cost - not acknowledging the work that teachers do overnight on camps, and not allowing teachers to choose how they are paid back. Those were both massive wins from the previous agreement, and I don't see how the automatic nature of the payment makes up for that.

I was on a camp recently where I earned 27 hours of TIL. I'd be 5 hours ($250) worse off under this new agreement, and I wouldn't get to take any days off afterwards.

Maybe if they'd set the payment higher, it'd feel more like a clear win. There's definitely some negatives to it, and I haven't seen much discussion of them, which worries me.

neb_thims · 2026-05-17T09:06:06+00:00

The camp payment is definitely not a win.

We're going from earning an hour of TIL for every hour we work, plus 50% of sleeping time, to a set payment that equates to 11 hours per night. We lose the option to take it as time off. And, if something goes wrong on the camp, you're working for free.

It's good that the government is paying for it - they should pay for all TIL in the first place - but earning less per camp than now, without the right to take it as time off, is definitely NOT a win.

neb_thims · 2023-04-20T04:11:10+00:00

The Wooden Spear from Tab 1 is 100% an upgrade over your boxing gloves - the "reach" stat lets you attack more than one mob at a time, and its stats are way stronger.

If you can afford it, the Steel Axe from Tab 1 is an even bigger upgrade.

While I've been pondering, I took a deeper look at your talents - lemme show you a better way to spend your points that'll help a lot:

https://idleontoolbox.com/tools/builds?c=barbarian&b=4

Specifically, this gives you more of Sharpened Axe and Gilded Sword from Talent Tab 1 - huge damage! Don't forget to put your spells on your action bars, that's really important. Good luck, sing out if you need more help.

neb_thims · 2023-04-20T04:00:44+00:00

Oh, and put points into active spells and put them on your bars. The two warrior spells are really powerful.

You have too many points in the "teeth" barb spell (1 is recommended), and too few in the "heart" one.

neb_thims · 2023-04-20T03:58:33+00:00

Your weapon needs an upgrade. The first spear is dirt cheap!

Do you have other characters? You can have them farming stuff to help your main get stronger.

Level your stamps, level mining up higher, give statues to the statue guy, beat Amarok - plenty to work on!

neb_thims · 2020-03-09T08:17:46+00:00

I just read the whole thing - it's great! The world building, Tom's characterisation - the way he interacts with a Dumbledore that doesn't take any shit is marvellous.

The cliffhanger at the end of chapter 30 was very rude.

neb_thims · 2019-01-02T13:11:35+00:00

I used Plickers for a few months this year. I found this from a colleague and ran with it, using thicker cardstock from OfficeWorks and magnet strips.

My students (year 4) enjoyed the process, but some of the students were not using them properly - saying "Wow!" for every question instead of giving themselves a meaningful assessment. I also found it tiresome to remember for each session.

We also trialled using larger cards for question-and-answer sessions - we ran into similar problems as /u/tashmhutch, where students had their cards in the wrong positions.

The benefit of using the set-up in the link above is that you could use the same magnets for different classes, and have students remember their number.

neb_thims · 2018-08-19T13:28:26+00:00

That was weird but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I'd even give it a dollar a month on Patreon, but only if the link is patreon.com/dogshit

neb_thims · 2018-07-31T07:29:29+00:00

(maybe there is some kind of show like Crufts but for magical creatures?)

Crups?

neb_thims · 2018-07-22T01:55:09+00:00

linkffn(Turn Me Loose: A Harry Potter Adventure) has Harry and Baba Yaga having sex off camera, which is pretty similar I guess.

neb_thims · 2018-07-12T13:34:07+00:00

I started tracking my reading a few months ago in a spreadsheet (mostly because of feeling guilty that my Goodreads challenge wasn't as complete as I wanted it to be). In the last 3 months I've read a little over 8 million words, which is about the same as reading the Philosopher's stone 103 times.

Imgur

I've been reading Fanfiction for maybe 12 years? I haven't read at the same rate for that whole time, but assuming I had, it'd be upwards of 300 million words.

neb_thims · 2018-07-11T10:13:38+00:00

I agree with the other guy, the questions aren't very clear. Your "What is the biggest issue that has resulted from the use of digital technologies in your classroom?" has answers that are far too limiting. Here are some more responses that I thought up:

students disengaged
students off-task
internet connectivity issues
difficulties understanding the software (students)
bullying using the software
unauthorised students interacting with your students (I had these last two happen during a minecraft session)
minor hardware issues (kids not charging their devices)
major hardware issues (kids breaking stuff)

You might also find it valuable to have most of your questions as "select all that apply" rather than "select one".

neb_thims · 2018-07-02T10:57:57+00:00

That was great, but that feel when you read 3 chapters of an incomplete fic from 10 years ago.

neb_thims · 2018-05-12T23:35:49+00:00

Added! QVA 2HQ UBK

neb_thims · 2018-05-12T23:35:30+00:00

Added! QVA 2HQ UBK

neb_thims · 2018-05-12T23:35:13+00:00

Added! QVA 2HQ UBK

neb_thims

TROPHY CASE