Are there any figures that show on average how much time teachers are working outside of directed hours? Teacher Tapp maybe?

What are you doing for spelling?

Eeek! Just met @profaliceroberts.bsky.social

Why do I always sit behind a tall person?

Ilhan Omar: “As someone who has survived the horrors of war, I know that bombs do not build peace or create stability— Military strikes will not make us safer; they will inflame tensions & push the region further into chaos — every time we abandon diplomacy, we choose destruction”

This was a great read. Recommend.

Somehow in my nearly 30 years of teaching I have never had to clean up vomit or poo*... until yesterday and today. The glamour of being an AHT! *never had to clean it up in work I should add.

Best spelling scheme? Well actually... best spelling scheme for teachers with not much knowledge, no desire to learn and is fully resourced?

It's not Roosevelt we're dealing with. Hell, it's not even Nixon.

Summer holiday. Isle of Wight or Scilly Isles?

We really need to improve presentation. Thinking about ordering exercise books with fancy covers next year. Has anyone done this and found it's not worth it? They're very expensive. Would plastic covers be better?

Dear @lucympowell.bsky.social, Why did you invent a fake tactical voting company to stop the Green Party beating Reform? I'm starting to think your letters haven't always been in good faith...

Amazing day out today.

We've spent most of the day here. Lots to see. The violin belonged to one of the members of the band who played on whilst the ship sank. Currently having a drink in the Titanic Hotel.

First pint of Guiness on the Green Isle. 👌

I've been doing NPQH but work has been so intense I haven't kept up-to-date. For the last few months (looking at what my HT is dealing with) I've pretty much decided I don't need that level of stress in my life. Maybe if I was 10 years younger. I've given myself permission to give up and that's OK.

I have just discovered that 'Heroin' is by The Velvet Underground. For some reason I thought it was The Doors. I'm so bad with bands. 😂

Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted child sex trafficker, gets gardening time, sports, therapy dogs, and spa products in prison. Migrant children in custody are sleeping on concrete floors without enough food or clean water. Our priorities are so fucked.

I've realised that often when I'm listening to music nowadays I'm considering whether it would be a good funeral song.

Just watched the first episode of #SmallProphets and loved it! Macenzie Crook is a genius. Pearce Quigley is great but Michael Palin steals it for me. I adore him.

We're off to Belfast soon. We're going to the Titanic Museum and doing a day trip to Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle and Dark Hedges. Where else should we go? Any recommendations for places to eat?

Direct mentions in the Epstein Files... Starmer 0 Farage 18 Mandelson 10 Person getting all the hate Starmer. Shows me journalists care more about narrative and sales than victims...

We think we give our staff a really good deal. Half termly staff meeting dedicated to assessment. Termly staff meeting dedicated to updating SEND paperwork. 2 x staff meetings TOIL for parents' evening. We're being told it's not enough by some. Would love to hear what other primary schools do.

Wondering how many schools do the optional KS1 SATs. As it's not reported is there anyway of finding out?

Melania's film must be truly terrible if they're having to release the Epstein files as a distraction.

Is there anything worse than washing the bed covers but forgetting only to discover at midnight?

Inclusion shouldn't mean having to keep children in mainstream when it's clearly too stressful for them. Aggressive behaviour is distressing for the other children and the staff too.

Does anyone know if a qualified teacher working as an HLTA could use that towards obtaining ECT?

Why is everything nowadays so ridiculously complicated? Instructions and a special tool need to change a toilet seat!?!

Whole class handwriting lessons in F2. Yes or no? RTs welcome.

Has anyone had any experience of enabling a child to use a laptop for SATs?

Second one completed. Ireland is our next stop. North or South for first visit?

Mr B bought me two scratch off maps for Christmas. This is the first one. Going to use it to plan future holidays. Unfortunately, we now urgently to go to a couple that I scratched off accidentally! Jersey, Andorra, most of Luxembourg and a bit of Poland. 😬

Rob Coe et al at the Sutton Trust (2014) identified ‘poor proxies’ for learning; indicators that may lead observers to assume learning is taking place, but in actuality may not be related to learning. The idea of poor proxies can also be applied to feedback. evidencebased.education/resource/poo...

I've had some horrible virus throughout the holidays and haven't been up to reading. I've been playing mindless games on my phone and looking at all the ads. There's games which are virtual tidying. My house is available if anyone wants to play tidying irl. Immensely satisfying apparently. 🤷‍♀️

It's the national year of reading in the uk in 2026. Instead of asking "why don't kids read any more", ask "how can I help them find the stories (and non fic) they will fall in love with". Less "get off my lawn whippersnappers" and more "come, sit on the lawn, here's a comic".

This Christmas holiday has been sponsored by...

In a change to tradition we're going to order a Domino's instead of Chinese because the Chinese we normally order from don't deliver and I, quite frankly, can't be arsed to collect it.

The decorations have only been up a week and are getting on my nerves. 😂

Front page of today’s iPaper. The Green Party are the only party able to hold this government to account and take the fight to Reform. Join us today to help shape 2026. Join.greenparty.org.uk

Feeling full and relaxed.

Bubble and squeak. Best part of Christmas.

No swede. Christmas is ruined.

Days are getting longer now. 🥰

Christmas has finally arrived in Chez Baxter!

Had a bit of a stressful time recently. Received gorgeous flowers yesterday from two friends from work, then this gorgeous parcel today, from another lovely friend. You know who you are! 😘 I am so very fortunate to have lovely people around me.

Baby girl is home after three months travelling. So happy! 😍

Just been given an enormous tin of Danish cookies. Second photo for scale!

Just finished watching #Outrageous on BBC iPlayer. Absolutely brilliant. Hope there's going to more.