I'm a teacher and I got to work.

I’ve scanned the threads about us all being rubbish drivers, wanting to sledge etc etc. My school intended to open and the bus companies cancelled the services which 90% of our pupils use (Catholic school). There were loads of us in clearing paths, some of us stayed for an exam and collected pupil from home so they would not miss it. I cycled 13 miles into work past people getting stuck in cars and I have winter tyres on the car so I have not once struggled to in bad weather.

As far as I can tell from two very different schools, the problem is people getting their kids to and from school safely.

I tried to find an image which would properly reward your efforts, but apparently the universe doesn’t contain such a thing.

Also, just wondering what the relevance of the denomination of the school is? Are the children of god more hardy in wintery conditions?

Haha no, being a faith school often means that more of the pupils travel from further away and therefore rely on the school busses (about 1000 pupils in our case). Hence when the bus companies say no, our hands are tied!

so no potential puddles in the corridors that would cause a litigious riot? your lucky…i used to see a teacher and that was the reason for shutting the school

🙂 Fair enough swalsey, I didn’t realise that.

(that ride to work looks bloomin brilliant!!!)

My next door neighbour’s a deputy head at a local school. Was driving around quite happily over the weekend when it was snowing, but this morning his car was sat unmoved when I cycled to work. Just checked on the school’s website, which states that it was opening late to allow time for the staff to clear all the paths. Look’s like he’s not shy of delegation on that front 🙂

The OP clearly thinks that Roman Catholicism is relevant to this thread in some way. Sorry, but I’m lost on that inference!

However, well done to him for making such a valiant effort to get to work. I hope all teachers take a leaf out of his book and that the principle grants some recognition in front of the rest of the school, for the example of commitment he has made.

Good work!

Well done:

Medal

The OP clearly thinks that Roman Catholicism is relevant to this thread in some way. Sorry, but I’m lost on that inference!

I queried that in the 2nd post of the thread, but his response made sense to me… “being a faith school often means that more of the pupils travel from further away and therefore rely on the school busses”

Of course religion and Roman Catholicism has an impact on the thread. Where I was brought up there was a local no-denominational school around half a mile away, the nearest RC school was 17 miles away along a twisty road. Lots of RC pupils couldnt get to the RC school on snowy days, whereas there wasnt a problem for those of us who went to a the local school.

the principle grants some recognition in front of the rest of the school

Gold stars

Teacher of the week

that sort of thing

Congratulations! – now, do you want…
a)
b)
or c)

Spongebob – read the third post….

Jnr’s school is shut, again mainly a school served by bused in kids, the council cancelled all school bus services yesterday. The OH teaches at a 6th form college and that’s open, she’s in. Hardly any kids in though.

I don’t really understand the teacher bashing when it comes to having a snow day off school. This morning the OH was checking her colleges website probably like any student. Usually the principal and site manager make the decision – they don’t consult the teachers. Although in some cases the principal may be acting with the best interests of their staff in mind.

All these threads but not one mentioning the fact not all teachers want to be off. I actually want to go in and deliver all the lessons i have worked so hard on.

What can if my head shuts the school?

Ooooh! Many shiny rewards for getting in to work. Is that hat genuine raccoon, or unnatural fibres?

Really?

There’s a load of bloody faith schools round here – to the point that there’s only one ‘state’ school that we can actually apply for.

Not to derail the thread too much. I cycled to work this morning, the girlfriend took the toddler to the child minder on the back of the bike too.

I work 20 miles away and drove in. Got in earlier than I usually do as the roads were deserted.

I was hoping to get stranded and have to dump the car. I’d packed my running tights, thermals and trail shoes, would’ve been a nice run home.

@Spongebob / scaled: The faith school relevance has been explained and if the number of faith schools available locally will of course be different elsewhere. Thanks though! To be honest there were plenty of teacher who made it in so I probably won’t get a medal, my head and deputy actually get really worried that I’ll die because I am on a bike! 🙂

MussEd, I’ll take the medals please, cash for gold!!

I hope people see my point here – I don’t want a medal for getting to work like most other people do, I just don’t want to de-rail the stereotype ‘teachers going sledging’ etc.

Peterfile – yep, my commute is 13 miles of countryside,up, down and twisty, it’s great although I normally use my road bike!!

Pretty sure the OP didn’t start the thread in the hope of getting loads of sarcy congratulations.

As a fellow teacher I imagine the intention was to point out the dodgy stereotyping that goes on whenever school snow days are mentioned.

Don’t want to comment on why other schools might choose to close, but ours made a late (7-30am) decision not to open due to the open, spread out nature of our site – even with the site team in over night clearing and gritting it just wasn’t safe for staff or students to get onto the site or move around it.

I hung around for another hour or so to help sort things out. Interestingly enough, in that time I turned back loads of members of staff (basically all those who had not got a call from their line manager still made it in) but only 4 or 5 students – seems parents were the ones making assumptions today (and as a school we don’t have a history of closing ‘easily’).

I know colournoise, I apologise. just cannot help being a sarky git. Sorry Swalsey!

When I was a kid, I used to live just down the road from one of my teachers.
It always amazed me that I could walk for 20 minutes in the snow to get in, and she had to stay at home.

Exactly colournoise, thank you! I must have typed my last reply as you were typing that.

MussEd – no worries, I find the pee-taking amusing!

I think the stereotypes have come from experiences of the old-school (excuse the pun) teaches, it must have been VERY different to current reality (I’m only 26). A now retired teacher once told me he used to do a full term of lesson planning on a single page and watch footy in the staff room between lessons! I can’t imagine that ever being possible.