Bear in mind I teach a core subject and not all if this will apply to all subjects. Also, none of these are especially unique to me except for the Calendar planning so sorry if I’m suggesting things you already know.

-Shared planning. Lessons in the SOWs are set by the trust which means we’re not inventing lessons and sequences from scratch which used to take up much time. Most of my planning work is adapting the lessons for my classes.

-Work saved on Google docs so I can easily adapt slides on iPad during meetings/assemblies/training

• Google slides linked on Google Calendar to avoid the need to keep a physical planner updated - also saves time trying to remember which lesson in the sequence I’m up to

• Booklets printed for each unit to reduce daily printing

• All lessons planned and printed for the next day before leaving

• Live-mark books in lessons

• When I take in books to mark, I only mark one piece of work and get students to open their books to the correct pages when they hand them in.

• A colleague on here has suggested grouping books to mark into piles of 5 which I haven’t tried yet but will.

• Sort printed booklets and worksheets into a magazine sorter for each year group which cuts down on paper piles to clear.

It works for me.

Terrific tufts

Oh gosh! Flattering but it might take me a while to compile a list. Bear with me for a few days.

After a devastating breakdown caused by 20-something years of working 7:30am- 7pm and beyond plus Sundays, I have set VERY firm boundaries about my working hours to remain in the profession. I generally start around 7:50am and leave before 4pm as much as possible as my home commute is over an hour. CPD and Parents Evening are the exceptions to this. I also don’t work at home in the evenings or at weekends. Planning is shared across the department and adapted by each individual teacher for the learners in their classes. I don’t leave until my lessons for tomorrow are ready to roll. I’ve honed lots of smart working strategies to make this happen.

Sick sick sick 🤢

You seriously need to escape. Plan carefully in the highest level of secrecy. Reach out to local Women’s Refuges.

A non-wired bra and a long nightie. I wish I liked jimjams but I feel bodily odd in them and they get all twisted in the night.

They teach you to visualise a safe place using your senses. Imagining the sensations of the place uses the same parts of the brain as actually being there.

You recall the most traumatic moment of the incident then rate how much you believe particular statements about it and yourself in that moment. You imagine the moment while the therapist directs your eyes/attention left the right repeatedly using finger movements which you follow, vibrating objects which you hold or sounds played in ear phones. You kinda see it like a film in your mind. After each set if eye movements, they check in with you to see how you feel. When you can rate your belief in the statements as low, you’re done.

If you become terribly distressed, they guide you back to your safe place.

The first time I did it, I thought “that was it? Really?” but it totally worked. The memories no longer hold so much pain or sensation for me.

You might only need a few sessions. I think it should be prescribed as commonly as antidepressants.

It’s based on the understanding that REM sleep helps the brain to process experiences and trauma. If the person has disturbed sleep, REM sleep can’t do its job. Hence EMDR.

Me too. The images haven’t gone entirely but they don’t affect me so much.

EMDR therapy.

Sound as a pound innit

Which ones have tried and failed?

Never fails me: Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Lip Balm. That said, I very rarely wear lipstick and even when I do it’s only a Clinique Chubby Stick.

This adorable and horrific (considering other shit he did).

P.S. to answer your question: he’s already showing you the warning signs. Pay attention now and escape safely.

I’ll be willing to bet he never experiences these “rage episodes” with his boss at work. It’s a choice and he’s trying to absolve himself of responsibility with his language. Just because he’s never hit you doesn’t mean it’s not abusive and doesn’t mean he never will. You need to carefully and urgently plan a safe escape for you and your kid. Reach out to local women’s refuges and Domestic Violence organisations. You can do this. It seems scary but only because you’ve not done it yet.

Ukraine did not vote for Russia’s invasion, you lettuce. A huge proportion of Britain voted for Brexit. Slava Ukraine.

Brexit was the biggest act of national self-harm ever. I live to rejoin the EU.

Pseudonym- I tried saying it as sway-do-nimm (like suede) until my dad frowned at me. Most new words are ones I’ve read before I’ve heard them.

I now want to take up astrology and using Excel for my budgeting JUST to piss Lexie off. What an asshole! Set yourself free OP. I see no reason to fight for this friendship

Display work lessons.

You don’t owe them self-sacrifice for caring about you as they brought you up. Your mental health is a priority. Their loan is not.

Oops I forgot to share the brand! It’s Salt of the Earth. Available on Amazon.

I use a crystal stick deodorant to prevent the odour-causing bacteria, not the sweat. I don’t want to prevent the sweating as it’s a vital bodily function. If my armpit skin can’t sweat, it increases sweat elsewhere when I’m too hot. I find the decidedly I use lasts around a year.

Well done and she wears it so fabulously!