Crazy Cat Lady Chapter 4 - The Aftermath

f0xh0les

https://www.centreforcities.org/data/coronavirus-cases-uk-cities-large-towns/ Last update 2nd of Sept. So quite current.

Everyone knew there would be a spike when the kids went back to school. There is also a spike in most UK seaside holiday destinations (go figure!) I can't help with anything desperately  helpful apart from 1 in 17 people already seem to have the antibodies in their blood (yesterday's data from 0xford C0vid Study). Strip when you get in the door and shower.  Hand gel and washing, and do both before eating anything outside the house, and keep the windows open in your classroom for as long as you can, and if possible keep the door propped open so the kids don't have to touch the door knob or light switches.

I wish they would test the kids on a weekly basis, but that is not going to happen any time soon.

So make sure you have a stash of food in - we are still not allowed anyone at all visiting in our house or garden - residents only- you are wise to tell your mam you might not be visiting for a while, and you do not want to be in shops - book a delivery slot now for when you need it. 

Go to work, then stay home and crochet and play with the cats, and keep away from people who have been on planes lately!

Honestly, people are idiots.  And I don't mean that in the nicest possible way.  Every single day here I see something that makes me think 'What would Darwin say?'    Just try and keep yourself as relaxed and healthy as you can, with as little stress as is possible in the situation we find ourselves in.  The kids are low risk if they catch it.   Try not to drive yourself mad.

foxgloves

Good advice there, Foxholes. 
F

crazy_cat_lady

Just a really quick one to say thank you for the advice f0xh0les. I have spent the day 'getting ready' for tomorrow, which has basically involved wandering about the house putting things away, moving things, writing lists, packing school bags, making sure the kids have masks and sanitiser, and that I have plenty of goodies in my bag too - sanitiser, soap, hand cream. I am actually looking forward to work - just not the additional risk that seems to come with it. That's why Boris gave me a 2.6% pay rise then? Because I'm literally going to the front line with nothing but sanitiser, soap and my own common sense.
I suspect I won't get much sleep tonight but I live in hope and I'm going off to bed now to at least try. I need a new box set to watch now as well - not something that is going to hook me in so that I need to binge watch it, but enough to have on in the background while I'm doing other things.
Take care all and I'll see you on the other side tomorrow night.

beanielou

Hope all goes well for you tomorrow.

Honeysucklelou2

Hope all goes well tomorrow. Hand cream is a good idea. I’m finding I use so much sanitiser at work, that my skin is very dry and splitting on the finger tips. 

crazy_cat_lady

Gosh I am quite tired. It's been a strange couple of days back at work - I can't believe it's been 6 months since I was allowed in my classroom... The first thing that I had to do when I got in yesterday was put all of my stuff back away from where the cleaners decided to put it, followed by moving all of my desks so that they face forwards. We then had a hilarious 3 hours where the ICT didn't work properly so none of the planned zoom meetings could go ahead and we weren't allowed to get together in the hall etc. We ended up as a department, socially distanced in one lab, trying to guess what we might be doing and planning ahead. Timetables were wrong, room allocations were wrong, class lists were wrong. Oh dear... I am a loud whinger but in reality it wasn't much different from the start of any other school year apart from not being able to meet in the hall.
I was tired when I got home yesterday, in bed asleep by about half ten, then woke up at 4.30am and couldn't get back to sleep. Ended up getting up and getting ready and I was in work by 7am this morning, half raring to go. Finished sorting my classroom out and did some photocopying, then a couple of meetings before my mandatory safeguarding training. It has been another long day but I think that I am ready to start tomorrow. I've just gotten out of my last meeting of the day and I feel quite tired. I've no idea how I can do a good job as a teacher when I can't go and see the kids working and how they're getting on. It really is a different sort of planning that I need to do.
In other news - remember that dream exam job I applied for? Well, I have made it to the interview stage. I am stupidly getting my hopes up now that I might have a chance, but I'm already incredibly nervous and feeling quite sick about it. I know for a fact that I am pretty weak at interviews so I'm trying hard to predict what I might be asked and get some answers and experiences prepared so that I can feel ready for it as much as I can. Good news is that it's an online interview so no stressing about getting down to London, or finding someone to look after the kids etc. It's a long way to London for a 1 hour interview that's for sure. I also will have a task to do, but I know that if I have enough notice I will be ok with that. It's just the talking about myself, selling myself and bigging myself up that I really cannot do. 
Other than that, nothing else to report. Work is keeping me busy and making me tired, and I need to get on with some crochet so that's what I'm going to do next.

Chrystal

Great news on the interview!  
How about imagining that you are actually answering for someone else, someone you like and admire.  For example how would you tell DD, Bestie etc to answer the questions posed (also imagining that they have your skill and knowledge!)  Being one step removed may just be helpful to you. XX

f0xh0les

Ooooh get you being on the shortlist!  Congratulations! How exciting is that? 

Can you get one of your friends to z00m you (both with a glass or wine, or similar) and do a mock interview where you just go wild and totally big yourself up?  

Talk to the cats when they miaow  at your- tell them you have all the qualifications and experience necessary to do the role of litter tray cleaner, and give an example of when you have found yourself in a challenging situation.  What do you tell your students about exams? The best way to learn how to do them properly, is to do practice papers and mocks.  So get mocking!  Get the kids involved as well.  DD will be at the interview stage soon anyway, she might as well be on the Interviewer side so she does not get nervous about the whole thing.   I am so excited for you!

beanielou

Great news on the interview  

DawnW

Congrats on getting shortlisted CCL. Remember, if they didn't think you could do the job, they wouldn't have offered you an interview. Remember, the organisation knows you. Just be you.