Be kind to your teachers!

[Whyohwhymusti]

I have been reading through lots of threads and I’m honestly disgusted at some of the things people are saying about teachers. I know everyone is entitled to their own opinions but do you actually realise that we are not making the rules?

I know it probably won’t change anyone’s minds if you’re already hating on education staff but I thought I’d just tell you that we’re not all just sitting on our arses doing nothing and I’m going to mention some of the things that some people seem to think we are - or aren’t doing.

I know that every sector has been working so hard to ensure that they keep up as much as they can so I’m not looking for sympathy in the slightest, I just thought that it might be helpful for some to see that we have ‘actually’ been working, despite what many people think. In fact, I feel hugely sorry for people that are having to work from home and home school as well as everything else that goes with it.

Since lockdown began, I have taught online, at least 4 lessons a day. As well as this, I have set daily sports work, read chapters to my class, set spellings and times tables and planned for SEN like I would have in the classroom. I have printed and set work for those children that don’t have access to online resources and made up boxes for the less privileged so they have some fun things to do at home. I have marked every single piece of work that came back to me. I have kept in contact with my students, offered support to those who needed it, not just on an educational level but also a mental health level.

I have been working at school for key worker children once a week (up until opening). For those of you that think that this is only for some staff - yes it is, because what is the point of having a full staff in for 30 kids?

Since opening, I have worked everyday at school including wrap around care until 6pm. I have planned fun things for my ‘bubble’ to do in the afternoons, but still have continued to plan and teach online for those not at school.

For everyone saying their children can’t go to school - why not? Have you actually asked? My school is accepting as many as they’re safely allowed to take. We have opened more bubbles to ensure that anyone that needs it is able to. We have ensured there are staff to cover the amount of children that require wrap around care, ensuring that they are still kept safe and well but have activities planned and are in a fun environment that they are used to.

Before opening, we were in cleaning, moving furniture, making sure each bubble had the right things they needed including sorting individually packed resources for each child.

We have spent hours looking at new plans from the government making sure we are doing the right thing for your children - despite the rules being changed daily.

I know there are other things that different schools may have done and there are things we have done that I haven’t said... I would love nothing more than to have a whole class of children back in. But we don’t make the rules.

Be kind to your teachers

My dcs teacher are useless. Their work is sending us one generic email a week with a few work sheets for mum and dad to teach. I could find all that easily online.

As well as my job im doing their job while they have a nice extended holiday.

You sound like a great teacher and you are obviously making a huge effort, unfortunately this is not the case across the board and parents have every right to complain, the teaching profession is not exempt from this.

I work in a school that has made a fantastic effort throughout this, my eldest goes to a school that hasn't and it makes me angry, sad and worried for her. ( before anyone says, yes I have contacted the school several times)

Oh, another teacher hating 'teacher bashing' so starting yet another thread which they know will probably have some teacher bashing 🙄

OP, you sound fab, but unfortunately not all teachers are the same. Ours has been a real shit show, DD is yr10, very motivated, but prone to anxiety, which they know about. She has one lovely teacher who has sent her a chatty supportive email. Some teachers are piling on the work, with no support and bare minimum feedback, a lot of it isn't even relevant (videos aimed at primary level). Some have made no contact bar taking a role call online. We have no online learning via teams or zoom. No one has actually spoken to her since the 23rd of march.
But apparently teachers are working hard. Yes, some are. Some are great, but a lot in our experience aren't.

Unfortunately our experience has been no online lessons and very little of the work my daughter spends 6 hours a day doing actually being marked or even commented on. It's all just been links to websites or worksheets.

We have had one phone call from the school since March. My daughter is due to start her GCSEs in September. When I queried the lack of online teaching and marking I was told the teachers are working hard, some have young children etc. But that applies to all of us, but yet it seems some teachers are allowed to pick and choose their job and pass it off on to parents. Funnily enough I also have a job to do and my family demands but I am also expected to deliver the crappy lessons to my children. It's a bit like me emailing the teacher with invites to me work meetings and saying 'over to you'.

Moths to a flame.

For everyone saying their children can’t go to school - why not? Have you actually asked?

I had never thought of that