Do you appreciate teachers more, or less now than in normal times?

[Bluewavescrashing]

Genuine question. I'm a full time infant school teacher. Our school is offering more than most in terms of online education, personalised learning, 1:1 zoom sessions etc. But I wonder how parents feel. Has lockdown showed you how much teachers give to your children through planning lessons, making resources, delivering lessons to cater for all levels of attainment? Do you find it easy to teach your child? When lockdown ends would you carry on with home learning and deregister as they have made more progress 1:1 with you or are you looking forward to sending them back to school?

Nb I have a large group of key worker children, up to 25 each day whom I teach in person in school - this is aimed at parents accessing home learning rather than key worker / vulnerable provision in school.

I always thought teachers where bloody brilliant, specially for the younger kids.

I'm even more appreciative of you all now.

Can't wait till I can palm mine off again.

I'm so glad to be a key worker myself so I can palm my two off 😁

I think a lot of what we do behind the scenes is still unrecognised. Making a 5 min video may take a few takes, then uoading, converting to the right file type etc.

Then certain parents complain that 8 minutes of content doesn't babysit their kids enough to give them a break, even though it's over and above what they need to complete their task for that lesson.

I am torn. I always admired it as a tough job not for me BUT Other jobs are tough in different ways so it hasn't made me admire teachers more. A large amount of people have had to adapt to wfh and endless video meetings but teachers seem to have whinged more about having to adapt. Also store staff adapting to restrictions has been harsh but v little whinging. Some of my sons teachers are great but also some are awful...in fact the ones I suspected were undynamic and un engaging have lived up to expectations when I've seen their video classes. Also as a profession many teachers seem technologically backwards and scared of adapting.

Did you mean to start a teacher bashing thread, OP? Because that’s what you’ve given people like Attictroll the opportunity to do.

A large amount of people have had to adapt to wfh and endless video meetings but teachers seem to have whinged more about having to adapt

You may have a point. I’m a teacher, Dh has had to teach himself how to work from home.

I’ve had to teach myself how to work from home using Teams - whilst simultaneously teaching 180 eleven to sixteen year olds how to use Teams.
Pupils IT skills are (generally) not good. You ask them to submit work and they send you a photo of their laptop screen.

Lockdown is tough for pretty much everyone though except Dh who is a weirdo who likes never seeing other humans

I love how @Attictroll admits they personally couldn't do the job and wouldn't be good at it. Then proceeds to slag off the people who are doing the job.

Considering you haven't spent a day teaching in your life @Attictroll how DARE you pass judgement!

Admired them anyway as there’s no way in hell I could do it without completely losing my sh*t! Hats off to you all!

Four comments in til the teacher bashing began. That must be a record!

I appreciated teachers already, and even more so now as they’re having to juggle so much more.
Have my dc made much more progress being homeschooled? Yes, especially DS7 who was “working towards” in all areas in December and is now meeting targets/ greater depth in some areas.
Am I going to de register and homeschool? No. My DC need the social aspect and long term I need more than 2 hours sleep after a night shift!
Am I looking forward to sending them back? Not sure...

In any other sector, staff would be given 3 days' paid training on teams or zoom with a cushy lunch.

In school we are shown what to do and told to 'play with it' until we feel competent 😁

Meh, I'm used to the teacher bashing. In a lot of cases it stems from parents being frustrated, stressed or suddenly aware of their own limitations-often not their own fault, either to lack of technology, work commitments, several siblings competing for devices, bandwidth etc.

I wonder if this period will reveal to the public what teachers actually do day to day, or if they just accept that ping, all the resources they need for the day are there, all the videos, written tasks, zoom meets etc. All the meetings, planning documents, assessments, policies etc are hidden but they take up so much time.

Trying to teach your own kids at home isn't the same as being an actual trained teacher in a school. I think they are great but it it their chosen profession so they are doing what they are trained and paid & chose to do (in normal times of course). I couldn't do it which is why I didn't chose to be a teacher.

I love DS’ teacher. She’s been fantastic.

I am so grateful to anyone that gives time, care, attention and enthusiasm to my children so yes I think teachers are brilliant and under appreciated. I tell them how much we appreciate them at every opportunity.

DC are on live zoom lessons throughout the day though and I'd be lying if I said I hadn't made a judgement about their teaching capabilities during this time. One is genuinely inspiring in how she carries the whole class along (sometimes with her own baby on her hip) and the other .. well she's just not as good.

Trying to teach your own kids at home isn't the same as being an actual trained teacher in a school.

100%. In the first lockdown I was very part time so I was a home a lot, home schooling my own kids. We all hated it. They respond so much better to their own teachers, with the authority that they have, in the structure of a school day.

I always say to parents that I understand how hard it is to do home learning as I've been there myself. Even having the knowledge and experience of teaching primary ages for 12 years didn't preparee for teaching my own children. They didn't give a shit. I massively appreciate their key worker places.

I always appreciated the hard work and dedication of my DCs teachers. During the pandemic I’ve been even more full of admiration for their school and teachers.

Depends on the teacher...like it always has !

You sound great OP 😊

I never really thought about much teachers apart from wow what a easy job with loads of time off

Who was I kidding they deserve a medal for doing what they

I have nothing but the highest respect for them and how difficult a job they have plus the patience of a saint

I certainly appreciate teachers like Noble more - we have a great support group.

I don’t appreciate teachers generally anymore than I did or didn’t before. Some are brilliant and some are crap, just like people in any job really. I do think it’s a job that’s difficult to get fired from though so the crap ones are getting a free pay cheque with a lot of job security. But it’s also a job which is limitless in terms of what you can give to it, so the really good/diligent teachers probably contribute an awful lot more than they are paid for. I basically mean you can give as much or as little as you want and the pay will be very similar.

I have two kids in two different primary schools at different ends of the spectrum in terms of what they are providing during lockdown. Both kids have good teachers so it will be the management that has directed the good provision vs the crap provision.

As much as ever. Perhaps biased in that two grandparents and an aunt were teachers.

As a teacher/TA (I’ve done both):

I feel there is no balance. Either we are vilified or sanctified. The vilification tends to lead to the profession overly defending themselves, thus making many sound like martyrs who have sacrificed their life to the profession.

It’s a vocation, which sets it aside from many jobs, but also groups it with other jobs that are far more respected in society.

In the past and in other cultures teachers are respected and revered - however this could and does lead to many being in a position where they can abuse this power - so no-one, no matter what job they do - should be put in a pedestal by society that puts them above common standards of behaviour.

I find it so frustrating that there seems to be no balance. As I said, it’s a vocation. If we weren’t trained to and also enjoyed being with groups of young people all day we wouldn’t do it. It is far different from being at home homeschooling your own children.

However you can end up becoming resentful when you work in a system where so many people hold you accountable for everything that goes wrong with their child’s progress, diet, friendships and then you look to powers that be for support and instead of getting validation, funding and consultation you just get ever changing directives and threats of ofsted.

More than ever! Always respected them but actually seeing how the teacher manages the kids online is amazing! How does she remember their names and their pets names and be so patient. I want my son to go back to school so so so much I can’t do what they do and I don’t want to.

I suppose what I’m saying is that there would be a lot less of what people call ‘teacher moaning’ if teachers didn’t feel so disenfranchised, with hands tied from carrying out creative ideas. In any job people need to feel like they are trusted to do their job and incentivised, given confidence - in teaching the opposite happens. And anyone who hasn’t been in that position can’t understand what it feels like.

In another note, I have found a new found respect for anyone working in the food supply change- now that was something that I really used to take for granted!

Chain, not change!