Why are teachers not teaching live lessons online

[Shouldistayorshouldimove]

This is not a teacher bashing thread.

Talking online with another mum in my son’s class today, both ourDCs are in p1 (Scotland). She is outraged that teachers next term will be posting work online rather than actually teaching using Zoom etc. Her argument is that universities are doing it so why aren’t teachers? And how is she supposed to work from home and educate her children?

Personally I don’t think teaching a bunch of 5 year olds a live lesson using Zoom is going to be all that effective and would probably require quite a lot of supervision anyway. AIBU to think that tasks posted online are quite sufficient given the circumstances? So as not to drip feed, I am also working from home with 2DCs.

‘Care of duty to your country’😂😂😂😂to the NHS perhaps, nope no care of duty to the ‘country’. To its citizens but not to the country.

And my main care of duty is to myself and my family. I am NOT cannon fodder for a shit government and a thread of entitled parents.

@TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross
It happened the day the UK government announced on national tv that all exams were cancelled indefinitely.
When something is cancelled that is it. The end-until some possible future time when something might get uncancelled.

No one knows when schools will re-open. It's obvious it will. take a long time for pupils to recover from this. It's obvious it will. take time to reacclimatize them once again. That first day will be like starting again. Chances are that first year very. little actual academic learning will happen.

The is no saying when and if they ever do reopen, GCSE's will still be there. Remember O levels and CSE's? I've heard stories about them, never experienced them.

You're getting four hours of work sent home each day and you are still complaining?
Of course it's not the same as being taught at school. No shit Sherlock.
I'm out.

@MonaLisaDoesntSmile

“ UK system is very much that where we spoon feed children throughout, and they struggle at universities more and more because they can't work independently.”

Bloody U.K. teachers, they’re just so shit. If they taught children properly, early years children would be cooking their parents dinner, logging onto laptops independently, printing their work and just cracking on. Can’t believe we’re so behind

Where is your information coming from? In your very sweeping statement?

Here we go for those who clearly missed the government announcement on the day they announced closure.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/coronavirus-uk-schools-to-be-closed-indefinitely-and-exams-cancelled

*We will not go ahead with assessments or exams, and we will not be publishing performance tables for this academic year. We will work with [the] sector and have to ensure children get the qualifications that they need.”

The only pupils who will get any GCSEs at present are those students who should have been taking their exams this year. One of mine is also in year 9, the exams after Easter would be in school exams which have been cancelled. These would have taken place to help the school organise classes for next year when work begins on chosen GCSE's. Currently, those classes are none existent and where cancelled. Those students who are going to school shouldn't even be doing a full new of learning and absolutely nothing new.

The private sector as always they seem to work to their own rules because of how they are funded. They simply don't want to refund the money that would be owed to parents by adhering to what the DoE has advised all schools.

i think they should be for secondary school kids, especially GCSEs. My son has been set work that is hard and new and then homework to complete after basically teaching himself! I class lesson via Google hangouts or zoom would be much more helpful!

How do you propose that happens? My son is a teacher. Didn't have a home computer as he didn't need one (and couldn't afford one). He used school desk top computers at school and his phone at home. All good. Then this happened. School didn't have laptops to give out so we had to give him £500 to rush out and buy whatever laptop he could get there and then - is that what you are advocating? That every teacher has to go out and buy a computer, that they didn't want and couldn't afford?

Next, he lives in a house share ( can't afford to rent or buy on his own). WiFi in the house is terrible and the best place is in the shared living room ( even then video chats with him freeze constantly) but are you saying that he should teach his lessons in the living room of his shared house with his housemates wandering around, possibly swearing or saying something inappropriate and while they are also trying to WFH?

How about all of the students who don't have a computer at home, constant use of a computer or access to the internet? Should they just be forgotten about?

I would love to teach a live lesson, trust me. However, about 2/3 of my students haven't even viewed the lessons and assignments I set them on Teams. And it's something they can access at any time of the day. So what do you think the chances of them all.logging onto Zoom at the same time are? My guess is: tiny.

Yes, many teachers are trying to teach live lessons on Zoom. I'd encourage you to find out how it is all working out for them. There is a group on Facebook called #teachersproblems. One teacher had a kid masturbating live on zoom. So yeah... not something I'd want to expose myself or my child to.
And also - what do you think the masturbating kid would do with a recording of his teacher? Hmm?

Lastly, I have one laptop at home and a son in year 7. If he had to do Zoom lessons with his teachers, he wouldn't be able to because I need the laptop for the entire morning.

@Beebie2 I'm saying it as a teacher. My info comes from teaching in this country for 10 years and comparing education in other EU countries. And from knowing from university lecturers how many students struggle with basic skills. It's not the teachers, it's the system that had been imposed on us. Parents asking me why their child has not dune their homework. How tf an I supposed to know?

Those students who are going to school shouldn't even be doing a full new of learning and absolutely nothing new.

Shame we don't have the standard free edit button

Those students who are going to school shouldn't be really made to work, and even then absolutely nothing new.

One teacher had a kid masturbating live on zoom

Never been more glad to pay fees.

The google hangout seemed safe.

I take it you are an expert in cyber security and child safeguarding, then.

Honestly, it amazes me how little the general public appreciate the training and experience required to be an even half decent educator, of the specificity of teaching in different contexts (of different subjects).

Obviously it hasn’t been helped by governments all around the world being all ‘of, they’ll all just teach online’ as if thats totally straightforward.

Just checked out Google Hangouts. Not enabled on my school device.

That could just as easily have been a private school student tony! In fact, more likely, as they tend to be more likely to be using Zoom.

Not at my private girls school it isnt in the slightest bit likely. They are not disturbed children.

It's not the system but the parents who forget it is their job to teach their kids new things.

Why aren't parents teaching their children these life skills to be able to live independently as adults? It shouldn't be down to any school to teach basics like cooking and budgeting, how to clean, use a washer, tie shoelaces, toilet train, teach students how to dress, personal privacy and safety etc. Yet here we are, where staff are having to do this. I don't even think any of this was actually on the exams tbh, most of it certainly wasn't on the curriculum. And it certainly wasn't in my contract to teach other peoples children to do any of that as well as teach all the basic shit to my own, and all the rest of the crap. that comes with a lot of industries.

Moaning about it is just. as bizarre as asking scientists to set up a lab at home and work from there. And think about that one. Schools have science labs and. various chemicals in there. By making impossible demands to get access the now-defunct GCSE's, not only does it have to include things like English, and IT etc but also Chemistry. Do people really want amateurs setting up Science labs at home? After all, nothing could possibly go wrong right?

Tonyaster

So those kids in private education are not "disturbed"?

I will remember that the next time we have those that have been thrown back into the state education system.
Frankly they are some of the worst behaved children that we have ever had and each and everyone has been backed to the hilt by their parent just like the worst behaved in state education

The IT department at DP’s work have vetoed the use of Zoom for security reasons. None of them can use it on a work laptop. It’s a very large technology company.

But, you know, there could be no problems with primary school kids using it.

Admittedly, DP isn’t entirely impressed by the IT veto; they didn’t even consult his department - cyber security - before deciding it was a no to everyone. But, given that a school isn’t likely to have a team of cyber security experts to discuss online learning software with, it seems reasonable for schools to be even more cautious about what they are using.

MonaLisaDoesntSmile, I absolutely agree with you, I've obviously failed to get that across. I was trying to point out to a previous poster who said it has been done in other sectors, how it is not the same at all. We are a family on paper who would tick the box of 'haves' but we only have one laptop that I need to use for work. My children have an iPad and my eldest who is 13 has a phone but this is not adequate as be needs a bigger screen to work on. My husband has a work laptop so no use to us as a family as he can't share its use. I work in data protection and security there is no way I would be letting my eldest partake in a lesson on Zoom in its current state! I don't want to introduce my year 4 child to endless online learning as it is not healthy for the mind or soul.

This is the downside of so much testing in education over the last decade. Children are focused on targets and instruction so can't really think for themselves. Why is it so overwhelming to offer your child a book and read around a subject or be enquiring and work things out for yourself using that resource named the world wide web? I really can't imagine my parents flapping about this, the education side of things, in the early 90's when I was at secondary school. The lack of social interaction from school is my biggest concern and the lack of freedom on daily life is awful even if it is necessary.

So those kids in private education are not "disturbed"?

Hhmm really? Bullindon Club and a pig's head anyone?

I think tony is right that it was unlikely to have been a female, though.

golden, that's a really interesting post.

Do people understand the serious security breaches from Zoom are like health in to some extent.
When these things happen they don't give a rats ass who it goes for. It's not selective.
Just because at the moment your particular school hasn't experienced yet, doesn't mean it won't.

And the reality is that by schools using such unsecured platforms like Zoom, it will only encourage some nasty adults out there who will try and hack into that school portal. Such a fucking stupid idea when there are better platforms out there that actually give a fuck about online safety. And they are designed to work specifically in education and can even make differentiating work a lot easier to be able to help sort this impossible situation out. They make producing useable online age-appropriate resources easy for everyone.

But whilst people are stupidly saying nothing, it's not forcing those schools to sort this shit out before some poor kids do get shown some hardcore porn. That will be more damaging that little Johnnie not being taught the alphabet by a teacher, instead omg the parent has to do it however they do it, and should find their own way of doing it.

I'm a uni lecturer and am still delivering stuff online. I was told that students engage better if they can access material in their own time and at their own pace.

So I'm not zoom teaching. I do a ppt and narrate the ppt and put it up, set activities, etc.

I do live zoom tutorials mainly for pastoral support and it's fairly chaotic. Can't imagine actually trying to teach live online. I'm finding it hard myself never mind trying to teach live. Doing it this way actually takes more of my time than doing a live session but I think it's better.

Wow.

Just wow.

The vitriol on here is shameful. Talk about tarring state schools with the same brush.

Many other countries have closed schools completely. So yeah, they may be able to concentrate more on online learning platforms. My school is trying to do both online teaching and staying open.

In the UK, many schools ARE still open. And for longer hours. Looking after the children of keyworkers. And children with SEN or who are vulnerable. My school is near a major COVID hospital so many of our children have parents on the NHS frontline.

I was in yesterday, on what is technically a bank holiday. So it's no wonder teachers are getting fucked off when a minority of parents seem to think we're doing sweet fuck all.

Thank fuck that the majority of our parents aren't as shortsighted and frankly, spiteful & mean-spirited as some of the contributors here.

We are also phoning EVERY family weekly, emailing (& responding to emails), providing free school meals, supporting struggling families oh, and setting / marking daily work for every year group on Teams.

Oh and it's the Easter holidays which is academic at the moment as we are continuing to provide childcare and support throughout.

So it's no wonder that teachers get pissy when we are told that we are lazy bastards twiddling our thumbs when the reality is very, very different in a lot of schools.

Sorry that your kids' school isn't stepping up but I know for a fact that my school, my DS1s secondary and DS2s primary has gone above and beyond...

I posted last night and can't believe how much this has snowballed.

I teach in 2 schools, one a medium-sized state primary with a diverse range of kids, the other a lovely secondary school. Primary uses Google Classroom, secondary uses Microsoft Teams. I initially found Google easier but I'm getting there with Teams. My y7 tutor group have been very forgiving and helpful.

As has already been said, we had very little notice of this happening. When the news came out, it was a primary school day for me. The Head immediately collapsed the timetable down so that specialist teachers like me, the SEN-specialists and the TAs took over the classes so that the classroom teachers could set work, put packs together etc. It wasn't my idea of fun and the kids were both scared and hyper, but we pulled together and did our best because we are a team. On the final day, I was in my secondary school. I had to ask my tutor group who would struggle to access work using Teams, then notify our SLT with their names and the issues so alternative arrangements could be made for them.

Both schools used the week before the designated Easter holiday as a trial. I have worked closely with a NQT at the primary. He has been a constant reassuring presence to his class and it has been heart-warming to read the interactions between them. He has recorded himself (audio only) reading their class book and the children have loved it. Most kids seem to have been working, however, one whose parents are colleagues of mine elsewhere have kicked off about how much they are meant to do blah blah, lack of computers blah blah, which because I've been to their house, I know is not exactly true. The parents are stressed (understandably) but have gone about it all the wrong way. Instead of going mad at the teacher who is only trying his best, they could think of work-arounds. Instead of effing and blinding about the cost of printing something out, they could ask the school to do it, and could pick it up from reception whilst having their daily walk. Except it's much easier to kick off. I am quite sad about how they have behaved.

In terms of GCSEs and A levels, we need to look at all work done by those students to date. I spent 3 full days this week marking Extended Projects because these too need to be ranked. There are 4 of us teaching it so the only way we can order them sensibly is to all mark them then moderate them.

Next week, I should be back at school. I have had 3 meetings since lockdown online with my Head of Department. Yes, we have chatted about life & families (worked together for years) but mostly it has been about using different websites, switching round how we teach the curriculum and so on. In a practical subject, it's really hard coming up with sensible ideas when not all kids have access to a keyboard, software or other musical instrument. We are doing our best.

Finally, on the subject of Zoom, a friend had a 50th birthday party via Zoom. Our internet is so utterly useless that all we had were a few still shots of her family and some crackly audio. I wish the government would sort out the terrible broadband here (I have emailed my new MP and he has been very understanding). Added to the mix, I have uni age DDs trying to watch lectures and labs online and there is no way I could teach live on video. I will be uploading the day's work at around 8.30am and giving my students a few days in which to do it. I will try to be online if they need my help but we don't have to sit at a screen all day according to our Head.

These are strange and unsettling times. However, I told my tutees that my main concern was to seem them all again, happy and healthy when this is over. If they have learned something, it's a bonus. Some have signed up to Duolingo and although I'm not friends with them on there, they post up their weekly scores so we have some friendly competition going on. Lots are doing Joe Wicks. I said if any of them cook a new dish, put the recipe on our class team so we can all try it. In essence, to me, their mental health is paramount and I see the preservation of that as my main goal over the next few weeks. If that makes me a crap teacher, fine. Sticks and stones....