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.

Schools don't have the budget to allow every single teacher to work on a computer/laptop/device that is even semi up to date. They don't have the infrastructure or even someone specific to run this

Obviously some schools don’t. Some do.

DD’s was set up for a substantial amount of online learning before this so the transition has been pretty seamless.

I worked, in school, supporting vulnerable and keyworker children 7-7 today. We don't get a break because there are no midday staff, and we have to clean too.

On days at home, my family of 5 share one pc - DP has work to do, DS is writing his dissertation. When I get access, I write reports, plan for my days in school, set work online and respond to emails and Team contact from my class/their parents.

I'm also home-schooling two primary-aged children.

So fuck off with 'teachers are twiddling their thumbs' or telling us what we need to do to support you at home.

31. Any school which is delivering learning online must have protocols in place to protect staff and safeguard pupils. No teacher should be expected to carry out any online teaching with which they feel uncomfortable, or in the absence of agreed protocols, including measures for handling incidence of pupil behaviour which is disrespectful of others, including the teacher, or is disruptive of learning.

Source www.eis.org.uk/Content/images/corona/Working%20at%20Home.pdf

@ElfDragon
That sounds like a similar set up we used to have so when students were off ill for weeks, they would still have access as and when they could, even if it was to say Hi, whilst sticking tightly to policies about this.
So many schools don't know about this and other more secure ways and end up shockingly on Zoom (yes I am going to mention this on every post I make on this thread).

Beyond teaching basic skills, a lot of schools simply don't have the resources to implement this. And it's not the school's fault. Aside from a bit of training in terms of safe use, there is no support for schools other than companies trying to sell them something, and it can be a very expensive mistake.

Another school spent thousands on what should have been some amazing tech. Of course, they only show you what they want you to see. Once paid and installed it quickly became apparent it wasn't all that good. Something that would have been used several times a day every day of the work eventually ended up gathering dust because of all the issues.

MyDCAreMarvel
I wouldn't ever consider using my own devices for school work - far too many GDPR issues. As a safeguarding lead I would definitely tell others not to do so.

I teach a mixed year class - a video or live teaching wouldn't help all and as so many others have said, a big proportion of children don't have access to a screen.

I do lots of other stuff to keep in contact though.

Teachers cannot share a device with other household members. They haven't been able to for a long time. Any teacher using a device for school and let other members use it are in serious breach of policy. A lot of schools, especially those clued up, have this down as gross misconduct. Teachers have access to sensitive personal information about students.

Plus if a workplace wants someone to work from home, technically it is down to that company to ensure everything is properly set up, and a device given for their sole use.

Not all schools use laptops, some have desktops in room. You are relying on staff having their own personal computer

Plus there's also the chance that some of those 2 million homes who have no devices at all, could be teachers who for whatever reason do not want this in their home. Just like we cannot be forced to stay indoors 24 hours a day, we cannot force people to go online and why should they have to buy something they don't want/need as long as it's not impacting their job on a typical day? It's them lumbered with an unwanted contract when the schools reopen.

Are there any teachers not setting work? My daughter's aren't but we don't seem to hear from any on here who aren't. We've had an email with a list of websites, similar to what's been doing the rounds on social media. No guidance as to what we should be doing.

Not all schools use laptops, some have desktops in room. You are relying on staff having their own personal computer
I agree. Or expecting staff to use their own personal devices to support learning, which is a safeguarding issue.

To be honest, there seems to be an almost daily series of threads saying:

• My child's school is giving too much work / too much academic work / the work is taking too long
• My child's school isn't setting enough work / I don't like the work set and think it should be more academic / they're getting through the work too quickly
• What are teachers doing? / Teachers are twiddling their thumbs
• Why hasn't my child's school for Google Classroom? / Why isn't my child's school doing what the local independent school is?
• Why schools should go back early because teachers have had their holidays now. My sister's friend's uncle works in a school and he has been told he's fine to spend his days cycling. If any of you challenge me then I shall take this as proof that you're always saying your job is the toughest in the world

Advice from teacher union NAS/UWT to teachers about lessons.
www.nasuwt.org.uk/advice/health-safety/coronavirus-guidance/arrangements-for-remote-teaching-learning-support.html

One of my youth groups has been using a conferencing app to run virtual meetings. We need consent forms, HQ has created a new standardised form to this effect, there's a great list of conditions to follow and advice about the technicalities of various apps.

It is chaotic, mainly in a fun way. These are primary age children who want to be doing it, but it's difficult to keep them clued up on what we're doing. We've had moments where parents swear in the background. Children turn the mikes back on repeatedly.

While it's mainly fine for a small youth group, there is no way to make it work as an effective teaching method for a typical class containing the usual range of motivation, accademic interest, attention span, SNs and access (or lack of) to reliable and appropriate technology.

The DCs teachers' laptops are practically antique. Some of them need about half an hour to warm up and be usable for the school day. Nearly all the teachers have their own family commitments from older babies to teenagers that need their attention.

Who ever said young children aren’t an excuse to not teach live , many nurseries are shut completely which leaves your other option - unpaid leave ... so who would teach the class then ?!?!
( there is a massive shortage of supply teachers , and pretty sure a teacher that knows the class setting appropriate tasks and resources but working flexibly is preferable to live teaching from someone who doesn’t!)

We have been doing live video lessons since lockdown began a month ago. (Italy) Up until we finished for Easter, the kids were on a full 29/30 hour week timetable, but our HT has changed that to 18 t/t hours and then non-synchronous hours for setting work should any teachers want/need the extra.
This is state secondary. The school has delivered its stock of tablets/laptops to the kids who didn't have them. Each teacher can use whatever platforms they want, and yes, we are using Zoom. (Along with G-Suite and the Italian ministry electronic register and various publishing houses virtual classrooms)
One of my classes invited some kids from another school to crash a lesson (not mine) but in the 4 weeks we've been doing it, I've heard of no other incidents from my school.
We've been given clear directives and teachers can either pre-record and upload or live teach. We're not allowed just to set work.
I'm certainly working harder than ever as you need to tweak lessons already prepared for video teaching and I seem to spend a lot of time getting the visuals/audio ready. Plus online marking takes longer than pen and paper marking.

Practically speaking - how are parents supposed to work at home and teach their own children if the links provided in the home school pack aren’t remotely interesting for the children? Ok if they can’t do a zoom lesson as such. Could they not teach SOMETHING as a pre-recorded lesson - rather than nothing. Just some new information...? The kids need to see their teachers. My kids feel forgotten. Frankly so do I. Because currently that is what we have at home. Zero educational support.

Its a pretty stressful time already and I’m dreading the new ‘term’. The kids are barely learning a thing. Very little paid work is being achieved. This cannot go on.

Either get someone to teach the whole curriculum on the TV - year by year topic by topic - or stop bloody pretending that sending home so called lessons is not a waste of time for all but the most diligent of children. Surely the TV option is not beyond a manager consultant even to resolve?

If I’d thought I could teach I’d have chosen teaching. I haven’t experience of teaching, I don’t understand the new terminology or the methodologies used, particularly in maths. To pretend otherwise is ridiculous. And very bloody time consuming.

If the TV option with some Q&As aren’t being supplied - too complicated to arrange?! .. we should just abandon all pretence that following some random school’s teaching pack is adequate and let the kids choose what they’d like to learn and go from there. Minimal supervision required.

This is what I’d like to do however I don’t feel I trust the schools to get the kids back up to speed again without detriment to their self esteem.

Meantime us parents flog our guts out to satisfy our own work requirements as well as trying to figuring out the answers to Authorfy’s often dull questions - because no one has thought to provide a guide to the desired responses! I don’t have time to sort this out for the teachers ffs.

It’s about time that the journalists started to ask these questions at the press conferences; real issues for real people.

Education was obviously left off the pandemic planning along with every other bastard useful items like PPE, testing, etc

I know that’s a rant and I know people are dying but resolving primary state teaching to a reasonable standard is not beyond us and I’m tired of the children being left to bloody last.

I am setting work and marking it for all my classes (secondary school) but I can’t deliver anything live as my own children’s nursery has closed. I can’t do lessons with a 2 and 4 year old at home who need me and can’t manage to sit quietly whilst I teach on zoom.

Please can people remember that teachers are people who get ill, have caring responsibilities and are more than just their job title.

In my school we are video teaching

No Alicewhiterabbit, like all other parents who are not furloughed etc, if your employer needs you to work, but due to childcare issues you do not feel able to do your job then it would be unpaid leave, no one should be expected to pay you while you are not working. Which is exactly what the response is on here to other parents with the same issue.

I do wonder what people think happens in a classroom.
Kids don't just sit in rows and listen.
Teachers don't just talk at them.
It's really hard to teach remotely.
And not many of us learn by just being told something. This is all a compromise .

I'm also having the problem that I can't always help them with the work as I don't understand it. I worked my ass off at school and never got higher than a c at GCSE I'm not academic in the slightest. Some of my 9yr olds work has me completely flummoxed.

I think the examples from this thread and others show that other countries are ahead of the UK in terms of using technology for remote learning. I wonder if they are generally ahead technologically. From my experience, the technology in UK primary schools has barely changed in the last ten years.

Maddening, how would that help exactly? Encourage teachers with children to take unpaid leave and reduce the chances of delivering an education even further!

There are data protection issues that need to be addressed via risk assessments, these take time. You shouldn't discard data protection law when making these choices. I won't be letting my year 8 child take part in any lessons using Zoom.

I'm getting sick of teachers having to defend what they are or aren't doing. We are trying our best. I kid you not but my neighbour who has been furloughed has managed to decorate every single room of his house these last 3 weeks. Where is the outrage from the car industry he works for ? I'm sat at a double desk preparing lessons, replying to emails , narrating PowerPoints whilst helping my own child do her own school work. But that's obviously not good enough for parents complaining that they have their own work to do whilst supervising their own child's work. Teachers are in the same boat. Shut the fuck up.

I don't really understand this. How hard is it to read a book about a subject and help your child if they are stuck? Of course, this isn't to say that anyone can teach but a teacher doesn't usually have one child sitting in front of them.

@MsTSwift teachers twiddling their thumbs? Are you having a laugh. I’ve got a toddler at home so after a day of looking after him I spend my whole evening working to set lessons, check work, reply to emails, Mark work and tidy up my house a little. It’s the school holidays right now and I’m still doing stuff, but at least am getting to bed before 1am thanks to not having to do so much.