To wonder why teachers are not teaching my child?

[Nickynackienoo]

I am a nurse redeployed to itu. Doing 13 hour days and stressed up to the eyeballs at the moment. My children (12 and 8) go to school on my work days and on my days off i keep them at home with me according to the government guidance. As far as I can tell, the teachers at school are just childminding and not teaching anything. How is it that they can have just 4 kids in the school and not manage to get them to do at least some work? How can I possibly do the job of a teacher on my days off? They have send so many links via email that I can’t make sense of, it’s so overly complicated. Surely as key workers they should be doing the job they are being paid to do? I must be missing something, can someone fill me in?

Lefties how many AGPs does the average teacher carry out these days?

@RCAR I agree, I hope that people aren't as arsey and rude to parents of their students who dare to ask questions or have concerns. I have had lots of, what to me are obvious, inane or quite rude questions; but parents are also scared, worried, concerned, and part of the job is communicating with parents for the sake of the child. Perhaps the links the teacher provides are complicated to use, and although everyone is proclaiming it's obvious that schools are just for childcare, people are still concerned that theirs are missing out being at home, so obviously the message hasn't been as clear as people think. It is quite shaming to be honest.

I’ve posted on other threads about this. Some schools are doing very little for those in school. My kid is in school and I’m being asked by her teacher why she’s not completing her work and logging into zoom lessons - she’s in school!!!! I can’t do the stuff with her in the day because she’s with them. No provision for any sort of learning, no exercise, no meals provided and limited hours. They just watch tv, which I know is what a lot of kids are having to do now as their parents are working while they are at home but I do feel the school could at least try with some art supplies or put the zoom lessons they are running for the kids at home on the whiteboard. Definitely worse provision for those in school compared to those at home.

Private schools want their kids to excell as education is a passion not a chore to pay the bills? Its about kids education surely? All in together?

Oh good god. Your little cherub is so amazing, we would turn up and teach him for free!

OP also said Surely as key workers they should be doing the job they are being paid to do?

Most teachers on here are just trying to explain that we are still doing our job, just one that's radically changed. Some aren't, however, and concerns should be addressed to their school.

We haven't all said, and don't all think, that going into school is currently as dangerous as working in ITU. Nor are we all "unbelievably precious knobs".

HTH.

I’d like to clarify that no I don’t think teachers are at equal risk to someone working on a ward full of Covid patients, obviously. It doesn’t mean it’s risk free is all. Nurses, doctors, teachers, bank staff, etc etc are doing their best. That’s all, I’m exhausted reading this thread.

Nailed it yappity

My son's GCSE Design & Technology teacher set 6 weeks worth of homeschooling work (3 × 3h lessons per week) all together, right at the start of lockdown:

Watch these 18 programmes on BBC iPlayer [programmes about product design listed] and make notes on each. Submit 1 sheet of notes per show for lesson in the next 6 weeks

The work is valuable to my son, he is learning from it and enjoying it.

I have no issue with the work set but let's not kid ourselves, this is a significant lowering of the teacher's workload.

And I get some schools are doing the home learning with the kids in school but some aren’t, which is IMO kind of crummy. Yes some parents won’t be able to do the home learning with their kids as they are too busy with work but they will probably be trying at least with some worksheets and zoom lessons while the kids in some schools are not getting even that, they are being denied the the chance to do the home learning (which is really good from my school) because the school want to discourage attendance, which I get but I don’t have a choice, I can’t take my kid to work with me (GP surgery) and husband works in a hospital, so to teach her we will have to stop working and then there are less HCPs around.

It's easy to think everyone else's kids are sitting at desks with mum doing research on the Tudors and baking and learning about measuring etc... Only those kids with a non-working parent (and one who can be arsed/has the skills/available technology) are going to get anywhere near that.

I'm working from home in quite a frantic admin role, yes am here all day, yes am educated, have all the tech and quite LIKE teaching my kids stuff but nearly had a nervous breakdown yesterday at the inability to square the circle of work and schooling. It's impossible.

I phoned my sons' teacher and he said basically the engagement is so disappointing for the teachers - so few children are doing the tasks etc. I felt like less of a failure then!

If you're not managing it, honestly you're no different to the vast majority of working parents. The difference is of course your hugely strenuous job which I have nothing but admiration for. There aren't many winners in this situation. Pick off the tiny bits you can, use the time to rest up x

'The teacher's' @FATEdestiny ...not 'all teachers'. For some of us, it has significantly increased our already significant workload.

Yes I did, as I can't be arsed waving though pages and pages of crap.

Understandable. But it's odd to then post telling me I should be happy I still have a job and that surely there are things I like about it. You've kind of caught half the conversation in a busy pub!

FATEdestiny

I have no issue with the work set but let's not kid ourselves, this is a significant lowering of the teacher's workload.

the point is that this should read

"I have no issue with the work set but let's not kid ourselves, this is a significant lowering of this teacher's workload."

There are other things he could be setting but only some of them would be what he was doing in class or the workshop.

"The daffodils were decided upon in a thread on The Staffroom to be used as a response when a teacher bashing thread is started. Because they’re actually really bloody upsetting threads, so we want to give flowers to each other."

It'd be nice if you could all extend the same courtesy to childminders. We're pretty sick of reading that you're "just childminding", "just childcare" and the implication that we're on a high salary (if only!).

FATE are you sure he isn't in school making visors?

OP I'm sure if you coordinated with your children about what their online work was and suggested they plan to do it during their time at the school the teachers there would support them to the best of their ability.

In my area children are in mixed age groups - primary and secondary. Groups range from 2-10. The children also move between teachers on the days that they are in. Due to small numbers of pupils and large numbers of staff volunteers staff now only work 2 days, every two weeks. Teaching requires consistency and it's not possible in the current climate.

As for your children being at a disadvantage to others because they are at school "not learning" while others are at home, the quality of learning taking place in homes will vary enormously and we teachers completely appreciate this. Some young people will be doing literally nothing, while others streak ahead and others meander along doing what they can (I suspect this will be the majority)

It will be teachers and schools responsibility to work all of this out WHEN PUPILS RETURN TO SCHOOL AND WE CAN DO OUR JOBS PROPERLY.
You do sound very stressed - try not to let schooling and what your children are learning or not learning become a source of stress for you because there is a huge amount of inequality in educational provision at the moment that we will need to address when this is over.
The fact they you care about your children's learning and education is half the battle and my professional opinion would be that they will come out of the other side of this as some of the better off children.

I think a lot of people are teaching their children at home though or social media will have you believe. My nephew follows a normal working school day and his mum is teaching him off the syllabus with a hope that he will be ahead when he goes to school my dd is at preschool and whilst this week they have sent out a list of suggested websites and activities to do they have said that they do not expect is to actively teach our child lessons. If their are four kids in the entire school yes it would be nice if they are being taught but if they are differing ages how would the teacher go about it? Would it not be best for school to support them with access to a computer so your 12 year old can crack on and the same for your 8 year old? Otherwise you could ask if they could print off the resources your kids should be using so that they can get on independently? Are your kids accessing zoom for daily lessons or similar? Do you know what work has been set for them by teachers or have you just been emailed with a list of suggested websites to use?

Tbh I think your anger is misplaced. Teachers in schools currently are watching over key workers children , they are not actively teaching them as many posters have said. You should known this because as a responsible parent you should have asked about this before or when they started school during covid-19. I think you should be more annoyed at yourself for not understanding what was happening at schools open during the pandemic and the role of teachers. The information is available online and via the school. Regardless of your job and how many hours you do you should have checked this.

You sound stressed which is absolutely not unreasonable! No one is expecting you to actively teach your kids on your days off. Make contact with the school and they can clarify things for you, if you think your kids need more support ask.

It's obviously true that we wouldn't be anywhere without our NHS doing their bit to keep us safe.

Just like we wouldn't be anywhere without our supermarket workers and lorry drivers getting the food we need to us.

Or our care home staff putting their lives on the line to keep our most vulnerable safe where we can't.

Or our schools staying open. Because, if they weren't, none of the above would be working at all.

So a bit of praise all round instead of the 'I'm doing x so I must be working harder than you doing y'.

If just one of the above groups (or the police, or the refuse collectors - name your service) decided to withdraw their labour we would be up shit creek without a paddle.

Remember that and let's all be grateful that, for the moment at least, most people are pulling together and recognise the hard work everyone is putting in.

Because, let's be honest, I'm finding my local Tesco staff more use than the NHS or the transport workers at the moment - not because I don't appreciate them but because I don't need them. I need to eat though.

Hopefully, for the sake of my health, I'll carry on feeling that way. But if the time comes, Tesco will pale into insignificance compare to what a doctor or nurse will do for me. Doesn't mean I don't appreciate the work that all of them are doing keeping me going.

I've been as measured and helpful as I can be. I'm sorry that some posters still feel all teachers are being lazy and paid for doing nothing. Perhaps you should contact your child's school if you have concerns (I can't offer any other advice because I don't know your school, child or the teacher).

In the meantime, please don't generalise about teachers in the same way we hope people don't generalise about medical professionals, retail staff, transport staff, legal professionals...

We're all struggling, in different ways and to different degrees, but struggling nonetheless. Stay safe.

Imagine how pissed off the other parents would be if your kids got special extra lessons because of your job, when they are also stressed as hell managing home learning on top of remote working.

Teachers had no say over:
The decision to close the schools;
Opening schools as childcare providers;
That we have specialist knowledge so a french teacher might not be able to help your child label the parts of the cell either;
That classes will be mixed years at the moment;
The plan of the day.

We are doing our best in a shit situation - the same as any other parent. But stop blaming teachers for things out of our control, because how would you like it if nurses got the public blame for A&E waiting times at your hospital or an appointment being at a difficult time for someone? Because that's basically what you are doing to teachers.

FATEare you sure he isn't in school making visors?

The school doesn't have the equipment needed, so I know he isn't. Not a judgement on this teachers willingness btw, just that we don't have the funding for quality DT equipment in school (I'm a governor at the school, the question was asked several weeks ago)

Teachers don't currently teach in the schools because they are teaching from home outside of school hours which takes double the time and effort of a normal teaching day. If they teach in schools also they should be paid double as they are doing double the work. Give teachers a break 🙄

RCAR you have just helped MNHQ to identify exactly who you are.

Well done

Have a