Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

To wonder why teachers are not teaching my child?

733 replies

Nickynackienoo · 29/04/2020 10:18

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?

OP posts:
LastTrainEast · 30/04/2020 15:50

Maybe there needs to be a FAQ somewhere for those people who didn't listen the first 18 times these plans were explained. Not singling out the OP who at least may have the excuse of being busy, but this is ridiculous.

I'm not sure how it is possible to live in this country and NOT know the way schools were going to be organised for the duration. I know and I don't even have school age kids any more.

Smellbellina · 30/04/2020 16:07

This was covered in a staff meeting before the lockdown and it was felt the children were likely to a) be worried about the situation and their parents and b) unhappy to be at school rather than at home like their friends and therefore the focus would be pastoral.
If you are unhappy about this, just talk to them!

TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince · 30/04/2020 16:08

I’m with the poster up thread.

I’ve put loads of work on the platform. Had 4 pieces of uploaded or emailed work. Same 4 this week too. The ones who aren’t doing so, are being dealt with by SMT.

The ones without computers have it posted out. From my point of view, I am spending hours and hours making work available. And only a handful are responding.

bananaontoast1 · 30/04/2020 16:29

Haven’t RTFT because I can’t be arsed, but you state in your OP that the links sent for your school aged children are too complicated... bit worrying that you’re a nurse as you can’t make sense of topics tailored to children.

Aesopfable · 30/04/2020 16:32

This thread is like someone in Scotland looking out the window and proclaiming ‘it is raining!’ and someone in Kent looking out there window and crying ‘how dare you say that it; the sun is obviously shining’.

LolaSmiles · 30/04/2020 16:44

This thread is like someone in Scotland looking out the window and proclaiming ‘it is raining!’ and someone in Kent looking out there window and crying ‘how dare you say that it; the sun is obviously shining’.
Not quite.

More like, someone in Scotland says they're not sure what they should wear for a hike in the mountains with their walking group tomorrow and they've got some questions about how the car sharing is working. The obvious response is ask the group leader if you're not sure or have questions, but the person rants about outrageous it is that the group leader has failed to inform them specifically what to wear for the walk in their chosen format and follow up with a rant about how they didn't like the group chat anyway because it's confusing. They then hope that those walking along a canal path or park in central London will validate their irritation because obviously ranting online was going to offer a much better solution than speaking to the group leader.

StaffAssociationRepresentative · 30/04/2020 16:50

haven’t RTFT - what’s the question?

spanieleyes · 30/04/2020 16:55

Same old, same old.

rainydogday · 30/04/2020 16:57

Wow what a lot awful replies. I also work similar to you OP. With everything going on one of my worries was that the teachers would begrudge the kids having to go in. The comments about teachers being at risk looking after the kids, it's just the same as us looking after sick and dying people in the hospitals. Luckily the teachers have been nothing but absolutely lovely and I am sure they feel a duty as I do to my patients to care and support them. The kids get a tiny amount of time to do their 'home learning' at school. They are 9 and 11 but often get worried about us going to work. The days off we try and be a family and not stress about school work. But we still get emails saying they haven't completed work. I did question why one day they only had 30mins to do any set work. I agree why can't the teachers encourage them to do their work, the same work as all the others are set. I am not expecting a full on lesson but a bit of guidance if they get stuck would be great. Just like I would offer if I was at home.

Onemorefortheroad · 30/04/2020 17:00

Similar situation and have been wondering the same. Not teacher bashing at all just wondering how I'm expecting to keep up with the work when I'm also working. I thought the least they would do at the childcare was to make sure they had signed into the computers and done what their own usual teacher has asked!

itispersonal · 30/04/2020 17:04

It wouldn't be fair for the teachers to teach the key worker children. Non key worker parents would be in uproar that those children would have an advantage of having a teacher teach them whilst others are home schooled.

When I am working at school (just a TA, mine you, so potentially risking my and my family's health on near minimum wage, as no social distancing) the older children ks2 7-11 are encouraged to do the set school work in the morning and we lend them a laptop, some bring theirs from home, and we will help if stuck, but if they don't want to and want to play or do other stuff they can do.

It is a childcare facility, a 'holiday' club of sorts.

Smoggles · 30/04/2020 17:10

@rainydogday I agree that when in school they should have access to the work that the others have also been set, surely that makes it easier for the teachers who are having to go in anyway? Confused

shamppoandtea · 30/04/2020 17:31

The comments about teachers being at risk looking after the kids, it's just the same as us looking after sick and dying people in the hospitals

*Except one is imminent life or death the other is 19 days of missed education.

Maslows Hierachy and all that.*

Unchartedsea · 30/04/2020 17:42

@cantkeepawayforever

Wow, that sounds amazing! It would be great if every school could do the same. The pupils (and parents of) at your school are very lucky.

rainydogday · 30/04/2020 17:46

Shampooandtea. Except......if the front line nhs people all stayed and home and didn't look after life and death because they are a single and their child is too young to stay at home?! Teachers are just as important to their job or there would be no one to work in hospitals!

ChloeDecker · 30/04/2020 17:47

The pupils (and parents of) at your school are very lucky.

There would still be parents complaining at cantkeepawayforever’s school too sadly.

BBCK · 30/04/2020 17:50

I ran the hub school yesterday. We had a timetable for the day that included schoolwork, Sport and art. I personally supervised pupils from age 6 to 12 doing English, maths, French and music but it was unbelievably difficult to help kids with their work whilst keeping a 2m distance. Parents, of course, don’t have to keep their distance so it is not quite the same. Obviously there is no PPE at all so, when I had to tend to a child who fell while running outside, that was tricky!

I am setting work for my own classes and marking work when returned. However, only about 25% of pupils are engaging, despite phone calls and emails. Some pupils and parents have complained about the amount of contact from the school as well, so teachers are damned if we do and damned if we don’t ☹️

I am keen to return to the classroom but the public must accept that there will be no effective social distancing in schools, despite the efforts of staff, and no PPE at all for anyone.

user1471590586 · 30/04/2020 17:50

Someone put this early on in the thread. "How about some gratitude for people putting themselves at risk looking after your children so you can go to work."
Did people miss the fact that the OP is a nurse? So putting herself at risk herself caring for others. Obviously exhausted from working very long days and may not have the mental energy left to help their kids with their homework after long days. Some of the responses on this thread are very harsh.

cantkeepawayforever · 30/04/2020 17:51

Oh yes indeed, Chloe...

Too much, too complicated, no live lessons, no video, too many platforms, not the right level, needs some parental support.....

shamppoandtea · 30/04/2020 18:04

Shampooandtea. Except......if the front line nhs people all stayed and home and didn't look after life and death because they are a single and their child is too young to stay at home?! Teachers are just as important to their job or there would be no one to work in hospitals!

Unfortunately they didn't have this option in other countries.

Ragdoll27 · 30/04/2020 18:21

Phew, sorry you are having to read through all these comments OP, I gave up.
You are absolutely right, school staff and teachers in a school with 4 kids should be able to support them in their 'home' learning.
For those who think that the OP is in the same boat as those working from home & trying to teach, you are wrong. She works a 50 hour week presumably with some kind of commute. Perhaps she should start her kids lessons when she gets home at 8pm? Or maybe she needs to have a wash & make dinner etc.
Honestly, god forbid that a key workers kid should get any type of 'advantage' in being in school, eh? How advantageous to people really think it is for these kids? Ridiculous, mustn't upset the teachers. Rant over.

FrippEnos · 30/04/2020 18:40

Ragdoll27

Ridiculous, mustn't upset the teachers.

I agree we mustn't upset the teachers because not all teachers are at this school.

To do so would be a ridiculous and stupid generalisation.

1moreRep · 30/04/2020 18:51

i too am a front line key worker as is their father we have had the same concern.

5 kids in the school, the kids having an amazing time playing, baking etc but i was worried about them falling behind.

i spoke to a teacher at drop off and she explained they do the set task by school independently but the teachers are there for help and then after they do sport/ bake etc

the schools priority is the child wellbeing and mental health which i fully support, i was only getting half the story from my dc.

MovingBriskyOn · 30/04/2020 19:21
Daffodil
LolaSmiles · 30/04/2020 19:51

1moreRep
You did the thing that the vast majority of OPs who start threads moanjng about school with a healthy smattering of goading fail to do: you spoke to your children's school like a perfectly sensible and reasonable person.

It's amazing how many people on mumsnet seem to be so annoyed at their child's school, so intent that their children's teachers are useless wastes of spaces, so unbelievably concerned about their child's education that their first action is to start threads on Mumsnet rather than speak to the relevant people.

Swipe left for the next trending thread