To think we could just collate all the teacher/teaching related information here, and have done with it?

[SachaStark]

Just to save time, shall we just have a thread here, where our teaching colleagues can collate all the answers to the questions about teachers and schools, to save having to repeat the same stuff again and again?

1. Why aren’t the teachers working?

They are working.

1. What are the teachers doing all day?

A myriad of things. Including, but not limited to: gathering evidence to get qualification data for Year 11 and Year 13, planning lessons that can be taught remotely, creating resources, marking work, checking on vulnerable children, completing safeguarding referrals, writing school reports, in school minding key worker children, writing new schemes of work and policies for the COVID-19 world, delivering free school meals to students...

1. Why aren’t the teachers doing online video lessons?

Some are. Most (the correct decision, IMHO) are not doing this, following union guidance. This is due to unsafe platforms, such as Zoom, the inappropriateness of it for some ages/classes, and due to safeguarding reasons.

1. What safeguarding reasons could there possibly be for not doing online video lessons?

So, so many, sadly. Including, but not limited to: the vulnerability of teachers’ images or voices being used to create online memes (at best) or pornographic material (at worst) by downloading and manipulating the clips, protections of both staff and students who may be hiding from dangerous individuals known to them, the possibility that abuse may happen live online in front of other children, the possibility that some children may appear on camera either undressed or performing indecent acts...

1. Why aren’t the teachers in school actually teaching the key worker children?

We’ve been told not to teach key worker children in school, we are only child minders at present. This is due to the possibility of unfairness if we are teaching some children and not others, and also because it is impossible to plan for and execute when you are trying to maintain social distancing, and also have no idea what year groups you will have in each day.

1. What’s happening with the school curriculum?

It’s been suspended.

1. When are the schools going back?

Literally, NONE OF US KNOW. It doesn’t matter what your school has said or not said, or what your neighbour’s Aunt Gertrude has said. None of us know anything about when the schools are going back.

1. Why can’t they summer holidays be cancelled, and the kids go back to school then?

Because the teachers and students are technically working right now. The children will need their summer holidays, and the staff will need them, too.

1. But other industries have had their holidays cancelled, so why can’t teachers have theirs cancelled?

It’s more complicated than it is in other industries. Teachers aren’t paid for their holidays, and they also can’t take them as time off at a later date. The government would have to pay six weeks’ extra pay to all teachers, which I don’t reckon they’ve got the spare cash to do.

10. Why can’t teachers just work it unpaid?

Because we are not bloody saints, and we aren’t very well paid in the first place.

11. Why are the teachers still receiving a full salary?

Because they’re still working full-time, see above, points 1 and 2.

12. But why isn’t MY child’s teacher doing X, Y or Z?

We have absolutely no idea. Why don’t you contact the school in question? Maybe they are, and you haven’t seen it yet? Maybe they’re not, and they’ve actually absconded to Hawaii? Maybe they’re just drinking gin all day? Who can tell, I certainly can’t...

13. What are the daffodils on posts about teachers/teaching for?

It was decided in a thread on The Staffroom that it would be far more productive to give each other flowers on threads clearly guilty of teacher bashing, since many people’s mental health and well-being is at a real low at the moment, and many hard-working teachers are genuinely upset by these posts.

14. Is it really teacher bashing, though? I’m so bored of hearing this.

It is, because these threads generally rely on generalisations regarding an entire profession, and are simply an excuse to “have a go”, rather than doing the more productive thing and contacting their child’s school.

15. But don’t teachers think they have the hardest job in the world? They’re always moaning and being so defensive!

Literally none of us have ever said that we have the hardest job in the world. I don’t know who does. NHS staff at the moment, for sure. Other key workers still having to carry on in difficult conditions, absolutely. But we definitely are facing some very difficult tasks in our jobs right now, that we’ve had no time to prepare for, in an unprecedented situation. Exactly the same as most other lines of work are having to do. And we have to defend ourselves, because SOME posters on here do love a pile-on when it comes to teaching.

16. Would you like a glass of wine?

Fuck yes, most of the time, actually. Care to join me?

I think teachers are adapting and working hard to use technology, but I think that its difficult to understand just how complicated education is. What works for some children won't work for others. The amount of support and technology available to students at home varies massively. The ability of different students with different needs to access learning again is huge. In a classroom an experienced teacher responds and adapts her teaching constantly, online teaching doesn't allow is to teach on the way we normally do, in the way we have spent years practicing.

I also think that many are massively overestimating the autonomy teachers have and the power unions have. We

Also, some pupils are using mobile data in place of broad band. Fine to read a task, not sustainable for hours of zoom.

Re. Zoom etc. I wish people would start to realise that it isn't the teachers who set the rules. They are bound by government guidance, by LA policies, by their individual school policies. If I was a teacher and worked in a school that wasn't using Zoom, I couldn't exactly just go ahead and start to use it. In short, it wouldn't be my fault.

As mentioned by a PP, why do people blame teachers, the bottom rung of the ladder in fact, and not those who make the rules? People don't tend to blame the GPs that their practices are closed, the delivery drivers when they can't get a slot, the supermarket workers when the shop has run out of flour.

I taught primary for years and used to love it but the constant criticism and contempt from people I didn't even know was so draining and it sucked the passion out of it for me. I'm happier now!

Pressed too soon, just like everyone else we will do what we're told to do.

I'm a bit concerned about the size of UK classes, if we're looking at classes of less than 16 we're looking at teaching less than half a class. Recent school expansions have been incredibly mean with the physical size of classrooms, all in the name of efficiency. Halls, libraries and canteens all have to be treated as teaching spaces, so in newer or recently expanded schools social distancing is going to be very difficult.

Well said! 👏 👏 👏

I have 3 kids with 3 laptops. We STILL can't all be on Zoom simultaneously because of the internet not being up to it.

A few days ago I was rather surreally teaching one lesson via Zoom from my bed, with dd2 accessing my colleague's lesson from my en-suite bathroom, dd1 crouched outside my bedroom door on a 3rd zoom & ds a few feet down the corridor on a fourth.

All of us could hear each other's meetings - in fact dd1 & ds were audible to each other's teachers when they responded to/asked questions.

We can all access google classroom & email all day! Streaming zoom calls - not so much.

Why does it need to be zoom though. I have used Zoom since lockdownband quite honestly I am not impressed. It is good for a family get together but thats about it. Maybe I am being unfair since I have not spent a lot of time on it.

I have used Skype and Microsoft Teams quite extensively. They are not the same as zoom, perhaps because we don't tend to use video conferencing.

I don't get why Zoom is better than a video made available that a child can go through at their own pace.

And then answer questions? It is possible for this to be submitted on line.

It also means for my youngest I can do some of the work at the weekend so I can give him 1:1 he deserves.

Lunch break, part time hours, between meetings etc etc

Many teachers are doing videos that can be accessed whenever. In screen recording all of my lessons. That's part of point teachers cant teach live for a myriad of reasons.

I’m actually a supply teacher, @umpteentimes, so currently unemployed, since all the schools are shut. Just wanted to show some support and solidarity with my colleagues, if that’s all right by you?

If that was genuinely the case piles of schools wouldn’t be using it.

Singapore have banned the use of it for their schools after starting to use it and have security/safeguarding breaches

Google, Elon Musk’s Space X, NASA and Apple have stopped/banned their employees using it on company equipment

Scores and scores of LAs in the U.K. have told their schools not to use it.

Please listen to posters before making statements like that.

umpteem not a teacher or someone who works on a school.

I must admit I occasionally look at mumsnet during the day. It may be a quick look instead of a chat at a coffee machine. Or if I am on a conference call .

I also only work part time so there are full days when I am not actually being paid.

So many possibilities..........

@umpteentimes even if the OP wasn't a supply teacher, you do realise that 12:47 would be right in the middle of a school lunch break, right?

Does your place of work not allow lunch breaks?

The 'free' Zoom used by friends, informal gatherings, is restricted time and functionality. We use the licensed version which has more security features and a unlimited time/numbers.

Stellamboscha, Yes, so Zoom has an upgraded version. I'm not sure if the point you're making? For a start, that costs about £15 per month in subscription. Multiply that by the number of staff needing it. Who pays?
But anyway, so what? Many schools have been told not to use it at all, not just to avoid the free version.
And it doesn't get around the issue of many children not being able to access the lessons either.

It's not that schools, or individual teachers aren't willing to "embrace technology,"

I am the computing and online safety coordinator for my infant school.
I teach computing pretty much all day all week when in school.
I have taught computing, and back in the day, ICT from reception level to, previously, GCSE and A level.
I have a myriad of devices and technology in my home.

I'm currently wfh. I am not in the in school rota due to my own health reasons. My role at present has changed significantly and I am working full days and, like others, worked through Easter, including the bank holidays. The first notifications from our learning platforms hit my devices at around 6am. The latest one I've had was about 11:30pm. They come through every single day if the week. Weekends and holidays are no exception.

I am overseeing all home learning. This is almost entirely online based for obvious reasons. It's pretty much the in-line way to provide lessons now as we moved further forward with how long we've been away and that parents and children cannot come to school to collect printed sheets or books.

We know we are providing a fair bit of work for the children. Each morning we post an English, maths and phonics lesson produced by teachers. They may or may not include video sessions too, these are mostly the teachers voices with screen capturing. We have a daily activity and a subject lesson/activity each afternoon. In addition the odd other activity, competition or link may be added, as well as the odd teaching staff videoing themselves reading a story for example. At least once a week the class staff will add a video or voice message for their class, such as a digital show and tell of work posted, a fun recap of their weekend, a thank you message, etc,

This is the right amount for the majority who want it. We've had one Sorensen complain it is too little, or not right, and we've had one parent complain it's too much. Through monitoring we know that approx 80% of pupils are accessing at least one form of our home learning provision. Some more will be doing so but on the note pads we've provided and by printing the work from the google drive I set up last week - I can't monitor who has used that I don't think.

We've also made it clear to parents that this is primarily recap and consolidation, although we are continuing with the phonics and spag work, and reception continue to work on new numbers and shapes of the week. Weve added links to a range of e book sites as we can't allow parents in to swap books. We are continuing with our reading challenges and doing virtual certificate ceremonies once a week, etc. We have also suggested links to other learning sites for parents who choose to use them.

We've also made it clear that there is no expectation. The work is there for those who choose to use it. When the children return we will spend time assessing and monitoring children to see where they are up to, if they've stayed the same or indeed if some have gone back a bit. We understand our parents are often working right now, either at home or out of the home. We know it's a balancing act. It is for many of our teaching staff too.

However - online lessons are not appropriate for my school.
Individual calls are not appropriate for most of our pupils.

Our catchment is incredibly varied. It goes from the parents who have ordered new laptops or iPads for their child to use whilst off to those who don't have their own one and paper at home. Many are sharing devices with siblings, and many with parents who need to work full time from home as well.

Our most vulnerable and disadvantaged children are being monitored. They've had paper based work taken to their homes, for example.

Not all parents will know how much we are doing behind the scenes too. Most won't tbh. And that's fine.

So yes, I totally embrace technology. But I also acknowledge its limitations at this time for many pupils. It's crucial to know your school catchment and community and to make sure you've ironed out the technology before using it for everything,

Aragog
Well said.

I'm starting to conclude the obsession with zoom/live lessons on Mumsnet does suggest that a substantial number of posters haven't a clue how privileged they are.

Absolutely. I teach rurally. Lots of our kids don't have internet access! Can't access anything. We've been delivering paper work but can't get it to teachers to mark. I've arranged free downloads of e textbooks via an app for kids thanks to publishers giving some for free to those who have bought their textbooks. Hoping these kids can download an app on 4g and use them....but it's by no means guaranteed.

SLT are delivering food to some families.

One is driving a minibus every day to pick up a few kids who can't get to school without transport (85% of ours come a fair distance and by school bus)

A lot of people really need to check their privilege.

When I’m not on the digital platform, I’m marking work. Marking, marking, marking. All coming in individually via email or the platform - over 130 kids a week. THAT’S why Little Johnny can’t have his work back two hours after he sent it through; there are probably 80 pupils in the queue before him. He’ll get it when he gets it.

Happy Friday, my fellow teaching and other school colleagues:

I really hope you’ve been keeping okay this week. Thanks for all you’re doing for your schools right now.

I've spent today redesigning my Yr 7 curriculum and I feel refreshed. There will be a positive to come out of this - by the time lock down is over, every single SOW will have been tweaked, reinvented or improved. I cant wait to actually be able to teach it!

Inservice day in my part of Scotland so had the heartbreaking task of carrying out some of the processes that will eventually lead to my judgement being an award for our SQA candidates.

Estimating, refining and then ranking . Goes against the grain so badly I feel sick .

Had to leave the FB page for parents in lockdown of my own DD's school due to teacher bashing which I challenged and then was rounded on.

Thanks for this thread

@SachaStark yes we should and then every time someone says ‘yeah but not but ..... we can simply read this and find it out for yourself