Did any teachers have it easy over last 11 weeks?

[PicaK]

I nearly lost my shit yesterday with someone who insisted most teachers have had an easy life and not doing a proper day's work during Covid.
I'm not a teacher but many friends are and I don't know any who haven't had a full workload. It's absolutely not the message that's coming across on social media either. Most teachers saying they've done more work.
But then I wondered if my snapshot was accurate.
Does anyone personally know any teacher who has coasted/had an easy ride? (I am not talking about your kids' teachers who you have opinions about but friends or family where you have more insight.)
I'm hoping it's a no tbh and I feel justified for feeling so put out.
Aibu
Yes - yeah the teachers I know have had it easy
No - you're right all the ones I know have worked as much if not more.

TA here and I’ve had FA to do...

Very honest Katinthedoghouse 😁😆

I'm not a teacher. However, my daughters' teachers have been available via email the entire time, we have walked past the school and teachers have been there with the keyworker children, they have worked through the school holidays, have called every family each week (sometimes multiple times a week) to check we are all ok. They've offered support with school work, as well as emotional and practical support to families.

No, they really haven't had it easy. They have gone way above and beyond, and I am so thankful to them. Most of them have young children of their own, and yet they have been putting themselves at risk by going to work.

Me. I teach 16+ college gcse retakes so I've been sat on my arse replying to the occasional enthusiast student who wanted to do extra work. Nothing they have done after March 20th will count, they all know this so understandably no one is doing any work for me.

I know of 1 who has done the minimum, but tbh it's the same in normal times. The rest have been working their socks off but have had most evenings and weekends back.
The TA's are a mix as some are part time or have more responsibilities for groups, but everyone has worked if a few less hours a week, but is made up along the line.

I think the issue is that in many cases, teachers have been tied up doing things that mean they can't provide a good distance learning experience for children. For example dealing with vulnerable families, working with keyworkers children, helping with FSM and goodness knows what else. I'm sure a teacher will be along to tell us in a moment.

Some schools have on top of that managed to provide and good or excellent distance learning experience. However, its clear from reading Mumsnet that some schools have provided poorly or even nothing at all.

If you have a child who is impacted by all the things that I've mentioned in the first paragraph you're likely to be happy. If your child has had a good learning experience you'll be happy.

If however your child isn't impacted by the first set of things AND your child gets poor/no teaching provision you'll feel or possibly even assume the teachers are all sitting at home drinking gin!!

(I know our DC's teachers are working very hard and providing high quality distance learning)

I'm a teacher and I've had the maths activity to sort out each week for the home learning sheets. I sat down for about an hour tops each Sunday to prepare it for the week ahead. Did 3 days in school with key worker kids too. That was just the expectation in my school and I know i've had it very easy the past few months.
This week we're back in school and beginning to do daily teams meetings for parents and children. I'm not in with any children for health reasons so have a lot of extra time to do the meetings.

I haven’t had to do too much to be honest. One day a week work for the whole time.

Teacher friends that I have on social media seem to have been enjoying long walks, playing on the beach, doing puzzles and challenges set by the kids’ schools etc - they appear to have had much more free time than I have (NHS).
I don’t know how responsive they have had to be during school hours - if they don’t have to be they may have just adjusted when they do their teacher work to earlier in the morning or later in the day.

mmm. My daughter's teachers don't appear to be doing much!!! I wonder why they are resisting returning to work. A disgrace.

I’m 80% and I’ve worked 100% every week, volunteered in the hols and have prepped a fuck tonne of work. I’m sick to death of the media and social media bashing teachers and am gripping on by my finger tips (sustained by the almost unanimous lovely emails I’m getting from parents, which make me a little bit emotional, but then I’m fucking tired) and I’m seriously considering leaving the profession, along with most of my colleagues,

Nope. Been in once a week, been working like mad.

I did have the holidays off though, for which I am grateful. The head insisted we had a break if we could as it's been really intense.

Oh and I’ve also marked every single day, including in the hols.

Think you need to differentiate between primary and secondary. Theres teachers not providing care in schools and not doing any marking. Some are just putting work online with little feed back. Whole others are doing zoom lessons and being.much more involved. I imagine it's a spectrum

I've been working, but have had a bit more time than usual. I've been doing my work at odd times as well, so some of my neighbours might think I've done nothing (if they have noticed my movements). I had an exam class who I was told not to set any work for (because realistically they aren't going to do any of it, obviously!), So I have gained time, 3 hours of lesson time and about 5 hours of planning/marking time each week. I'm hardly kicking back and relaxing though, I'm spending a bit more time on each of the classes I've still got, as it's trickier to plan for lessons where they have to be accessible for pupils working independently, which they find really difficult! I often don't know how they coped with the work the previous lesson either, as they aren't great at telling me because they want me to think the best of them.

And the many hours chasing pupils who aren't sending me any work at all!! None of which is doing me or them any good, as they still don't send any work 🤷

Lots have done very little. Combination of (same as many others) juggling work and kids has led some to believe they have been exceptionally busy, but different work circumstances always feel more exhausting.

Fits and starts here.

We've been available via email but not had much uptake. Been giving feedback but not had many replies from it, so have 'capacity' left over as such.

I'm also in a position where I only teach years 7-10 this year so don't have y12 classes where there's been more back and forth, and don't have to predict y11 or 13 grades.

I can see it looming though because there have been some thing that have been slow to trickle down like curriculum planning tasks we'd normally have now but because the leadership really are busy it hasn't got down to us yet.

DH is a teacher and has probably worked 20 hours a week setting and marking work - and he's a subject lead. It's been a godsend for us because we both work full-time normally and have a toddler so I don't know how we'd have managed the juggling if we'd both been doing full days - as it is it's been tough so it's not like DH has been sat around on his arse but he hasn't been doing his full teaching hours and nor have his colleagues.

He did have a year 11 and 13 heavy timetable, which helped - it would have been more work if he'd had more lower school classes so actually some of his colleagues probably have been doing more.

Given the amount of people complaining of lack of engagement and support from their childrens school it stands to reason that there must be some teachers out there who have had it easier than usual. However I dont imagine many are going to be quick to speak up and admit that given it would likely be followed by the inevitable teacher bashing. From the few I have on facebook I've noticed more photos of family activities, walks etc but this means nothing since I know one posted more of the same and my workload is unchanged.

I imagine many are looking forward to summer though, I can imagine adapting and teaching the curriculum in this way is pretty stressful.

All my colleagues have been working full time at home. The children I teach can't work independently so my work was greatly reduced. I volunteered instead. I think only teachers can answer this as 'perceptions' are often skewed.

I really dont know why people are so bothered, obviously if a teacher wasnt doing their work that's an issue but some roles needed less input. Thankfully I'm in Irekand where my profession is valued more and I get paid more and have better holidays.

I taught in the UK for years and the attitude to teachers is a disgrace. This will no doubt descend into teacher bashing which I assume is your agenda? So grateful to be out of it.

Full time teacher here but FE. Pretty much as normal though fewer learners.

Been teaching on line every day.

Been prepping materials from scratch that can be delivered on line.

Been marking on line using lots of different programmes depending on how learners are sending the work back and in what format.

Been having various meetings with team to plan and prepare for September and beyond.

Lovely to not have to get up at 6:15 though and instead get up at 8.

I have neighbours who are teachers and spent most of the time in the garden so unless working overnight are not busy.

Other neighbour is a head teacher and he seems to be very busy - has to organise the ones who aren't shielding (most of his teachers are either shielding or living with a shielder or shopping for a shielder..ummm). I feel for him, he is working all hours.

My cousin is a teacher and she says it is much easier and loves it. She is WFH and says lots more time and getting lots of jobs done but missing the teaching.

Mixed bag.

I'm a part time teacher (3 days). I've been doing 6 days.

I live next door to a teacher. As far I can see she has done a great deal of chilling in her back garden, cars not moved. But maybe she works lots in the evening? Or she is shielding? I actually honestly do not know or care.