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.

I feel a bit deflated when I hear the defense that the Gov haven't asked schools to do anymore that look after kety workers. So schools are now passive are they? Gov know best - who are they to question? That's a new thing! I don't see the schools or the unions kicking up a big fuss about teaching kids now - they seem quite happy with the current situation. Honestly? I think quite a lot of schools and teachers, the unions and the DOE have let the state school kids down - only doing the minimum seeing after Key worker's kids - but not educating them is pretty chap. Why have they tolerated this?
Teachers should have defended the education of our youth more - but it wasn't in their interests. I appreciate some teachers and some schools have not taken the bare minimum approach but it seems too many have. Shame on the schools that care so little for state school children's education.

GazeboParty

Like so many, whatever teachers (or their unions) did, you wouldn't be happy.

They haven’t done anything! So no not happy!

@FrippEnos I assume you are one of the hard working teachers that we all love - but why do you feel the need to defend your lazy colleagues (I include HTs and the SLT in thsi) - you attack the parents rather than the poor performance of your colleagues...that's very loyal of you. But where do you think your loyal should be directed towards - the kids or your colleagues? The parents are the important ones, but we are the only ones speaking up for the kids!

I've had it very easy - setting online learning which can be done in advance and scheduled to be released for a later date, marking online learning and emailing pupils (which can be done around my kids) and greatly reduced days in work due to very few key worker kids. Although I will say my management team have been working really hard.

I think I'll make up for it when I'm back though as then I'll be teaching all day and then sorting out home learning stuff around that. At the minute though I do feel guilty because a lot of people I know teaching in different schools have a massively increased workload. A friend who works in a private school can't wait to get back into class because she's so sick of filming every single lesson to post online.

I'd say it depends completely on what school you're working in, your role and what you're trying to juggle around your work commitments.

Some schools have been really seizing the opportunity to focus intensively on those children who are in though - the children we had in were by coincidence those in need of a lot of intervention, so they have basically had 1:1 intervention most of the day every day. The progress they have made has been phenomenal.

Now I'm sure that's not been the case (or even possible) in all schools, but it is wrong to say all schools have done is the bare minimum. We could have just fobbed them off with colouring and PE with Joe the whole time - but why would we? We are teachers, not just childcare. And it's actually bloody hard for us to NOT teach children!

Our DC primary school has really let us down. The MAT clearly expected us all to treat lockdown as a holiday. No work packs sent home when schools closed, no work set - only comms from school staff blogging about how they were using the time to enjoy family time and catch up on their hobbies.

Lots of parents complained and we've just started getting work set but it is the same few worksheets by year across the MAT. No differentiation and no feedback or marking. Yes the govt guidance was crap but it's disappointing to see them doing the bare minimum when others locally have done so much more for their kids. It has really changed my view of the school. So much for the home school partnership.

?but it is wrong to say all schools have done is the bare minimum.? I agree not all schools have done the bare minimum - but too many have and they don't deserve defending IMO!

And it's actually bloody hard for us to NOT teach children!? Abd yet many have achieved it despite the hardship!

Bravo, OP. Is this what you intended?

CallmeAngelina It's too easy - quite a lot of teachers are nlot ding enough.

I think if we each gave a kidney and 8 pints of blood it still wouldn’t be enough ...

The one up side to threads like this: they really do help when I find myself wondering if I did the right thing by leaving teaching. Yup.

I think lots of us are seriously thinking of getting out alitttleodd

I think quite a lot of schools and teachers, the unions and the DOE have let the state school kids down - only doing the minimum seeing after Key worker's kids - but not educating them is pretty chap. Why have they tolerated this

My understanding is that key workers' children could not be offered anything different from those being taught online. in the interests of equity. This was not up to schools or teachers to decide.

It's a real shame. This is how we lose talented members of the profession. The teachers who have other options, often those who specialise in shortage subjects including STEM, those who have excellent transferrable skills - these are the teachers who are going to find it easier to leave for greener pastures. Recruiting science teachers was a ballache before I can't imagine how hard it's going to be in the future.

JimmyGrimble If you have been working your contracted hours then why do you take personal offence at these posts - we are annoyed by the lack of education our kids are being given by teachers. It’s quite clear week on week that some schools/teachers have not being doing their job - ie educating kids - I know the gov have told you you don’t have to, I’m just amazed you think that’s ok!

Ours teachers have done very little. Not much work set and not checking in with kids like mine who are not doing and uploading work as both working FT. They have been in school Max 1 day a week for KW kids

Gazebo
I’m not going to try and justify myself to you. I’m not going to tell you what I’ve been doing. I don’t particularly care about your opinion. I care very much about the children I teach, their families and my colleagues.

It's a real shame. This is how we lose talented members of the profession. The teachers who have other options Are we really losing talented teachers through this? The shit teachers who do nothing stay while the talented ones leave? That is down to some pretty shit management not the virus or the parents!

@GazeboParty

Why are you not directing your ire at the government that are in charge of this?

Ranting on a web forum is not defending or even advocating for your kids.

Ringing up your children's school and asking for more work, lobbying your MP would be actually doing something for your kids.

Otherwise its just the pot calling the kettle.

@gazeboparty shit management indeed! Sadly that's been my experience over the last 15 years. Purely anecdotal, but there we go. I wouldn't think it's an unreasonable suggestion that top performers find it easier to get new jobs/transfer to other industries? I also think it's probably not a stretch to imagine that those who put in the most extra work and go above and beyond are also the most likely to get burned out whereas those who coast on the minimum find it easier to carry on.

I did the job for over a decade, I was an excellent teacher and a passable HoD (I mean I assume, most of my current tutoring clients are families who asked to work with me after I left so I can't have been that bad) but the thought of what my old department must have had to deal with since march actually makes me feel a little ill. And yes, the work they put out varies in quality but I think they're doing the best they can under the circumstances.

I see a lot of comments around about parents not feeling confident in homeschooling as they haven't been trained in the skills used to teach, which is absolutely fair... But classroom teachers haven't been trained in delivering remote learning, it's an entirely new skillset entirely and vastly different from whole class teaching within a school setting. Mainly I'm just impressed with how quickly so many people have adapted and made the best of an entirely new way of working.

@GazeboParty

JimmyGrimble If you have been working your contracted hours then why do you take personal offence at these posts - we are annoyed by the lack of education our kids are being given by teachers. It’s quite clear week on week that some schools/teachers have not being doing their job - ie educating kids - I know the gov have told you you don’t have to, I’m just amazed you think that’s ok!

Gazebo, there's a line.

Someone posts about their specific school/teacher and says that they're not doing enough work. Fine. No offence taken. You're right to complain.

Someone posts all teachers are lazy / my friend who is a teacher is ashamed of the whole profession / all teachers should have their pay cut and the difference given to the NHS / all teachers should be made to work over the summer since they're not doing anything now / all teachers should go and work in care homes in their new spare time / all kids should go back now without social distancing because kids don't get it or spread it and I don't care about the risk to the adults etc. Not fine, I do take offence actually because by saying all teachers that includes me.

No ones saying all teachers are lazy don’t be ridiculous. Many of us are citing our recent lived experience of primary teachers downing tools. I accept they were instructed to by the government and heads so not entirely their fault. How would you feel in parents shoes?

There won’t be a recruitment crisis in a recession which sadly we now face I imagine many people that lose their jobs will retrain as teachers. And teachers leaving their jobs will have a tough time finding work in the private sector - if they’ve got any sense they would sit tight

My best friend is a teacher, there school was open for keyworker children, they only had 6 of them so they worked on a rolling rota and she volunteered in other schools and hubs at the end of May but prior to that she got to focus on her masters uni work, so she kept busy