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 imagine it varies, I'm NHS and have been doing alsorts, working longer hours and weekends, lots of colleagues have been doing the same, some have had their heads down doing the minimum, some appear to be having a lovely long holiday at home with their kids and husbands from what they're posting on Facebook. Don't get me wrong, I've knocked off early some days to do shopping for elderly relatives etc. we've all been cut some slack but some have taken advantage.

It is a mixed bag. I really miss actual teaching and I miss the students so much.

I've definitely been more flexible with my time - going for a walk at lunch time for example but working later / weekends and am enjoying that too.

I have probably worked about 60% of my normal hours and so probably about a 8:30-3pm like others have said I have spread these out though so people who saw me online or around might think I am doing nothing but I am getting up early to work, then going out for long walks and then working again the evenings. Did the same hours throughout easter and half term but I am only in school for Key workers one day a week.

A LOT of time preparing for next year though, and supporting other teachers and students.

I think it depends on how you define easy. My workload has been less than half of what it would normally be in the summer term but I have never been more miserable.

I am a Drama teacher. I usually teach 16 hours of whole class Drama, 3 hours of Dance and 8 hours of LAMDA. This term I should have had 90 children doing LAMDA exams (not all my pupils, I have a peripatetic teacher too), 7 drama productions and 2 dance shows.

Instead I have had 12 hours of whole class online drama (it was felt it was too much for the younger children to have their full timetable on screens) and 4 hours of online LAMDA (not all parents wanted to continue the lessons virtually). My exams, productions and shows are all cancelled, obviously.

My email traffic is down about 70% because of the lack of activities. Most of my assessments became optional so my marking is down about 80%. Reports etc have stayed the same. I've had a few days here and there on the keyworker rota but only in Easter holidays and half term because of having to do the online teaching.

But I hate every single second of online teaching. I have never hated teaching before and I've been doing it for 14 years. I find it so difficult to connect with the children and Drama is a hideous subject to do virtually. The technological issues are a pain and the software doesn't do what I want it to do. A huge amount of time is wasted when one or two children can't find or do what is needed and I feel helpless to help them. All passion and enthusiasm has gone and it's day to day drudgery. I normally enjoy the curriculum side of teaching but it's the extra curricular side that I do it for. I love doing productions with children and put everything I have into them. Without that side of life, it all just feels hollow. And there's no guarantee I can do it next year either.

So I guess my short answer is physically = yes, an easy ride. Mentally and emotionally = worst term I've ever had.

I have a friend who is doing almost nothing. Semi rural school. No children in. Doesnt have his own class.

Pretty much exactly per mizu, but not with fewer learners. 9-5 at the kitchen table. There now seems to be no “end of the day”, and students have an additional way to contact me at 10pm or whatever (Teams), and I am finding online marking really difficult, particularly giving feedback which I would normally give written on scripts, but in person so I can help with queries. I am exhausted. (I do like being able to get up later, though!)

My neighbour is a secondary teacher, and a single mum to two young girls. She is spending her days “home schooling” with beach walks and the like, going by her social media and seeing them coming and going.

It sounds like it really depends on the school! I am not a teacher but I work in a secondary school in a support position
(from home now). I've been working about the same amount. The teachers I work with are working really hard--setting homework, marking, dealing with vulnerable students and families, teaching online, organising new initiatives, preparing for classes to begin again with all that will entail, and so many meetings!

I'm a teacher, some days are super busy and some days really quite. Today I went to my online "class" all ready to do my job and not a single student showed up.. lost motivation after that and went and put up a new fence post. Tomorrow I'll have to catch up!

Four teachers in my family, one has been in five days a week, including over Easter. The other three have done very little, all day they have set some work one day a week, then had it back about a week later and give feedback on it. All three openly say they have barely been working one full day a week, but on 100% pay.

My dds year 6 primary teachers send one email a day and have zero work to mark. So imagine quite a relaxing time unless teachers can tell me what else would fill their time?

I had a lot of year 11 and 13 so my 'gained time' came a little earlier and I haven't worked my usual 60 hours a week, but I'm doing around 5 or 6 hours a day plus answering emails and classroom messages when they land, as long as I have my phone on me. I'm doing some Y12 over Teams now that we've sorted out behaviour issues (seriously, 17 years olds) and I'm in on rota at least once a week. Writing new SOW now for what will probably be blended learning in September, plus I've spent all day on Teams sorting out Y11 grades

We have. One week in school out of three, all work sent out via email is purely web links to worksheets or bitesize type thing, no marking or feedback.

Our management team however have been working their flipping socks off the whole time trying to keep the show on the road.

My friend is a teacher. Up to this week, they have been working 50%.

A lot of primary school teachers have had it extremely easy yes.

I wonder why they are resisting returning to work. A disgrace.

Possibly because it's not safe? Why should everyone be expected to socially distance in a supermarket, and the staff there be protected with screens and PPE (and rightly so) if school staff don't warrant the same protection? When they are at close quarters with children who could have mixed anywhere with goodness-knows-who outside school?

But anyway, my money is on this being a thinly-disguised goady thread, couched in a seemingly sympathetically curious way, but will actually quickly descend into teacher-bashing. Yet again.

Yes I know a couple to be honest. They've definitely not had a full workload as one of them has had time to set up a unrelated YouTube channel and post content! I'm sure it's not the case for every school though.

I am a deputy head in a primary. During ‘school closure’ my job has changed completely, but it’s been more intense and stressful than I ever could have imagined.

I’m running and staffing a childcare facility with numbers that change by the day. I’m facilitating free meals and vouchers. I’m dropping off work packs. I’m phoning families regularly. I’m always available by email and responding to all of the work my class are sending me.

I’m setting home learning with all the work that goes into finding activities that are suitable for all.

I’m supporting families who need food and those who have just lost their jobs and have no idea what to do.

I’m supporting families who have lost lives o es.

I’m also now trying to reopen a school in accordance with nine different guidance documents whilst dealing with parents’ very valid concerns although I don’t have any answers for them.

It’s relentless. I’m looking forward to Norma school for a break!

Should add that I have two young children who I also have to juggle and home school etc

I know one that's worked three days throughout lockdown and is generally lazy anyway

And separately, SIL is a primary teacher, she was a key worker on a rota and so was in a hub every now and then, but at home when she wasn't in a hub she was bored - and that's come from the horse's mouth.

My husband was sent home on March 13th and has been on three Zoom calls since with no other requests for anything. SOME teachers have had it easy - we're very lucky.

I am a teacher who is job- share (3days per week) but I never only do that. Initially setting everything up on teams and developing work for all of our courses and supporting our young people in being able to use the technology meant I was working every day including the weekends. Things calmed down once that was sorted out but I’d still end up in meetings on days I don’t work and got involved in developing packs of work for young people without technology. Our department create tasks and put them on teams, we respond to all pupil questions, we mark and give feedback quickly. We also deliver online lessons. On top of that we have all our own admin stuff at the school end to get on with. I can honestly say I have gone above and beyond to provide this whilst neglecting my own children’s home learning. However I know that all schools are different and some haven’t given clear guidance on what they expect or want - much of this has been from our own initiative and sense of professionalism. I am sure there are others taking it a bit easier. However I’m really offended by all these threads about teachers and how hard they are or are not working. Many of us are working very hard and I haven’t seen any such threads about any other job.

I’d also point out that despite all of this work it is very disheartening when a significant number of students don’t take us up on the support or engage (totally understand not all can and have other things going on, so it is all very optional) however this combined with the perception that we’ve been having a holiday just really doesn’t make all the extra effort feel worth it to me to be honest!

My two children's teachers certainly don't seem to have been.

My SIL is a teacher and says it's been no easier or agree since lockdown. She,has set work for her children but it's been SLT phoning families to make sure,everything is,okay. She has said teachers always work hard but it's no different now.

I’m SLT in a secondary and have been working really long hours. On more than one occasion I’ve worked past 10pm on the phone to colleagues, social services and parents dealing with urgent welfare and safeguarding concerns.
The vast majority of our staff have been working incredibly hard. I know some have had a slightly easier ride, either due to timetable or the nature of their subject or role but everyone that I’ve come across is doing all they can. We’ve been doing a full timetable of online lessons since the very beginning and our staff have been going above and beyond expectations. In addition to online teaching they’ve been delivering food parcels, stationery and laptops to students, making doorstep welfare visits, making transition activities for transition year groups that can be delivered online, making training materials to help colleagues get to grips with unfamiliar technology and techniques and so much more.
I can’t be sure that this is typical but I’d be really surprised if it’s especially unusual.