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.

Mixed. Some teacher friends tell me they have not really had to do anything. Primary school teachers seem to have had it harder. Teachers I know in private schools have been full on, normal timetable etc.

Same Never. Dh and I state educated and great supporters but if dd were not in year 6 I would be putting her into the local private ASAP. The primaries have adopted a “lowest common denominator” approach. We are now told because some are not going back those that are won’t be educated as “it’s not fair”. Wtaf?!

I do think people have forgotten that teachers are parents in this too, I’ve definitely had it easier than my normal working week but I also have a 1 year old at home so had it been business as usual I definitely wouldn’t have coped!

“ I hear this a lot. But guess what? It never happens. Maybe industry is not willing to throw the big bucks at those who have gone school->6th form->university->teacher training college->school, never leaving the academic world.”

Oh yes, it does! Has done for decades.
Depends on the subject, of course. I remember losing our computer science teacher and our maths teacher to industry when they decided they could do so much better for themselves.

My sister has been working linger days than normal (year 6) doing endless zooms etc.

Two of my ex colleagues (I was a teacher) openly said to me that they were enjoying not being in school and ‘weren’t doing much work at home’.

In regards to my own children’s teachers, one has consistently sent work and called every few weeks, the other doesn’t appeared to have done much that I can see, but I think there’s stuff going on behind the scenes.

A mixed bag it seems.

@PurpleFlower1983 but people in other professions with children still have to.

My yr7 grandson's drama teacher has been taking it easy - they got an email 11am Monday to do work on the Jabberwocky by 5pm that day: it was the first contact he'd had with her in 10 weeks and she ended by asking him why he hadn't contacted her for work. I told my daughter to reply that life was enough of a drama without going looking for it! I guess she suddenly realised that she might be held accountable some time soon.

I can’t comment on what teachers are doing but my children are not being taught at all. My Y10 spends 1 hour a day doing HW set on google classroom and my A level students have had nothing at. The school has called us parents once and left a voicemail to check all ok. I am not impressed and compare to friends and families abroad whose children same age have had more or less full school days online since lockdown started in their countries. Why can UK school not manage the same?

No.

I’ve been planning and setting work for my class, plus another. Supporting incredibly anxious parents and children, designing a speech and language programme for intervention between year 1 and year 6, rewriting the entire DT curriculum, writing end of year reports, setting up a new data tracking system and using it to set targets. I have been planning for the autumn term including resourcing, allocating staff and timetabling (I’m a special needs teacher so I have about 8 staff to manage all type of intervention) and due to the school bringing all long term planning in to line in each subject, we are doing long term and medium term planning from scratch.
Every single teacher at my school has not had it easy.

And unfortunately we aren’t able to do zoom etc lessons however I’ve been posting videos of myself teaching the concept, using worksheets, online platforms... as much as I can think of to give the children variety and keep them motivated

BeardedMum, this is why people are asking, DD doing her ALevels is actually working harder now than before lockdown. Her college is providing a full timetable and is doing fortnightly tests to ensure the students are staying on track with their predicted grades. They are planning one lesson per subject back at college on the 15 June with in depth notes for anyone unable to attend. Yet next year she will be marked as a peer to your A level student.

My day has been made easier by not having a 45 minute drive through a city to get to and from school.

It’s also nice to be able to go to the loo when I want, and drink when I want.

My neighbour is a teacher at a secondary school. He hasn't had to go in and he said he's only had to spend a couple of days lesson planning.

That doesn't take away from the majority of teachers who have been working really hard though.

It sounds like there is a massive mix. I know one teacher not working as lives with an elderly relative, one who's worked 2 days a week (usually full time) both primary and a secondary school teacher who's been doing 9-6 most days on online classes, homework and feedback.

I spent 45 mins prepping a lesson yesterday for my Year 10 group.

Only 1 child out of 30 turned up. He essentially got private tuition for 45 mines.

I’ve been doing the same thing every Tuesday afternoon for the entire of lockdown.

Today I’ll do the same for Year 7 and then tomorrow for Year 8.

The most I’ve ever had in an online session is 5.

They ALL have iPads that were given by school and we’ve paid for internet connections for some.

I do four hours a day around looking after DD single handedly. Part of that is curriculum planning for next year.

I hate these threads. They treat teachers like one amorphous mass.

Oh and I’m part time. So I’m actually still doing all my working hours.

So the jealous ones who think all teachers are in their arse and still getting paid can pipe down.

I haven't read the full thread but I imagine some teachers are killing themselves to provide excellent provision and other teachers are doing sod all. There are lazy teachers ( my experience is secondary) and I have observed enough lessons where books haven't been marked and student records are poorly kept. Other, more dedicated teachers, go above and beyond to do their best for students.
I have a couple of family members who are teachers. One is constantly marking, sorting work, e mailing students. Another one is loud about doing nothing.
Effective SLT should be constantly monitoring provision to ensure all students are benefitting equally

Hi,
Im a private school teacher. I resigned a few days ago. Online classes - 7 per day. No resources or laptop provided by school, using all my own stuff, paying for resouces with my own money. Unbelievable demands from parents telling me that their children are misbehaving in their own home and can I do something about it!

And Ive got my own kids with me all the time, all too young to be left unsupervised but still.... thats what has been happening.

No support from senior managent at all sadly, and normally one at least is excellent- I suspect she is having her own breakdown.

So while I am sad to leave my great students, I am about to have a nervous breakdown. Im so stressed even the resignation doesn't feel like relief yet.

And no, none of my colleagues having a great time either.

I'm a teacher on mat leave but I obviously know a lot of teachers that have been working this whole time. One of my friends has been in school 3 days a week with key workers' children and supporting her own pupils with their home learning the other two days. There's also been curriculum planning for September, some teachers have been delivering meals to vulnerable pupils etc. The workload for most teachers has probably been lighter than usual, but they are still working. Under normal circumstances teachers work 2 months of the year for free (unpaid because our salaries are spread out across 12 months).

Surely it is ultimately the responsibility of the school management to ensure students get taught and British students get taught to the same levels across the country.

My friend is a teacher.
She has done a couple of hours a day. If that.
My kid's inner city school has had 6 key worker kids to look after.
I've been working full time & trying to homeschool my kids.

My school (Primary) has used G Classroom since day 1 and children are expected to turn in 4 pieces of work by 3pm each day which are marked the same day. They have between 3-6 meets per day plus there is always a teacher on the support meet which runs all day so they can join any time and ask questions.

Online learning is intense in a different way to being in a classroom. Humour doesn't translate well and there is less opportunity to mix up learning styles.

My day runs:
8.30-10am - morning prep + teacher meet + year group meet presenting work to kids
10am-12 - supervise my own kids while marking and replying to messages
12-12.30 - on teacher support meet
12.30-1.30 - lunch & get toddler to nap
1.30-3.30 - year group meet + 1-to-1 intervention meets
3.30-5.30 - supervise my own kids while marking and replying to messages, set up tomorrow's assignments
5.30-9 - bedtimes, dinner etc
9-12 - finalise work for next day

I do that Monday-Friday, and spend 3-5 hours at the weekend doing additional prep like recording videos. I'm a Y3 TA but have been happy to take on extra responsibilities. Happy... but tired.

Honestly, yes. Primary teacher here who works my socks off in normal times.

But since Lockdown teachers at our school have been told no zoom, no calling from home and no going in to school except on our rota day once per week. So we're setting work online and responding to email, but really it's shouting into a void as only a few emails come in. I feel I could be doing more to help educate and otherwise help, but don't know how.

There seems to be some sort of campaign ATM ,to discredit Teachers and assume that everyone outside of NHS workers is having an easy time of it! My Cousin and her DS both teach ,and they have still had a lot to do (maybe not quite as much as usual) I would ask all these people would they like to swap roles with teachers?No .Didnt think so! Friends DH ,seems to think Teachers have an easy ride even normally!very silly and annoying!

There’s no campaign 🙄 we are dealing daily with the direct consequences of non home schooling whilst doing our own jobs at the same time.