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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why schools are saying they’re not allowed to do live lessons

752 replies

Plinkplonkplank · 07/06/2020 09:39

Because they’ve just started doing them at my ds’s state secondary. We had to fill in an online permission form. So it is possible after all.

OP posts:
StaffAssociationRepresentative · 07/06/2020 11:11

Anyone who gets a phone out in my lesson has it confiscated! No excuses accepted

ChocolateCard · 07/06/2020 11:11

PicaK - the state primary up the road have not received massive bonuses or pay rises either.

Is this what teachers want? A pay rise because they’re being asked to do something different?

LaurieMarlow · 07/06/2020 11:13

Define what "very well" means?

Right now I’d settle for more than the two generic worksheets we’re being sent a week, frankly. No feedback whatsoever. Yes I’ve contacted many times, before you say it.

The other school in the area is doing a mixture of recorded lessons, available live and in archive, set work tailored to smaller groups, prompt and detailed feedback. That’s good provision in my eyes.

Frenchwindows · 07/06/2020 11:14

@ITonyah

Well no - there are lots of things that deliberately minimise this risk at school. Teachers don’t broadcast their image onto students personal laptops, iPads or phones. Students are not allowed to use their phones/devices in lessons without teacher supervision.

Live video lessons mean the teachers image is being shared in the students own homes and is able to be copied without knowledge. Honestly why would anyone agree to that. Have you met kids these days?

cardibach · 07/06/2020 11:14

@user1487194234

Our school aren’t because apparently some teachers ‘arent Comfortable’ on video. Meanwhile, in the real world, everyone else has had to get comfortable with that concept (video conferencing) real quick, as without This I have to do Zoom calls all day long Hated it at first,still not over keen,but has to be done to get the job done
A zoom meeting is a bit different from teaching, which is a performance. It’s quite difficult to get it all working with resources to share etc. Much better to do a lesson which is a screen recording of the PowerPoint/other resources.
Leighwalk · 07/06/2020 11:14

It’s the inequality that pisses me off. If our children are not to have access to education for 6 months or more then the government needs to step up and give the schools some guidelines

Funniest (or most naive) statement ever...there are just short of 1000 different papers since the start of the pandemic, released by the government to the education sector.

Problem is they are written by idiots who have no idea how the guidance can work in real schools.

Some are here...there is also a whole set of government guidance written for parents. Have you read it all?

https://www.gov.uk/search/all?leveloneetaxon=5b7b9532-a775-4bd2-a3aa-6ce380184b6c&leveltwootaxon=272308f4-05c8-4d0d-abc7-b7c2e3ccd249&contentpurposeesupergroup%5B%5D=services&contentpurposeesupergroup%5B%5D=guidanceanddregulation&contentpurposeesupergroup%5B%5D=newsanddcommunications&contentpurposeesupergroup%5B%5D=researchanddstatistics&contentpurposeesupergroup%5B%5D=policyanddengagement&contentpurposeesupergroup%5B%5D=transparency&order=updated-oldest

echt · 07/06/2020 11:14

I still cannot see why a love lesson is perceived, on MN anyway, as the best system

There's a persistent infatuation with it on MN.

TheWashingMachine · 07/06/2020 11:15

In my my DS's school a teacher and TA often work together with two classes in the same year to give the lesson. That is 40 kids. They have no issues. I think potential issues are being put forward without any actual basis.

Rockbird · 07/06/2020 11:16

Nothing at all here. DD2's primary have done nothing. Nothing at all. Worksheets every day yes but they also have the answers on so no feedback on them. DD2 hasn't heard one single word from her teacher since March 18. She's 8. She needs to hear from her teacher. Up till now I would have said it was a great school, a young staff, only one of them has children. We've asked and got the blanket no, not going to happen.

On the other hand, I work in a primary school and they've been amazing for their kids. I've taken to getting DD2 to look at their website, it's a world apart.

I completely understand workloads, working at home, providing for keyworker children all of that, of course. But not a single word in nearly 3 months. Very sad for my daughter and her friends and very disappointing for us as parents.

DippyAvocado · 07/06/2020 11:17

I do recorded videos for my primary class. I have to use my personal laptop as my school one doesn't have a working webcam. Luckily I bought myself a decent laptop in January. Our tech support is outsourced and is useless - they take days to sort out any issues.

It's a moot point now anyway as I am in school every day teaching a bubble groups of kids (not my own class) so can't be doing live lessons at the same time.

ITonyah · 07/06/2020 11:17

Have you met kids these days?

Yes, i have two having live lessons. The safeguarding worries you have don't seem to be an issue. Better behaved kids?

Leighwalk · 07/06/2020 11:17

I would also say that if you are unhappy with your individual school... complain...not on here, but to them. All usual school complaints procedures apply. The complaints policy will be on the website.

echt · 07/06/2020 11:18

Up till now I would have said it was a great school, a young staff, only one of them has children

WTF has the child status to do with anything?

ITonyah · 07/06/2020 11:19

The risk is minimised in classrooms, that is why schools ban phones or require them to be in bags and off during the school day

Dd was at our good local state secondary and phones weren't banned. Sometimes they used them in lessons to look things up.

StripyHorse · 07/06/2020 11:20

Just out of interest, how many teachers here have computers/iPads provided by school that they can record lessons on? What about internet, or is it just assumed that you have an unlimited data package? Is this the case if you are streaming lessons from home?

If you are working from home and not a teacher, did your company provide you with IT equipment? Any support with broadband if your current provision is not enough?

Newgirls · 07/06/2020 11:22

Having children is being mentioned here as it’s cited as a valid reason for not being able to do live lessons.

DippyAvocado · 07/06/2020 11:23

Also, we use Zoom for live staff meetings. Being in a Zoom meeting with adults is a completely different kettle of fish to performing a love lesson for 30 kids!

LaurieMarlow · 07/06/2020 11:23

Another thing the other school in my area has been doing, which I think is great, is a video of the teacher reading a chapter from the class book for the child to listen along with.

TheWashingMachine · 07/06/2020 11:24

Also write to your local MP.
Live lessons allow more group interaction, my DD is in year two and they all contribute, it is pretty much like being in the classroom. It is just more compelling.

Also DD's head teacher is involved and jumps in sometimes to support actual teaching.

My DS's class teacher preps awesome PowerPoints and is quite shy, she is shielded but does an awesome job.

Newgirls · 07/06/2020 11:24

My 14 year old does a Saturday drama school and they were ‘live’ two weeks after lockdown as simply could t survive otherwise.

They have teens up to 18 and lots of safe guarding in place.

Newgirls · 07/06/2020 11:27

I don’t think all lessons need to be ‘live’ but do think gcse drama, PE and music could do with some. It’s not an ‘infatuation’ - just wondering how my kid is going to learn what she needs like this.

LaurieMarlow · 07/06/2020 11:27

If you are working from home and not a teacher, did your company provide you with IT equipment?

Not me personally, but lots of people in my office are working off their own equipment.

We were a very office based company and having everyone wfh was a huge adjustment.

Anyone without adequate internet has had to sort that out for themselves, because otherwise they wouldn’t be able to deliver. Work has been helpful in promoting good packages out there, there are good deals around.

FrippEnos · 07/06/2020 11:28

ChocolateCard

Is this what teachers want? A pay rise because they’re being asked to do something different?

I have before on many of these fucked up threads. What teachers want is the equipment to do the job.

Before all this kicked off we were paying for pens, pencils, rulers, glue sticks, textbooks etc. you know the basics to get the job done.

And now with news ways of having to provide education we are still expected to foot the bill for equipment and accessories to make this work.

But lets ignore that and make up some shit about having a "can do attitude", posters that say that can fuck right off.

LaurieMarlow · 07/06/2020 11:29

Also write to your local MP.

Good idea, this will be my next step.