To sod SD as when I return to teaching in Sept it isn’t possible?

[motherrunner]

I’m a secondary school teacher. Despite all the ‘guidance’ my desk will be less than 1m from the classes I teach (Yr 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13). I will not be wearing protection as the guidance tells me my workplace in ‘Covid secure’. Come Sept I will have one 20 minute break a day as I am required to do a pre-school duty, a morning break duty, a lunch duty and an after school duty it’s every day. I can wash my hands once a day in those times. 5 times a day a class of 30 will be breathing at me.

Up until now I have followed the ‘rules’ religiously. I haven’t seen my mum (who is in a nursing home) since early March. I have turned down play dates for my children.

AIBU to think sod the SD and enjoy myself for the rest of the summer break? I was hoping for a sliver of hope from the dfe today with the promised revised guidance that hasn’t materialised. Come Sept I’ll be faced with over 200+ over 11s in close, unventilated spaces in 3 week so shall I just sod it?

[sakura06]

OP you're titled to see a directed time calculation but might be worth asking via your union? If you're doing 8 hours a day, that will put you far above directed time (even accounting for a 20minutes lunch break)! The only problem is I don't think academies have to abide by 1265, so they might get around it like that.

You need to take time to use the toilet at break if you need to (even if you have to take time out of break duty). Try to get yourself a visor (our DT department has kindly made one for everyone).

Definitely have a window visit with your mum and absolutely the care home should facilitate this.

[motherrunner]

@sakura06 We have been provided with a directed hours calculation, all duties broken down and we are actually under by 10 hours 😆 Meetings have been reduced drastically to facilitate this. My only worry is that meetings exist for a reason so I’m. I doubt expecting all communication will now be via email so even more comms to plough through each day!

As I’ve said before the only concern I have about the one break from a health point of view is the hand washing and the ability to change whilst menstruating, I can hold a wee for over 6 hours! I also feel sorry for our less able students and exam classes who would’ve attended mentoring and revision sessions throughout the year at lunch time and after school. These will obviously not go ahead. There isn’t the time anymore.

I want to wear a visor but have been told no by SLT, they won’t go against the guidance. The are taking it literally. I have raised all this with unions but both school reps and national say as we’re an academy, they can’t do anything.

I think the futility of it all is getting me down. I am trying to seek solutions though to try and make my life easier. Thanks to advice from The Staffroom I have now bought a huge rucksack, a trolley, and a 2 litre flask but all these seem like a drop in the ocean of chaos facing me.

Thank you for all the support, commiserations and the tough love.

[Mistressiggi]

Motherrunner is there any prospect of getting a new job? (In a school that's not an academy.) I'm not always happy with everything in my school, but they would not get away with half the things you describe. In fact, they would not even try to as they don't set out to treat us like robots.

[Lovebeingmama]

Hospitals really struggled for PPE in the early days of Covid. There was a national shortage of key items. There’s policy and reality unfortunately 😐

[Lovebeingmama]

They should be starting to produce authorised masks with transparent fronts. Predominately for deaf patients that lip read. However, we are thinking that they could also be used as a less scary alternative for acute mental health patients and kids.
I think kids need to be back at school but they are certainly options to keep teachers safer.

[sakura06]

I feel like your school is on very dangerous ground there. They have a duty of care towards their staff. On what grounds are they banning visors? The government have said masks aren't required purely because they think they will impinge on communication.

I'd love to see that directed time budget! Even 8-3 every day puts you over 1265.

If I were you, I would definitely be looking for a new job.

[sakura06]

To clarify, 8-3 with no lunch break at all there for ease of calculation!

[FancyAnOlive]

I'm a primary school teacher and also dreading it. I will be wearing a mask though and really think the government should be mandating masks for teachers and older children as in plenty of other countries. I worked from home during lockdown as have health conditions that make me vulnerable but I have to go back now. And my kids will be in two different schools so between us we will have lots of exposure to other people. Of the 5 people I know who've had the virus at least three are still struggling with breathing and fatigue 4 months later. I'm very anxious about what's going to happen this term.

[CallmeAngelina]

I understand your fears, FancyAnOlive, and who knows what challenges there will be to face once term starts (in England). However, as one who went back to full hours mid-June, I can honestly say that the thought of going is worse than actually getting on with it once there.
But, that said, we only had half classes and were able to distance and do plenty of outdoor play as we have large classrooms and lots of land.
How it will be with double the numbers and everyone returning from who-knows-where in the world is anyone's guess.
But, it's happening, and we have to grit our teeth and get on with it and take the best precautions we can to stay healthy. Until they undoubtedly start closing again.

[FancyAnOlive]

Yes CallmeAngelina, I keep telling myself all I can do is get on with it, be careful and take it one day at a time. I know it will be great to see the kids and other teachers and my kids really need a bit of normal(ish) school life. Like you I just wish it was being handled differently.

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

If we want to go to the loo, we have to do an on call. SMT will watch our class whilst we nip to the loo

[motherrunner]

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince How will that work? Do you wallow talkies or do you send a runner?

I raised the question about loo breaks with my HoD and she told me just to leave the class. It’ll be just my luck I’ll be caught though!

[motherrunner]

*Do you have Walkie Talkies ...

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

We email on call. And someone will come. It’s just an extension of the normal on call system. But instead of removing a difficult student they relieve a desperate member of staff!

[Tyranttoddler]

My irritation with the whole thing is that we have to run round 5 different classrooms a day. Genuinely, I don't see the point. I'd much prefer to just teach in my own room.
I'm also worried about weeing. We don't have a break at all... My bladder is not great after having a baby.

[SoloMummy]

@motherrunner

Yes I’m in a union and the pans have been been passed as Gov guidance states that you are only entitled to a 20 minute break for 6 hours worked. Our school (academy) is taking this a literal teaching hours, not extra. We have had meetings reduced so it forms part of our 1265 quota.

The 20 minutes lunch break is not unreasonable. Its the same as millions of others.

The rest, such as 1m distance I would email this issue to Line manager copying the schools risk assessment and guidance which says 2m.

[Iamnotthe1]

@SoloMummy

The guidance says 2m where possible. If the classroom isn't big enough, which most aren't, then it's not possible and schools don't have to do it. A teacher cannot insist, unfortunately.

[Deidre21]

All I can say is that I’m very sorry for you and all the other teachers.
I have great respect for all teachers if only the government would too.

[SaltyAndFresh]

Unfortunately I will remember the unpleasantness of posters like @bigmumsymcgraw and @Lovebeingmama when I'm in the thick of it.

I'd like other essential workers to bear in mind that we were all up in arms about what you had to deal with, campaigned for that to be out right and donated money and PPE to try to reduce the risks for you.

Can you do us a fucking favour and have some compassion and humanity in return please? Your attitude really disgusts me.

[Swelteringmeltering]

The problem is, once back literally, in the thick. Of. It rolling along with all the shizzle a school day brings... We will all be neck deep in it and forget about covid until we are struck down or those around us and we are ill in bed.
The viral load will be very high won't it, stuck all day with unwittingly sick person. Be they student or staff member


By making visors at least compulsory, I think will literally keep covid on people's minds! It's very easy to forget!

[bemusedmoose]

yeah it's unreasonable as you could pass it to someone vulnerable but i completely get where you are coming from! You need a break before being thrown into no-man's land at school.

I'm sick of people complaining about teachers when they have no idea how bloody hard they work. Our deputy does 12hr days 5 days a week and that was before covid. Our senior leadership has been in every week day including every day of the holidays for the front line staff children. They have had zero breaks or time off since lockdown. Going back is going to be a shit storm. (i have one in senior and one in infants) The council say they gave up on the bubble idea as it isnt workable. Yet the primary is in class bubbles so only 30 kids, 1 teacher and 1 assistant per bubble. My son is in year group bubbles (240 kids) and teachers move around the school - kids stay in the classroom. but subjects are streamed and have different teachers so F*ck knows how that works. They also wont have access to subject rooms like science or art and as they are doing gcse's not all people in the same form do the same subjects. They arent allowed to have any lockers as they cant open the communal locker areas or clean all the lockers. Also wont be running a canteen service but also no free school meal vouchers so that leaves a lot of kids screwed. What is the point in bubbles when the only buses serve the public and 3 other schools!?!?! The government have refused to lay on more buses too so with social distancing most of the kids cant even get the bus.

As for breaks - most teachers in my school get 1 'comfort break' and 20 mins for lunch a day. That's it. The extra cleaning has to be done with the kids around during the day and will most likely rob them of these breaks. The government wont fund the extra cost of cleaning so it's coming out of the learning budget that should be spent on the kids.

Honestly - i have no idea how the schools and teachers will cope with the stupid government crap that currently is recommend. WTF is even the point in a bubble when they have to get public transport to school!?!

Teachers need time be able to look after themselves and their health - how the union isnt loosing their shit and going on strike i dont know.

I can see 2 things happening - 1 schools re-open, cant cope and close again. 2 re-opening causes huge outbreaks and they close again. Either way i cant see how it's going to work at all.

[bemusedmoose]

@FancyAnOlive

I'm a primary school teacher and also dreading it. I will be wearing a mask though and really think the government should be mandating masks for teachers and older children as in plenty of other countries. I worked from home during lockdown as have health conditions that make me vulnerable but I have to go back now. And my kids will be in two different schools so between us we will have lots of exposure to other people. Of the 5 people I know who've had the virus at least three are still struggling with breathing and fatigue 4 months later. I'm very anxious about what's going to happen this term.

i had it in March before lockdown. I still struggle with it too though this is starting to improve at last, but that could just be because i dont do hardly any of the things i was doing before. It's not just a cold like some people think and no one has a clue what if any the long term affects could be.

To expect teachers to just go back - business as usual is ridiculous. Shop staff have screens (though really - air goes around but at least they are cushioned from the initial blast of breath from customers. NHS staff get masks and shields. Why not teachers!?! I can understand no masks, especially in primary as the kids need to see your face but at least visors should be manditory.

[scubadive]

@motherrunner are you saying you have to do a pre school, break, lunch and after school duty all every day or all once a week, if the latter then you will have lots of other times to go to the toilet, if you have to do all everyday, this is quite unusual I would think.

The care home situation is truly sad for everyone and I havn't been able to see my mum who is nit in a care home but 85 and asthmatic.

That said what else can you not current do under the rules anyway. Pubs and restaurants are open, shops, hairdressers, you can meet friends. I’m not sure what else you want to do that would break the rules other than have a big party which would be a bit daft.

[Chaotic45]

@bemusedmoose I agree that people have no idea how hard being a teacher is and that there is a lot of misunderstanding about how many hours they work.

However, it's not unusual in lots of industries to work 12 hours a day, and to take few or no formal breaks.