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?

I went to Next yesterday. I would say you could fit 12 classrooms in the store (retail park so quite big). The sign outside said 76 shoppers could be in at once (although, unless they were all crowded upstairs it didn't seem to be anywhere near that amount). This is in Wales so masks aren't required but about 50% of customers wore them and staff had clear visors.

Meanwhile, in September, the same size space will hold about 360 pupils plus teachers & support staff.

So no, schools are not comparable to shops.

I am also baffled by the DFE report saying Covid 19 isn't transmitted in schools, based on a period when only minimal pupils were in. It's like conducting a study into drink driving and declaring it safe because 50ml weak lager doesn't have a huge impact on driving ability.

The government need a kick up the backside to provide extra funding for schools to enable more sanitisation measures and social distancing in schools, even if it means increased temporary buildings / rotas / extra staff etc. Children need to be back in school but schools do not have magical properties that mean viruses don't spread.

Wear a visor if it makes you feel better. Move desks back if you can. Carry sanitiser as many of us are doing these days for those occasions where you can’t wash your hands as much as you would like. It’s not all or nothing, you can choose to Take appropriate steps as all of us who are returning to work are having to do. Teaching is not a unique environment in terms of coming into contact with people and ppe not being essential or advised - it’s not advised in offices either. On the contrary, there is evidence to show that transmission is less likely from children to adults though I accept that there is a wealth of scientific opinion out there to support most theories. However, what we do know is that schools Haven’t stopped, teachers haven’t been disproportionately affected like other industries such as care, and there have been no schools related Covid outbreak anywhere in the world. I understand general anxiety, though I don’t share it, but it is not something specific to teaching. We all face these challenges.

I don’t know any teachers who take an hour for lunch, or anyone who works in any profession to be frank. I haven’t had a proper lunch break in about twenty years, but that’s the demands of my role. IN these testing Times, we all have to make compromises. I compromised by teaching my kids for 6 months whilst trying to work from home. I don’t think a scheduled 20 minute break is too terrible for a period of time while we all find our feet again. Your union is right, this is the legal requirement for a rest break if you work more than 6 hours. Things will return more to normal in time, though I repeat that I don’t know Many teachers who are able to take an hour off in the middle of a busy school day.

Don’t know why You haven’t done play dates, but that’s your choice rather than anything to do with the current rules Around Covid.

@MarshaBradyo

Every week I will be collecting, marking and returning approx 150 pieces of written work. Brilliant, I look forward to covid by November

Evidence is patchy for paper but many studies say a few hours so instead of taking it from them get them to put it in a tray until end of the day (if you can not sure of set up).

We are expected to live mark during the lessons. That means that, for most of the day, we will be in amongst the children, less than 50cm away at most, marking and giving feedback directly.

I went back to school in May (non UK). Pragmatic is the key word. SD was not possible and I opted not to wear a mask.

@Goingprivate2020
there have been no schools related Covid outbreak anywhere in the world.

Unfortunately, this is untrue. According to data from Public Health England, during July there were 183 outbreaks in educational settings in England alone. That was more than any other setting other than care homes.

@Goingprivate2020 I can not wear visors, it counts at PPE, which we are told in unnecessary.

The same report your refer to declares under 10s do not transmit the virus widely but over 10s transmit the virus as adults do, Gavin Williamson failed to make that public and The Times (who broke the story) has been ignored. (You can read the story from yesterday though).

The 20 minute break to eat and drink doesn’t concern me so much as the fact that this will be the only time I can use a toilet and wash my hands. Tbh I can hold a wee for 6 hours, but when I’m menstruating I’ll need to change often. I won’t be able to do this and am worried I may flood in front of a class. I did this raise with my union rep (embarrassingly). She said she’d raise my concerns but I have had no comeback.

I have also compromised. I too have young children who I home schooled. I’ve also compromised in not being able to speak or see my mum as her nursing home is in lockdown and it still is. If it doesn’t open before the end of the holidays I won’t speak or see her (she can’t physically hold a phone for a conversation) until I can effectively quarantine before a visit.

I just feel sad and frustrated that it seems everyone is getting back to some normality in their ‘Covid secure’ jobs, socialising, seeing family etc and the two things I want (a CV secure workplace and to see my mum) can not happen.

MarshaBradyo

Evidence is patchy for paper but many studies say a few hours so instead of taking it from them get them to put it in a tray until end of the day (if you can not sure of set up).

Evidence seems to be patchy about most things surrounding this, some schools are going for a 72 hour quarantine on kids work, no live marking etc.

So I wouldn't be surprised if there was no marking for at least the first half of the term if not all of it.

Have you take any of the previous posts @Goingprivate2020? I assume not as you missed this extract from the guidance telling us we won't need visors and the like.

Please, for god's sake, can posters inform themselves before saying we could just wear a mask or visor? We can't.

BelleSausage
Clavinova
Point them out. Show your working!

Are you on a rota or not? If you are covering 3 duties a day before 2pm with 200/250 members of staff then your colleagues are taking advantage of you;

7.45- in school
8.20- morning duty
8.45- registration
9.00- P1
10.00- P2 (rolling break time and break duty)
11.25-P3
12.25-P4 (rolling lunchtime and lunch duty)
2pm- afternoon registration

Some days I might get a PPA during one of the lesson times.

And surely the member of staff responsible for deciding the duty rotas can coordinate with the PPA rotas to give everyone a break? Or you could swap duties with someone in your department?

I didn’t have a moment to mark, plan etc at work.
Remember to leave time for photocopying

What are you doing being 7.45 and 8.45 when not on morning duty?

@Goingprivate2020

On the contrary, there is evidence to show that transmission is less likely from children to adults though I accept that there is a wealth of scientific opinion out there to support most theories.

Why do you and others only post this half truth?
It has been shown that over 10s spread this at the same rate as adults. And this is from the PHE study that people have been mis-interpreting for the last week.

there have been no schools related Covid outbreak anywhere in the world.

There were outbreaks in 7 schools in my area during lockdown which shut.

@Clavinova, read what you've just written. She's already said she's on duty at 8:20. When you get to school in my experience you Wade through the emails until it's time for a briefing then duty, so no, no time for planning and marking unless you get a PPE (which isn't enough). Can you not just take her word for it?

@FrippEnos

MarshaBradyo

Evidence is patchy for paper but many studies say a few hours so instead of taking it from them get them to put it in a tray until end of the day (if you can not sure of set up).

Evidence seems to be patchy about most things surrounding this, some schools are going for a 72 hour quarantine on kids work, no live marking etc.

So I wouldn't be surprised if there was no marking for at least the first half of the term if not all of it.

We've been told it's full work in books and full marking, including live marking, from day one in September. I'd be very surprised if we're the only ones.

SaltyAndFresh
Clavinova, read what you've just written. She's already said she's on duty at 8:20

I'm not sure what she means by 'morning duty' - in her classroom or supervising outside?

In terms of going to the toilet while menstruating, I ended up taking this to SLT, on the advice of union rep (as I'd been reprimanded for being late to a lesson once to nip to the toilet). They were great - I was very direct and used appropriate language rather than being coy or embarrassed, and explained that if I couldn't access toilet facilities during my period, then I would end up flooding and going home for the rest of the day. We agreed that it would be permitted for me to be a few minutes late to lessons when necessary. It's been okay so far - let's see what happens when we go back though!

Iamnotthe1

We've been told it's full work in books and full marking, including live marking, from day one in September. I'd be very surprised if we're the only ones.

It would be nice to have some centralised guidance based on some sort of evidence.

Not sure sure whose job that could possibly be

@Clavinova

SaltyAndFresh Clavinova, read what you've just written. She's already said she's on duty at 8:20

I'm not sure what she means by 'morning duty' - in her classroom or supervising outside?

Morning duty is in a set place around the school. Bus drop off, main gate, playground, corridors around the school.

In my small town, two of the three primary schools closed due to Covid before the summer. One member of staff and one a child who tested positive. In my husband's special school, at least half a dozen staff members caught it.
I know it's anecdotal, but it's ridiculous to say there's been no cases in schools.
If children can't transmit, why do over 11s need to wear masks everywhere else? Genuine question.

Morning duty is in a set place around the school. Bus drop off, main gate, playground, corridors around the school.

Not 5 mornings a week on the rota then.

@Clavinova

Morning duty is in a set place around the school. Bus drop off, main gate, playground, corridors around the school.

Not 5 mornings a week on the rota then.

The problem with this is that it wasn't and technically still isn't everyday, but due to the measures being put in place in schools teachers are being required to do morning duties in some form every morning.

It will depend on the school what that requirement is.

So in answer to your question, Yes, No and Maybe.

I have no where said “my life is worse than yours’. Please do not make up lies about me.

You have inferred it by comparing yourself to everyone who has a ‘Covid secure’ job. No ones job is Covid secure. It is fir all of us to take sensible precautions whilst getting on with life. Saying ‘fuck all SD’ because your job, like most, poses some risk, is frankly puerile.

You misunderstand me: schools have Had incidence of Covid but there is no single case where transmission has been linked to a school

I don’t think there has been a single case that has been linked to anything-that’s the point.

Goingprivate2020
You misunderstand me: schools have Had incidence of Covid but there is no single case where transmission has been linked to a school. Feel free to post a link if my info from the bbc yesterday is now wrong.

Can you find me evidence of where bus drivers have caught it off passengers?
Can you find me evidence of where nurses have caught it off patients?
Can you find me evidence of where shop workers have caught it off shoppers?

We know have evidence that under tens do transmit and that over tens transmit at the same rate as adults.

“When there are statements that there are not outbreaks among schoolchildren, you self-evidently don’t find them if you don’t look for them,”

From www.theguardian.com/education/2020/aug/10/scientists-urge-routine-covid-testing-when-english-schools-reopen