I’m not a teacher but......

[Comefromaway]

I think it’s time you went on strike.

The government clearly don’t give a toss about you, our kids & subsequently our families.

My daughter is so stressed about the school/college environment. Everywhere she’s being told that she can’t do this that and the other because people are dying. But she’s expected to go into college and have her normal classes with overcrowding and no effective mitigation.

Medical officer woman has clearly not been into a school. The teachers & students are dropping like flies.

I work in a tier 3 (and we've been there for moths) area. Our area is one of very high deprivation and at least half of my Year 4's can be classed as vulnerable. Our school received 4 laptops for vulnerable children. Lockdown was a disaster for my class - even though I worked really hard to provide differentitated learning resources and paper copies of work were posted to them every week lots of them told me in September they didn't even see it. Less than 10 of my children did anything. Since returning the vast majority of them have come on in leaps and bounds and are now either at age related or there abouts. They need to be where I can see them. They need to be in school, under my nose where I can check that they're ok.
HOWEVER, this pandemic has been handled spectacularly badly by an incompetent bunch of fuckwits. There are measures that could have been taken and a damning litany of missed opportunities. The government has let my children down.
That people on here, and elsewhere, blame teachers and suggest that we think we are 'special' makes me so sad. And a bit angry if I'm honest. All I see are ordinary working people, most with families, who want to do the very best for their pupils and their families in dire circumstances. I have seen our lovely, caring head with tears in her eyes at the stress she is being put under. We're not saying we are special. We're trying our best and we're feeling expendable.

@Myothercarisalsoshit it does feel like we are expendable. Like if we die or get sick it doesn't matter to anyone. Makes me v sad. Because I know lots of my students don't feel like this. How? Because they tell me how stupid the 'rules' are. How stupid the tape on the floor is. How stupid it is they can all sit facing forward so all breathing in me. My year 7s get it, unfortunately their parents not always.

And I am also a parent, a daughter, a sister, a wife. A friend. I'm just a normal person trying to do my best. But apparently when I became a teacher I was no longer allowed to be those things in the public's eyes. I am just a teacher.
I'm knackered.

Anyone who claims they can't hear what a teacher is saying because of a mask is a buffoon. I can't understand what my manager is saying when he wears a mask, he just removes it to speak to me after the first 'Sorry?' now. I struggle with regional accents.

@kowari tough. Mine will not be coming off next term. Not unless the students are all wearing one (on their mouths, not chins), I have a screen and am 2m away. Like I was in a supermarket.

Teachers are always at the bottom of the pile, sadly. I'm on mat leave currently but not looking forward to returning due to Covid risk. I won't be able to take the vaccine.

@Nicknamegoeshere

Teachers are always at the bottom of the pile, sadly. I'm on mat leave currently but not looking forward to returning due to Covid risk. I won't be able to take the vaccine.

You're right Nickname but the cognitive dissonance still takes my breath away. On the one hand - I'm not a teacher and can't be expected to supervise home learning - kids need to be in school with qualified staff. On the other hand - you whinging teachers need to understand that you're not special. You should just resign if you can't hack it. Etc etc ... In reality I'm just a frightened 52 year old woman with a mentally ill son and a 64 year old CV partner.

@kowari

Anyone who claims they can't hear what a teacher is saying because of a mask is a buffoon. I can't understand what my manager is saying when he wears a mask, he just removes it to speak to me after the first 'Sorry?' now. I struggle with regional accents.

I don't mean in it that sense.

I'm aware people struggle with accents and hearing etc.

That was in response to a poster saying SMT are marking people down in inspections because they 'cant hear'. Ridiculous.

@mumsneedwine

And I am also a parent, a daughter, a sister, a wife. A friend. I'm just a normal person trying to do my best. But apparently when I became a teacher I was no longer allowed to be those things in the public's eyes. I am just a teacher. I'm knackered.

Yes. I get so pissed off with the threads saying AIBU that teachers etc etc etc

We are people ,not a species.

My best friend works in admin for the NHS. She has worked from home since March, with no plans to go back into the office anytime soon as her role can be done remotely. She is a healthy, fit 46 year old with no underlying health issues and she is due to get the jab in the next few weeks by virtue of the fact she works for the NHS.
On the other hand, Dsis is a teacher. She obviously cannot work from home and is denied the privilege of wearing a mask or social distancing even when in contact with hundreds of teenagers each day. She is not even on the government’s list for a vaccination any time soon.
How is that right?
As a society we obviously must prioritise the elderly and vulnerable. And then we should be prioritising those whose roles are essential to a functioning society (teachers, police, FRONTLINE NHS workers, etc). But the big difference is that in all other roles, workplaces are doing their best to ensure a Covid safe environment - supermarkets for example where staff can wear masks, sit behind a Perspex screen and generally keep a safeish distance from others. Teachers are afforded NONE of these protections. Schools are not even close to being Covid secure and are actually a hotbed for transmission.
Every teacher I know has their pupils best interest at heart, they truly do. They want to be in school teaching. But it must be so disheartening to feel like they are expendable and not given a second thought by the government and by certain parents whose attitudes quite simply stink.

@PoptartPoptart I couldn't agree with you more!
I'm concerned as I'm a primary teacher in a huge school. Currently on mat leave but due to return when my baby is a year old in May. I won't be able to have the Pfizer vaccine as breastfeeding, so very much hoping I can have the Oxford one.

@PoptartPoptart

My best friend works in admin for the NHS. She has worked from home since March, with no plans to go back into the office anytime soon as her role can be done remotely. She is a healthy, fit 46 year old with no underlying health issues and she is due to get the jab in the next few weeks by virtue of the fact she works for the NHS. On the other hand, Dsis is a teacher. She obviously cannot work from home and is denied the privilege of wearing a mask or social distancing even when in contact with hundreds of teenagers each day. She is not even on the government’s list for a vaccination any time soon. How is that right? As a society we obviously must prioritise the elderly and vulnerable. And then we should be prioritising those whose roles are essential to a functioning society (teachers, police, FRONTLINE NHS workers, etc). But the big difference is that in all other roles, workplaces are doing their best to ensure a Covid safe environment - supermarkets for example where staff can wear masks, sit behind a Perspex screen and generally keep a safeish distance from others. Teachers are afforded NONE of these protections. Schools are not even close to being Covid secure and are actually a hotbed for transmission. Every teacher I know has their pupils best interest at heart, they truly do. They want to be in school teaching. But it must be so disheartening to feel like they are expendable and not given a second thought by the government and by certain parents whose attitudes quite simply stink.

We are expendable by the government and as seen in regular posts on MN , seen as just the slaves to people's children who must just get on with it ,amd risk ourselves otherwise we are seen as wanting special treatment. Yes the NHS have done incredible but so have schoolm staff, supermarket staff, etc. Clapping for the NHS while berating teachers drives me mad.

Wheresmykimchi

I’ve been on a couple of threads now where my ignorance of the differences in policy in Scotland has opened my eyes! One was about the difference in how a positive case is dealt with and the other was about masks. I embarrassed myself by not knowing the differences! I agree with you that it seems so daft that the guidance for schools in Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England are so very different from each other-Exams notwithstanding!
It’s almost as if politicians are scoring points using Education surely not!!!!

@ChloeDeckTheHalls

Wheresmykimchi

I’ve been on a couple of threads now where my ignorance of the differences in policy in Scotland has opened my eyes! One was about the difference in how a positive case is dealt with and the other was about masks. I embarrassed myself by not knowing the differences! I agree with you that it seems so daft that the guidance for schools in Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England are so very different from each other-Exams notwithstanding!
It’s almost as if politicians are scoring points using Education surely not!!!!

Imagine !

I am a secondary teacher and I find it hard to hear what children are saying when they are wearing a mask (quite a few in my school choose to -no-one objects but it does make it difficult especially as they tend to be the shyer and quieter ones anyway) so I would hate it if it became mandatory for all to wear in lessons. If I am balloted for strike action will vote against. I feel much luckier than most people as so have a job, good job security, good holidays and a pension. There are so many people without all of that now.

Agree with you 13:19PoptartPoptart

@PoptartPoptart
Couldn’t agree more!

@EmmanuelleMakro
Same here! I really struggle to understand what kids at the back of the classroom are saying when they are wearing masks. I haven’t been in the situation where I’ve had to teach in a mask yet but that is the plan for next term.

That was in response to a poster saying SMT are marking people down in inspections because they 'cant hear'. Ridiculous.
I'm not saying I agree with people being marked down, but someone can't understand what a teacher is saying that doesn't make them a buffoon.

@kowari

That was in response to a poster saying SMT are marking people down in inspections because they 'cant hear'. Ridiculous. I'm not saying I agree with people being marked down, but someone can't understand what a teacher is saying that doesn't make them a buffoon.

Someone saying that under those circumstances is. I should have been clearer.