AIBU to give a massive shout out to teachers

[Ihatefish]

This week I’ve been so amazed by how very hard the teachers at my son’s school have been working, they’ve had to deal with teaching classes where 50% of the pupils have turned up, making sure home schooling is available and working, answering questions from pupils and staff, making sure all the kids are happy whether in school or at home. They had no notice yet have done an amazing job. As a parent at home juggling work and homeschooling I really appreciate the enormous effort they are making in v difficult circumstances-so a big big thank you from a grateful parent to all the teachers on here -you’re amazing

Thank you OP for this (mostly) appreciative thread.

I'm a lone parent and a primary teacher. We opened as usual Monday, having got all our planning done and resourced for the week then - BAM! Next to zero notice and a complete u-turn from the overstuffed scarecrow and his cronies. I'm in full time with over half my class, planning, delivering and marking lessons as usual. I'm also setting and marking online work every day and taking part in live sessions to check in with children at home. I'm preparing paper home learning packs for children who don't have access to virtual learning (and don't feel safe coming in). I've also prepared separate personalised learning for the 6 SEN children. I'm Computing lead so have dealt with all the technical issues experienced by staff and parents. We sent home log in details Monday. Since then I've had to reset passwords and provide log in details to 93 parents on individual emails who've lost them or can't be bothered to read the very comprehensive instruction notes prepared. I return home after leaving my Year 6 and 9 children home all day to make sure they've done their home learning. I'm currently still providing feedback to virtual learners right now and will be until 10 pm as I have been all week. Monday we'll add calling parents who haven't engaged in home learning onto the list of never ending tasks. All for our government to encourage parents to complain to Ofsted if they're dissatisfied with the learning and a bunch of people constant teacher bashing. Just why??? We're all doing our best in a shit situation. And no. We're not the only profession struggling but we seem to be the only one that people seem to love to criticise I honestly don't understand it

Can you please email the school and say thank you? Maybe name a few of the teachers in particular?
I've had a really shit couple of days and I've worked my arse off delivering live lessons and teaching my own kids (who have been wonderful at being silent when I'm teaching and their own teachers amazing and I'll be contacting Ofsted to tell them that as Gav said to). I had a snippy message from a parent because I'd misread their child's question and hadn't answered it the way they deemed fit (not an educational question). I didn't need that after spending hours on that particular group's lessons this week (3 x1hr lessons probably 3-4 hrs prep because Teams is all new to me and writing an assessment on forms took forever!).
I would like to shout out to my DCs' school for their understanding and flexibility. If it helps, I did sing your praises to several external agencies this week and my own Head who was giving me grief for not putting my dc in school. Thank you or

@WiseOwlRelaxing I haven't been able to see my dentist since the first lockdown. They were meant to start offering appointments this month but I assume that it isn't happening now.

Temp I am secondary so don't have younger pupils but believe me it is harder. Most of my kids have been engaged. In a class I deliver a lesson and give instant feedback etc., walk around and help the kids, can see when something hasn't gone well or when a pupil has no focus. I can differentiate easily and know where I need to go and help.
Online needs the lesson adapting, it's so much harder to differentiate, it is so much harder to feedback - that's without converting documents, uploading using school networks which are crap, creating work and Mark books and then inputting data when marked onscreen. Then it's contacting those that didn't attend.

AdD to that weekly phone calls to the 30 kids in my form to check they are ok. Usually I just ask them or they come and find me.

I am not complaining as I know how important it is but I am doing a lot more hours to ensure the lessons and resources as 'live' worthy. They also have to be recorded, converted and uploaded for pupils who couldn't attend at that point.

Unless you have done a job, to comment that "it's a 100% easier' based on the experience of one child,
is insulting. We are all adapting during lockdown and for some it's hard. I haven't ever commented on NHS staff? Shop workers, bin men et al as I know everyone is doing their bloody best and it's hard. This was a thread to say thanks for those who feel teachers are going above and beyond - go bash us on one of the other million threads and leave this for positivity!

I absolutely agree, our school have been amazing since my son started in September and couldn't have done more to keep life as normal as possible for children.

This week, his teacher has been amazing - sending messages to the class, reviewing all the work submitted with positive and encouraging comments, presumably teaching the children in school too. She has been supporting the parents at the same time. I don't know how she does it.

@Spaceman1

So disappointed with the teachers at my daughter's school. They haven't been doing zoom calls, not marking the children's work, no engagement at all, it's terrible.

Hang fire ... I'm sure they will be by next week. This week has been a crazy 'setting up' week for lost school.

I haven't seen a dentist either, I just accept it. I'm sure dentists must be feeling the pinch by now! They're smart enough not to complain though.

*most schools - too much end of week wine here!

I agree, the teacher at my children's primary have been outstanding.
Teachers have been massively under appreciated throughout in my opinion.

Why do teachers think they're the only ones at risk, the only ones working hard?* They don't, but I don't know many others who are expected to go into work without any safety precautions or PPE in place. Even as a 'front line' carer dealing with Covid I had some* protection!

[quote WiseOwlRelaxing]@misskatamari it's not teacher bashing! It's more like pro-lower paid workers without job security, good salary, holiday, sick pay entitlement, pensions....

For me, It's a genuine confusion. Why do teachers think they're the only ones at risk, the only ones working hard?

It does show an inability to read the room.[/quote]
I think you're the one not reading the room. The OP sets the tone of the room, surely?

Very very impressed by my DC's school this lockdown and confirms that teaching was never for me (dropped out of PGCE). Well done to all Teachers! 🙌

Not really. i feel under pressure from every which way. my child does not take to this home learning and not being at school in any way and i've now got to work while she's here with me and pressure from both sides.
i'm sick to death

@user1471530109

Can you please email the school and say thank you? Maybe name a few of the teachers in particular? I've had a really shit couple of days and I've worked my arse off delivering live lessons and teaching my own kids (who have been wonderful at being silent when I'm teaching and their own teachers amazing and I'll be contacting Ofsted to tell them that as Gav said to). I had a snippy message from a parent because I'd misread their child's question and hadn't answered it the way they deemed fit (not an educational question). I didn't need that after spending hours on that particular group's lessons this week (3 x1hr lessons probably 3-4 hrs prep because Teams is all new to me and writing an assessment on forms took forever!). I would like to shout out to my DCs' school for their understanding and flexibility. If it helps, I did sing your praises to several external agencies this week and my own Head who was giving me grief for not putting my dc in school. Thank you or

That's the one thing this remote learning has brought out (and I'm afraid parents will find hard to relent when it stops). They are getting more idea of what school is like, teaching is like and what teachers do and say to their kids. And suddenly a) they all think they're experts and b) they suddenly think they have a right to point out innocent mistakes.

They seem to forget on a normal day their kids teacher managed to have their child for 6.5 hours a day with 29 others!

Oh and we are in school every day - no homework oh

Home working

Teacher here - declaring self interest early!

If you are pleased, can you drop an email to however you contact the school, overall, individual teachers etc, to say Thank you.

Doesn't need much else other than just saying Thank you - it will boost morale so much.

Yes we are doing our job, secondary were a bit more prepared, dealing with Yr 11/13 not so much as it all was pulled from under them, but its changed with little warning for Primary.

Not all teachers are in school every day.

Some are at home every day. Some are in school some days, at home other days.

Yes I know temp but some are in. You only look at what you perceive as negative.
Life is tough enough at the moment - it must be hard with so much negativity in yours

All of the teachers in my school are in every day.
Apart from the two who have Covid.

Take my hat off to you all. Both state and private.
Thank You.

@WiseOwlRelaxing

And I'm not ''teacher bashing''. It's not being a ck womble to be aware of the fact that we're all at risk. We're all working hard. Some of us are remunerated better than others. I would not have the nerve to complain if I were a teacher, knowing that the person who served me my sandwich in Spar had encountered 50 times as many people that day and who would, if they got sick, not be entitled to more than 3 week's sick pay if they were LUCKY.

50 times as many people unmasked for considerable periods of time? What utter rubbish.

I'm negative when I see this kind of rubbish! And have teacher friends who say to me how much they love being at home as "this is what it must feel like to win the lottery".

Like I said in my first post on here, I don't for one second teachers don't work hard AT SCHOOL. My DS' teacher has been fantastic AT SCHOOL. But from home, with a class of 30 4-5 year olds, a large portion of her job has been removed. I don't claim to know anything about secondary as the only friends and family I have who work in secondary this time round are all in schools so business as usual for them. And yes that must be really hard when it's not their usual class.

Thank you so much OP. That was lovely feedback to read tonight. My school have had loads and loads of positive comments from parents which was much appreciated but the one that us SLT have gone home tonight dwelling on is the one negative comment. We hate thinking that a parent is unhappy with what we have provided for their child