Teachers and the current status quo

[Lifeisabeach09]

Maybe a teacher bashing thread or not, I can't decide.

My experience of this current lockdown is that my DD's teachers are streaming live or pre-recorded sessions from their homes. Support staff and teacher rotation are dealing with the kids in school. Learning is the same-school or home, it's streaming on Ipads, so the children are being treated fairly.

Surely, not have to deal with 30 unruly kids, not having to discipline, and being able to pre-record lessons or even livestream from home has made life easier (lovelier??) for some teachers. Obviously, each school is different and teachers situations are different (own kids, etc).

Any teachers enjoying the new status quo or AIBU?

Not a teacher but DH is. Bloody hell it's awful atm.

DH has to plan and arrange resources in different formats - one set for those in school (as those in his school dont have individual use of laptop/iPad etc and rely on the in school staff projecting etc. But this doesn't work for interactive stuff), one for those at home, and another entire set for those at home without access to devices/proper internet (so, usually this is trying to figure out how to make an internet based interactive lesson available solely on worksheets and paper). He then has to print the paper based lessons for those without devices and either post them to local families or arrange for TA or other staff to pop. Through their letter box. That's all for one lesson. Twice a week he gets to do all this "fun" whilst also trying to supervise the in school KW children (incidentally, there is 60% of his class in school so it's hardly a picnic there either!).

Those learning remotely at home have trouble with the platform. DH is pretty much giving 24/7 IT support to parents and kids. Then there is the pressure from Head to ensure all his pupils are engaging with remote learning. He's tried everything, but some pupils/families don't submit any work or turn up to live classes. He's tried incentivising kids by running competitions or doing live quizzes which seem more fun but to no avail. We haven't spent any time together since this latest school lockdown because he works all evening trying to mark and reply to work submitted.

This is all on top of having our own DC at home too. I work FT in a busy role WFH and not a KW. We have to try and share the homeschooling and its bloody tough given our schedules. It's also awful for us both having DC noisy in the background when trying to do live video calls (DC is 4.5). And no, we don't qualify for a KW space at DC school as their policy is both parents need to be KW.

This thread is like some of the furlough threads I’ve read on here as people who are living in this situation all have their own challenges, experiences and opinions of it. It’s no surprise then that school staff will take comments on this thread personally especially since there is a lot of misinformation about what is happening in schools at the moment and the workload of all staff.

I think it’s good that school staff are saying what it is like for them at the moment as it addresses lots of the rubbish that is touted in the media and elsewhere about schools. E.g. things like teachers and TAs should have a wage cut as they are not doing their full job when children are at home (heard IRL) and even on here that teaching online means you don’t need to deal with behaviour problems (tell that to the child who was swearing in my online virtual meeting this week.)

The OP’s comments seem to me like it’s just another way of sticking the boot in at a time when we need to accept that many people are struggling at the moment whatever job they are doing. Compassion is what is needed here.

My child's teacher has had to step up, while at home on maternity leave, to handle all the teaching again while her replacement is on bereavement leave. She has been utterly amazing, constantly in contact and providing brilliant work for the kids. I don't know how she does it with a 3 year old and newborn!!

And on to another day we go. Been in school since 7 to prepare for another day of simultaneous class and online teaching .
We also have staff training tonight about using lateral flow tests. Not sure when they will roll out to the kids and we will be told not to isolate when someone tests positive just use these inaccurate tests instead.
Here’s to everyone doing their best right now. And for those on their knees I hear you.

Caffeineandcarbs Thanks. I might try it with Year 3 this afternoon - last week's lesson was more like Show and Tell or Random Thought of the Day than Drama! Although, in some ways, it was quite nice.

Whoospies That's amazing but she didn't have to do that. It's illegal to make someone come back early from Maternity leave. I hope she was incentivised or even just asked nicely rather than threatened with redundancy if she didn't or guilt tripped into it. I would be extremely uncomfortable if that happened where I work. I hope your daughter's teacher is ok.

I am very grateful for the fact that I, and my family can stay pretty much wrapped up in our own wee bubble the majority of the time-except on the days when I am on duty in school.

However, that is where the positives end. I have genuinely never worked harder or felt this level of work-related stress in my life. Now, I completely understand that this won’t be a situation restricted to teachers and that many, MANY people from different professions will be experiencing the same but I’m simply sharing my experiences because you asked.

Last week I worked in excess of 70 hours- more than double my contracted hours. I worked through the weekends and on occasion started work as early as 4am as I couldn’t sleep due to worrying about work and worked as late as 11pm just trying to get on top of things.

I’m shocked myself at how long it takes to plan. Under normal circumstances it might take me 3 hours to plan my week on paper and then another 5 hours to resources those plans. Because we are doing everything online it’s taking so long to create videos, powerpoints, handouts, teaching aids etc and to upload them for different groups. Not to mention that I hate doing the videos and have images of parents laughing at me at home as they’re truly dreadful!! But I’m trying my absolute best and am pushing that to the side as I know that pre-recorded videos are so important for the children in terms of their learning and also just the little bit of familiarity in actually seeing me on screen.

Trying to explain anything that children are struggling with or have got wrong takes an absolute eternity instead of just a little 2/3 minute explanation.

Marking work and providing feedback takes forever instead of being a quick passing comment.

Loads of techinical issues arising with logins etc to deal with, responding to parents. Not to mention monitoring engagement and contacting families who are not engaging. It’s really not easy.

So I realise I’m very privileged to be able to stay safely at home with my family 6 days a week and an so grateful for that.... but it’s so, so hard.

Sorry haven't read the entire thread. I think what I find a bit soul destroying is that I'm putting a lot of effort into recorded lessons, live support and marking etc and going above and beyond what is required of me.

Yet despite all that a significant core of students are not engaging at all. Some of these are children who are already disruptive, negative and don't care about their own or other students learning in the classroom. They will come back worse and refuse to engage further and be an even bigger problem to manage in the classroom but I and their peers will have to put up with that and likely get blamed that they're not hitting their target grades.

So currently no I'm not dealing with their behaviour but I have no means of making them learn and avoid them falling further behind and coming back even more challenging than they already were.

Because we have been made to carry on as if it was normal school we can't go back and do the work again and parents would understandably complain if their kids who did engage spent weeks repeating what they'd already done.

Personally I'd rather we did what many teachers wanted to do in the first place to avoid getting in this mess: rotas allowing smaller classes with social distancing allowing blended learning and regular school attendance

You're not wrong that there are positive aspects to teaching remotely. Fact is, there ARE fewer behaviour issues to deal with as those who don't want to be in lessons usually won't be. Yes, there are some new ones (e.g. kids can and will say something and then delete the evidence), but nothing that can't be solved with a screenshot or two or by muting students who don't get the message. I am also enjoying not having to rush between different classrooms, actually having a desk to work at and that I am not being dragged into duties between lessons on a full day. It is nice being able to go to the loo when I need to and being able to make and have a hot drink while teaching. The lack of commute gives me about 1.5h a day back.

But online teaching is still not preferable to being in the classroom.
I cannot see who engages, and engagement in general is a lot lower. I don't always know who struggles and therefore can't help. I am accountable for the progress of all students, even those who won't (or can't) log on to take part in lessons. I am very IT competent, but many of my colleagues are not and it is frustrating to see so much more variance in the quality which students get compared to face-to-face teaching.
Teaching with a reception child bouncing off me all day is not fun. Ever been in a meeting with 30 teenagers to have a child shouting clearly "mummy, I need a poooooooo"? Parents' evenings are just wrong. Timed to the second, so many not familiar with the systems we use so our 5min slot is mostly taken up with IT issues. And did I mention my own children don't get a look in at all during those days?

Never worked harder, only paid 3 days but working 7 to stay on top of everything. Trying to track attendance, chasing kids that aren't there. Then chasing the kids that turn up for the register but never hand anything it. Never able to switch off. Constant vilification and being told I'm basically on holiday. Stress and depression levels rise every time I see a post like this. But yeah it's walk in the park.

I understand what you're asking OP, but when people share their experiences and early in the thread your responses were essentially 'yeah but you aren't doing this area of your job so isn't it easier' then I think you got people's backs up quite quickly.

I'd much rather be teaching in person than online.
It's nice to have time during the day between lessons to do some collaborative planning and get down looking at how we are going to catch our students up, but I'd rather we weren't in this situation to start with.
It's also nice to get a warm cup of coffee during the day, but having a warm beverage isn't preferable to seeing my pupils.
There's also a lot of additional work created by the current situation, some parents see and others they don't.

All I want is for students to be in school and schools open in a way that is safe for pupils, staff and the community.

Every single teacher I know is fed up of this lockdown and is desperate to go back to normal teaching.

As a teacher all these threads picking us apart and the efforts we’re putting in are massively insulting and hurtful - and I usually am very thick skinned!

No it’s not easier, it’s awful. I’m at my laptop 9-5 at least most days. Uploading work, creating content, recording videos, answering messages from parents, marking work that’s returned over several different platforms, phoning all my families once a week, remote staff meeting...on top of being wracked with guilt and worry over the ones in my class who are doing none of the work sent and are falling even further behind

No, not lovelier at all

It's almost 6pm and I've worked since 8.30 - now my children have (just about) finished their home learning and I have finished with the live/interactive part of mine, I can finally get down to work on preparing next week's lessons.
I would not be in this position in any working-in-school week!

You would think that parents would discipline their children while they're working with them at home and ensure they understand and hand in the work but unfortunately that is not reality. We are getting 4/5 parents a day (in a class of 30) asking for phone calls from teachers as their children are being unruly and they want us to tell them off.

I had a parent message me once at 9 o'clock telling me I had to phone and speak to their 8 year old who wouldn't go to bed so asking me to discipline a child via zoom when they are in the room could be considered reasonable in comparison!

Teachers DO NOT have it easy.
We are expected to teach a full curriculum and timetable, but in a completely different way. It is exhausting learning new systems. My technology can't keep up. There is so much more admin and planning.
I have 3 small children and no wraparound care. I plan my lessons in advance (often evenings or weekends), having to change all my resources and rethink all my tasks and lessons. I have to post them online in various platforms. I set up a lesson for 9am, drop my kids at school, go live at 9.10am and have to teach while giving endless live feedback all day. Constant emails and individual requests. Constant monitoring of student engagement and progress. Trying to keep ahead and find new ways of doing things that work. Pick up my kids at 3pm feeling frazzled and behind. Work most of the evening and weekend.
I am part time and do the homeschooling on my 2 days off. I have never been more tired.

The OP is my least favourite poster now. Why would anyone start a thread these days saying teachers have it easy? I am exhausted, lonely and working harder than ever.

Oh, and behaviour issues don't come into it. To be honest I didn't have any, so that is not even a consideration.

The OP is my least favourite poster now. Why would anyone start a thread these days saying teachers have it easy?

@DipSwimSwoosh: This with bells on.