If you're a teacher, how do the kids seem at the moment?

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

In light of all the reports of children's mental health and development suffering during lockdown, I've been wondering about this a lot. Have you noticed a big change in the kids you teach? Was it as bad as you feared?

My DS9 seems to have come through it all more or less OK, though according to him he's currently getting told off a lot 'for no reason' so reading between the lines, he's being a bit of a PITA. Hopefully it'll settle down.

I know this sounds like a very 'journalist' post... all I can say is I promise I'm not! Been around for years and would make a crap journalist.

I am in reception. Our SEN kids who were in throughout lockdown are struggling with the changes. The KW kids who were in are not too bad, a few attention seeking behaviours but that is understandable. The rest seem to be settling back in. A lot of tears at drop off but they don't last long. General behaviour in the classroom has dropped, children seem to have trouble concentrating.

I teach Year 1.

They constantly ask when is hometime.
Tears coming into school.
No stamina for work.
No independence at all. They cannot sit to do a task on their own. They all expect 1-1 help.
They don't listen to instructions.

It's bloody hard work!!!!!!

Apart from that though, they seem pretty cheerful.

@Starlightstarbright1 Ot must be so unsettling for him

It has magnified everything. Those who were focused and well behaved before are now streets ahead and a bit bored with waiting for the others.

Those who struggled are now even more behind and acting out because of this.

Those who spent all lockdown in school with one to one support are struggling to cope on their own in large classes.

And there are about 10 percent who actually did more work online and are struggling to match that work rate in class.

@missbunnyrabbit

I teach Year 1.

They constantly ask when is hometime.
Tears coming into school.
No stamina for work.
No independence at all. They cannot sit to do a task on their own. They all expect 1-1 help.
They don't listen to instructions.

It's bloody hard work!!!!!!

Apart from that though, they seem pretty cheerful.

Absolutely this. Are you me?!

I'm not a teacher, but my 6yo was referred to camhs by school during this latest lockdown due to self harm, saying he wants to die and generally struggling. He has asd and learning difficulties. He hates homeschooling but he has struggled so very much with being back at school too. Lots of tears. Think he's slowly getting used to it, but then they are off in a week for 2 weeks so that will set him back again. My 8yo has surprised me tbh! He's a very sensitive, well behaved little boy who worries a lot, but he seems to have settled back into school life pretty well. He was on teams every school day and did his work. I think having a structure to his day at home has helped.

I’ve not RTF but I have one word.

WILD 😂

@Notenoughchocolateomg

I'm not a teacher, but my 6yo was referred to camhs by school during this latest lockdown due to self harm, saying he wants to die and generally struggling. He has asd and learning difficulties. He hates homeschooling but he has struggled so very much with being back at school too. Lots of tears. Think he's slowly getting used to it, but then they are off in a week for 2 weeks so that will set him back again. My 8yo has surprised me tbh! He's a very sensitive, well behaved little boy who worries a lot, but he seems to have settled back into school life pretty well. He was on teams every school day and did his work. I think having a structure to his day at home has helped.

How upsetting for you all 😨

@SnargaluffPod and anyone else whose child has had serious mental health difficulties recently, if you’re not already a member of the ‘Parenting Mental Health’ group run by Suzanne Alderson (on Facebook), join it.

This group has got me through the darkest period of my life. My yr7 child also tried to end her life last year. More than once. It’s been a long hard eight months since that time and she’s not fully recovered yet by any means but we are getting there and this group gave me strength to hold it together when I really thought I couldn’t.

[quote OrangeSamphire]@SnargaluffPod and anyone else whose child has had serious mental health difficulties recently, if you’re not already a member of the ‘Parenting Mental Health’ group run by Suzanne Alderson (on Facebook), join it.

This group has got me through the darkest period of my life. My yr7 child also tried to end her life last year. More than once. It’s been a long hard eight months since that time and she’s not fully recovered yet by any means but we are getting there and this group gave me strength to hold it together when I really thought I couldn’t.[/quote]
Ohh @OrangeSamphire that’s so heartbreaking

Primary teacher here. They are tired but glad to be back. 4 days after coming back, one child told me it was like they'd never been away but in a good way. Most agreed. It was nice to hear, especially from a very middle of the road child who doesn't live for school, it wasn't the kind if comment I would have expected from him. The gaps aren't as wide as in September, but there is a lot of sloppy work, rushing through, lack of care about presentation, I guess it's all the bits that they could get away with at home once the zoom had ended and they had to do their work before going back to roblox etc.

@starlilly88

Gov guidance has been updated today that masks will still be worn in class after Easter, very sneakily done. The government should read this thread to get an idea of the damage this pandemic has done to kids, it’s very sad

Masks are only for Secondary and not Primary so a large part of this thread in that respect is irrelevant.

As long as the government refuse to vaccinate teachers as a profession and there is a vaccine delay, this is the least they can do. We want school staff to still be working and not off sick/self isolating and secondary schools to still be open to pupils do we not?

Sorry to Primary school staff.

The wearing of masks itself in my secondary school is not affecting the pupils one jot. The issues affecting secondary students are nothing to do with masks themselves and were there last term when masks were not worn in class.

Off topic I know but this thread exposes how the current mantra of
‘Mental Health Matters ‘ is just words.
Real , currently available intervention is only for those who can pay to be seen privately, NHS provision has been decimated.

@TheFallenMadonna

PRU - we've been open throughout but hard to get the kids in when other schools are shut. The ones who came in are OK. The ones who didn't are really struggling with structure and routine. Plus we have had a number of new referrals during lockdown. And the year 11s are in bits about grading arrangements, as frankly am I.

PRU Teacher here too- been open throughout we’re getting back into a routine but class teachers have had to change for various reasons (hoping to get back to normal normal after Easter) and they’re all struggling, new referrals coming in and this always upsets the routine of others. Yr11 nightmare with gcse grading for the kids and us.... I’m only relieved we have 20 ish overall - think I’d be loosing it if I worked in mainstream

I'm a supply teacher, so in the average week usually work in two or three schools. Most of the covering I have done so far is due to positive covid cases, or awaiting covid tests...

I have noticed an increase in children coming to me in the morning to say they want their mummy / daddy and being a little tearful. These were y1 and 2 children, so not tiny, but usually would be more settled at this point.

The table arrangements facing forward doesn't make much sense when whole year groups are bubbled together, using the same toilets, sitting across from each other in the dining hall and standing shoulder to shoulder in their lines.

My own y9 found autumn term difficult - perhaps due to the stresses and worries of people and year groups having to isolate. He developed IBS which continued through much of lockdown 3, but has coped better with the return to school than we expected.

The primary school my other child attends has been great. My dd is so happy to be back and thriving. They have extra PE and skipping / walking sessions each day, which she loves and is also keeping her fit.

Another teacher friend also said that the children who were in school during lockdown have found the return of the whole class difficult. I really think classes of 20 should be the maximum amount - it makes such a difference to what you can do and who you can support.

The table arrangements facing forward doesn't make much sense when whole year groups are bubbled together, using the same toilets, sitting across from each other in the dining hall and standing shoulder to shoulder in their lines

Ours are in class bubbles, no eating in the dining hall allowed (all lunches in classrooms), staggered starts and finishes, designated times for accessing other parts of the school (library etc) so they don’t encounter anyone outside of their bubble at all!

I've found the masks difficult. It's definitely reduced interaction in my classes and sometimes if i'm trying to use a little humour or something, I miss the little smiles or subtle expressions that tell you that someone is gearing themselves up to make a contrbution or ask a question. It's all just a sea of eyes.

We're teaching double length lessons as well, so that's hard to keep pacey.

My year 11s are flat as pancakes. I feel drained after every lesson with them.

Primary teacher here. My kids have come back wonderfully. They did all attend remote learning though. And have always been a mature, well behaved class. Only issue is the neediness and wanting to talk about anything whenever they feel like it and not waiting until play.

The other year 1 class in my school is another story. They are like toddlers. They were always less mature than mine, but only half of them engaged at home. They can barely hold a pencil. It is sad as the gap is huge.

It is noticeable who attended the online learning.

For example, a boy in my class was the lowest for phonics, couldn't read CVC words yet. Was in a group with 6 others. He is now reading slightly below age related but can independently read phonic books and moved up 3 reading levels. The other children In that group have forgotten a third of their sounds and still cannot read a word. It is so disheartening but what can you do ?

It is so disheartening but what can you do ?

Probably disheartening for a lot of the parents who desperately wanted to support their children with their work over lockdown, but had to do their own jobs from home too.
My year 1 did every bit of work set, attended every zoom. She’s already a fluent reader and read a lot over lockdown. I was working full time next to her though so any support I could give was minimal (90% of my day was spend on the telephone/zoom meetings), so she probably went backwards despite all our best efforts.

Ours are in class bubbles, no eating in the dining hall allowed (all lunches in classrooms), staggered starts and finishes, designated times for accessing other parts of the school (library etc) so they don’t encounter anyone outside of their bubble at all!

That's what I mean - they are in class or year groups bubbles, using the same toilets standing in lines close to each other, interacting at breaks and in class - I'm just not sure how having the tables facing forwards can make much difference at all 🤷‍♀️

I'm just not sure how having the tables facing forwards can make much difference at all 🤷‍♀️

It really doesn’t make any difference. It’s a measure that causes difficulties, with no discernible benefits. Even in the set up I described it makes no difference, as the kids aren’t standing in forward facing rows at break/lunchtime or during PE lessons etc.

@sunflower1988 I'm glad you mentioned this my youngest son who has autism is alot worse with his meltdowns since he returned to mainstream school, don't know how bad he is in school because I don't think they tell me unless it was obvious like when he punched himself in the nose. He usually gets worse because his fear of school, all his triggers are there but not to this extent and I think it is due with lockdown. Last nights meltdown was the worse I've ever seen with him and even my friend is suggesting I deregister and home educate him although I don't think I could cope with doing that for him. I could do it fine with my 9 year old but not my 8 year old.

Not a teacher myself but I have a dd in yr 4 and ds in yr 2. At the end of last week dd’s teacher asked to speak to me at pick up and mentioned that she has been quite chatty and sometimes causing distractions in the class, calling out instead of putting her hand up and that her stamina for writing has dropped. She always has been quite chatty but I’ve not been spoken to about behaviours such as calling out since she was in year 1. During homeschooling although she engaged with the work most of it was done on the laptop and she hardly picked up a pen, although she did quite a lot of reading. She has also become more lippy and defiant at home, if she doesn’t want to do something she will certainly let you know!
Ds needed more motivation to do the work during lockdown and seemed incapable of doing anything independently, but now back at school his teacher has reported that he has settled back in really well and been one of the easiest in the class to manage.

Socially it is like being back in September in early years (I'm in KS1)- chn have forgotten how to share, take turns and get on with others. Lots of tale telling and out of character mean behaviours. Academically, the attainment gap between those who engaged in live lessons and those who didn't is now enormous. Those chn who were in a school bubble during lockdown are not happy that their bubble has burst. Sadly, a few more chn now have very vulnerable/CP situations at home, due to the pandemic but now we can support them. It is still great to be back and the kids really need to be back.

Not a teacher, but my DS teaches Y3 and he reckons they are all pleased to be back, but were of the ability of mid yr 2 when they started the school year. Now he says some will finish practically a whole academic year behind. I suspect these were dc who didn’t or couldn’t do the lessons at home either because the families didn’t have access to a computer, or the people caring for them were not able to help them for whatever reason. That’s all he would divulge, but the school is not a well off, middle class one.