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.

@Watchingpaintdryagain

Secondary teacher here. My classes are a lot more passive and seem less engaged. They used to willingly participate in class discussion and volunteer answers. They are much more reluctant now and I think it's because they are used to being more passive on a Google meet or wearing a mask is prohibitive and they feel self conscious.

Secondary here too! I agree much quieter and definitely passive. Just a handful in each class willing to participate in discussions but I’m finding them very polite and the quality of their work is great! I have deliberately slowed down the pace of lessons and am giving them ample time to produce their own work. They are trying really hard in class and I can’t believe how respectful they are being!

Teenagers can get very comfortable in their surroundings and this can lead quite rude behaviour towards staff and overfamiliarity with peers. I think this situation has re-booted some of the more ‘challenging’ students...

It’s early days and reminds me of how the first few weeks into the term after the summer holidays used to be YEARS ago.
I’ve not seen this kind of thing for years as children tend to come crashing in after the summer as bolshy as ever nowadays.
I’m probably not explaining myself very well!!

You could be right.

I'm really grateful that our school have focused on wellbeing for the first few weeks back and I work with a teacher who thinks it is very important to have happy children in the class to enable them to achieve what they can.

I have a yr 11 child myself who has gone back to school and is struggling with the workload and constant assessments. I feel for those children.

No @Whenthesunshines you totally have, especially the stuff about them being passive in class. I’m sure that comes from getting too used to online learning.

Lots of tears on the gate at our school. My own DS was in reception through lockdown and it really benefitted him. He’s very shy and hadn’t made any firm friends yet. Having a smaller group suited him and he started interacting really well. Now the rest of the class are back everyone has gone back to their original friendship groups. His teacher told he has been a bit lost since.
Hopefully after Easter everyone will have recharged and be back into a routine. The improved weather will help as well as being able to start loosing the restrictions.

@Fembot123

No *@Whenthesunshines* you totally have, especially the stuff about them being passive in class. I’m sure that comes from getting too used to online learning.

Online learning has been a mixed blessing... Year 11 tell me they have been lonely and isolated but at the same time, they have had few distractions and have had to work things out for themselves. And LISTEN!! They have definitely got used to listening and this week and last very few have attempted to disrupt lessons. The odd comment from someone and NOBODY joins in! It’s like they don’t want to hear it. It’s quite odd! I have also noticed how kind most of them are.

I’m an infant teacher and we have been back for quite a while now (Scotland). We have found them to really struggle to concentrate on anything for even an extremely short space of time. They find sitting on the carpet listening to adults almost impossible. They have forgotten so much of the basic routines we taught at the start of the year. For weeks they were just having a full blown conversation as I was speaking at the front, which they knew before lockdown they weren’t allowed to do. They’d shout across the class etc. I think a lot of this is due to the amount of screen time they were having at home so sitting listening to a teacher is really not interesting when you’ve been used to an iPad 🤷🏼‍♀️ The first few weeks completely took it out of me (and I’m pregnant to add to the tiredness 🤣) but they are starting to settle back in now. I think this week has been the first week I’ve felt it getting easier and we’ve been back 4 and a half weeks now

@SnargaluffPod Fucking Hell, that's terrible!! I really hope he's getting the support he needs (and you are too for that matter).

Totally in awe of all the staff in schools who know the children so well and who are taking such care of them all. Interesting to see how much individual attention during lockdown has benefitted some of them. But they have nearly all been affected negatively. I cannot imagine how the safeguarding issues will improve given the stresses on 3very part of the system. But with all of you it will getter better.

KS2 teacher here. Mostly all fine, seeming a bit tired now but it is the end of term (nearly!) Standard of work pretty good from most and they are quite motivated and enthusiastic. Definitely not as dire as the media have made out.

My DS is in primary and everything seems pretty normal there in stark contrast to the senior school.

Mostly the same as they were anyway but with a bit more oomph. Couldn't work independently before? Now X 10. Anxious before? You too. No interest in school before? X 1000000.

I've got a question for secondary teachers - are you policing teens touching/hugging/kissing each other at breaktimes, or just leaving them to it? Walking home from work just after secondary kicking out time I see a lot of high-5ing and bearhugging, and heads huddled together. I can't make up my mind whose side I'm on with this! Are they allowed masks off at outdoor breaktimes or do they need to be kept on throughout the school day? I struggle with just half an hour of the bloody thing when going round the supermarket!

Neverdrop
They seem to have lost all the ebullience they used to have

I agree.
On one hand, trickier characters are easier to manage but on the other hand, a lot of joy and fun has disappeared from many.

They seem very eager to please I think they are craving reassurance.

I've got a question for secondary teachers - are you policing teens touching/hugging/kissing each other at breaktimes, or just leaving them to it?

No. At break/lunch time that would be like trying to herd cats. They are ALL OVER each other.
In class yes. They have a seating plan and don’t move unless they are given permission. I stand at the door and they sanitise as they come in, masks on. All very orderly.

Break/lunch is a complete nightmare.

Are they allowed masks off at outdoor breaktimes or do they need to be kept on throughout the school day?

Masks off outside.

I think on breaks they get close my year 7 has managed to bag him self a gf from a different primary so only met during this pandemic and his a shy shhh won’t participate in hands up giving answer type stuff.

Mine are exhausted, struggling with the full on-ness of school. They've lost some writing stamina but they are relatively unscathed, delighted to be back together, noisy, bouncy but rather wonderful. (year 5/6)

Thank you so much to all the teachers. You guys are just amazing. My ds in y8 has SEN and was unable to engage with any of the home learning during the lockdowns and flatly refused to take up his inschool place, then has refused to go into school now they're open. I'm clinging to hope that he'll go in next week. He's so so far behind, but reading this thread, I dont feel quite so distraught!

Not a teacher. I'm a hospital laboratory scientist. I don't see patients but can see clinical details.

I've noticed the number of school age children being treated for over doses and refeeding those with eating disorders has increased since the new year. Whilst it's increased across all age groups it feels more of an exponential growth in the young. (Though this is just my feeling, I've not done a stats breakdown on it).

The kids I teach have been great. Of course they are a bit chatty, but so am I. It’s lovely catching up on their news.

I've got a question for secondary teachers - are you policing teens touching/hugging/kissing each other at breaktimes, or just leaving them to it?

In principle we’re supposed to make them keep their distance but with 1 or 2 staff per 200 teenagers (staggered breaks) of course it’s impossible. They are good natured about it but we are all just going through the motions.

Not a teacher either though from sight of poor teacher and 25 cranky 6 year olds the Thursday after St Patrick's day was priceless not a smile between them.
My DC have bounced back great, credit for the school and teachers, school is much more fun from when I was a child.

Ks3 are feral. But it could be cos I don't teach them, so all I see is appalling corridor behaviour, masks slung down under their chins or not at all. Running up and down corridors at break, even though they're meant to be out.

Packs of ks4 lads thinking they're something special (but to be fair, they did before cv).

Lots of kids refusing to go in to classes/ sit where directed.

Lots of incredibly anxious yr11 and 13s. And I don't blame them. This is worse than sitting exams. Some yr11s but really giving a fuck.

Please, please, dfe, don't make yr11 stay until July.

Year 8s are a bit more passive and also a lot .... younger seeming than they would be in March of a normal school year. "Miss, I forgot my book" and "Miss, I couldn't upload the homework" organisation type stuff that, usually, would be over after the October half term, when they'd settled into the routine and demands of the year and the rhythm of each week. Usually we'd be talking to year 8s about the responsibilities and demands of year 9, and loading on the responsibilities a bit. Now they're like sweet overgrown year 7s, again, and it's frustrating but very understandable.

They're so pleased to see each other, and very chatty about everything under the sun, but fewer hands are going up when it's whole-class-response time; pair work is unfocused and wanders into social chatter, and group work is hard to manage with distancing requirements, so it's not 'normal' teaching really.

Years 12 and 13 are okay, but they're older and doing more focused tasks - and they were much more engaged during lockdown too, bless them. I think the older ones had a slightly easier time of it socializing online - they had established friendships, for the most part, and for the 13s they had a lot of motivation to get good marks for uni etc. The year 8s are still forming friendships and I think it was harder for them to maintain them online in a meaningful way. This is just conjecture, of course.

My own DSs (years 7 and 3) are just pleased to have someone else to talk to - they're very tired at the end of the day, but I think they've really benefitted from being back at school.

Secondary teacher. I really, really don’t recognise these descriptions of quiet withdrawn teenagers. Mine are , though they respond to being asked to listen as well (or not!) as usual. Exam classes a bit stressed, but that’s understandable - and they would have been in a few more weeks anyway.
They seem absolutely fine to me. I’m sure there are issues with some, but im the classroom everything is business as usual.