Today in a high school not far away

[triedandtestedteacher]

For those saying schools should be open I just thought I'd offer this insight into today. I work at a high school in a deprived area. We had at least 20 staff absent or who left during the course of the day. Very limited supply teachers. We were just told nobody was available. The children were very difficult, desperate for school to close to the point behaviour was the worst I've ever seen in sixteen years of teaching. We do not have any hand sanitiser at all nor has any deep cleaning taken place. We do not have sinks in classrooms like primaries and Some children took this opportunity to vandalise the toilets ripping the soap dispenser open and pouring the soap all over the floor. I've also had my own hand sanitiser stolen from my private cupboard. Staff are trying to teach their normal lessons, cover other people's lessons, manage behaviour, answer the phones to parents demanding their child be sent home because little Johnny has rang them at lunchtime to say someone was coughing in their face. Not to mention simultaneously produce online resources and home learning packs.

I'm so sorry this is happening to you and your colleagues

@IpeartreeI thanks. I was actually expecting to be jumped on for moaning!

So shocking. Thank you for doing your best to support the pupils

what a nightmare.
Sorry OP.

I hear you. My day has been similar. Last lesson was me teaching two groups of Year 9s at the same time as there was no one to cover. Behaviour is off the wall (and it's never good in my school anyway lol) and there are 'ill' kids everywhere. Some genuinely, some not. Morale among staff is weirdly ok though

Respect to you. A lot of these kids will be gathering in parks, streets, shopping centres etc. when schools close. Do we really all think they’re going to sit nicely at home?

Yes this is the reality. I've had 10 children off today (primary) and 1 sent home with a dry cough. Similar numbers in all the other classes. Also parents coming in throughout the day to take their children home - that's fair enough, parents are worried. Staff are worried too.
No deep cleaning, staff off isolating or dropping like flies. Hand gel dwindling with no hope of getting more.Teaching whilst also trying to prepare home-learning packs.

On another note, info for any teacher colleagues on here - I had a lesson observation yesterday and in my feedback got criticised for the lesson starting late - the children were washing their hands after break time, as per nationwide policy!

. That sounds like a bloody zoo

Cannot see how long we can carry on teaching under these conditions. Similar at my school, taught 2 lessons simultaneously today, staff leaving, nearest sink x3 floors away ....

I think the schools will close just due to lack of teachers and children in the end.

Sounds bloody awful.

Are these sort of kids going to quietly sit at home, or will they run riot on the streets when schools close.....

What little c**ts.
Shocking behaviour.
My DN and family are in isolation now as he was sent home with a cough. School is now 'partially closed' due to so many staff isolating because of symptoms

That's awful to read and shows how feral teenagers can be.
It's hard being a teacher and anyone teaching secondary school children need a medal. Especially as they just want to not be there! Probably all fuelled by their parents also hyping them up.
This is the reality of life in most high schools I would imagine : mostly you don't hear the truth like this.
I'm sorry and sad that so many of this teens are so disrespectful. It's appalling

Jesus. Not a great advert for the future. I can see a lot of teachers leaving and I don’t blame them. Hats off for seeing today through.

I work in a school office. All the sick kids are sent to us for us to assess them and send them home. We have no medical training, no protection and nothing has been been provided for us to keep ourselves sanitised. No option for us to 'limit social contact' or work from home currently.
However I do count my blessings that we are in steady employment and will be paid, even if the school closes. A much better position than a lot of people.
Pretty frightening at times though to see the medical advice being given and know we must expose ourselves relentlessly every day with no protective measures.

It shouldn't be like this. I haven't got an answer.
I have no clue why this sort of stuff happens but I know it does.
Sorry OP your career shouldn't involve crowd control.

What sort of future do kids who behave like this have?

My school sent home a number of sick children this morning. They were coughing all over the place.

This was followed by numerous angry parents telling us that they’d KNOW if their child was really ill and that NO! They wouldn’t be taking them home, because if they do, they all have to isolate.

Thank you for all the hard work you're putting it, it sounds awful I work in a primary school (non teaching role) and we had a lot less children in today, staff are all doing their best but I feel like closure is inevitable.

my kids schools have just announced that one year group will be home from tomorrow due to staff shortages.
They have told kids that staff will be prioritised to year 11 and 13, so their science teacher might be pinched by year 11, and they will ahve a cover lesson.

They have planned it so that year 1 and 8 in school, as they are younger and more likelpy to need childcare. Year 11 and 13 top priority and then year 10 and 12.

But at the rate the staff are going, I think we will be lucky to last the week

My grandsons go to a good school but the hand sanitisers were vandalised last week. Today only years 10 - 11 went in but loads of Yr 8s were gathered by the gates when I went to pick DGSs up - couldn't keep away! DD intends to keep them off from tomorrow as she is vulnerable but one wants to go in as he doesn't want to miss any work.

Thanks everyone. I'm actually overwhelmed by the sympathy here. Didn't expect it!

Take care. X

Same her tired. Honestly feels like we are left as the last resort.

The atmosphere in my school is frantic. Kids saying they feel exposed.

They can't have a meal in a cafe or ' maccys' but they can sit in assembly and a class of 30 and corridors of hundreds and squshed lunch queues.

We had 300 kids off today, some kids removed from lessons to self isolate. It's scary for them. One girl burst into tears when she thought her Mum had it.

Then there are the kids that come back still ill or ill and stay in.

All they ask is when will we shut? Corona is every other word and some are passing on germs to be funny. Coughing in faces.

It sets a bad example that everything is ok when schools are open but it isn't and they know this. Especially in secondary.

It also devalues the profession as baby sitters but that an issue for another year.

My DD goes to a good school in a naice area. In her science class, which I've been told is a really lovely class of children, a boy announced his brother has all the symptoms of CV19. Cue uproar and mayhem. The excellent teacher couldn't control the class and called for the head of science (who is quite scary). The head of science had to call for the head of year who removed the boy.

I hate to think what things are like I'm other secondary schools.