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 wish the government would just get on with announcing the inevitable shutdown. I'm a nurse and will struggle a bit when it does happen but how can you all teach in these circumstances, its baffling that anyone thinks this is appropriate.

You poor things. It sounds terrible! You deserve a medal! My son is in year 7. Came home Monday and said loads of kids with temps coughing. Other kids were licking hands and wiping them on others faces laughing. He’s not gone back. Home schooling started today. I emailed his tutor to tell him he had a ‘cough’ and to thank him for all his hard work. Poor man emailed me back and sounded at breaking point. Awful! Xxx

@ShouldIStaySelfIsolated, I'm the same and the guilt of creating extra work for colleagues is horrible. And yes, every other word is 'corona'. They're not daft; they know how serious this is.

I was called this morning to take DS2 home because he's been coughing. After being home for 3 hours he hadn't coughed once, and even told me he'd been coughing because he was 'choking on spit'. No fever.

I rang the school back to ask if they could go in tomorrow. There's no way I'd have even considered it if he'd had symptoms but honestly he was absolutely fine.

But the school newsletter said today that 10 staff were off and 3 school years had no teachers so would have to be merged. It's unsustainable & the sooner they close the schools the better. I think the politicians know when they are going to close them, they're just not telling us.

So sorry. I really hope there is a long overdue increase in appreciation for teachers when the schools close

It’s shocking how this is a joke to many. DD1 (who only just started school after several years home ed due to anxiety) was upset earlier because a friend who was off sick today was going on about how she didn’t care that she has CV and would come back in and infect everyone. Stupid prank but she’s autistic and takes this stuff literally.

@MyGhastIsFlabbered we've had numerous fake coughers. The worry is that actually they might have it and are spreading it because a lot of people who have it don't have symptoms

How tough this all sounds. Thankyou to all of you for what you do on normal days and for what you are trying to do now

Sounds appalling and think all the teachers are doing incredible work at this time

Another thank you to all your teachers and school staff.

From my point of view it is getting a bit bonkers. I am still working as a teacher as I nor my Dcs have any symptoms. However there seems to be a number of children every day waiting by reception to be picked up, by their parents, because they have raised temperatures. We do have good hand washing facilities and caretakers have put up hand sanitizer stations but it is all going to crumble and fall because a large number of the teaching staff are having to self isolate

I'm in a school with very few behavioural issues, hundreds of genuinely lovely children that I'd be proud and happy if they were my own children.
But even they were mostly utterly bonkers today, it's all just spilling over the anxiety, the not knowing each day when we'll close, when they have to stay at home etc.
I've not actually seen/heard any of them making light of the situation. Some of them are truly frightened by this, even those that are usually pretty stoical.
It's the Y11s and Y13s that I feel for- they have been working so hard for so long. No-one can tell them what is happening with exams, and they're just so upset by it all.

No-one can tell them what is happening with exams, and they're just so upset by it all.

It's the uncertainty of it all.

I’m in a primary. We had almost 100 kids off yesterday and I sent another 12 home with high temperatures. So far we’ve only ‘lost’ one teacher, but we are down 4 TAs. The Secondary school closed to years 7 & 8 yesterday and that almost certainly means that we will lose another 3 teachers today. Behaviour is pretty poor, and lots of young kids are crying, scared and being wound up by their parents/siblings. It feels like a low-level hysteria that could turn to mass panic with a flick of a switch.

My DD is starting to get anxious about the schools closing (she’s Y10) and is getting pissed off with the amount of idiots in her year/school coughing or pretending to cough because they want to go home, whilst she just wants to get on with it.

I’m knackered and right now there is now end in sight.

I am down the class teacher in my class who is self isolating so am covering (hlta). Worried I may have caught this from her or anyone in my class would have.

Some children are really worried about being sent home indefinitely (high pupil premium and deprivation).
Some children are very anxious and behaviour is challenging due to this.
Some children are purposely coughing , spreading germs on one another.
Trying to be hyper vigilant of any illness in classroom whilst all trying to keep things as ‘normal’ when they are anything but.

Worried for my own children who I have no choice but to send Into school. Ds about to do his a levels and he turns 18 in two weeks so cancelling all his party and birthday plans.

It’s insane. Please tell me how the children are actually learning in this environment. I know my son isn’t. It’s insane to keep them going.

Please tell me how the children are actually learning in this environment.

I can only speak for my school, but they're not.

I’m sorry to hear that your day has been so tough. I’m very lucky to work in a secondary school where the experience (so far...) has been very different. Our head has been great. Any staff member who has anyone in their household with underlying health conditions has been instructed not to come into work. Obviously those with symptoms are not in either. As a result we’ve had a huge amount of internal cover. Kids who develop a cough and/or temp during the day are immediately sent to the a series of rooms which of been commandeered as quarantine, and then they are being sent home, along with any siblings.

Assemblies are now being done via video link into individual class rooms and all extracurricular activities have been suspended. Detentions and meetings have also been suspended and external visitors (other than EPs for example) are not allowed on site. All trips have been pulled.

Kids are being taken in to the toilets one class at a time to wash hands before lunch, and then use hand sanitizer at the entrance to the lunch hall. All food is now wrapped.

Behaviour has been impeccable (but then it usually is, to be fair), however with the rates of absence amongst staff and students, I can’t see us being open past the end of the week as it’s simply going to be unsustainable.

Our kids are divided between sensible, panicked and a cohort (mainly boys) who seem to be preparing for a real life version of the Purge and see it as an upcoming holiday.
I’m wfh now doing cover rota. That’s fun. 6 supply in. 10 staff off so far.

😂😂😂😂 sorry. I know this is serious but that’s funny.

I have now been put into 14 day isolation feel so bad for my colleagues who have so much pressure.
Currently teaching on line .