Review point of a year 1 teacher

[Snuggles81]

So after reading a 101 negative posts about schools, teachers and so on I thought I'd offer the view point of a year 1 teacher and one people might not be expecting.
I welcome the move to get schools opening for more children BUT with realistic expectations on what can be achieved and the reasons behind opening.

As a teacher I have a duty of care for my pupils that includes both their physical and mental well being.

This means that social distance between myself and my pupils will not be maintained! Working in year 1 many children will be tearful coming into school, I can not and will not leave a child tearful and without comfort. When teaching a concept to children, modelling and scaffolding with resources generally won't be done at a 2m distance.

Year 1 learning has changed in many schools and like mine offer continuous provision similar to EYFS which means children don't sit at tables all day, in a highly stressed situation like we are in, is no time to introduce formal learning to the children.

Having smaller classes of 15 children means the children can not be offered a full time place, we don't have the staff and space. The guidance states we have to clean the areas the group are working in after the session which means it would be impractical to have a group in the morning then a different one in the afternoon (also if you work with children you will know that afternoons are challenging for learning and focus is harder).

When the children go back, it will be based on their well being not delivering the curriculum.

The government needs to be honest that they are sending the children back for childcare reasons, hence the younger children back first, the two year groups which are the most difficult to social distance. That I don't have a problem with, I am already offering that.

Parents and teachers need to be able to make an informed decision about going back to school for their personal situation.

If schools are back on the 1st June, I will be there as I have made the informed choice and weighed up the risks for physical and mental well being for myself and pupils. BUT I am honest in what I can safely deliver, I can't social distance from the children, I will be putting myself at risk. The parents at my school will make their own informed choice about whether they send their children back based on the information given to them

If other teachers choose not to go back because they feel unsafe, they are within their rights, the same as any employee in the country that do not feel safe.

People need to stop condemning teachers for fighting for the rights of children and themselves. Our work conditions are extremely different from most. We aren't lazy, we are being honest about what we can realistically offer for our youngest children. The government stated today they have been working with unions, that hasn't happened. All the unions are asking is that the government work with the unions to produce guidance that is actually workable in schools.

I am also a parent of primary and secondary children, if neither have the chance to enter their school buildings before September is going to have a negative impact on their well being and make September challenging. That doesn't mean they should all be back at once and back to normal lessons but the opportunity to have some time in school for their well being.

We all need to be honest about schooling and be realistic in what can safely be offered to pupils.

And thank you for you post. It is much appreciated.

Very interesting to read a teachers point of view.

My son is in year 1 and I have thought hard about whether I should send him back to school. Overall I think I will keep him at home until September.

He sometimes struggles in school with anxiety if things are different, for example if he has a stand in teacher (which happens a couple of times a week) he won’t tell that teacher that he needs the toilet and gets very upset. So I worry about the effect of being with possibly a different teacher, different classroom with a very different teaching environment. He is happy at home and happily working through work set by his teacher and other work we’ve found online so on balance I think home schooling is best for him at the moment.

I know things may be exactly the same in September but at that point I will send him back to school regardless and try to navigate the changes with him. I would just rather wait a few more weeks in the hope that there will be lower rates of infection which perhaps lead to a more relaxed situation in schools.

It’s a very personal decision and there is no one size fits all solution, for me, parents know their children and need to make a decision based on their own needs/work situation etc.

Yes that's the thing. I think school will really benefit my child
No one else is sending them that I know at our school and someone said one of the children has it

I don't know who to believe

Are your saying it won't be teaching and more like childcare??

Given it's the summer term is it not an option for those schools that have outside space to use this as an opportunity to do some more outdoor learning/ forest style schooling ? Using gazebo's/similar if needed for shelter etc. Also could we not be looking at other currently closed LA facilities if space is an issue such as local leisure centres etc, other sectors are being forced to innovate and look at new ways of learning in order to adapt to the new world we are living in. Would be great to see some real innovative thinking from our schools too as afraid as an outsider and parent looking in whilst totally understand the concerns being raised from a H&S perspective, not seeing much in the way of solutions being offered just lots of obstacles.

I can't comment on what other schools will do. I know that I couldn't make 4/5/6 years play on their own and tell them not to play with their friends. Of course we will have lots of discussions about how to keep safe when playing, hand washing, coughing/sneezing etc. Having smaller classes will support this as more room for all the children to play, we are luckily that we have been developing our year 1 outside area which my children access throughout the day. This style of teaching will be remaining for other school. Our difference is that we will only mix with our 15 children, not the other year 1 class.
All schools and families situations are different. Schools and families have to make their decisions based on what feels right for them. The government guidance is the issue rather than the schools not wanting to do it, the danish schools didn't social distance from their bubble of pupils or staff, only other people.

Agree seems like any notions of social distancing particularly for the younger children are completely unfeasible. If we could at least have that as an agreed starting point for all parties perhaps some progress might be made.

I'm not saying it would be child care, that comment was that I believe child care is the reason the government choose the youngest year groups first.
But we also have to be honest that the children are going to need to spend a lot of time of getting used to new routines, being back in school and activities based around their well being will be more important to being with than the curriculum especially for these younger children.

It's because the only thing schools have to go on is one set of DfE guidelines that was only just issued, which says things like:

We know that, unlike older children and adults, early years and primary age children cannot be expected to remain 2m apart from each other and staff.

Then it says

Where settings can keep children and young people in those small groups 2m away from each other, they should do so.

There are many issues open to interpretation in the document.

I’ve been in work today, I work in a secondary school. Had a mixed bunch of teenagers and I spent a fair amount of time telling them to stay away from each other!

I think there needs to be an honest conversation about what can be realistically achieved in school. There is a lack of space, hand washing facilities and staff if classes are split.

However if we brought in regular temperature testing and had better track and trace abilities then maybe schools in low risk areas could operate closer to ‘normal’ and those with a higher R number and active cases in the community could close if needed to protect staff and students.

Children need an education, the safety, security of routine at schools and their friendship groups, I don’t know what the answer is!!

The thing is people keep posting posts about how there's a child at our school that is in hospital and about how the government just want herd immunity and how our children are being used as guinea pigs and there'll be a 2nd spike in June and I think oh shit then

I a teacher and will be returning even though my husband is shielding. The guidance is very vague from the government and our SLT is looking at various ways to make it safe, But the biggest problem for the little ones is the social distancing and how different the school is going to be. The normal routine is not going to be there and some will be taught by different teachers. The children could be distressed by the separation from parents and we cant get close enough o comfort them. They are going to have to be very independent ie with putting clothes on and off, toileting etc. No teacher would leave a child distressed but that comes at risks to their own health. My main concern is if we do have a second spike and we go back to lock down then these poor children have another shock change to their routine. What is that going to do to their metal health? With regards to the risk to myself and my husband to a certain degree yes I am worried but as I have been recovering from a mystery illness for the last nine weeks that has left me with some slight breathing problems and my husband caught it exactly two weeks after me that both our doctors think was Covid due to the symptoms we experienced ( no test because we were too early for teachers to be included and not ill enough to have a stay in hospital thank god) in my head I am hoping I will have some protection. And yes I do think I caught in school as I was there or home no pub or restaurant for me and shopping delivered. I want to be back teaching my class but I am worried about the children health wise and mentally. Some one on this site summed it up " our politicians think that schools exist in a bubble that the virus cant penetrate and if it does wash your hands and use a wet paper towel you don't need PPE as in other places or social distancing because children don't get it the virus or if they do they only get in a minor way. " I don't need politicians to keep thanking me on the TV just like the NHS and Care homes we need them to acknowledge the difficulties and work with us to find a path through.

Like every other wfh parent, I cannot wait to get back to work. I love my job and I really miss the kids. I've also got a new job,which obviously my classes don't know about, and I'm especially sad for my 10s as now not only have they missed a huge chunk of their learning and we don't know what will be in place for their exams next year, but potentially they will be starting year 11 without a teacher. So I won't get a proper goodbye. It makes me quite sad.

We are very different as secondaries are not due to open on the 1st but honestly, what we have got in place I would not want for my own child. It's heartbreaking - necessary for everyone's safety. Our kids will have to come in in shifts with staggered lunch and breaks, during which they will have to sit/eat/play/socialise 2m away from anyone else at all times. Staff have to wear a mask or visor and gloves. 2m strips have already been put around the school and teachers will have to follow their class everywhere to ensure they are following the rules.

I think your post is so so important because there will be so many parents hoping this will bring the normality, structure and socialisation that their child craves (my own dd keep bursting out in tears because she misses her friends!) but we need to prepare ourselves that this could be another massive upheaval for them.

Oh yes my child won't want to leave me I know she won't cos she's like that
Will they not be able to touch her??

You touch people all the time don't you it's natural b you touch their back or their arm is this not going to happen??

At last some sense, well done OP! Doesn't affect me and my two just yet.. yrs 2&4. I have been reading so much from the teachers unions, media and so on whipping up a storm on this. At some point we have to find a way to make it work.. somehow!!

@purpleme12 it highly unlikely as social distancing is 2 m that includes staff as well as students.

We are being told we cant take them off you, we have to avoid comforting them too close. It goes against every fibre in a teachers body. Why are we doing this to our youngest and emotionally vulnerable of society. If this was year six and five and even four coming back we as teachers would be saying that is workable and we could find ways. We can talk and reason with that age group. How to you reason with a 4, 5 or 6 year old that is missing mummy, is scared because it is all so different and just does not understand what is happening. As teachers it not that we do not want to go back we do and I miss my class so much but we are thinking about these tiny little people and the affect on them. That's without the ramifications on our own families. When I go back I do not know when I will be able to see my mum and granddaughter again as I will be exposed to so many more people who could transmit the virus and will not risk their health. With my husband its a stark choice that we have spoke about and as I said we are hoping we have some immunity. I love my job and I will be there on the 1st June as I should be but I have reservations for our youngest members of society.

Oh god I can't bear the not being close
I know she won't don't want to leave me and will cling on cos she did that anyway and she's had all this time with me now it'll be worse

But the problem is none of the problems you state will not be there in September, or in January or next March or anytime in the future since the virus is not going anywhere!

So if it is not possible to teach young children with social distance is it possible to provide an effective remote learning offer that gets close to feeling like teaching and learning is taking on place? because you might feel like teachers are picked on for not going back to the classroom but if I suggest you teach 30 kids by zoom instead would you be happier?

The problem is that we have to find a solution for things society needs and I think that includes effective state education. We need an education system we decided in 1870 that we need to educate our young. So with covid 19 and as a year one teacher how is that best delivered? In the class with social distancing or online?..I am open to either and I don’t think teachers are lazy but I do feel that society has been over sold that the virus will go away by “September” or “Christmas” or some other date and it most likely will not so we all have to decide how we proceed in light of that. Basically can the teaching profession work out how to educate safely in a world with the virus because if we cannot that scares me (remember the quickest time to develop a vaccine to date is four years your basically saying my son doesn’t get a primary education if we wait that long!)

Qasd - I completely agree with you, but Y1 teachers are not the ones calling the shots nor are we in any position to make decisions on what happens in schools. We do what is requested by our SLT and Head, who follow the guidance of the Department of Education, who are told what to do by the current Government (who are apparently basing their decisions on scientific information from virologists and scientists). Talk to your MP if you want answers and plans.

The only thing Y1 teachers can do is to decide whether to follow their Union's advice or not, or make a decision whether to stay in teaching or not (considering their own family and health circumstances).

I agree we have got to find a way forward and if we had year 5 and 6 then moved down the years slowly that would give us time to work a way forward. We have got to find space, a way of working safely with the year groups we can explain to and use the data and what we know about the way the virus is transmitted in a scientific manner. I think if we did that way by Sept we could open to all children in a safe manner instead of using the smallest children as a trial run. As a teacher I have been setting work online, talking to parents on the phone. I will support my parents as much as I can in any way possible. However if you bring it down to the basics what do the little ones need, can we do it at home and not distress them what is better. I think it is love, care, security , to be able to read, write and do simple basic maths. We need to find ways to do it by technology if necessary. Give us time we will find a way but not in three weeks.

Schools are teaching online (and if they are not) then parents should contact the Headteacher or the Chair of Governors to find out why this is not happening.

We are also providing home work packs (delivered to the door) for those who have unreliable or no internet access, phoning parents regularly and holding any meetings that need to be held (for eg, EHCP reviews) using Zoom. There are other ways of doing things.

True but I trust the average teacher to suggest a sensible plan that works so I think that I would like to see from teachers the best solution they see, taking into account how kids learn, ligitamate concerns about safety, what is practical both on line and in place.

Basically if the unions came out and said ‘teachers think the best way forward is this” I could probably get behind it but it feels that I am hearing the no with no alternative (and I am worried about the lack of an alternative because at some point in the future out kids need to learn).