Why do secondary school teachers need to go within 2 metres of a student?

[whenthejoyreturns]

Such a fuss about teachers being collateral damage and in danger. The majority parents want their secondary school dc back asap and would be happy with no social distancing, why can't teachers just stand at the front of the class and at a distance acceptable to them and teach?

I think it’s the pupils they are concerned about? It would be tricky to enforce social distancing between pupils. Secondary schools are huge, so potential for creating widespread infection is great

Er, to look at their work?

I’m guessing you’re not a teacher.

I would be stuck at the front of my classroom unable to leave once my class are in there. I would always have to be in first and out last, due to the placement of the door and the board.

In my normal classroom time, I constantly circulate around the room to have individual conversations about the work, helping kids with problems they're having, etc. Standing at the front of the room unable to have those conversations is a lower standard of education than I am currently providing online, where pupils can email me and receive individual help and feedback almost immediately.

No but I used to go to school! Surely teachers can work out a way to check work in a socially distanced way acceptable to them.

No but I used to go to school!

Ah, bless.

What way would that be? I don't have X-ray vision. Oh maybe they could submit work online, a bit like they do now.

The one thing my DS is really missing about being in the classroom is being able to ask a teacher to look at what he has done and show him where he's gone wrong. Or read over his work and suggest improvements. How would you suggest this is done at a 2m distance? Everything else can be done at home.

@whenthejoyreturns

No but I used to go to school! Surely teachers can work out a way to check work in a socially distanced way acceptable to them.

Binoculars?

good one!

Teaching isn't lecturing.

The main part of my lessons is the students working either in groups or independently with me going round, checking, correcting misconceptions and using targeted questions to build their learning. Standing at the front is no different to talking thorough a PowerPoint online tbh.

I’m not suggesting it’s at all straight forward to implement, but I do think we should be focusing on protecting the teachers and not worrying about the pupils social distancing from each other. Teenagers aren’t bothering outside of school, hanging around with complete disregard for the 2m rule, so why force them into it at school?

I'm not convinced all parents would be happy with no social distancing. Once again, if it's ok for it to not happen in schools then everyone else currently at home should also be prepared to return to work now without it in place. Seems fair.

I was teaching today- key worker and vulnerable students who have been in everyday since lockdown. A fight broke out a student took a glass bottle out of his bag I had to man handle this out of his hand hold him back and then deal with injuries. No chance of 2 meters. At a lot of secondary schools these type of incidents happen.

To encourage the student
to look at their work and check if they are doing well
to quietly praise them (especially if shy/ socially awkward)
to quietly nudge them to do more (especially if shy/ socially awkward)
to quietly correct them (especially if .. you get the idea)
To look and read out their amazing idea to the class
to notice misconceptions that may need to be addressed and corrected
to comfort and reassure them
to make a discreet personal remark acknowledging their personal circumstances...
Is that okay for a start?

OP so much of teaching is about moving around the classroom, this helps to manage behaviour, check who is working, see who is struggling.

A quick kneel down beside a student who looks like they are not working to have a quiet word can change the entire class atmosphere.

The nuances of teaching are rarely picked up in by the students. If you're doing it right it is truly an art of understanding human nature.

Hope this helps to explain it?

1. To mark work, there is no way I can see it properly from 2m away unless they write about two words a page

2. To provide help when they're stuck, I need to see their working/errors to help

3. Some kids will only work if they know I am coming around to check on them

4. Behaviour management - it's really difficult to do if you are stuck at the front of the classroom

5. To break up fights (rare in the classroom but happens a fair amount on duty

6. To hand out worksheets (can't use textbooks due to the infection risk). If I can't hand out worksheets it will be everyone going at the pace of the slowest as there's a limit to how many questions you can fit on the board

I'm a secondary parent and I wouldn't be happy with dc back with no distancing. They are certainly old enough to catch the virus, as teenagers.

@Lilybet1980

I’m not suggesting it’s at all straight forward to implement, but I do think we should be focusing on protecting the teachers and not worrying about the pupils social distancing from each other. Teenagers aren’t bothering outside of school, hanging around with complete disregard for the 2m rule, so why force them into it at school?

I think you mean 'some teenagers' they're not all the same you know. In fact, locally, the teenagers are the only ones observing social distancing.

No but I used to go to school!

Wow - all teachers know that lots of parents think they are experts on teaching and schools just because they went to school, but I've never heard a parent actually admit it before! Well done for the honesty, OP.

Sorry, maybe too obvious but to interact with them as an individual...

Oh and it's not necessarily about the teachers. I'm more worried about the risk of community transmission from schools than my personal risk. Secondary kids move around a lot more and have different teachers for different subjects. They often travel in a long way by public transport.

Teenagers aren’t bothering outside of school, hanging around with complete disregard for the 2m rule

Not the teenagers I know.

I think one of the main issues is secondary school children getting to school and back - all those year groups mingling on a bus or train will not help social distancing. Yes some children can walk/ get a lift but lots rely on public transport.

When I was at school 30 years ago my teachers sat at the front, drank coffee and smoked cigarettes - in fact we used to get sent out to buy fags

Now, DH doesn't sit at the front - no seat in his classroom and he walks 30,000 steps a day

THINGS ARE DIFFERENT NOW