Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Asking too much of teachers?

889 replies

DomDoesWotHeWants · 11/07/2020 10:29

It's looking like masks are going to be a requirement in shops and possibly other indoor venues.

Yet teachers are expected to teach - for hours at a time - in confined, poorly ventilated spaces, with no social distancing. They have been told they do not need PPE. If I was still teaching there is no way I'd go into a room crowded with teenagers and not wear a mask at the moment.

Teachers should be allowed as much protection as possible not thrown under a corona bus because Johnson wants them for child care so their parents can go back to work.

I really can't understand why it's going to be compulsory in shops where meetings are fleeting but not in schools which are crowded and have people crammed in for hours.

Does the right of children to go back to school over rule the rights of of school staff (teaching and ancillary) to be as protected as possible?

This means they should be allowed to wear PPE, if they choose, and secondary children should be wearing masks as happens in some other countries. In some countries younger children also have to wear masks in school.

The safety of teachers has been ignored by Johnson and his chums in their urge to get people back to work and the cry of "back to normal" is taken up by those ignorant of the facts about the virus.

Teachers have been made out to be the bad guys almost from the beginning - as can be seen from many bile infested threads on here. They deserve better.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
ItsSummer · 12/07/2020 17:02

[quote TingTastic]**@ItsSummer* There you go... more if you search...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-53151035*

That article refers to individual cases. By definition, an individual case is not an outbreak....[/quote]
Right. Let me explain this very slowly.

These cases have happened when social distancing was widely in place in the local community. They happened when bubbles were no more than 15 children. They happened when the bubble and then also school had to close immediately, therefore containing the 'individual cases' and preventing an 'outbreak'. At the moment, staff can wear ppe if they wish.

In September:

-bubbles will be class sized (30 plus) or year group sized (100 - 40p plus)
-when an 'individual case' happens, the bubbles will not close until there’s a positive result, maybe not even until there have been two positives, allowing time to spread
-staff have been actively told no ppe
-the wider community is no longer social distancing and people are mixing.

I’m sure I’ve missed more. Can you not see the concern?

UmbrellaHat · 12/07/2020 17:04

Maybe you should go off with stress. I would in your position.
What an irresponsible attitude!
If the job is stressing you, resign and get a different one. Don't just dishonestly milk the taxpayers.

noblegiraffe · 12/07/2020 17:07

If the job is stressing you, resign and get a different one

A teacher could hand their notice in tomorrow and would still have to work till Christmas. This has been pointed out many times.

UndertheCedartree · 12/07/2020 17:22

@Appuskidu - sounds like my DD is very lucky then.

OverTheRainbow88 · 12/07/2020 17:23

@noblegiraffe

Considering they are going to change 10 times before sept, and they are guidelines, I do not need to memorise the current ones.

Equally so, I will follow the guidelines given by my school, which I am sure will be different to your school.

I will also use my own autonomy, common sense and self determination as well as my brain and not hide behind the gov guidelines

noblegiraffe · 12/07/2020 17:27

And if they change to something more sensible before September, over, it won’t be because people didn’t read them and didn’t make any criticism, will it?

I’m wondering how far your autonomy, common sense and self-determination will help when you would like things implemented that aren’t entirely in your control.

UmbrellaHat · 12/07/2020 17:27

@Snailsetssail

Each bubble has it’s own classrooms, toilet and own eating space.
Hope you are not a secondary English teacher.

Molteni · 12/07/2020 17:28

@CarrieBlue No. It was just a positive post. In the sense that everybody has to make adjustments, and probably most teachers will find a way to perform their profession in a manner that makes them feel “safe” -zero risk doesn’t exist. If need be use the power of your union to influence the government, work it out on a decentralized level, ...

noblegiraffe · 12/07/2020 17:30

ItsSummer you’ve missed that bubbles in secondary might be year group sized but teachers will be moving between them so a teacher may potentially be exposed every single bubble.

OverTheRainbow88 · 12/07/2020 17:36

@noblegiraffe

And it won’t be because people are moaning on a MN thread either!

Yes I won’t be able to make major decisions like how many kids are in my class etc but once in there I can use my brain to make lots of decisions, like wearing gloves when I mark their work, where I stand in relation to the class, how I lay out my classroom, the activities I do with the class etc

motherrunner · 12/07/2020 17:38

@noblegiraffe

ItsSummer you’ve missed that bubbles in secondary might be year group sized but teachers will be moving between them so a teacher may potentially be exposed every single bubble.
Yup. We’re ‘zoning’ our year groups it the weak link will be me. I teach across 6 different year groups. The only year group safe from me is Yr 12, lucky so and so’s!
motherrunner · 12/07/2020 17:38

*but (not it)

noblegiraffe · 12/07/2020 17:40

And it won’t be because people are moaning on a MN thread either!

Discussion might prompt further action though.

how I lay out my classroom

Best read those guidelines...

Hercwasonaroll · 12/07/2020 17:45

where I stand in relation to the class
how I lay out my classroom

Maths teacher with an actual scale model here. Still can't find anyway to be 2m away at all times no matter what layout I use or where I stand. The classroom is too small. Even 1m is a push.

Gloves when marking seems futile to be honest. Wash your hands before and after.

pooiepooie25 · 12/07/2020 17:48

[quote UmbrellaHat]@Snailsetssail

Each bubble has it’s own classrooms, toilet and own eating space.
Hope you are not a secondary English teacher. [/quote]
Why the fuck do you hate teachers so much UmbrellaHat? Or are you just a total wanker who comes on every single thread relating to schools and bashes teachers? You constantly mouth off about things you know nothing about.
You are either a troll or just an unpleasant piece of shit.

OverTheRainbow88 · 12/07/2020 17:50

Yes I’ve read the classroom layout guidelines thanks, but since I know I have a very big 6th form classroom with a layout of a U shape where I have 10 kids in the class, I know they can face each other and be at least 6m apart, so I won’t be blindly following a guideline of how to lay out That particular classroom I will use my brain.

I’m guessing you are someone who hides behind all the union guidelines!

pooiepooie25 · 12/07/2020 17:52

@OverTheRainbow88

Yes I’ve read the classroom layout guidelines thanks, but since I know I have a very big 6th form classroom with a layout of a U shape where I have 10 kids in the class, I know they can face each other and be at least 6m apart, so I won’t be blindly following a guideline of how to lay out That particular classroom I will use my brain.

I’m guessing you are someone who hides behind all the union guidelines!

OvertheRainbow are you teaching other classes apart from sixth form? If we all had your sixth form classroom to teach in, with only 10 students, things would be a whole lot better. However, most of us will be crammed in with at least 30 kids and very little additional space.
Hercwasonaroll · 12/07/2020 17:53

And @OverTheRainbow88 how about my class of 34 squashed into a room where even in rows facing the front they will be 1m apart max from each other. 2 will have to face the back of the room and turn to see the board. The distance from whiteboard to the front desk is less than 1m. There is literally no space. But it's ok for you and your 10 children Hmm

Whitestick · 12/07/2020 17:54

Well you hardly live in the "real world" of teaching then do you so perhaps you could just fuck off with your snide comments and your faux cheerful exclamation marks. Or, stick some !!!! up your arse.

Flagsfiend · 12/07/2020 17:55

Gloves are completely pointless (in almost all situations and certainly for the general public - there are certain medical situations where they have uses and obviously for protecting hands from chemicals whilst cleaning is fine) but they do not provide protection against covid-19. Your skin is an excellent barrier, the 2 reasons covid on your hands is bad is that you contaminate things you touch and if you touch your face there are lots of entry points for the virus to get in. Neither of these are prevented by wearing gloves and some are exacerbated as people wearing gloves will wash their hands less.

CarrieBlue · 12/07/2020 17:57

@Molteni
I’d feel positive if PPE were enforced. ‘Being positive’ doesn’t stop me being infected. I don’t expect zero risk, but precautions that every other workplace has would be a start. What teachers are feeling under totally different conditions than this country don’t massively help, other than to highlight what we don’t have or can’t expect to have.

Appuskidu · 12/07/2020 18:00

I know I have a very big 6th form classroom with a layout of a U shape where I have 10 kids in the class, I know they can face each other and be at least 6m apart

Lucky you!

noblegiraffe · 12/07/2020 18:02

I’m guessing you are someone who hides behind all the union guidelines!

No.

Whitestick · 12/07/2020 18:03

Yes flagsfiend but washing hands often will not be an option for most teachers during the working day.
There's hand gel, but just how much of that are we comfortable using and is it as effective as a proper wash? Surgeons don't just use hand gel before an operation.

OverTheRainbow88 · 12/07/2020 18:03

Well I do also teach in 3 different academy schools as we are in one big trust, teaching years 7-11 where I have classes of 30, 33 in one of my current year 11s, and 34 in my year 10s. So I am in the real world.

My 6th form class was an example where I will use my brain, rather than blindly follow guideline, and realise in those circumstances I won’t need to change the layout!

Swipe left for the next trending thread