Asking too much of teachers?

[DomDoesWotHeWants]

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.

Marsha Scotland haven't issued guidance for schools yet but my own understanding is PPE is provided for intimate care/first aid, it won't be given for teachers to teach in. The next question is, are we (and pupils) allowed to wear it and that has not been answered.

@noblegiraffe it's ok. If lots of teachers expected to resign then work as tutors I'm sure the government would intervene. It won't happen.

open Ok, tell me how the government can prevent me from resigning and working as a tutor.

Apart from, y’know, stop being bellends and improve working conditions.

They could stop the tutoring scheme in schools. Obviously you could be a private tutor any time. But not publicly funded

If lots of teachers expected to resign then work as tutors I'm sure the government would intervene

Prevent us from resigning? Prevent qualified teachers from tutoring?

@Natalie654321
The annoying thing is, that I would have been happier to go in in March than in September.
Especially with will of the 28 week advice that was floating about.
It's like they've just gone 'fuck it' they will be fine without any actual thought.

They could stop the tutoring scheme in schools.

‘Hi everyone, we’ve decided to stop our catch-up program designed to mitigate the effects of the massive balls-up we made of education during lockdown because we also want to treat teachers really badly and are hoping that by reducing their options, they will stay in teaching’.

As you said, state tutoring isn’t the only gig in town.

Obviously there is a limited market for private tutors. There would only enough work for relatively few teachers to do this. Families will be tightening their belts and private tutoring may suffer. However there will always be demand

Obviously there is a limited market for private tutors.

The more experienced maths teachers that quit, the more demand there is for tutoring. And after lockdown, when kids still have to sit exams next year?

Stop trying to make out that teachers should just suck it up because they can’t do anything else, and because anyone could do their job. It’s really not going to work.

@noblegiraffe you aren't the only one. I'm considering a few options, tutoring being the main one. I reckon there will be a huge demand for maths tutors coming!

Can anyone with some people skills be a lawyer, too? Or an accountant , if they are a bit good at maths? Or how about chartered engineering? Medicine?

And yet all of these professions are welcome to do a PGCE course.
And for what it is worth, I have successfully transferred from one (degree based) profession into an other (degree based) profession. Simply by working on the job - and I am very good at what I do! So it's possible.

Private tutoring is ok but not great security, there will be lots of competition from graduates from day, maths degree but not teachers. Also those who know how to get students to pass exams which some tutors can show with track records.

Obviously if someone wants to do it fine (apart from I’d prefer teachers to stay) but s/e private rotor is very different to job security teaching brings.

From say not day

There would only enough work for relatively few teachers to do this.

And the ones who would be in demand are precisely those we would also want to be in school teaching.

You seem determined to argue for anything that might make life a bit more shit for teachers, openplankitchen. I wonder why.

Ylva, and teachers could do the relevant post grad courses to train in law or accountancy. What are you actually getting at? (Well it's quite obvious really, you think it's easy and a lesser role to become a teacher but what are you basing this on?)

@noblegiraffe I'm absolutely not saying suck it up. If someone isn't happy in their role and has other options. They are free to resign.

I do however think that other options are incredibly limited at the moment

And yet all of these professions are welcome to do a PGCE course.

Which takes a year and requires mentoring by experienced teachers.

And PGCE students generally aren’t very good at teaching.

So it's possible.

We know it’s possible. Many of us have done it. But that doesn’t mean you can take any Tom, Dick or Harry and turn him into a teacher by Christmas.

@Mistressiggi lawyers and accountants are being made redundant. Graduate schemes suspended in many places. Why would these firms hire and train teachers?

"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."

Whilst I would hope that teachers will be able to wear visors, this is not the reason children should be going back to school.

I do think a state funded tutoring system as a way out is false security and is short term v long term security of being in a school.

Of course you can go probably back in a year when it’s over. But if there’s a lot you like about your school it may not be the same one when you re-enter.

[quote openplankitchen]@Mistressiggi lawyers and accountants are being made redundant. Graduate schemes suspended in many places. Why would these firms hire and train teachers?[/quote]
That is absolutely nothing to do with what I was posting, or what I was replying to.
I don't think you are engaging in good faith so don't want to reply to you anymore.

That's not what you said though ylva : you said. specialist qualification and/or people skills.
You phrased it as if the degree was an option...

Of course lawyers and accountants can give this up and use their already obtained degree to pursue another professional qualification.

Mistressiggi - you are the of bashing. I am just putting out some suggestions for teacher training/ recruitment.
As many of the MN teachers are quitting their jobs over PPE, there should be a plan B.
Anyway, no point in arguing with people who have a one track mind. Over and Out.

Private tutoring is ok but not great security

Marsha I know two ex-colleagues who have done what I’ve described above. One is constantly trying to get me on board with tutoring because they have to keep turning kids away.

those who know how to get students to pass exams which some tutors can show with track records.

I’ve been getting kids to pass exams for 15 years, what makes you think I don’t have a track record?