I'm a teacher and I'm scared.

[NebularNerd]

I don't feel safe going back to work in September. When I became a teacher I did not anticipate doing so during a pandemic. I, like many others in secondary schools, will be facing up to 150 students a day, indoors, with no protection.
I am over 40 but not otherwise in a high risk category, although my husband is and we have elderly parents who will be exposed if I'm infected, as well as young children who will also be in school and potentially exposed.
I'm not disputing the need for children to return to school at all. I'm just starting to fear returning.
Anyone else feel this way?

Wow some people really have low expectations from their workplaces!

I feel for any teacher at the moment, other professions are being protected as much as possible by limiting numbers, mandatory masks, PPE etc. Teachers have been offered non of these! I for one would be much happier sending my children to school if numbers were cut in each class, even if that meant part time schooling!

OP, me too.

OP if you're so scared, why dont you resign and let someone else teach the children?

Just joined the thread... Who the hell said that?
There really are some absolute idiots in this world.

@HipTightOnions

-children don’t not replicate the virus the same way that adults do. Hence they are poor transmitters of disease. -you are the adult in the class, and as such you get to control the environment more than you would do in (say) a supermarket. Ie you can enforce hand washing, cough and sneeze hygiene and cleaning.

You are clearly only considering primary schools. Secondaries are very different.

Or, for that matter, special needs schools where it will impossible to enforce social distancing and personal hygiene to the same level (by hygiene I mean children cannot be forced to stop touching and licking everything if that's what they always do and don't have the understanding not to).

commentatorz
I have no words.

Secondary school the kids will remain in the one class with teachers rotating as per subject.
Windows can be open and masks changed at least every 4hours.

How do the rotating teachers work with exam group options?

I’m really glad your children’s school has windows that open, do you know by how much?

On the same day the PM has said schools must be the top priority, the schools minister has said schools will not be considered for routine surveillance testing.

I’m not a teacher but I sympathise with you all. I think it’s disgusting how your rights are being pushed aside and that your safety is being so belittled. It’s not right.

I really don't think parents know what they are sending their kids into.
Mumsneedwine This.
Some have NO idea! If they did, they would be horrified.

Plenty of people losing their jobs out there, 6 month teacher training course and BOOM ready to teach. Plus, real life experience and expertise to inspire the children.

Fucking hell

@commentatorz 😂😂😂😂😂😂thank you for the laugh. 6 months learning in classrooms during a pandemic and ready to teach. My year 11s would eat you alive.

Is it worth reminding a few posters of the fact that the U.K. has pushed an inclusive policy which means many pupils with ECHPs have 1:1 or less and are in classes, may need physical support or physical interventions, could sometimes display challenging behaviour and the many threads here that have shown schools struggled or wouldn't accommodate those pupils during the lockdown, who now must be in school, (which they should be.)

I'm a CV sen teacher and I won't be SD, as I then can't teach them, and won't be able to SD with my pupils easily even if I wanted to.

All these whimsical imagined ideas of children sitting nicely at desks and teachers 2 m away for 6 hours a day (lunch in classroom too) are bollocks.

6 month teacher training course and BOOM ready to teach.

Oh....but....I’m the PGCE mentor and you just told me to resign?

Plenty of people losing their jobs out there, 6 month teacher training course and BOOM ready to teach.

Schools in Scotland go back tomorrow.

Schools in England go back in less than a month.

A 6 months training course isn't going to help...

Oh and I came to teaching late having had a v successful career in the city. So lots of 'real life experience'. Enough to know these plans are stupid

Mums I’ve been into my dc primary class (which is pretty spacious) but not secondary so I showed a y10 your pic. I was relieved he said no! no way! to being like that. I agree he might be lucky but their rooms have much more space.

6 months?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

You're not fully qualified till you've completed your nqt year, if you survive it....

You need a degree, a year's pgce and and nqt year at the least.

@noblegiraffe 😂😂😂. I'm the NQT mentor. Not sure how that's going to work if I go. Ah well, it's an easy job so they'll be ok this year.

Btw are you in a big city? London? We are too, zone two but feel lucky not to be so squashed.

That was to Mums

@Piggywaspushed

On the same day the PM has said schools must be the top priority, the schools minister has said schools will not be considered for routine surveillance testing.

Schools are the government’s top priority.

They are so important that they will need no...

1. additional funding
2. social distancing
3. masks

His priority clearly isn’t to KEEP them open, which I would imagine is most parents’ priority.

The big difference between schools and hospitals is that in hospitals the staff are exposed to people who are sick with covid and are shedding vast quantities of the virus. They are also overworked and exhausted and emotionally and mentally drained by dealing with patients they care for in pain or dying. They need PPE. Because they are at risk of viral overload and a drained immune system. Teachers are not generally at risk of this. They are more at risk of getting the virus. But the virus poses a less than 1% risk of death for most people.

Face coverings, in my opinion, have only been brought into shops and public areas to make it seem safer for people to go out. In reality they do not vastly decrease the risk of infection.

My worries are not just about personally contracting Covid, but what the guidelines will mean for community spread. In my school, teachers are moving to students, to avoid crammed corridors as much as possible. This means 30 students will be left unattended in a poorly ventilated room, for about 5-10 minutes between every lesson.

AND THEY WILL SHOUT.

What do we think will happen then?

@MarshaBradyo some of the classrooms I'll be in will be more cramped. As year 7& 8 have been given the non specialised classrooms which are smaller. They will no no science practicals or IT or DT or art as all these require the right rooms. I really feel for them as it's going to be chalk and talk with me at the front, no help as I can't walk around to see their work. I've never taught like this so going to be weird.