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?

I really don't think parents know what they are sending their kids into.

I do actually, but I’ve seen such a decline in the MH of one of my children since schools shut and I’m more scared of that.

I don’t know what the answer is.

Mums I will admit I was taken aback by that shot, It looks like a joke class shot, so much so checked with teen.

Also showed him the corridor shot from another thread which he says he’d seen before and said no, not like that.

OP I totally hear you, I think the secondary school plans are ridiculous.

As a parent if I suggest I don't like the plans and am contemplating not returning my.kids I get told by other posters I have mental health problems

Yet again, the UK has the worst provision in Europe, overcrowded schools with no distancing will make things ideal for virus circulation.

I can't really reassure I'm afraid, only say that the plans are not good enough and I really do care about the health of teachers.

@commentatorz

Why is that a stupid thing to say? If you're so scared, resign.

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.

Nothing stopping you then to go and do the 6 months training (very specific requirements for this course, experience a must iirc)

If it was this easy then why did we have a shortage before CV?

It's been evident apparently throughout this that all the kids could have been educated if there was enough staff. Ex staff are more than aware of this.

Remember when NHS was facing a shortage a staff because of illness, and without staff hospitals would have closed? Remember that big drive of nhs staff? People volunteering to even come out of retirement to help out.

If schools faced a similar dilemma do you think loads will come back voluntarily?

If we wanted to come back we could have done so back in March when staff started dropping like flies and classes/schools had to close.

We could have all contacted any of the LEA's HR we had previously worked for, contacted those schools etc.

Doesn't it tell you something that there are people out there who would rather get a "sick note" for their MH which would be totally legit, than go back into this shit show?

Give me one reason why anyone would want to go work for someone that doesn't care about your health or even the health of the pupils?

@commentatorz

Haha these responses really do exemplify the can't do attitude of some teachers don't they?

Many people losing their jobs are professionals. People like accountants, lawyers, financial specialists, engineers, the real STEM specialists. They aren't going to need years of training like some snotty nosed 18 year old who has decided to become a teacher because they've been awarded 2 C's at A level and can't get a proper profession.

They can easily become a teacher in less than 6 months with on the job training.

This is an embarrassing post

@mumsneedwine I think this has been underestimated as well. In my school, we will be teaching from the front with minimal home marking. This is really going to impact on teaching quality.

I think when we were teaching in smaller groups, the impact of this was definitely reduced by the intimacy of the setting. In my groups, the students very quickly felt that they could speak up and guide the lesson, slowing it down, speeding it up, asking questions. It was a very different atmosphere to a full class, where quieter students go silent. September will be the worst of both worlds and I feel I will have many of the tools in my teaching toolbox removed.

@helpfulperson

Scottish schools go back on Tuesday. By the time english schools go back there will be a decent evidence base for whether it is safe or not.

Although not much comfort to the teachers in Aberdeen who are going back next week in the middle of a local lockdown.

@MarshaBradyo

Mums I will admit I was taken aback by that shot, It looks like a joke class shot, so much so checked with teen.

Also showed him the corridor shot from another thread which he says he’d seen before and said no, not like that.

How many children are there in your DC’s school?

Both photos look exactly like any of my DC’s schools. There are 36 in my teen DS’s maths class-the classrooms are tiny.

To be fair with unemployment rising in other sectors training as a teacher will become more of a viable option.

@nellodee

I feel the government is desperate to avoid parents and pupils from experiencing smaller group teaching because of all the well-known benefits.

@commentatorz no they can't. I did my training on the job and it takes an academic year to get WTS and another year to pass NQT. Then you are qualified.
The thing people seem to be missing is teachers want to get back to school but we also want them to stay open. And we know this won't happen.
I look forward to the half term threads that are moaning that schools are closed due to outbreaks and why did no one prevent that happening. We are trying.

@commentatorz

Haha these responses really do exemplify the can't do attitude of some teachers don't they?

Many people losing their jobs are professionals. People like accountants, lawyers, financial specialists, engineers, the real STEM specialists. They aren't going to need years of training like some snotty nosed 18 year old who has decided to become a teacher because they've been awarded 2 C's at A level and can't get a proper profession.

They can easily become a teacher in less than 6 months with on the job training.

Yet you think accountants, lawyers and engineers will all be champing at the bit to do a PGCE even though teaching isn’t a ‘proper’ profession?

If one of the upsides of the upcoming recession is that we no longer have shortages in teaching, then I will be very happy with that silver lining. Why do you think we teachers will see this as a threat, rather than a relief?

@MarshaBradyo what type of school does DS go too ? My kids school had similar classes as does mine. Comps with 34 in some classes and never less than 24.

It’s a lot safer now then in March. Symptomatic people can be quickly tested and isolated. It was so much more dangerous for everyone in March. In the hospital I worked at all we had when giving personal care to covid patients was those paper surgical masks everyone now wears and the patients never wore them. Hardly anyone was being tested. Now looking at the antibody results for our nhs trust only 10 percent caught it. I think your anxiety to the risk is exaggerated.

You don't know if schools will stay open or not. You aren't a scientist, and the science currently has a consensus that schools will be able to open and keep the "R" number low enough provided other activities are curtailed. Expect to hear more in this as we get toward September.

@labyrinthloafer it was really lovely. I had a good proportion of students who had been absolute shits in larger settings who I could see thriving, even on only 1 day a week. I honestly think for many students, particularly working class white boys, less schooling in smaller groups would probably bring massive benefits.

I work for a university and many colleagues are complaining. I am not. I am not in the least bit bothered. I am London based and used public transport throughout the peak in February/March. I was on campus with students during that time too. If I didn't get it then I'm not worried now.

Children in school are not regarded as super spreaders and the incidence is presently very low. Also there have been enormous improvements in the treatment in the last 6 months and a smaller infinitesimal number than previously are likely to die.

We have to learn to live with this and to manage the hysteria and the fear as previous generations had to learn to deal with polio, tb, etc, before there were cures for cancer.

I am not afraid. I want society to get back to normal for the sake of society and the children and their future. I am also thankful that I have a relatively secure job and income.

@Fedup21 I dont think they will have a choice if they want to make ends meet. Teaching will become comparatively more desirable as the job market weakens.

@commentatorz

Why is that a stupid thing to say? If you're so scared, resign.

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.

Yes because there's 100's of graduates just sat waiting around for a teacher training post and that's why there's such an issue with recruitment and retention.

Plus it's min £9k a year, then a year if no income as you train and it takes a year which includes teaching and also coursework.

Oh and another 2 years of being an NQT and having to meet further competencies etc.
Then you earn a decent wage money wise that is actually poor for what teachers do hours wise.

And I'm not a teacher!

well said @TurnUpTheHeat

@commentatorz

Haha these responses really do exemplify the can't do attitude of some teachers don't they?

Many people losing their jobs are professionals. People like accountants, lawyers, financial specialists, engineers, the real STEM specialists. They aren't going to need years of training like some snotty nosed 18 year old who has decided to become a teacher because they've been awarded 2 C's at A level and can't get a proper profession.

They can easily become a teacher in less than 6 months with on the job training.

Ha ha ha. I'm your kid's physics teacher. Also used to be a hotshot accountant. Ex PGCE and nqt mentor. The number of people I've seen who come in from other industries thinking it will be a piece of piss, only to be crying on me 6 months later is ridiculous. They tend to be over confident and don't listen. Yeah I'm shit scared. My windows don't open more than a crack due to H&S, masks are forbidden by gov, and it's impossible to social distance. My room is tiny. I also tend to get the more tricky classes as I seem to get good results from them. More than happy to just walk and go back to my previous, less stressful, better paying career if our safety isn't taken seriously the same as for every other worker.

I have been a GTP/SCITT (now SD), PGCE and NQT mentor and over the years I trained career changers from banking, the military, IT, engineering, medicine and biochemical research.... even an ex-preacher. Definitely not an easy ride transferring from a career where you are treated as a professional in to teaching.

Would be very interested to hear about these six month training courses!

I do feel slightly annoyed at myself for feeling compelled to reply to this as I honestly can't believe anyone could actually believe something so ridiculous. This is deliberate goading, right?

@noblegiraffe

6 month teacher training course and BOOM ready to teach.

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

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Noble your posts usually interest me but this is the best one yet