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?

@whiskybysidedoor not full PPE but a mask. Just a nice mask worn by everyone. And a bit of space. Did you have 30+ people in a room at once then ? If so what do you do ?

I’m finding it interesting that there are parents who seem quite happy that they will be sending their children into an unsafe environment. Why aren’t you demanding money for extra sinks and cleaners?
It’s not just teachers who will be at risk. I’m quite fond of the children I teach and I’d like to keep them safe too.

Because we don’t live on planet teacher and we’ve just had to get on with it.

My daughter is a genius. She is also dyslexic.

I will not say what you are, and what you are not, commentatorz.

@commentatorz do you know what SEN means ?? Special educational needs come in many shapes and sizes. Being great at one thing and pretty bad at another is quite common.

@whiskybysidedoor

All those workers that you mention? They wear PPE. Their clients / customers / service users have to wear PPE. They have Covid measures in place - distancing, hand washing, limited numbers of people in certain spaces, etc.

What planet are you on? Do you really think that the country kept turning and we all managed to keep it going in full PPE? You are having a fucking laugh.

I try with teachers, I really do, but you are utterly clueless if you think everyone else has been ‘Covid secure’ throughout this thing. Absolute blind ignorance.

Well then we should all be asking for ppe for the workers you reference too.

I don't understand this 'ive had it worse' attitude.

I'm not a teacher btw, I just think secondary with no social distancing is stupid.

@commentatorz
You lack of confidence in practical Chemistry would get you eaten alive by secondary schoolers. Many enjoy this part of it.

Again you are making yourself look like a fool, what do you think SEN is?

This ideal of your version of a school only exists in the world of made up.

@nellodee most parents think their kids are geniuses tbh, but thanks for your values contribution to the debate.

@whiskybysidedoor what do you do ? I am genuinely interested to see how other industries have gone back with NO PPE and no SD.

I’m a primary teacher and feeling nervous but ok about going back. I’d be scared (not for me, for my ILs who provide childcare for our toddler) if I were a secondary teacher.

@whiskybysidedoor

I’m finding it interesting that there are parents who seem quite happy that they will be sending their children into an unsafe environment. Why aren’t you demanding money for extra sinks and cleaners? It’s not just teachers who will be at risk. I’m quite fond of the children I teach and I’d like to keep them safe too.

Because we don’t live on planet teacher and we’ve just had to get on with it.

You shouldn't just have to get on with it! Why can't we have decent workplace protections? I think you deserve that, don't you?

Yes I know what SEN is, but if you do not define the problem in the first place I cannot provide the solution. Once you've though further about your made up example of this otherwise genius who cant add 2 and 5 together do let me know and I'll give you the best outcome.

Yes, they do. Every parent sees what their child CAN do, not what they cannot do, and wants their teachers to both strengthen their weaknesses and nurture their strengths.

Not write them off, as you did.

MumsneedWine Thats really bad .Surely the Union could help you? Can there be a sanitation station by the door of the School entrances maybe.Could extra rooms ie school hall be used to provide some more space at all? Surely some kind of supervision for the teenagers could be imposed? As you say every other kind of public space is given over for health guidelines /face masks are probably not feasible for youngsters .Surely the parents would be worried too?

No you haven’t. You haven’t had to send your child into a bubble of over a hundred with no SD and one sink for 30 kids.
Why would you not want the government to make it safer? They don’t care about teachers= they don’t care about the children either.

I’ve worked through this thing so far and will continue to do so. But it’s an insult that we don’t even get a few quid for extra cleaning supplies. That’s how much they care about your children.

That was for whisky btw

Look at that... in the last page multiple mentions of what "the union" can do to help you. But don't worry according to the teachers on here there's no left wing bias or intolerance of alternative views in teaching 😙

@Piggywaspushed

I mentored a lawyer. He was good. Not the best teacher ever as very rigid but good enough. He left teaching after 6 years as he couldn't stomach the working conditions and directives any longer.

My da computer science teacher was an ex IT bod. Can't remember what he did but it pod enough for him to purchase properties and make a fortune.

He took up teaching to keep him busy and because he's passionate about the subject.

Crap at communicating with parents (very poor attempts at banter and jokes), not great with kids struggling but an absolute goldmine for the students studying it as gcse who had his passion.

Minute Covid hit he was outta there! Was totally honest that his gcse students didn't need him and he wasn't risking it for money he didn't need.

I actually began to warm to him in the end despite being the totally opposite of the dedicated care about your students above anything else teachers we often get and sadly over demand at times.

I never mentioned the word genius @commentatorz . But good to know you're there for help if I need it. Might rely on our SEN dept first though.

Yes I know what SEN is, but if you do not define the problem in the first place I cannot provide the solution. Once you've though further about your made up example of this otherwise genius who cant add 2 and 5 together do let me know and I'll give you the best outcome.

@commentatorz I see your knowledge of what unions are for is up there with your SEN knowledge

Mums I know! Especially seeing pics on here

As an aside, I think I should add intake wasn’t so high when Ds started. So may make a difference to years below him.

@dottiedodah you'd think parents would be worried but some seem v happy with the arrangements. We have sanitiser in every room - at the start of the day anyway. End of term one of my year 10s nicked mine.

No I’m not suffering from blind ignorance thanks, and I appreciate everyone’s perspective is different. I’m not saying that everyone had “full” PPE ... BUT they did have some PPE / distancing etc.

All witnessed by me since March:

Supermarkets? Queuing, distancing, screens at the tills, limited number of customers allowed in initially. Now there’s no limit on numbers but customers are wearing masks to protect the workers.

GP? Door locked, phone to gain entry, only allowed in if you’ve already spoken to doc on phone, patient must wear a mask (the patient was one of my children, who apparently can’t transmit Covid to adults, but hey ho)

Paramedics? PPE. Insisted my frail elderly neighbour donned a mask before examining him. Meanwhile DH and I had carried him home mask-free because we’re not cunts and couldn’t simply leave him in the road to die.

Nurses on the ward the same neighbor was admitted to? Masks. Hand sanitizer everywhere according to the ward sister I spoke to. No visitors allowed because Covid.

Police officers who attended a car accident on our street? Masks. Made everyone stand 2 metres away from them.

Dentists / orthodontist? Patient (my child) has to wear a mask until actually in the chair, and have their temperature checked before being allowed in. Sanitizer everywhere. Breaks between patients to allow for cleaning.

Hairdresser? Temperature checks on entry, sanitizer, masks.

Teachers ...???????

A lot of adults seem to think teaching is easy.

Funny that, for the past 3 months they have been whining about the schools closed, and how hard it is for them.

Even now, it's all so easy they will go and train. Please do it. I'm serious. What is stopping you from doing it? Why not quit your jobs now and sign up? Why wait until you become redundant?

You want them open for the economy. Win/Win you can make money, not sure where you will be able to spend it lol,.

The rest of the teachers are lazy and useless, awesome, please go and work in them and help make them better places. Schools need you. Work your way up into management so not only can you actually support your staff, when you raise concerns about the quality of care for the kids they might be taken seriously.

Never know, might even make your way up into government, somewhere high in education, preferable a cabinet minister for education. Oh wait, yea that really is a dream unless you are a mate of someone else in charge 🤪

Look at that... in the last page multiple mentions of what "the union" can do to help you. But don't worry according to the teachers on here there's no left wing bias or intolerance of alternative views in teaching 😙

The majority of workplaces will have a union I’m surprised yours doesn’t?

SEN can be the child who cannot add but in the same class you will have a child who can add but can barely read or write. Then you have one of my autistic pupils who isn’t ‘autistic’ enough to be in a special needs school but they don’t like loud noises or too many people, therefore they’re in my low ability class so there is room for him to sit away from the other pupils but he is very intelligent so should be in a higher ability class. How are you going to manage these three pupils along with the rest of the class? You can’t refuse to teach them all!

That was in response to @whiskybysidedoor