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?

Ultimately what has been put in place for schools is shit. It’s literally “um, wash your hands? Maybe clean more? You won’t be able to distance but we’ll give you the illusion of doing so!”

I’ve now read back through this thread and some attitudes of posters are actually fucking disgusting. Like, I’m sorry if you had a bad experience of teachers in schools but you have some serious issues if you are unable to realise that teachers are not a hive mind. I’ve never hated someone for their profession and some PPs seem to hate teachers just for doing our jobs... it’s frankly weird. I would also LOVE to see commentatorz handle my PGCE placement class 😂 since teaching is so easy why don’t you do it?

Face Space Trace. Nope. None of those being offered to teachers. Because schools are magical places where viruses do not venture.

@MadameTuffington

Sorry to be a bore here but my issue is that the longer kiddies are off school, the bigger the risk to many kids from low income families (of which there are many) - some young teens on my estate are developing drug habits - some parents are too knackered/busy/depressed to be on top of it - then we have the socialisation/mental health of kids and the widening gap in educational attainment.

I am not a scientist but maybe a part time return in September for all kids should be considered? Teachers wearing visors, ‘bubbles’ of friendship groups, consistent enforced hand hygiene - I understand it’s a logistical nightmare and I totally get the anxiety (I’ve worked through an outbreak, I’ve had Covid and seen a lot of death) but I also think that schools will be relatively safe if staff and students follow the rules that will be put in place to protect.

70% of the staff at my workplace (carehome) contracted it, we range in age from 18-65, none of us were seriously ill, a lot were asymptomatic and there were huge variations in our health and fitness. You will not be as up close and personal with people and the rate and risk of infections will be much less. I am not diminishing your concerns but just trying to be encouraging

Could you do everyone a favour and tell this to the government.

Everyone agrees about the long and short term impact this is having on many children. The increase of kids admitted to hospital because of abuse was what sparked the letter over 300 doctors signed.

The Government have told schools go back full time.
The Government have told schools visors, masks and social distancing are not needed.
Bubbles of friendships group? I'm sorry but what planet do you live on and please explain how this would apply to Secondary where friends might see each other in the same class once a week?

Can you explain how these rules protect anyone?

Why would you assume no-one gets up and close to kids?
Many need a change of pants during the day, staff up close and personal.
Many up to the age of 19 need help to eat and drink,.
Many up to the age of 19 require personal care, physio, help to hold/access equipment they need for their education.
Never mind students who are gastro fed etc.
Even in mainstream, socially distancing from a room of young adults is impossible.

Then there's things like inclusion where a mainstream has links with the local SEN school, and those core subjects the SEN student goes into mainstream. Some still require up close and personal care.

Now 70% of your work mates got it. Imagine 70% of a school staff got this, that's primary closed down doesn't matter if the kids have it or not.

Over 11 they are spreading, just like your 18 year old colleague. So now we have 70% of the school staff potentially infected, and 70% of pupils infected. Average secondary 1500 pupils, that's a lot of people going to and from their workplace/school.

Thankfully your 70% weren't seriously ill. How many are still having problems though with lethargy, easily catching another corona (common cold), muscle and joint problems, headaches and countless other things? If none of you have any of this you are very lucky. Those lasting things from CV now make care work impossible for me. Those lasting things would mean I would have to quit education if I hadn't already.

@Piggywaspushed

A failing identified in care homestead that staff were not bring routinely tested , with or without symptoms. The government plans ( believe It when I see it) to roll out 90 minute tests to priority settings and to use these to identify asymptomatic staff. Nick Gibb said today that this is not planned for schools, because we can wash our hands.

damn I was looking forward to those 90 minute tests in school.

Not necessarily routine for asymptomatic but for fast turnaround when suspected case or tracing contacts.

@Piggywaspushed

A failing identified in care homestead that staff were not bring routinely tested , with or without symptoms. The government plans ( believe It when I see it) to roll out 90 minute tests to priority settings and to use these to identify asymptomatic staff. Nick Gibb said today that this is not planned for schools, because we can wash our hands.

Yeah. You can wash your hands in the 1 sink for 50 odd people!

What are you complaining about

I was too. Not least as when staff are off being tested or waiting for their children's tests it's going to chaos.

but I also think that schools will be relatively safe if staff and students follow the rules that will be put in place to protect.

You say that you think it will be safe...

But say

I am not a scientist but maybe a part time return in September for all kids should be considered? Teachers wearing visors, ‘bubbles’ of friendship groups

If those things aren’t in place and they aren’t ‘the rules’ schools will be following, do you still think it’s all safe?

A lot of people seem to think it’s fine because the government will obviously do the right thing and they assume that the government guidance will have children and staff safety at its heart.

Yet, the guidance is pretty much

Wash your hands (but buy your own soap, and yes-share toilet facilities with the whole school and we won’t give you any more to clean them, oh and we know the sinks are miles away from lots of classrooms yet we won’t let you lose any lesson time in order for this to happen).

Year groups bubbles of 60-270 is fine.

Children MUST STAY IN THEIR CLASSROOM (yet all teachers will move across all classes. This means every class will probably be unsupervised for 5-10 minutes at the end of every lesson-oopsie).

NO mask or visors

Open the windows (ok, we know most don’t, but we’ve told you to do it)

Stay 2m away from everyone (we know that classrooms are usually too small for this to happen but we’ve told you to do it).

Yep, I think that’s it.

No, I don’t feel safe. Yes, I will be going to school. Yes, I think numerous vulnerable children and staff members will die.

The reason there are lots of TA/Admin posts in schools advertised, but not teachiy, is because the window for resignations was Easter. Next opportunity to resign is half term. Expect to see an absolute exodus then unless things improve.
In my dept we all have better paying less stressful previous careers to go back to, apart from one (ex RAF and he has his pension anyway).
We have a human right to expect our workplaces to be made as safe as possible. Masks. Reduced size classes. Social distancing. Ventilation. We are not asking for the moon on a stick, just what everyone else expects.

MadameTuffington
Sorry to be a bore here but my issue is that the longer kiddies are off school, the bigger the risk to many kids from low income families (of which there are many) - some young teens on my estate are developing drug habits - some parents are too knackered/busy/depressed to be on top of it - then we have the socialisation/mental health of kids and the widening gap in educational attainment.

Again, it's not that teachers don't want them to open. We need them to open for all children. We don't want them to have to close again quickly.

Sustainable opening.

And we would appreciate feeling safer than many do. Settings and leadership varies a lot.

What even scarier is how the government have managed to secure the agenda teachers are lazy feckless arses and wanting safety in the workplace means they don't care for the kids.

That is not my experience.

In actual fact my mum who has cancer has resigned because she'd need to be off sick (can't work during chemo so genuine sick not shielding sick) so much and was worried about the impact of this on the budget (covering her) and felt it unfair for schools budget to be a toss up between spending on covering her and spending on cleaning and hygiene measures for staff and children in school.

She's lucky to be in a position they can afford it.

Teachers are only scared because the government has categorically said they aren't getting the protections and budgets as other workplaces.
They are returning though as obi W the fear they live their jobs and they do work damn hard to provide the future of this country.

Everyone forgets that as they say "well X person who does x job is just as important" that who shaped that persons future from a young age, have them the skills to go and be that person?

Oh yeah - teachers.

Who are then treated like the dregs of society.

I think this screams of a even bigger agenda re schools and this is another one of those devide tactics by Cummings to then sweep in with some big red bid of change.

I am not a scientist but maybe a part time return in September for all kids should be considered?

This would be a good idea in theory and I thought this was what would happen as it would be easier to SD. But it has its own set of problems.

Like the fact that many teachers are parents or single parents so their children would have to go to school full time which can make other parents think they’re getting a better education. If certain years were only allowed in on certain days what would happen to the teachers children then as they probably wouldn’t be allowed in every day. Also working parents would have to go part time which would have financial implications and depending on their job they might not be allowed to work part time. If they have different aged children then it might be impossible to work due to them going in on different days.

@mumsneedwine to be fair my school have offered PPE to those who want it. I don't. But I appreciate not all schools are offering it. I can't see extra money coming for portakabins nationwide so I just feel like it's an all hands on deck get on with it situation.

Big red bus

We are not asking for the moon on a stick, just what everyone else expects.

This sums it up.

What is being asked isn't at all unreasonable. I'm sure the vast majority of those ranting about us going back to work and schools need to open, have social distancing, ventilation, mask wearing or other adjustments in their workplaces.

I’ve never hated someone for their profession and some PPs seem to hate teachers just for doing our jobs... it’s frankly weird.

One of the first things I was told in my PGCE was that a lot of parents will hate you because they will feel small and child-like around you. It must be similar to a flash back from being back at school. I never had an issue with teachers before becoming one though.

There has been no recorded case of a teacher catching the coronavirus from a pupil anywhere in the world, according to one of the government’s leading scientific advisors

why do people keep quoting this? I could tell you of 10

Those that don’t believe it’s not safe are going to be really pissed off once bubbles start closing.
And before I get jumped on, that’s absolutely not what I want. I want my normal bloody job back. Me and kids in glorious grubby chaos. But that’s not possible.

The safer it is the longer we can stay open. That’s the bottom line. The government won’t provide even the bare minimum to ensure this.

@Hopethiswilldo but then we will be closed again v quickly. 2,000 people in one space can't go well if one case gets in. I want to have plans in place so I can do my job as well as possible in weird circumstances. And I just want the same consideration of safety as other workers. That's all.

Not RTFT as it's now so long, so sorry if this has been said already. I guess you are a secondary school teacher given what you say about what things will be like in the classroom. According to this your is 116/359 in terms of risk - i.e. there are 115 jobs more risky than yours in terms of catching covid. I wonder if looking at it like that helps quantify the risk and increase your confidence?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52637008

I've just looked at my timetable and I teach the following in first full week.

Monday 154 students
Tuesday 133
Wednesday 112 (not sure where I'm taking my PPA, probably in the car as no where else at moment)
Thursday 152
Friday 127

Some overlap in students but not really bubbles is it ?

@Playdoughbum

Those that don’t believe it’s not safe are going to be really pissed off once bubbles start closing. And before I get jumped on, that’s absolutely not what I want. I want my normal bloody job back. Me and kids in glorious grubby chaos. But that’s not possible.

The safer it is the longer we can stay open. That’s the bottom line. The government won’t provide even the bare minimum to ensure this.

I absolutely hear you, fuckwits will blame schools/teachers for not being able to magic the virus away.

Those that don’t believe it’s not safe are going to be really pissed off once bubbles start closing.

I think new rules will come in that will be similar to a few weeks back, where there is less socialising and lots of things closed (like pubs) so schools can re-open.

What I think would work: primary - class bubbles with minimal staff across bubbles and no visiting adults if possible.
Secondary - half class sizes and masks for everyone who can wear them. Blended learning with those who need childcare in government subsidised means tested "holiday clubs" in sports facilities and church hall and the like - can be staffed mainly by DBS checked "anyone suitable" with some experienced qualified staff in charge. Bearing in mind not all secondary students will need supervising for all of the time out of school the uptake may not be huge. The kids can have government provided laptops as long as the venue has WiFi and can be supervised to do their blended learning but, with some sports and games socially distanced thrown in.

My dd lived in fear ( and still does) working on Frontline as a carer with inadequate PPE and a DD at home being shielded because she has an auto immune blood disorder and is on immune suppresent meds. But she still had to go in. And she still goes in. She's on minimum wage zero contract no sick pay single parent. So yes, I understand your fear, but I also understand others like my DD have been in danger every day and still are.

Oh and wrap around care for primary should also be in bubbles but based on sibling /friendship groups where possible and kept socially distanced and outside as much as the weather allows.