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?

When I was in on rota with keyworker children, and with year 10 - I did change and wash as soon as I got home. I was able to socially distance due to the smaller numbers, and because we used the larger classrooms (not my usual closet) and ones that could be ventilated.
When we go back with 35 in a room designed for 25, with restricted opening windows, as I will be breathing the same air as 30+ teenagers for an hour at a time for 5 classes, I think if there is a case in the room I am much more likely to catch it by breathing in virus (inside small room no ventilation) and bring it home that way, than worry about fomites....

@NebularNerd

I found this interesting

Interesting

What is the source for this graphic NebularNerd

I’m a teacher and I have a child. Schools do need to open. But I don’t understand why there is such hatred of teachers who ask asking for some better safety measures? I’m primary and will be in a badly ventilated classroom with 30 children who are not expected to socially distance from each other, the TAs or me. They’re also in a bubble with another class so 60 children in total. I would like more sinks, more soap, more cleaners and, yes, some masks for when I have to be really close to a child. I’m also pregnant and apparently it’s completely safe for me to be in this crammed tiny classroom with no PPE, no social distancing and no one doing any extra cleaning hours. Really?

Without better safety measures schools will be closed within weeks. I don’t understand why parents aren’t screaming out for schools to open in a way that will mean they stay open!

Petition signed. And should be by every parent. Listen to your teachers!!!!!

I’m also pregnant and apparently it’s completely safe for me to be in this crammed tiny classroom with no PPE, no social distancing and no one doing any extra cleaning hours. Really?

This would worry me!
I do not think anyone should go into schools without proper PPE, social distancing etc but especially not those who are shielding or pregnant!

Totally agree you should have good ppe. My DD didn't get good ppe till a month ago but that's a different argument. The fault is withe the Government but everyone feels unsafe going to work. How can this be solved? It is natural to be scared but things must get back to some semblence of normal . How to solve it I've no idea but others do have to work.

@Sparkles715

Without better safety measures schools will be closed within weeks. I don’t understand why parents aren’t screaming out for schools to open in a way that will mean they stay open!

I agree. There are so many silly decisions being made by our hard-of-thinking government and such nonsense being spouted all over the place.

@Sparkles715

I’m a teacher and I have a child. Schools do need to open. But I don’t understand why there is such hatred of teachers who ask asking for some better safety measures? I’m primary and will be in a badly ventilated classroom with 30 children who are not expected to socially distance from each other, the TAs or me. They’re also in a bubble with another class so 60 children in total. I would like more sinks, more soap, more cleaners and, yes, some masks for when I have to be really close to a child. I’m also pregnant and apparently it’s completely safe for me to be in this crammed tiny classroom with no PPE, no social distancing and no one doing any extra cleaning hours. Really?

I think some parents are so desperate for their children to be back in school that they react with hostility to anything they perceive as standing in the way of that. Hence the anger towards teachers and teaching unions.

I do not think anyone should go into schools without proper PPE, social distancing etc but especially not those who are shielding or pregnant!

I get this but what choice have we got? It’s go in or resign, basically.

@commentatorz

The thing that would put me off teaching the most if the situation required it would be the extreme left-wing politics of the teaching profession itself. I've had a couple of friends who used to be teachers, who were effectively driven out by the "union says no, no Tories allowed" attitude of their peers.

That's the aspect that would concern me the most.

You are so full of crap it's clear you are not Cambridge educated in any way. And you know fuck all about teaching - in fact, your ignorance is spectacular.

Office workers who can work from anywhere. It's not because they are more valued, it's simply not possible for many people to do their work from home. What do you suggest can be done about that fact?

People who can't work from home should have adequate protection in line with other sectors of similar risk? Perhaps?

I am not, and I'm pretty sure most teachers are not asking for the government provide us with PPE though.
We are asking to be allowed to wear our own cloth face coverings, and for teenagers to be encouraged to do the same. They will need them on the school buses!

Please don’t be scared . The government have hyped everything up for their own agenda .

@Michaelschofield

Please don’t be scared . The government have hyped everything up for their own agenda .

Yeah and all those excess deaths both here and in other countries is all just a hoax

Are

Please don’t suggest teenagers need masks. It’s bloody cruel to even suggest that . Stop living in fear . No child has transmitted it to a teacher .

@Michaelschofield

Please don’t suggest teenagers need masks. It’s bloody cruel to even suggest that . Stop living in fear . No child has transmitted it to a teacher .

It's all the kids that needs masks.

And distancing.

@commentatorz

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.

Actually, I was a scientist for a while before I trained as a teacher, and I have a science degree.

There is no such science. Produce one peer reviewed study that actually says this and I'll be amazed, let alone a consensus. The evidence about transmission and infection rates in children is contradictory and there is no clear consensus. The one country that opened schools as normal (and they at least had PPE) had outbreaks very quickly. Many countries that reopened schools saw increased R rates. Most schools do not have class sizes or school systems that are directly comparable to the UK.

Curtailing other activities may keep transmission rates in the community low and make reopening schools safer, it's true, but that's a theory- there is no evidence to prove this, because nowhere has tried it yet! And we would have to be curtailing other activities about now to make sure that we didn't have asymptomatic cases coming into schools.

My personal theory (and admittedly I have no science to back this up, only anecdata) is that school children returning from ski trips and having asymptomatic infections were a big driver in spreading the virus in late February/early March.

But yes, I do expect to hear a lot of unmitigated bollocks before September.

Can’t believe there is a petition to make teenagers wear masks. It’s horrendously abusive.

How the hell.is it cruel to ask teenagers to wear masks in an enclosed space? All over 11s (if not exempt) are required to by gov guidelines in lots of places. They are required to wear them on school buses. Lots of other countries manage right down to 3 year olds.
And that is incorrect that no child has transmitted it to a teacher. I know of 2 who got it from a ski trip kid. Ski trip kid had it mildly so was not tested. Just because noone has been tracking and recording it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

@Michaelschofield

Can’t believe there is a petition to make teenagers wear masks. It’s horrendously abusive.

Abusive?!

Without better safety measures schools will be closed within weeks. I don’t understand why parents aren’t screaming out for schools to open in a way that will mean they stay open!

^^ This.

"Please don’t suggest teenagers need masks. It’s bloody cruel to even suggest that . Stop living in fear . No child has transmitted it to a teacher"

No that's not what's said. No child has "proven" to have passed it on. We had a child in our school with covid then 2 days later a teacher tested positive who had worked with the student. Noone wanted proof of transmission or looked for it....

Why No , yes the government have even admitted their figures are wrong. If any teachers are scared it’s due to the media and government. Why do we all have to live in fear just because some of you have fallen for the lies. It’s ridiculous. If anyone is scared stay at home and let the rest of us get on with life.
Once again teenagers do not need to wear masks.