Teachers could be superspreaders due to lack of mitigation measures admits Matt Hancock

[noblegiraffe]

Ok, he didn’t say it outright, but he admitted that what was hoped to stop coronavirus spreading in schools was teachers maintaining 2m distance from pupils at all times.

Teachers have been saying for months that this is impossible due to small classrooms where there just isn’t enough space to be 2m away from your front row of students. It’s also impossible to support a child from 2m away when you need to see what they are doing, but literally zero thought has been given to this.

But that’s it. That’s all the protection that will be given to teachers - an impossible directive to social distance.

Matt Hancock said this morning “The principle is that we want to keep certain teachers socially distanced from the pupils because there are all sorts of circumstances where a teacher might need to teach classes that are in different bubbles within the school.”

Secondary teachers will routinely be teaching all year groups in a school. Supply teachers will be going between schools.

“My answer to you is that it is the social distancing between the teacher and pupils which is the goal here, but our total focus is on getting the schools back”

Getting the schools back. Not getting them back safely. Not ensuring that they stay open and that staff and pupils stay safe.

www.tes.com/news/hancock-keep-supply-teachers-distanced-pupils

[quote RamblingRam]@noblegiraffe
It is perfectly clear you just don't want to be a teacher.
For years on here you have moaned about the state of education, whichever education secretary, pupils, parents etc. Coronavirus seems to have pushed you over the edge.
Honestly just move on teaching just isn't for you anymore. It's not a failure to say I'm done with this and find happiness everywhere[/quote]
What a load of rubbish. Good teachers complain about things because successive governments have run our education system into the ground. It's the teachers who don't give a flying fuck who should leave.

[quote RamblingRam]@noblegiraffe
It is perfectly clear you just don't want to be a teacher.
For years on here you have moaned about the state of education, whichever education secretary, pupils, parents etc. Coronavirus seems to have pushed you over the edge.
Honestly just move on teaching just isn't for you anymore. It's not a failure to say I'm done with this and find happiness everywhere[/quote]
THIS is one of the best I've seen. So much caring. So much concern.

I hope you're grateful noblegiraffe ^^

I have noticed definite crossover between tho posters attacking teachers, and the posters who think shielders are 'entitled'. (I can't roll my eyes hard enough at that one).

There’s a distinct lack of empathy for anyone in any situation other than their own, isn’t there? Especially if it might mean that they have to make the slightest concession or adjustment to their own lives.

I think the shielded/vulnerable have been treated incredibly shittily too with the endlessly changing lists of who qualifies, the abrupt withdrawal of support despite the worsening national picture and the total and utter lack of thought and consideration of how the return to school will affect them. Teachers, parents and kids all forced into an awful dilemma.

I have family going back to teaching this week. They can’t wear PPE - even the one with asthma (and an asthmatic child at home). This is just crazy.

[quote RamblingRam]@noblegiraffe
It is perfectly clear you just don't want to be a teacher.
For years on here you have moaned about the state of education, whichever education secretary, pupils, parents etc. Coronavirus seems to have pushed you over the edge.
Honestly just move on teaching just isn't for you anymore. It's not a failure to say I'm done with this and find happiness everywhere[/quote]
This comment shows how ignorant you are. The fact that Noble posts so often regarding issues in education shows how much she cares and wants the educational system to improve.
Would you prefer teachers to not give a shit about your children's education?

The best thing the government could have done is follow what other some other countries have done and hire more teachers.

Where would they get those from then, even if they were able or willing to spend the vast amount of money it would cost? There was already a teacher shortage here before the pandemic. I hardly think people are going to be queuing up.

It is perfectly clear you just don't want to be a teacher. For years on here you have moaned about the state of education, whichever education secretary, pupils, parents etc.

Teachers complain about the education system because it needs complaining about, and because they care so much about wanting it to improve. If they just 'didn't want to be a teacher' and didn't care any more, they wouldn't bother complaining, they'd just quit (which many do).

Nobel is an extremely dedicated and intelligent, warm hearted teacher. Utter tosh.

What we are consistently objecting to is, as it always has been, the dire stare of education and funding in the uk, particularly worse under the tories, and by proxy, how the pandemic has been handled in terms of our children and their education.

The crisis is exposing the cracks in the system; They're trying to cover them up and failing.

When staff in any sector stop complaining, challenging and initiating change, that's when that sector is truly fucked.

I’m imagining the staffing levels in your average state school if everyone who was unhappy or moaning about the state of education just quit.

None would be able to open

I wonder, all the schools and teachers who struggled, can't compulsory visits take place from settings that did make it work?

What works well in one setting won't necessarily work well in another. A private school near me might have managed a full online timetable for their 12 pupils but that won't work for the 30 pupils in my class in multi-sibling families all sharing Mum and Dad's mobile phones with no WiFi.

Even within my own class, I had kids whose parents wanted video lessons, those who wanted online activities that they could access without parent support, those who wanted paper packs. There were also many parents who didn't want their DC to do anything.

Unless we can provide decent technology access to those without it, there is no uniform approach that will be successful. And even then younger kids won't be able to access it if their parents can't/won't support them.

Absolutely @MinnieMousse
I teach in a state comp and we made it work, but that is because we are an iPad school, so every kid has their own iPad, and we were able to go round and distribute dongles to those with no home wifi over Easter. It was hard work but it was relatively straightforward to set new and accessible work to all our students.
There is no point me going round and Lording it over another school in our town where the students don’t each have a school provided device.

Just going to bump this because it appears more parents need to read these threads...

Can they not install teacher booths? You’d think that someone would come up with something to create a barrier whilst remaining in the room to teach and observe the children.

They could have done but couldn't be arsed to pay for anything and thought they'd get away with it.

[quote RamblingRam]@noblegiraffe
It is perfectly clear you just don't want to be a teacher.
For years on here you have moaned about the state of education, whichever education secretary, pupils, parents etc. Coronavirus seems to have pushed you over the edge.
Honestly just move on teaching just isn't for you anymore. It's not a failure to say I'm done with this and find happiness everywhere[/quote]
It's the dedicated and intelligent teachers who will stick their head above the parapet and challenge the disgrace that our education system has become - who have made sure it's not as shit as it could have been.

A dedicated teacher is one who will fight for the best education for your child.

Or would you prefer one that just keeps schtum and teachers your child in a class of 50

Teacher booths might have worked in Victorian schools, but not do much in our modern day classrooms where you're expected to "support the learning", "discreetly prompt those who are a little off task" and "seize a teachable moment"!

And they would cost money, so 🤷🏻‍♀️

There is no way I could teach my class of 7 and 8 year olds from a booth at the front. Even just from the kid's point of view, it's very boring to be lectured. Then obviously there is feedback while working, marking, direction, redirection, just sitting there to make sure they are on task etc.

I roll back and forth along my front row on my wheely chair keeping them all going during independent work, and I have a 1-1 LSA who currently sits with 3 children, keeping them going.

I roll back and forth along my front row on my wheely chair keeping them all going during independent work,
Ooh, yes. I commandeered one of those a few years ago when I broke my leg and I'm not giving it back! I scuttle around like a little crab. It's great.

@RamblingRam - why don't you get off your backside and qualify as a teacher then? If you are trying to force qualified experienced teachers out it must be because you are will to do the job instead.

It is nasty poster like you who may put off future career changers. Or is it because you failed your PGCE?

Anyway, another mitigation measure at our school is to supply all teachers who use them with their own interactive board pen. It means we don't have to share pens.

It has cost a lot of dosh - something else that was not budgeted for.

We have to have our own remote, board rubber and pens and remember to take them with us as we leave each classroom or we’ll be buggered when we get to the next. This dashing from one end of the school and remembering to take everything with you is gonna be interesting.

We have had Perspex screens installed for us to sit behind. Obviously doesn’t make us safe as a) it’s airborne and b) we can’t stay behind it all lesson but it’s a good solid reminder to distance and be safe as possible for us and the kids.

In some rooms I’m hoping they’ll be space for a chair the other side of the screen where pupils can come to show me their work. Doubtful though as tiny rooms r us.

One of the PP hit the nail on the head. I think everyone is ready to go back, but let's be honest here. I have never been to a school where you can keep 2m away from the front row. Many of my classes next year have 30-34 kids and I will see 6 different classes per day plus my tutor group. And contrary to popular belief, when we stop teaching we don't go up to the school attic to sleep, we actually have home lives like most employees. In my case for example, I live in a multi-generational home. My dad and brother are labourers, so do jobs in people's home every day, then come home. My other brother is an ICU nurse. My mum's job involves her visiting care homes. I pick up DD from nursery every day and give her a big cuddle, after she has been in a room full of other kids and adults, not social distancing and no one knows what's going on in their home lives. I'm a carer for my grand-mother who is in and out of hospital. I will then have 6 classes of kids in front of me with no PPE (me nor them) every day, so they will be exposed to all that too.

Do I think schools should remain closed? No.
But let's remain honest here that the government is relying on teachers having very little exposure outside of the classroom which is just not realistic. I think if more isn't done to protect staff from the kids' home lives, and kids from the staff home lives, we will end up back to square one pretty rapidly. Putting the onus on an underfunded, overcrowded school is not going to be sufficient.