Wish I wasn't a teacher because of Covid

[NebularNerd]

In my family/friends circle, I am the only one who will be face to face with 150+ people per day with no PPE, no social distancing, nothing.

I have one relative who is not expecting to return to the office this year.
Another who now only works in the office two days per week, in a building where numbers are severely restricted, one way systems, spaced out desks etc.
Another friend who is also able to wfh for the foreseeable future.

I can't help but think that had I made a different career choice I would not now be faced with contracting a potentially life threatening virus and passing it on to my clinically extremely vulnerable husband or elderly parents.

I will go to work and try to ignore what's going on in the world and do my best. But I wish I could be made to feel safer - screens, masks, fewer pupils, something.

I hope I'm worrying for nothing, but it is getting difficult to sleep at night.

I'm with flaxmeadow. Socially distances queues, yes. Shopping no.

Awful comments. Yanbu OP.
Afaik all teachers will have aprons and visors in Ireland from junior infants onwards.
What the heck are the school thinking with no PPE.
I'd be extremely anxious too.
Good luck.

Juppls.....I think your post is very subjective. Cherry picking what you need. Have you ever considered being a journalist?

so many comments on teacher threads seem irrational (well that's true)

@wherestheotherone

Juppls.....I think your post is very subjective. Cherry picking what you need. Have you ever considered being a journalist?

Please do feel free to trawl through the threads for your own comments .

Keep on at those feckless teachers!

I've also "trawled through" and seen others comments! Because there has been a very mixed conversation covering many areas.

No all of it teacher bashing. But if they are the useful to you then so be it.

What do you mean there has been no social distancing in supermarkets @Flaxmeadow?

I said there have been attempts at it but it's mostly not possible. Aisles are not wide enough for a start.

But people don't stand in the same place for long in an aisle. In the supermarket I use SD is still very much a thing, numbers still seem to be limited and they definitely ask you to SD when queuing to pay, and there are perspex screens all over the place. Obviously most shoppers now wear masks and most of the staff do too.

@wherestheotherone

I've also "trawled through" and seen others comments! Because there has been a very mixed conversation covering many areas.

No all of it teacher bashing. But if they are the useful to you then so be it.

No, not all comments here are teacher-bashing. But Miles is collecting the negative comments specifically. That's why they're "cherry picking".

Perhaps someone could start one full of all the positive comments made about teachers.

How about it, where, as you were complaining Miles is being too subjective? You know, just for balance.

@Flaxmeadow

What do you mean there has been no social distancing in supermarkets @Flaxmeadow?

I said there have been attempts at it but it's mostly not possible. Aisles are not wide enough for a start.

I've just got back from Sainsbury's. There are regular tannoy announcement reminding people about wearing masks and social distancing. I didn't see anyone not wearing a mask. Other shoppers either passed about 1m away from me quickly, so I was close to them for about 5 seconds, or were courteous and left space for us to manoeuvre around each other with >1m distancing.

Back at school I shall be in a classroom a little bigger than my living room with three children and one or two other adults, all closer than 1m, for 5 hours. With no mask or screen.

Different situations completely.

But then we'd have two subject posts influenced by two people's frame of reference. Neither is empiricly objective as we're both involved in the thread.

@wherestheotherone

I wish my children's teachers had been as responsive to his requests for help during lockdown. Sadly they were not. Family members who are teachers tutored them

Why weren't they teaching the children they were being paid to teach?

‘so many comments on teacher threads seem irrational (well that's true), 'just complain and bitch online’,

It's the amount of threads complaining

‘Make a stand or accept the situation.'

A reasonable idea

‘Instead of complaining do something constructive about it.‘,

A suggestion

‘ I want my children to be taught by confident teachers who have a passion for seeing their pupils thrive.’ (And yet here I am adding to the kicking).

This is not a kicking, it's a reasonable response from a concerned parent. Stop using emotive language like kicking

‘I hope you all enjoy your time back at your job, working and contributing to our society as it should be.’

What's wrong with a poster saying this? I work in retail and I did feel I was helping and contributing. Why the sneering g at doing to something helpful?

‘If you don't like it leave.’ ‘14 weeks paid holiday.’

A bit rude

‘It's not exactly working a covid ward with rubbish ppe, 12 hour shifts for weeks on end, less pay and watching people die now is it! ‘,

This is a true and very important distinction.

‘It's a vocation.’

Yes it should be

‘The amount of hand wringing on here from teachers gives us all a bad name’,

A rogue teacher with the "wrong" opinion. Oh dear

‘perhaps you should consider being signed off work if you cannot rationalise the risks involved’,

This is good advice

‘What about the supermarket workers who have been in close contact/no PPE throughout the pandemic. The hospital workers who have been exposed? Bus drivers.’,

Nothing wrong with context

‘This virus needs to be lived with.’,

True

‘you either suck it up or don't go in’,

A bit rude but true

‘I'm not sure what else you want to happen’,

A good question

‘This is so out of proportion it's unreal’,

True because the risks are so low now

‘Are you scared of flu?’, ‘they don't put people on ventilators as much’, ‘Sick of this shit’,

It is getting a bit much yes

‘This fear only seems to have gripped Mumsnet’,

Very much so

‘This is not the bubonic plague’,

True

‘children have suffered the most throughout all this and if you (teachers) can't see that then maybe you should take up a different career’,

This is true. A relative of mine is a social worker and sadly I can confirm this and more than anything else this is why they need to be back in in school

‘these teacher on here are wetting the bed every night about a tiny risk.’

A bit rude but agree the risk is tiny now

‘mental health in children has always been there’,

Very important and above all else

‘what other job would you feel safer in?’,

Good question

‘they just don't have the option to sit home on full pay,’,

True

‘It could be worse, we could be in Beirut or Colombia’,

Or Africa or India

‘ I'm sure you are not irreplaceable’,

You're not

‘Any comment from teachers about the restaurant workers working 7 days currently? ‘,

Did anyone answer this?

‘If you are that scared/anxious of the virus then please do resign’,

Pointing out that you are not being forced to work

‘you're talking like you're the only people on earth who are at risk of COVID’,

True sometimes

‘Think of the children

A cliche but true

They were but they found they had spare capacity in their days as they weren't teaching online 7 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Good work on the doubling down Flaxmeadow.

Hopefully the teachers finally feel crushed enough to stop whining. Fingers crossed!

@wherestheotherone

But then we'd have two subject posts influenced by two people's frame of reference. Neither is empiricly objective as we're both involved in the thread.

But it's purely a comment-gathering exercise. It's not some massive study.

‘It's a vocation. Yes it should be

Do explain what you mean by that.

Well, if I wasn't sure what I thought about Flaxmeadow...

I was

...I am now.

And I bet you can guess what it is.

Flaxmeadow

You really need to unbunch your panties and not come on these threads if they are affecting you so badly.

Katherine...still wouldn't be objective! *See post below for rationale

Vocation = (as defined)

"a person's employment or main occupation, especially regarded as worthy and requiring dedication.
"her vocation as a poet"
a trade or profession.

"GNVQs in Leisure and Tourism will be the introduction to a wide span of vocations"

‘I hope you all enjoy your time back at your job, working and contributing to our society as it should be.’

What's wrong with a poster saying this? I work in retail and I did feel I was helping and contributing. Why the sneering g at doing to something helpful?

-- It implies teachers haven't been working. Many have, including over at least part of their holidays.

‘14 weeks paid holiday.’

A bit rude

-- And completely untrue.

‘you either suck it up or don't go in’,

A bit rude but true

-- All teachers are expected in. We can't leave now until 31st December.

‘children have suffered the most throughout all this and if you (teachers) can't see that then maybe you should take up a different career’,

This is true. A relative of mine is a social worker and sadly I can confirm this and more than anything else this is why they need to be back in in school

-- Teachers know about children's mental health. Many of us are trained to spot signs and deal with mental health issues, both 1:1 and in a whole class situation.

‘Any comment from teachers about the restaurant workers working 7 days currently? ‘,*

Did anyone answer this?

-- I missed the context but how is a restaurant worker's contract anything to do with a teacher?

‘If you are that scared/anxious of the virus then please do resign’,

Pointing out that you are not being forced to work

-- As above, we cannot leave now until 31st December.

‘you're talking like you're the only people on earth who are at risk of COVID’,

True sometimes

-- More the case that we just want to be the same as everyone else with regards to safety at work.

‘Think of the children

A cliche but true

-- I find it bizarre that people seem to think teachers don't think of the children. But that doesn't mean we can't also be thinking of ourselves. It's not an either/or situation. Much like a child may really want to go to soft play now it's open, but the parent weighs up the risks and if they're comfortable, and decides not to go. The child is losing out. But no-one would tell that parent to "think of the child".

I do agree that if a profession is vocational, that perception should be used to manipulate them into working for low pay/ in unsafe conditions by implying that otherwise they are letting others down.

No toxicity there. Nothing to see.

Good work on the doubling down Flaxmeadow.

I'm replying to a comment. I'm in a debate about teachers going back into schools. If you dont want replies just put a comment at the bottom of you're comments saying something like
"Do not reply please"

Hopefully the teachers finally feel crushed enough to stop whining. Fingers crossed!

I haven't said teachers are whining. I have said I'm sorry that they feel scared and that it must be upsetting to feel like that all the time

Stop repeatedly trying to shut down debate

@MilesJuppIsMyBitch

I do agree that if a profession is vocational, that perception should be used to manipulate them into working for low pay/ in unsafe conditions by implying that otherwise they are letting others down.

No toxicity there. Nothing to see.

God you’re good at this.