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.

Miles that is your perception not mine and it's not shared by all others.

"Don't tarnish us all with the same brush please".

I have another one for your Bingo!

''That doesn’t fit with the covid paranoids who are salivating at the thought of hundreds of schools closing''

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

It isn't affecting me badly, but I feel strongly that my grandchildren, and other children, need to be back in school ASAP

But some teachers are saying they won't go back or that they are scared snd I feel concerned about this because I don't want those fears passed onto my young family I don't think frightened teachers should be teaching. I don't know what the answer to this is but some of the fears seem irrational. This isnt teacher bashing, it's trying to work out what the fears are exactly and especially now that the infection numbers are so low

@Flaxmeadow my fears are about standing in a crowded badly ventilated room for 6 hours a day, with up to 150 different teenagers some of whom will be less than 50cm away. All breathing on me. And me on them. I can't teach properly as can't do practicals and I'm in strange rooms.
What do I suggest ? Have year 11 & 13 in full time. And other years in 3 days a week on a rota. Then we could have space to not all breathe on each other. And I could teach my subject properly.
But parents demanded everyone back full time so this shit show is what we have. Let's just hope no teacher dies or is left with long term health issues. Can't see staff wanting to go back in without changes if it's a collegue.

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

As I said before. Hardly any key workers children have been in schools here. Only 5 in one of our big local primary schools and they were looked after by teaching assistants in a kind if after school club situation. Children at home got one "education pack" back in April and then nothing. No emails or contact with parents or anything

I get that this is only my area and other areas might be different but that is what happened here.

If you don't think teachers who are concerned about the measures currently in place at school should be teaching, you might find most schools will be closed due to lack of staff. Be careful what you wish for.

Schools were told that they should not be teaching the key worker children and vulnerable children who were able to come into school, as that would be treating them favourably over the children who were at home. Therefore, it had to be like childcare provision. Most schools I know were letting the children get on with the work that they were sending to the other children at home.

90% of staff are worried so I think none of us should go in then. Problem solved 😊

Shit, I genuinely hope schools don't have a reason to close again. Bubbles being isolated, it's expected. We are fully prepared as a family for having a 14 day isolation period at a moment's notice when necessary. Whole school closures would imply a huge second lockdown/wave.

Personally I would be working frontline in conditions akin to a living hell. I hope we get through with the least impact possible while retaining as much normality as possible.

Shit, I genuinely hope schools don't have a reason to close again. Bubbles being isolated, it's expected. We are fully prepared as a family for having a 14 day isolation period at a moment's notice when necessary. Whole school closures would imply a huge second lockdown/wave.

Personally I would be working frontline in conditions akin to a living hell. I hope we get through with the least impact possible while retaining as much normality as possible.

Shit, I genuinely hope schools don't have a reason to close again

Agree. I think no one wants that.

We should also all want better measures of infection control to prevent that happening.

'Shit, I genuinely hope schools don't have a reason to close again.'

STOP THE PRESS. We all want the same thing.

Protect the staff and schools will stay open. Don't and they won't. It is that simple.

People who minimise coronavirus and show lack of empathy dismissing the fears of others, using words like paranoia have been shown by a recent academic study to exhibit all the traits of narcissism and sociopathy.

The worry is there seem to be so many.

my fears are about standing in a crowded badly ventilated room for 6 hours a day, with up to 150 different teenagers some of whom will be less than 50cm away.

But this has happening to all sorts of workers. Retail workers in supermarkets being the obvious one. Where thousands of people pass through each day and back when the infection numbers were huge. The risks now are tiny I comparison

All breathing on me.And me on them.

How is this different to anyone else working in a supermarket or restaurant or pub?

I can't teach properly as can't do practicals and I'm in strange rooms.

I'm sorry you will be in a strange room, that must be really disorienting but maybe it's part of the measures

What do I suggest ? Have year 11 & 13 in full time. And other years in 3 days a week on a rota. Then we could have space to not all breathe on each other. And I could teach my subject properly.

But it's very unlikely that those breathing will ha e the infection. Its not the dark days of March and April anymore

But parents demanded everyone back full time so this shit show is what we have.

Because their children need school.

Let's just hope no teacher dies or is left with long term health issues. Can't see staff wanting to go back in without changes if it's a collegue

But that's the risk we all have to take but the infection numbers are very low ATM

I did not demand my children go back full time. I have been told by the government that they are expected in school full time.

I asked they be taught well and have the structure and direction full time formal schooling would enable after months of not having it. How this is done is for others to decide.

@Flaxmeadow

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

As I said before. Hardly any key workers children have been in schools here. Only 5 in one of our big local primary schools and they were looked after by teaching assistants in a kind if after school club situation. Children at home got one "education pack" back in April and then nothing. No emails or contact with parents or anything

I get that this is only my area and other areas might be different but that is what happened here.

I can't comment on schools/counties I know nothing about. I know I was working, delivering live lessons over Skype and contacting my caseload regularly, visiting homes to help with technology issues and, at one point, being seconded to work for a different team (I'm a teacher for the council).

So the implication that teachers are going back to work to be useful to society again is a kick in the teeth.

I don't understand it. I don't generalise about other professions, even if I'm complaining about something that's happened at, say, the doctors or the supermarket. It's made clear that some posters here just think all teachers have been doing nothing and when those of us who have been working try to point out that fact, we get told to stop moaning. Posters tell us we haven't had it harder than anyone else and actually we get "14 paid weeks holiday" so we're workshy and need to shut up or leave the profession.

It feels like a constant battle. I often don't bother fighting my corner just because it's damaging to my mental health.

People who minimise coronavirus and show lack of empathy...

The risk ATM is very low though. This is what is being pointed out

So the implication that teachers are going back to work to be useful to society again is a kick in the teeth

This is a bad thing? Why
What on earth is wrong with being useful to society?

Most supermarkets have some sort of ventilation @Flaxmeadow.

As a supermarket worker do you stand within 2m next to the same people for at least an hour?Do any of your customers lick you? (mainly talking Primary here!)

Ah the empathy. @Flaxmeadow no supermarket, shop or office squashed people shoulder to shoulder. In fact they limited numbers. Now they wear masks. And still limit numbers at my local.
But you crack on believing this will all go well. Because unfortunately it won't. Staff will get sick and may die. Now that really will effect the mental health of students.
And some parents have be demanding full time return and our government have gone with that. Because doing anything would require thought and they can't do that.

The infection number yesterday was the highest since early June. It is certainly higher than the government's previous bar of 1000 a day and an R below 1.

Not everyone lives in the same area as you.

It is acknowledged risk will rise as society opens up.

Sigh.

How is this different to anyone else working in a supermarket or restaurant or pub? ‘But it's very unlikely that those breathing will ha e the infection. Its not the dark days of March and April anymore’, ‘Let's just hope no teacher dies or is left with long term health issues: But that's the risk we all have to take’
‘so many comments on teacher threads seem irrational ‘,’just complain and bitch online’, ‘Make a stand or accept the situation. ‘
‘Instead of complaining do something constructive about it. ‘, ‘ 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).
‘I hope you all enjoy your time back at your job, working and contributing to our society as it should be.’ ‘If you don't like it leave.’ ‘14 weeks paid holiday.’ ‘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! ‘, ‘It's a vocation.’ ‘The amount of hand wringing on here from teachers gives us all a bad name’, ‘perhaps you should consider being signed off work if you cannot rationalise the risks involved’, ‘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.’, ‘This virus needs to be lived with.’, ‘you either suck it up or don't go in’, ‘I'm not sure what else you want to happen’, ‘This is so out of proportion it's unreal’, ‘Are you scared of flu?’, ‘they don't put people on ventilators as much’, ‘Sick of this shit’, ‘This fear only seems to have gripped Mumsnet’, ‘This is not the bubonic plague’, ‘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’, ‘these teacher on here are wetting the bed every night about a tiny risk.’, ‘mental health in children has always been there’, ‘what other job would you feel safer in?’, ‘they just don't have the option to sit home on full pay,’, ‘It could be worse, we could be in Beirut or Colombia’, ‘ I'm sure you are not irreplaceable’, ‘Any comment from teachers about the restaurant workers working 7 days currently? ‘, ‘If you are that scared/anxious of the virus then please do resign’, ‘you're talking like you're the only people on earth who are at risk of COVID’, ‘Think of the children ‘,

Bingo 😂😂

Going out now. I'll pop back in for a cuppa & a catch-up later.