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.

@Joeblack066

What’s stopping you from getting your own mask and face shield? What do you suggest as an alternative. The country is all but bankrupt. This virus needs to be lived with. My son and his g/f are both paramedics, both tested positive, both had no symptoms, isolated so they didn’t pass it in, Back to work. If you are obese, have a severe lung disease, or come from another high risk group, then I think you have a case for not being in work. Otherwise, I don’t think so.

Masks only work to protect others, so there's no point in wearing one if no one else is, I.e. the 150+ people I'll be facing every day.

If I contract the virus and my husband gets it from me, he could die. It's not just about me.

I've never said I don't want to work or that schools should remain closed.

And they’ll be such a teacher shortage once unemployment continues - I will be pointing by boys in the direction of office based jobs even though I can see one of them at least has my need to teach genes! It’s just wrong. So so wrong and so unfair. They had time to do better. They’ve let us all down. Safer schools need to be open, so they can stay open for those that really need them.

unemployment improves

Sympathy is very limited for teachers and school staff on here. I don't understand it at all. I am extremely anxious as are most people I know. Doesn't mean we are not going to turn up and do it but a bit of understanding would not go amiss.

@IWantAPetUnicorn

I’m pregnant and a teacher. I’m really worried. I’ve just been told to try and stay 2m away from 30 small children in my class. It’s not possible!

How far on are you if you don't mind me asking? I work in adult Ed and I'm due back in the office one day a week from next week when I'll be 29 weeks, then two weeks after that back teaching adults at 31 weeks. I train teaching assistants so I'll also be expected to go out to observe my student TAs in primary schools

I do understand how you feel. It's not the same but similar at the beginning of the pandemic for us in hospitals. I remember us all terrified, that we weren't 'brave' and saying we wished we'd pick different careers and then we'd be wfh / furloughed like everyone else. That was before we were wearing masks in hospital as well. Seems a life time ago now.

@Piggywaspushed

nowtherave how do you know what these 40 odd teachers feel? Really? Lots of people put on a brave face.

Besides which as MN likes to point outwe have all been away from the workplace for so long that I have not spoken to most of my colleagues recently.
Imo , teachers' level of anxiety depends on several factors :- the situation on their area, their own health and their family ; their own perception of risk and their circumstances , their perception of how far the government advice genuinely protects , how far they read the news (and which news!) and how that makes them feel and , lastly and most importantly, the leadership of their school and the measures being put in place. Mine is so shit, any teacher would feel anxious.

I know because we have surveyed them anonymously, along with all our families and pupils. The one person who is anxious is very open about it, though, and has been supported throughout. I am lucky, I can see, that our SLT are making sure we are OK and our risk assessments are sound.

I agree. I'm supply, and not going to back until after half term so I can see what happens. No way. Shielding until 16th August, flu and pneumonia jabs being run in shielding clinics throughout September with no patient-patient interaction, but back to school in September with 35 kids in my biggest class, and minimal social distancing required by them. 'Guidance' has been a joke.

Good luck to you all. (And if one more person compares schools to supermarkets, I won't be responsible for my actions).

@Doggodogington

I work on public transport in a very busy place. We didn’t have PPE and customers didn’t have to wear PPE for months when cases and deaths were at the highest. Just had to get on with it. Wash hands, sanitise, keep a distance (nigh on impossible where I work).

This !!! There are so many people who worked through this and also it is not as "life threatening" as in March and April you either suck it up or don't go in

I don’t think they can legally stop you wearing PPE? Although it sadly doesn’t protect as well as it should do. I’m a midwife, 4 months into the pandemic we had all our masks recalled and swapped as they were ‘re-dated stock’ and tests showed they were not effective. Sometimes it’s a false sense of security but actually you’re no more protected.

Are you not able to choose to wear a mask or face shield? And if you are teaching primary, why will you need to be in contact with 150 children ? Will you not mostly be with one class of 30? Honestly i can understand anxieties in those with health issues or over 60 but surely everyone else does understand that their risk at the peak of getting seriously ill or dying from it is really really low

Are these the same people who NOW HAVE ppe/screens etc?

Also, I am sucking it up! No choice but to go in.
I won't make my feelings known to anyone at work, because what would be the point? The decisions have to be made at a governmental level.

I have had so much sympathy for everyone working through this since day one. And I'm really happy that the vast majority of workers are now much safer because they RIGHTLY have been given protection.

That really doesn't mean I want to go to work with no fucking protection at all, though.

@Flapjak

Are you not able to choose to wear a mask or face shield? And if you are teaching primary, why will you need to be in contact with 150 children ? Will you not mostly be with one class of 30? Honestly i can understand anxieties in those with health issues or over 60 but surely everyone else does understand that their risk at the peak of getting seriously ill or dying from it is really really low

Yes we are all hoping that this is the case. I guess we have been made to believe that this virus is lethal and its hard when you have been told to take precautions just to say to hell with all of that and to carry on practically as normal. I suppose teachers are worried because of the sheer numbers and confined spaces.

@NebularNerd

Are these the same people who NOW HAVE ppe/screens etc?

Also, I am sucking it up! No choice but to go in.
I won't make my feelings known to anyone at work, because what would be the point? The decisions have to be made at a governmental level.

I have had so much sympathy for everyone working through this since day one. And I'm really happy that the vast majority of workers are now much safer because they RIGHTLY have been given protection.

That really doesn't mean I want to go to work with no fucking protection at all, though.

Absolutely this.

Most teachers are worried at school. Two teachers are wearing masks. I may follow. We are allowed to here thankfully.

..but it protects the children not us. So it seems a bit pointless.

I do understand what you are saying but at the beginning of this pandemic, when schools closed and teachers worked from home, lots of workers, myself included, had to go to work and this was when lots was unknown about the virus and we had no PPE initially. It was very scary. I wished I hadn't taken a career in medical profession at that point and that I had been made furloughed, but I carried on, as we all did.

I was happy that friends and others could carry out their work at home as the more people working from home they are not mixing with others transmitting the virus, surely that helps everyone.
The more everyone else can stay at home the safer it is for those that have to go to work.

I'm not sure what else you want to happen.

Masks only work to protect others, so there's no point in wearing one if no one else is

Maybe a visor could be a plan?

@NebularNerd

Are these the same people who NOW HAVE ppe/screens etc?

Also, I am sucking it up! No choice but to go in.
I won't make my feelings known to anyone at work, because what would be the point? The decisions have to be made at a governmental level.

I have had so much sympathy for everyone working through this since day one. And I'm really happy that the vast majority of workers are now much safer because they RIGHTLY have been given protection.

That really doesn't mean I want to go to work with no fucking protection at all, though.

Absolutely this

@neveradullmoment99 Get yourself an FFP3, that will protect you regardless of who else is wearing masks or not. Although like I said earlier be aware that many in the country are fake, expired stock and not actually effective. I suspect the NHS bought most of that though 🤦🏽‍♀️

@Back50

I do understand what you are saying but at the beginning of this pandemic, when schools closed and teachers worked from home, lots of workers, myself included, had to go to work and this was when lots was unknown about the virus and we had no PPE initially. It was very scary. I wished I hadn't taken a career in medical profession at that point and that I had been made furloughed, but I carried on, as we all did.

I was happy that friends and others could carry out their work at home as the more people working from home they are not mixing with others transmitting the virus, surely that helps everyone.
The more everyone else can stay at home the safer it is for those that have to go to work.

I'm not sure what else you want to happen.

I want some protection for teachers. Everyone wearing masks, for a start. Perhaps screens.

In an ideal world, a blended learning model at secondary level.

Also, teachers were not working from home from March. Most were in school looking after key worker's children (although numbers were fewer, so social distancing could happen).

Social distancing in schools is non existent & has been all through lockdown where we have worked as normal throughout.
When I go back in September we're in a 'bubble' of 75, I would imagine this is extremely flexible & we will come into contact with many more. No PPE, no masks, a bit of hand sanitizer if we're lucky. We've already been told that if any children show symptoms the first aiders will arrive "in full PPE" to take them away. No mention of the staff who've been with them all day!! We are are expected to suck it all up & have been since March. Our headteacher acts like we're all immune & while everything is done to reassure patients, the reality is very different.
When dsis talks about the extra safety at her place of work it makes me feel like school staff are getting a very poor deal. Oh but that's ok because we get long holidays & haven't worked since March...

@Pixel7777

Masks only work to protect others, so there's no point in wearing one if no one else is

Maybe a visor could be a plan?

From what I've read, visors offer no protection at all. No matter what option, you can't protect yourself . Everyone must wear one for them to be effective. This means all students and staff.

Parents, not patients!

@Back50 At the start of the pandemic, many teachers also continued to go out to work throughout, particularly in primary and special schools. Not all teachers were WFH.