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.

Can you wear a face shield? Its better then nothing..

I'm not sure what else you want to happen

The same Covid-secure guidelines to apply to schools as everyone else’s workplace.

Can anyone explain why that is unreasonable?

Please, let's get this into perspective.

And yes, teacher here, year 1, who has been in school throughout. Obviously not over the summer holidays but had all my year 1 kids back from June (16 of them).

Oh, and I'm type 1 diabetic.

I am genuinely not scared, worried or anything else and nor are any of my teacher friends.

This is so out of proportion it's unreal

I'm supply too and have said I won't be available until at least mid October, once I've seen how things are panning out. I have vulnerable relatives and can't risk it. The lack of care for teachers being shown by the government is appalling. The teachers rarely get a mention...it's always about schools being perfectly safe, when they mean the kids will be fine and sod the adults in the building. It's so stupid and short sighted. If the teachers start dropping like flies, schools will have to close.

Why do these threads jump from an op stating her concern to "well the schools have to open? That is not the discussion

The schools do need to open BUT they have to open safely. As a teacher I am scared very scared but only because of the environment I am going into. 30 teenagers in a room with no windows and no space to move.

I am cautious when shopping and going to pubs not scared there is a huge difference.

I can not speak for all teachers but what I want is:-
A room where staff and students can safely social distance
A room with adequate ventilation
A room that is cleaned
A choice of PPE depending on activity and my individual risk

No more no less

Anyone involved in education parent governor or teacher should not see that as unreasonable.

I want to be well, I want my students to stay well so that we can have a full year of education.

@moretolifethanthis2020 I'm not afraid of dying, but I'm in my late 50s and I am scared Covid might make me ill and give me long term problems. I'm afraid for my very elderly parents and my vulnerable sister. I really don't feel my worries are out of proportion.

@noblegiraffe

"Can anyone explain why that is unreasonable?"

It's not unreasonable but it is not possible in a school.

I'm angry teachers are having this forced on them. I feel its criminal. I work in retail with everyone in masks and screens up at the tills. One way systems etc.

I feel people who work in schools are being thrown under the bus. And they don't deserve it. No one does!!!!

It's not unreasonable but it is not possible in a school.

Incorrect. Other countries have implemented a variety of different measures to improve safety that the government are ignoring here.

@Downton57
Are you scared of flu? More people are dying of this each day at the moment than covid. How about cancer? About 600 people die of cancer each day. Put in context, you realise Covid really isn't a big risk to most people. Unless you are 95 of course. But even then, you're far more likely to survive it than not.

I think the best things you can do are self care. Take vitamin d, eat healthy, get sleep. Shower when you get home. I have a little bottle of hand santiser on a caribina on my belt, so i dont need to be near a sink. Distance from the adults. Be very strict on sending ill kids home or not letting them in..
Do anything you can in school - if you can open windows.

Its very surreal. All these measures everwhere you go and then school has made no changes fundamentally. A few minor ones.

Good luck

life you are rather assuming that teachers are only concerned about themselves dying.

@noblegiraffe come on, there is a very minute chance of catching the virus now and even if you do there is over 90% change you won't even know you have it. Life has to carry on. We have to consider the young children's mental health keeping them in bubbles, in masks, away from friends and what ever else you want!!

Sorry OP, this is why I no longer work in education. I was on maternity leave and due to return full time from next week but I’ve decided not to return at all. I’m not willing to put myself at risk by accepting less than average precautions, I feel that I have the right to expect a Covid secure workplace the same as everyone else. I was looking to escape from teaching anyway and this was the last straw.

@ssd

I'm angry teachers are having this forced on them. I feel its criminal. I work in retail with everyone in masks and screens up at the tills. One way systems etc.

I feel people who work in schools are being thrown under the bus. And they don't deserve it. No one does!!!!

Thank you

@moretolifethanthis2020

Please, let's get this into perspective.

And yes, teacher here, year 1, who has been in school throughout. Obviously not over the summer holidays but had all my year 1 kids back from June (16 of them).

Oh, and I'm type 1 diabetic.

I am genuinely not scared, worried or anything else and nor are any of my teacher friends.

This is so out of proportion it's unreal

Totally agree the fear seems to have got everyone on Mumsnet ...they don't put people on ventilators as much, more treatments etc more people are dying of cancer /suicides etc it is fucking madness !!!! Sick of this shit

@moretolifethanthis2020 completely agree 👏🏻

[quote moretolifethanthis2020]@Downton57
Are you scared of flu? More people are dying of this each day at the moment than covid. How about cancer? About 600 people die of cancer each day. Put in context, you realise Covid really isn't a big risk to most people. Unless you are 95 of course. But even then, you're far more likely to survive it than not.[/quote]
This is such a naive argument and just shows a complete lack of understanding of the current situation.

Cancer is not infectious
Covid is more infectious than flu with a higher death rate and more long term implications.

[quote Back50]@noblegiraffe come on, there is a very minute chance of catching the virus now and even if you do there is over 90% change you won't even know you have it. Life has to carry on. We have to consider the young children's mental health keeping them in bubbles, in masks, away from friends and what ever else you want!![/quote]
Are you using ‘we’ because you’re a teacher, Back? I suspect not.

[quote Back50]@noblegiraffe come on, there is a very minute chance of catching the virus now and even if you do there is over 90% change you won't even know you have it. Life has to carry on. We have to consider the young children's mental health keeping them in bubbles, in masks, away from friends and what ever else you want!![/quote]
Shall we remove masks/screens/social distancing elsewhere, then?

Because protection for teachers, and the relative danger of the virus, are two different debates.

If the virus is not dangerous, we don't need any protection, anywhere.

[quote Back50]@noblegiraffe come on, there is a very minute chance of catching the virus now and even if you do there is over 90% change you won't even know you have it. Life has to carry on. We have to consider the young children's mental health keeping them in bubbles, in masks, away from friends and what ever else you want!![/quote]
You know noblegiraffe risk assessment? You have no idea of the percentage change of her risk

@Back50
Absolutely. There is far more risk of children suffering by being out of education for any longer than me or anyone else suffering with covid.

This fear only seems to have gripped Mumsnet

16 year 1 kids. What a small class.

And unusually so.

@noblegiraffe no I'm a nurse and worked through the pandemic, initially without any PPE, protection and even now it is not always possible when assessing patients. What if we refuse to go to work

I would be totally happy to remove all these things. This whole thing is totally and utterly out of proportion. Life is a risk, with or without covid. But I don't go to bed crying about it every night. We have to have some normality now. This is not the bubonic plague, and believe me, if it was, I wouldn't want to leave the house.