Teaching during a pandemic

[NebularNerd]

I posted before going back to work about my concerns about teaching at the moment, about feeling unsafe.

Since going back I'm finding there is little/no social distancing between students and staff. No/little opportunity to clean hands as I run between different bubbles for every lesson. We wear masks in corridors which is something, but not in the classrooms. I teach secondary.

Like everybody else, I'm just getting on with it. I'm hoping we're lucky and it doesn't reach our school, because if it does the 'safety measures' won't protect staff. When we have rules such as the rule of six outside of work I just can't my head around it.

As the numbers rise once more and staff and students begin to test positive, I'm wondering what is next for schools.

How are other teachers getting on?

No way but knowing what we do now and how easy it spreads there should be a better system in place government had enough time we are going to be back at square one in a few weeks
Im not blaming teachers i just want people to stand up an say you know what i dont feel safe and its not working its not sustainable rather than the schools are a safe zone then coming out you cant mix with even the same school children from your bubble But its safe in school

[quote PablosHoney]@Kmx123 has an agenda.[/quote]
? What

Kmx I havent heard a single teacher say its safe.

Since March we have been saying its BS, and obviously re-opening isnt safe. But now we have opened we have to be positive for the kids, some of whom have extreme anxiety about being back.

We’ll all queue up behind you to protest then.

@SaltyAndFresh I can't speak for @Kmx123, but I am completely on your side in this. I already had enormous respect for teachers (as the daughter of two) but this has grown massively seeing the way you cope with this rotten situation. I think it's time people appreciated how bloody hard you work and actually stuck up for you rather than viewing you as glorified babysitters. to you all.

Teachers are already having mini breakdowns.

Morning and afternoon break cut.
Lunch time cut.
No time to eat or drink, or go to the toilet.
Extra cleaning is time consuming.
Not sleeping due to stress.
Staff room shut.
Nowhere to have tea/coffee.

That's just a few things.

My role is support staff and I see students all day everyday, very stressful, parents dropping in all the time. No distancing, and same old shit from parents sending in sick kids.

Already have a sick bug going around and a nasty sore throat bug. Plus one covid case, and several others awaiting tests which are hard to get.

Even if covid doesn't get the staff, the stress will see some off and illness (other than covid) will no doubt see some off too.

Some teachers have already been in tears this week.

But yes, schools are safe.

I agree with you though i dont in no way blame the teachers there doing a fantastic job its not there fault there doing the best they can of a shit situation
As someone else said kids are worried its going to be disruptive being in and out and having the added worry they could pass it on to there families there was a college girl that passed it on to her mum and grandad and the grandad passed so awful

@Kmx123

No way but knowing what we do now and how easy it spreads there should be a better system in place government had enough time we are going to be back at square one in a few weeks Im not blaming teachers i just want people to stand up an say you know what i dont feel safe and its not working its not sustainable rather than the schools are a safe zone then coming out you cant mix with even the same school children from your bubble But its safe in school

I've said it's not safe. I've said I don't feel safe. I've changed everything about how I teach to accommodate as much safety as I physically can. What's my alternative though? Refuse to pull my weight?! Stay at home? Leave my colleagues to pick up my slack because I'm busy proving a point that it isn't safe? I have no choice if I want to keep my job.

It’s not particularly safe. Distancing is impossible (Primary ks2). I really dislike my job at the moment. There’s plenty of disinfectant and hand sanitiser and supportive management, but schools simply aren’t designed to run like this. There’s nowhere to be during the breaks I get and everyone is so stressed just trying to survive that it’s a lonely job. The children are enjoying it though.

Great to see kids, bubbles and masks on corridors so staff leg it round. Corridors still rammed in years 10 and 11 and i still teach in tiny classes with 32 students. Cover already an issue, we are in staff shortage so not sure where we end up when there is any significant abs. Have worked without a class before but have always had a base. Now we have no where, can’t leave anything and walk 20,000+ steps just at work. My heels have been retired!

Oh and I was with children from 8am until 3pm with one 20min break so on one wee rations. I forgot my water bottle but really I just empty it out everyday as I can’t drink because then I will need to wee so I would prefer to be thirsty.

And I don’t think the changes (which impact oh children) could make a big enough difference (any?) to viral transmission to be worth it.

Part time rota has really helped. Student in 2 days work from home for 1 so most staff work from home 2 days a week, thins out students and staff around the site.

In class, staff already saying they are chilly and not opening windows. Students also complained about open windows.
Some students are very dilligent washing hands etc, gelling, masks. Some are not. Hopefully enough are to balance the others out. Masks in corridors.
However, the bottom line is we all end up with 15 and over students in a airless cramped room, breathing all over each other.
The hand-wash is a placebo. Clean hands will not stop the aerosol emissions floating towards you from a students infected respitory system!

Primary and I’m exhausted. I feel like it must already be the end of term. I’m pregnant and feel really worried. It is not possible to social distance from small children and the TAs in my class.

• even if schools close, another lock down, it's vital the dc have had this time of near normality and socialising.

However I felt much more comfortable going back knowing that testing was finally up and running and available.

That was the hook and crook to get schools going but now the rug has been pulled away from us.

I think Dr jenny harries needs to spend 2 weeks in various schools and classrooms.

I felt as if I was about to turn into the incredible hulk when she said, dc don't need masks.. Evidence is low.... They are sat facing forward.

I'd like her to see students sat facing forward in class after class and really get into classrooms with teachers and 30 little people breathing at them and... So she can see the wonder that is the human neck action, as these forward sat human, turn to talk.

This week I’ve taught 14 different groups of on average 30 children. That’s 420 children or thereabouts.

No masks in the classroom. No SD. They come right up to you. Leave their books on the tables. Forget their equipment. Require additional monitoring at break and an extra hour added to the timetable.

I’m in by 7.45am and I’m working right through to 4pm. I’m fed up. Exhausted. Angry. Frustrated.

Oh yes...I forgot. My feet ache like crazy and my hands are chapped and bloody from having to clean the tables/chairs with wipes and spray after each lesson, as we don’t move about, the kids do.

It must be difficult. Keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer in your pocket op.

At my child's secondary special school they are going to school 2 days in week 1 and 3 days in week 2. On other days they do 3 hours online learning with teacher and are given independent tasks for afternoons. Initially I was worried D's would not learn enough as he is in year 10 so GCSE in 2 years but it is working out ok. When I thought about it if any of us get the drated Covid he could still learn online so that is at least something. They are doing this for one month to see how it goes and until new portaloos arrive do each class has a loo each. I think it is something other Schools consider.

Primary here.

No social distancing within my bubble of 26. Shared equipment and moving around the room as normal. I started off trying to stay at the front and trying to keep away, but it's impossible. I'm back to using the carpet and moving seats if they need support. 10 children have been off sick already, but I don't know why. Some children wearing masks in class (they are 7 and 8), because of anxious parents. One child in my class has a 1-1 TA, she and I don't wear masks or visors. Apart from the almost hourly washing of hands and the staggered stuff, were running the classroom as normal. I have a cover teacher one day a week, she's in my bubble, but also in 7 other bubbles. We're 4 form entry, so would normally be running streamed classes and intervention groups. This isn't happening. Books are going home, but quarantined for 3 days when they come back. PE is without equipment (athletics and dance). No singing, musical instruments, but I've tried to make it as normal as possible for them.

We are socially distancing from other staff where possible, limited staffroom use, one way systems and separate gates, drop off times and break and lunch breaks are staggered. We have SLT meetings in person, but they are distanced. We're not holding full staff meetings, assemblies in person, performances etc.

My class only see the children in my class. I am with them all day from 8.40 until 3 with toilet breaks that I sort out with the TA in my room. We eat with the children and do break duty every day. So that's shit, and not sustainable for long. I'm able financially to resign at half term for Xmas, and might do that.

It's a lonely job

Yes, it is. I'm enjoying not being able to have parents in the building though!!

I work as a waitress i only get a 20 min break if i work more than 6hours.
11 hour shift is 20 minute break.
I and my colleagues are exhaused from eat out to help out.
Teachers not touching books is ridiculous..
Im touching things people have had in their mouths.
I get that teachers are worried and stressed. You probably should be.
But other people have been working in the same or worse conditions throughout.
I cant afford to not do my job with a smile.
Ive just spent 5 months on 50%what i usually earn.
Be worried. Just don't think you're the only ones or the most hard done to.

It's not a competition. This thread is about how schools are operating.

And there are several inaccuracies in your post too.