What's going to happen with schools?

[NebularNerd]

I'm a secondary teacher and I've posted before about my concerns about going back to work. For context, my husband was previously shielding which adds to my fear of catching this thing & I have two young children.

So I'm back at work, no social distancing possible but at least we wear masks I'm the corridors. I'm in the North East so in local lockdown, so not allowed to see friends or family, but still in daily close contact with hundreds of people.

I'm fucking exhausted at the end of each day as we have to move classroom for every single lesson as the students stay in their bubbles. Behaviour is worse.

Daily cases in schools in the local vicinity.

Staff off self isolating, awaiting test results. Students off in droves too.

And we're only four weeks in.

Honestly, how long is this sustainable?

Have a search of the 1001 other threads on this subject for answers

I'm a north east teacher too but in primary. I honestly think we will stay open with year groups being sent home etc but I don't think there will be blanket closutes.

Or even closures....too much merlot!

There will be many teachers signed off by Christmas. I don’t know anyone who works in a school who isn’t on their knees already.

@kiwibee

There will be many teachers signed off by Christmas. I don’t know anyone who works in a school who isn’t on their knees already.

Signed off with what? For most people below retirement age this is a mild virus. I work in a hospital, it ripped through us quickly with 30% having antibodies. The majority of staff fully recovered within a week, we had loads test positive (once we could test) who were completely asymptomatic.

Imagine they mean from the stress of trying to run a school with the current conditions, it was stressful enough already

Thank you for continuing to do your job in such awful circumstances, You are the front line workers and millions and millions of us are forever in your debt. Thank you!

My local primary school seems to be doing really well. No cases that I’m aware of. Children enjoying being back. All the teachers I’ve spoken to (admittedly a small sample given our access to teachers are limited) seem upbeat. The Head teacher’s weekly newsletter has repeatedly mentioned how happy they are that the school is open fully and children are back. New measures seem to be working well and I expect they’ll keep some things - like zoom parents’ evening slots..
This is a one class intake (Per year) primary school in an area that’s very low down on the case numbers per 100,000 list but clearly this school as it stands wouldn’t (and shouldn’t!) close. This school can’t be the only one like this. I’m sorry that there are schools, esp secondaries, that are having a more complicated and stressful time but it’s depressing to keep reading ‘schools are going to hell in a handcart’ threads when they simply aren’t all the same.

This is going to be life for as long as it takes.
Many people in different jobs, including myself, are pushing through for the greater good.
I can’t believe that you’re exhausted just because of moving classrooms, but I know that anxiety can be exhausting.
As the mother of a school child - thank you 💐

I think secondary schools might partially close, move to part time learning, rotas etc because I don’t think it’s sustainable for the big ones to stay open. I think primary schools will stay open unless as an absolute very last resort but there will be frequent bubble closures and it will be something of a merry go round.

We have zoom parents slots for parents evening. Kids isolating are dialling into the classroom via google classrooms and isolating teachers are also teaching via google meets at the front of the class on a screen with a ta in the classroom for crowd control. It seems to be working really well. I dont think schools will close.

I just don't know. for all teachers.

I feel like we are stuck in a nightmare.

The school arrangements are insane in terms of managing the virus.

It all feels like the same mentality that brought us the Charge of the Light Brigade, and WW1 - we've started so we'll finish, however bad it gets. That's the British way after all, never rethink, never evaluate, just plough on regardless

In your situation I’d go on the sick.

But secondary kids normally move around for lessons so what was you doing before?

@YouSetTheTone

Exactly the same at DS1's primary. All very calm and uneventful here! We've had one suspected case (turned out not to be positive) and otherwise all fine.

I'm in a northwest secondary and there are early signs that attendance is improving as the cold related coughs etc are starting to settle down.

On the other hand, we have already have around 10 cases in the last 2 weeks most of them students so have had multiple year groups off. Meanwhile community cases have doubled over the last 2 weeks so can only imagine this will continue.

I CAN believe you're exhausted from
moving from classroom to classroom because I am too. Frequently a few minutes late because of it so on the back foot already with behaviour which has really been trying this past week. Have to carry all my resources which requires a lot of planning and time in the morning. Have no base so can't centrally store everything which is proving more difficult than I thought it would.

My job is more limited than ever, I get it I really do but I'm already "end of term tired" and the end of term is a distant light at the end of a very long tunnel at the moment! Interesting guardian article this morning also states some head teachers think staff teaching classes of up to 60 might become more common. We have few staff off waiting for tests at the moment but our attendance is slowly dropping...

It's all rather bleak. Virtual hugs (sod virtual social distance!) strong coffee and flowers to all other teachers out there!

I feel like I'm participating in collective madness sending my children in tbh

I just don't understand what the plan is.

I can’t believe that you’re exhausted just because of moving classrooms,

Have you ever taught a lesson to thirty 15 year olds?
It is harder than it sounds. Changing rooms means you are already on the back foot. Dragging a trolley with all your stuff for the lesson.
The pupils are not sat there ready to learn. They are out of their seats often talking really loudly.
Logging on takes a while as at the same time you have to set up the lesson and log into the online reg system and emails all while settling the class.
Invariably the remote for the projector is missing. Moved by another teacher or hidden by a pupil as is the game this week.

Then there is squashing through the year bubbles of 250 students all shoulder to shoulder. Which is stressful and I don't think is happening much anywhere else.

This is 6 times a day.

So yes it adds to the anxiety and stress of starting a lesson with everything loaded and organised while greeting pupils at the door which is often the norm.

About 1 million other threads on this. Most parents driving the 'schools shouid shut' attitude. Shall I take my kids out etc ....

Schools won't shut year groups will.

My dc are in primary and nothing seems particularly different. They are happy and settled and there has been no particular teacher absence, first wave of colds has settled and absence is no different to usual. One class isolated along with their teacher for 10 days and it seemed to go well. AFAIK the single case did not spread to any other pupils in the class.

Sounds like secondaries are different, but can't see any issues here. This is a primary school of 500 pupils close to, but not in, local lockdown areas.

YouSettheTone same here, no cases in any of the primaries or secondaries (2 secondaries in our town), everything seems fine. I really hope any closures of schools is done actually looking at the numbers, not blanket nationwide.

Anyway, OP & teachers, thank you for all your hard work with the children. Mine are thrilled to be back at school I hope it can be made sustainable for you.

Sorry your feeling the stress.

I'm SS so small classes but more staff.

We had 1 member of staff of with cough (negative test but this a highly anxious staff member who will worry)

Difference is that we have very low cases (7-12/100k) the past few weeks and is rising and falling so still feels under control.

I don't think I'd be as relaxed in a high intervention area

My children’s primary school has advised that they have been asked to conduct a questionnaire next week to establish what IT/internet equipment pupils have access to at home. I can only assume that our local council (in north west) think that home schooling could be on the cards again to ask for this information.

I am so sorry you are so stressed However a couple of things jump out. 'Students are off in their droves' - so classrooms must be emptier then, which surely must help with SD?

Also the moving classroom thing - I do think you need to acknowledge you are not exhausted because you have a little extra walking. Lots of people walk miles every day but aren't exhausted. It is the mental stress and anxiety surely that is exhausting. Have you tried meditation to help you unwind in the evening? That really helped me when I was stressed in March and April.

At the end of the day, this is our lives now for the next god knows how long, so we need to find a way to cope. At least you will be off again very soon

Teachers moving between classrooms isn't great and I can see why that adds to the stress, makes you think of Ross in Friends. I prefer the pupils moving rather than the teachers.

However the children have had some semblance of education for the past few weeks so I am not sure it has been a total flop.