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?

I think they will drop isolation to 7 days and stop sending home entire bubbles for one positive case. Testing will improve. People will chill out a bit. I can’t see blanket school closures again

@MrsWhites

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 definitely think blended learning for high schools could be on the cards and really should have been from the start. I think the issue was that the offerings before were very poor in many schools, but hopefully learning from that has occurred and there will be a better structure in place now. Hopefully not 'death by twinkl worksheets' this time. I don't think schools will close though. Blended learning may well be even more of a nightmare for teachers though, how on earth are they meant to teach AND provide home learning??

@TheGreatWave

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.

My DC miss moving around too. They find it more tiring to be stuck in the same room all day and miss out on the opportunity for a quick loo break. I guess that's why I am surprised teachers find moving rooms 'exhausting', usually a wee walk gives you a minute or two downtime!

I think it’s dependent on how this unfolds. If too many teachers are having to isolate, schools may really struggle. There are already articles about 60+ in classes as not enough teachers are available. The government are likely to try and keep schools open, but equally if cases and deaths start to dramatically increase and can be linked to the huge ‘bubbles’ in schools, then blending learning may happen. I don’t know how teachers stress will affect it, many NHS workers with PTSD haven’t been able to access help yet, so I’d think that it wouldn’t affect the restrictions directly but certainly could indirectly (teachers off).

Our school has rigorous system in place. My daughter says it feels a bit weird to be restricted to certain places and the one way system can be annoying as you have to go all the way around the school to get to a class just a couple doors back, but it works. It's a private school and by and large the children are following the rules. If there is a need for a year group bubble to isolate they can revert easily to the online classrooms they had up and running before Easter.
There has been one case in the schools in the wider area but no closures. GCSE year for us so really hope schools stay open.

@PrivateD00r Surely you can see that having to move everything (and ensure you have all the resources you need for different year groups) with you after every class puts you on the back foot. I’m not a teacher but can see why it would make the job more difficult.

If you were working in an office and had to change desk every hour and take your stuff with you it would make the job more difficult and stressful - the same for many jobs I would imagine.

Walking to different classes amongst hundreds of kids where you are physically getting squashed, I can assure you is not a “wee walk” and a bit of downtime. You can’t even hear yourself think amongst all the shouting for starters.

For the parents saying online blended learning is going well, thankyou for appreciating us.
But, I don't think it is going to keep working because it is pushing us to our knees. This is why teachers will be signed off by Christmas with stress and exhaustion.
I am teaching a full timetable- however, on top of teaching my full timetable I now also have to:

• pre record a video for each lesson that has pupils isolating at home ie all of them - extra 5-10 mins for each of my 30 lessons.
• mark extra work for those pupils because they aren't there in the lesson (we tried live google link but it didn't work because some were ill and needed to catch up later, others were sharing laptops at home etc) - at about 25 pupils a week isolating, that's an extra 125 minutes even if just a quick worksheet mark, more likely longer. On top of teaching the normal lesson to the kids in school.
• in moving we lose the 5 minutes between lessons to do emails, so end up losing about half an hour of work time - needs adding to our day. And, of course, puts us on the back foot.
• i have to google meet tutees in isolation to check on them rather than just seeing them and having a chat in registration. It's important but it's an extra.
• We have to do more duties because the year bubbles have to be supervised separately at lunch and break. That takes away two of my lunchbreaks each week.

I already worked a 60-70 hour week. I'm fine with that - I work hard in termtime but that's why we get long holidays. But it means there is no slack to cope with this extra. I'm exhausted and it's only September. I was off sick with a temperature, waiting for a test last week. Normally, I would drag myself up, spend 30 minutes setting cover and go back to bed. Because of the current circumstances, SMT expected me to teach online from home (because we have the tech to do it). I also had my own child at home to deal with because I was ill so she had to isolate. It meant I didn't have a chance to really recover.

I can totally understand moving around to each classroom every lesson is a pain but surely virus-wise, its better than 1000 children walking around corridors every hour. My DS high school has been split into sections with their own entrance he does all his lessons within the same 4/5 classrooms, y7 students haven't been setted and remain in the same classroom with same students all day like they were in primary.

Another thing to factor in is that teachers are meant to be staying at the front of the class in their safe zone. This is not the way teachers have been teaching for years. They usually interact much more with the students, walking round the classroom, splitting the students into groups, which also isn’t happening. Students are meant to be sticking to seating plans for contact tracing purposes but I bet there are some who are refusing to stay in their designated seat. Many of the behaviour management options previously used are not available so if you have a particularly challenging class that must put extra strain on you. I also assume if the students are stuck in the same room with the same people all day (apart from lunch and toilet breaks), many of them, even the usually well behaved ones, will be getting restless by the end of the day.

"Another thing to factor in is that teachers are meant to be staying at the front of the class in their safe zone."

Some schools take that approach, where I am we are expected to circulate but wear a visor when doing so.

I just wanted to say thank you to all the teachers who are trying to manage these demands in very difficult circumstances. You must be so emotionally exhausted with it all. You’re all stars

I feel for you right now.

Keeping schools open is unsustainable here in Birmingham with more than 100 schools impacted in weeks and an estimated 8,000 students who've been off due to C19 related reasons.

One of my y10s was off after just a week, along with half his year, due to a confirmed case. Multiple cases and years out in school.
His brother's inner city secondary has multiple cases and years out, clinging on.

Most schools I know have a case. One of our primaries has 15 teachers out.

Anybody who thinks they will stay open must live in a low risk area. Every day I expect a child to be sent back.

Oh and our online blended learning saw my son, in his GCSE years, receive no work from any lessons on some days. On others it was great.
Meanwhile his peers in school had lessons.

Schools in regions barely impacted will continue without disruption.

It is a postcode lottery and there will be massive disparity and inequality the longer this goes on.

@PrivateD00r

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

You're clearly not a teacher! When students are off it create a lot more work and stress for teachers. Say you have 5 students off - that's 5 times you need to arrange for that student to catch up with their work. But when several are off its unmanageable!

Also those questioning whether moving from classroom to classroom is tiring - you're also not teachers and do not understand the toll that has on behaviour & energy.

My heart goes out to you OP. I'm a teacher on maternity leave and I'm dreading going back in December!

I can't see primaries closing. I do think secondaries in some local lockdown areas will move to blended learning and this could become national policy at some stage.

There have been no cases in our primary school and the children are so happy to be back. The main issue affecting our school is lack of testing capacity. Lots of children are getting colds with coughs but can't access tests. If testing is improved, I think many primaries will be able to stay open with mininal disruption. Sadly, the situation is much more challenging for secondaries.

I think they will drop isolation to 7 days and stop sending home entire bubbles for one positive case. Testing will improve. People will chill out a bit. I can’t see blanket school closures again

I think that's about right. Obviously it exposes school staff even more, so there is still going to be the issue of staff off/supply money running out/blended learning/teachers teaching from home to classes supervised by support staff.

It's better than ch being at home, for some, but even in the best case scenario, it's still going to be the hokey cokey for the rest of the winter.

I also hope that the teaching unions actually step up. Being in school after being in close contact with a confirmed case is against isolation rules, we'd be liable for a fine in any other circumstance.

I am so sorry you are so stressed sad 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

That's one of the most patronising pieces of shit I've read in some time. Congratulations.

@IncidentsandAccidents

I can't see primaries closing. I do think secondaries in some local lockdown areas will move to blended learning and this could become national policy at some stage.

There have been no cases in our primary school and the children are so happy to be back. The main issue affecting our school is lack of testing capacity. Lots of children are getting colds with coughs but can't access tests. If testing is improved, I think many primaries will be able to stay open with mininal disruption. Sadly, the situation is much more challenging for secondaries.

If the problem is that children in your school can’t get a test then you have no idea if there are cases or not.

le all day (apart from lunch and toilet breaks), many of them, even the usually well behaved ones, will be getting restless by the end of the day.

Wet break and lunches are a nightmare as they have to stay in class and not see their friends.

Secondary teacher and I can only agree with other teachers about moving around the school lugging laptop and all resources with you, while trying to get past hundreds of students in the corridors. I’m at a large inner city secondary and it can take 6 minutes to get from one block to another and then up 2 flights of stairs, while carrying or pulling bags. It then takes 3-5 minutes to plug in laptop, log on, connect projector and open online register. That’s if projector remote is on the table. Meanwhile the students have been basically unsupervised for about 10 minutes. There is no calm or orderly start to lessons and several students spend all lesson saying they’re not going to do anything because schools will close again soon. Others tell me it’s all a conspiracy and yet others complain that I’m not wearing a mask as we’ve been told we can’t by HM and they are only to be worn in communal areas. I’ve started forgetting to pack up properly and then turn up in my next lesson without a laptop charger or pile of books and can’t send a child to get them as that’s not their bubble block for the day.
Yes the kids are being taught which is good but the whole bubbles in secondary is ridiculous. I’d rather have my room back with students moving rooms again and take my chances with the virus. I’ve been teaching a long time but am considering leaving and I’m a good teacher who has another 10-15 years left in me.
The only reason more teachers haven’t left is because they can’t afford to.

I think in the nicest possible way aren't we all struggling with having to adapt? No one I know is enjoying any part of this and everyone feels stressed.

It is important schools stay open.

OP is secondary so I assume much harder than primary but we have found the behaviour is off the wall after children being off for so long. This is extremely stressful and challenging to try and teach with continuous disruption. I'm with you OP I am mentally exhausted.

@wizzbangfizz in the nicest possible way, I am adapting. Clearly. However, adaptation requirements need to be within the realms of the possible. I haven't yet learnt how to adapt to be able to work the additional 20 hours a week required by this new system on top of my usual already heavy workload. Now if I can adapt to split myself in two I reckon this could be a longterm solution.
Anyone got the tech for that?
If we want schools to stay open we need a sustainable solution that will see us through the pandemic. What we have at the moment isn't one. 3 teachers in my school have already handed in their notice because of our working conditions - with no job to go to, they are that desperate to leave - and I know more would if they possibly could.

I've no idea what's going to happen with schools but I'm praying that they stay open. My dc love school, always have, I'm not a teacher and they learn so much better in school and I can then build on that at home, they're more engaged because they've been in school. I'm also terrified what will happen with my job if they completely close again. I have a mortgage and bills to pay.

One of my dcs school has had confirmed cases in classes, but it didn't spread any further than the one case. It was young year groups too so no social distancing. They're all back now thankfully all well teachers included.

Eldest is at secondary and is in a set up as described with teachers moving to them. From his perspective he's so much happier. It's a rough inner city school and he wasn't happy last year because of behaviour of other pupils. He says they're learning much better now. He's not at all bored being in a class all day, he prefers it. He says behaviour is better, lessons flow well. He's proud of what he's doing.

Everything is staggered so no cramped corridors. Pupils and teachers allowed PPE. Quite frankly he's on an absolute high.

I'm just giving another point of view.