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Original poster

If Covid is going nowhere what is the plan for schools?

274 replies

Marcellemouse · 21/10/2020 19:41

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/covid-here-stay-even-develop-19095194
Just asked this on a different thread but no response.
Bearing in mind the above, at what point teachers be happy to teach a full class of DC?

OP posts:
Barbie222 · 22/10/2020 08:39

MN is full of posts from unhappy teachers. I'm not making it up.

They're not teachers who don't like teaching full classes, though. They're just teachers who want to feel safe. You can't twist this to say "teachers don't like teaching full classes" without exposing your agenda.

Which part of teachers' concerns do you think they should not be concerned about? The high numbers of sick staff? The high numbers of children away from school? The disruption to exams and tests? The difficulties in getting parents to engage with home learning? (less than 40% engagement in my school at first, although this went up to above 90% when we shortened the tasks and streamlined the offering down to what was absolutely essential for progress, and made it available at any point of the day)

Or do you just not want to think about any of that?

OpheliasCrayon · 22/10/2020 08:41

@Marcellemouse

At no point have I said teachers are not teaching a full class. I said when will they be happy to.
And plenty of us are telling you we are happy to NOW. And have been doing.

Stop trying to put words in our mouths and just let us do our jobs hey?

Original poster
Marcellemouse · 22/10/2020 08:45

Why is it that every time anyone asks a question about school it turns into a hate campaign from teachers against the OP? I asked when you would feel happy given that DC are unlikely to be vaccinated and the virus is unlikely to be irradiated. Only one or two answered the question, the rest just spurted a load of abuse. I've read the countless other threads about why teachers are currently unhappy, I was asking at what point in the virus you would be.

OP posts:
Porcupineinwaiting · 22/10/2020 08:47

OP you are really not making much sense.

Original poster
Marcellemouse · 22/10/2020 08:48

@OrpheliasCrayon I've read other posts by you. I know you are vulnerable and you sound like a wonderful teacher.

OP posts:
Original poster
Marcellemouse · 22/10/2020 08:49

@Porcupineinwaiting I've tried spelling it out.

OP posts:
OpheliasCrayon · 22/10/2020 08:49

@Marcellemouse

Why is it that every time anyone asks a question about school it turns into a hate campaign from teachers against the OP? I asked when you would feel happy given that DC are unlikely to be vaccinated and the virus is unlikely to be irradiated. Only one or two answered the question, the rest just spurted a load of abuse. I've read the countless other threads about why teachers are currently unhappy, I was asking at what point in the virus you would be.
"Bearing in mind the above, at what point teachers be happy to teach a full class of DC?"

Very much implied to me that you are telling us that we aren't happy and we need to be informing you when we will be.

You're now upset when we are telling you, and we have done in other posts (yes some people aren't happy and that's true in any situation) , that we are teaching full classes, have been doing so and are happy to.

You're goading us. Leave us alone. If you're not happy be a) thankful you're not a teacher and b) take your kids out of school.

But in the meanwhile stop telling us how to feel

sunflowers246 · 22/10/2020 08:49

Teachers are happy to teach a full class of children though!

This

Barbie222 · 22/10/2020 08:50

I've read the countless other threads about why teachers are currently unhappy, I was asking at what point in the virus you would be.

That's just saying, when are you going to stop discussing your concerns because I'm fed up with listening to them. It shows more about you and your mindset than about the teachers here. Given that just yesterday the DfE has changed the wording of their guidance to remove the sentence "schools are not a high risk environment", I think it's a bit rich to expect teachers not to discuss their worries on a forum just because you would rather not do the uncomfortable thinking.

OpheliasCrayon · 22/10/2020 08:51

[quote Marcellemouse]@OrpheliasCrayon I've read other posts by you. I know you are vulnerable and you sound like a wonderful teacher.[/quote]
Thank you, but why are you then suggesting I'm not happy to be there! I'm not in the least bit bothered by any of this. Being vulnerable doesn't fuss me in the slightest. Im happy to be there! I've never not been. I've taught full classes throughout!

Original poster
Marcellemouse · 22/10/2020 08:52

Maybe discuss them on a specific teachers forum.

OP posts:
OpheliasCrayon · 22/10/2020 08:53

@Marcellemouse

Maybe discuss them on a specific teachers forum.
But YOU'VE brought teaching up! Here! On MH! You can't tell us to now go away and use a teacher's forum! This is getting more ridiculous by the second!
Original poster
Marcellemouse · 22/10/2020 08:54

@OrpheliasCrayon teachers like you are not really represented on MN.

OP posts:
Original poster
Marcellemouse · 22/10/2020 08:55

Ahhhh

OP posts:
OpheliasCrayon · 22/10/2020 08:56

[quote Marcellemouse]@OrpheliasCrayon teachers like you are not really represented on MN.[/quote]
Teachers like me?

What does that mean?

motherrunner · 22/10/2020 08:56

@Marcellemouse

Why is it that every time anyone asks a question about school it turns into a hate campaign from teachers against the OP? I asked when you would feel happy given that DC are unlikely to be vaccinated and the virus is unlikely to be irradiated. Only one or two answered the question, the rest just spurted a load of abuse. I've read the countless other threads about why teachers are currently unhappy, I was asking at what point in the virus you would be.
@Marcellemouse

I am a secondary teacher, teach around 150 students a day. I am happy to teach - been teaching for 20 years and love my job. It’s all I’ve wanted to do. I’m excellent at it.

I am unhappy that:
-I am in a poorly ventilated room as windows do not open.
-I am still expected to provide the same quality of education, mentoring, catch up sessions, have learning walks, assessments, reporting, parents evenings, despite having less time as I now only have 1 20 minute break a day due to extra duties.

Tbh on a day to day basis I don’t even consider my safety at school. It is life as usual ... and then I walk into a shop in my Tier 2 area and am reminded to SD, wear a mask, follow a one way system, pay a worker from behind a Perspex screen. I’m on anti anxiety meds so have monthly appointments with my GP, it’s not face to face though, it’s by phone. I then collect my messages from the pharmacy. Again - limit on numbers into the store, stand 2m from the counter. It’s when I walk into other places of employment that I begin to feel resentful of my own working conditions.

Letseatgrandma · 22/10/2020 08:56

@Marcellemouse

Maybe discuss them on a specific teachers forum.
But you brought this up?!
motherrunner · 22/10/2020 08:58

*medication not messages

OpheliasCrayon · 22/10/2020 09:01

@motherrunner I'm sorry you feel unhappy. I know some teachers who don't mind like myself and others who aren't - it's a real mixed bag in the staffroom. It sucks.

But you can't discuss it here!!! OP said we need to talk about it in a teaching forum !!!

alreadytaken · 22/10/2020 09:02

Maybe when parents stop sending in children with obvious symptoms, allowing their children with symptoms to go to parties and sleepovers where they spread the virus further and stop objecting to secondary school children wearing masks.

If I had a child of school age now I'd be demanding schools required masks and demanding parents who sent in a child with symptoms should be fined.

3littlewords · 22/10/2020 09:06

I think maybe what the OP meant to say is..... IF coronavirus is never going to be eradicated and children aren't going to be vaccinated how do we get to a place where everyone feels school is safer to return to the same learning practices we had previously?

Nellodee · 22/10/2020 09:07

I have made lots of unhappy posts about teaching, but I think OP has purposefully misunderstood the complaint me and others like me have been making. Out of five “full classes” of KS4 students in my last day this half term, I had a sum total of ONE student in. They got taken out half way through the lesson. But at least the school was open, and that’s what matters, eh folks?

Barbie222 · 22/10/2020 09:08

how do we get to a place where everyone feels school is safer to return to the same learning practices we had previously?

I think the key to this is having transmission really low before schools open as normal, and if they aren't in some regions, we limit numbers as we did in June until they are, unfortunately. It would have meant a lot less disruption all round.

Nellodee · 22/10/2020 09:09

Behaving as though there is never going to be a vaccine currently would be like turning to cannibalism when you got snowed in for a couple of days. It would be a bit premature and you’d feel like a murderous idiot as soon as the snow melted.

Barbie222 · 22/10/2020 09:09

@Marcellemouse

Maybe discuss them on a specific teachers forum.
So you don't have to be reminded about it? You asked the question!