Teacher / school staff solidarity needed

[OpheliasCrayon]

It's my last day of term today, but I just wanted to know if any other teachers were really upset by yesterday's news that secondary children were going to go back staggered in Jan and we needed to do online learning.

I'm primary and sen so, I'm not secondary, but I just burst into tears, I don't trust the government to stick to anything, I've been asked to prepare this anyway in case of bubble closures or if the government change their minds any further and I don't trust the government to stick to anything.

And furthermore I am very certain that they have no power of rational thought due to their insane ideas to roll out mass testing in schools. We're teachers not medics.

I just cried though. I can't take any more this term and this just felt like such a low blow from the government, dropping this on seriously exhausted teachers right at the end of term.

I know we do all plan during the holidays- that's a given, but it just felt like such a cheap shot because the government left us literally no time to prepare anything in school and basically have said here - happy Christmas, now you can prepare for this during your holidays (along with all of your usual planning) and have even less of a rest.

I just wanted to know if any other teachers felt like this?

And if you're not a teacher or member of school staff and have any inkling of having ANY sort of a go at us for what we can / can't / should / shouldn't do in school... Can I please urge you not to. I know that everyone has a right to free speech but I have no wish for this to turn into yet another teacher bashing thread (of which there have been many) when I know that I am at my absolute wit's end with this, completely exhausted and tearful and just wanting some solidarity from fellow education workers.

My school have been nothing but absolutely fantastic throughout about everything so my upset is purely at the government, just to be clear, and how they're treating us

Thank you

Oh and I also wanted to say thank you to those posters with support on this thread but who are not teachers. My own Head forwarded an email this morning with lots of quotes from our parents who had emailed in and wanted to say thank you to the staff.
This gave me a frog in my throat I must say.
It is really appreciated.

I'm a primary teacher. I completely agree with you and feel desperately sorry for the secondary teachers. From my own experience of having to do live lessons at points this term for children who are isolating, it's virtually impossible to use what has been planned for an "in school" lesson for those at home due to resourcing, cooperative learning strategies used which won't work at home, etc. Plus not being able to say the name of any pupil in school due to GDPR has completely changed what teaching looks like in these circumstances. Also, it takes lots of time to adapt the planning for it to actually work, and then change the activity because it doesn't always work for those at home, and also the situation where children don't have access to a printer/ pencil/ paper/ books etc so staff have had to spend time dropping packs at homes of children. I am extremely frustrated that the government think that it is appropriate to tell teachers in the last couple of days before the holidays with the expectation that they use their well-earned holiday to plan for this.

Disgusted. But not at all surprised.

We are in Wales and thankfully finished on site last Friday, although we have been blended learning since Monday.
I watching absolutely aghast at what's happening over the border. Williamson should resign and I think it's appalling teachers are expected to give covid tests. I hope you are ok

The remote learning for non exam year groups is fine. We've been gearing up for video lessons en masse all term. Glad to have the exam groups in, and its only a week. Its the unknown of in school testing that worries me. When you see the precautions taken at a testing site.... How on earth can it be safe to do anything similar to that in an active school? That's what I'm scared about. DH and I are both secondary teachers. He now has emergency extra SLT meetings at the end if today to plan for this. We're both on our knees.

Another Primary teacher here feeling exactly the same. Exhausted and furious that the government have done this to our secondary colleagues. Also so worried about what is about to be thrown at us too. I need to do some planning but feel unmotivated when I have to do double the amount as normal to take jnto account blended learning, which may or may not be even used.

It's total shambles & must be so stressful for schools to manage.

Nobel Giraffe started a thread about it yesterday, from what I was reading the logistics of it are literally impossible hit it makes a good headline so Gavin doesn't fucking care.

Huge thanks to all teachers, you're doing a Sterling job

It's insanity.

I teach in a 6th form and as we have year 12 assessments/mocks during the first week back, we don't yet know whether they'll be in or not as they're not an "exam year group." I spent hours developing a week of exam preparation and support enrichment, which is far easier to do face to face than remotely.

We felt this necessary given that the current year 12s have never sat formal exams (no gcse.) It will be dreadful if they now also don't get this opportunity and if we have to shove their assessments back to eat into even more teaching time.

The problem is that our year 13s have exams the second week back so if I am in the first week, I cannot simultaneously deliver the programme to year 12s who may now be at home. And I have no idea if I will be in as my job straddles both year groups but the subjects I teach aren't exam subjects.

Clarity and timeliness would have helped here

Presumably I'll be spending a good chunk of my holiday replanning work I had already spent the last couple of weekends planning to try and make it deliverable as an online package.
Or maybe I won't. 🤷‍♀️

The latest email we've had from our head of 6th says "I'm so sorry - we don't yet know who will be on site and who won't but will let you know as soon as possible"

Although I will add Wales are also staggering starts...... All children expected by by the 18th. When this was said in the summer they went back 1 day a week so I'm waiting with held breath

I'm not a teacher but have been and still work in education. I'm actually doing a project at the moment about how schools adapted to online learning and know how much effort, skill and creativity it demands. I was furious when I saw the news and so was almost everyone I know. I'm so sorry for teachers.

The education service (because it is just as the NHS, emergency services etc are) is currently being held together by the goodwill and hard work of those working in it. This is the same for many many workers. I don’t believe another party would be so inconsiderate of peoples mental health and well-being as this current shambles of tax haven wankers. This will impact in teachers leaving the profession or others not leaving. Throw money at them but you treat people like this they will walk away.

Not a teacher but quite incandescent about the government’s handling of this (and everything else).
Thanks to all of you who have worked so hard this term- it’s been a tough one but parents are exceedingly grateful for your efforts

Thread from Twitter yesterday.

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1338951923089764355.html

I’m not a teacher but do work in schools intermittently. I’m so angry and frustrated at what’s going on with schools. All the gas lighting, lack of funding/support/acknowledgment and the determination to fuck up school staff having a break at any opportunity.

My friend is surviving this week on gin and chocolate.

On Monday she sent a kid home with a cough. Kid was back in Tuesday saying she was negative and had got a test off her aunty who works for the NHS and had spares. Then yesterday a kid came in even though his Mum had tested positive. She's now waiting to see if second kid has tested positive. If he does that ruins her Christmas (and ours as we had plan to see them) and the Christmas of the entire class. Friend fears there will be a lynching if this happens.

I worked every day over Easter, taught online lessons through the summer term, then spent most of the summer preparing for blended learning and rewriting schemes of work.
Now our Head has asked us to be contactable over Christmas for both contact tracing and to prepare for whatever the government throw at us next. They are becoming so predictable with their last minute demands.
All this 'teachers have long holidays'. I work every weekend and I'm not sure I've had 2 weeks off the whole year. I normally work a 70 hour week.
In exchange for this, I get an unsafe classroom. I'm also CV/ECV depending which meds I'm on.
I am so, so done.

@TellMeDinosaurFacts

I'm not a teacher but have been and still work in education. I'm actually doing a project at the moment about how schools adapted to online learning and know how much effort, skill and creativity it demands. I was furious when I saw the news and so was almost everyone I know. I'm so sorry for teachers.

I mean I admire the skill and ingenuity it involves -- we can't do it really in SEN. Our kids will be in as we are able to stay open during any lock downs howveer, we cant be in when bubbles close and it's impossible to really set anything that the children can do. We tried our best when it happened but...it's just not possible in our setting really.

School staff are amazing.

I work across many schools as part of the LA education team. We worked till late last night (again) to be able to support schools today. DfE update didn't come until 18.20 last night.

Our message to HT's is that in January we will support you. There is a whole raft of training, safeguarding, permissions, risk assessments, recruitment, and logistics to work through. We do not expect anyone to work over Christmas ( apart from the ridiculous on call track and trace). From 4th of January we will start to look at putting testing in place where this is feasible in schools.

We are all at breaking point in schools. I cried yesterday too...just another 'final straw'.

I work in a primary school and have honestly never been so exhausted in my life. But when I think about secondary school staff I could just cry for you. The government and sadly the system as a whole including a small minority of parents seen to want schools to be responsible for everything in regards to the children they teach. Schools and staff are at breaking point and to be told at the end of term that you literally need to be prepared for a huge change at the start of next term sums up the lack of care the government have for school staff.

Just to add my sympathies as a parent here
Also may be some perspective, meant in a nice way as a parent of a year9 and 13. Although I know it's easier said than done

The key years are in. Try not to worry about the others. They will be fine

Not a teacher but school governor and university lecturer. Just popping on to give my support to you all.I know how hard you're working and how little the government get things. Try to get a rest if you can.

I have huge sympathy for teachers, OP. I’m an NHS GP and it’s been absolute hell for us during this pandemic (and there’s been a lot of GP bashing too), but I have to say I feel for teachers and am kind of glad that I didn’t leave my profession to retrain as a teacher now (did think about it at one point a few years ago due to the stress of my job and trying to juggle work with single motherhood, but ultimately decided teaching appeared similarly stressful for less financial reward, although I’m envious of the school holidays - and I know from teacher friends that a good chunk of that is spent preparing etc. anyway). It’s so unreasonable of the government to do this at the last second as usual. I understand they have to react to changing situations with the virus but there’s no need to leave things quite so late so that what is always going to be a bit stressful with added work for teachers becomes huge panicked chaos and demands that work is done completely in their own unpaid time. Totally unfair.

And the testing idea... well I think it’s unsafe to replace isolation with testing symptomatic children anyway. I’d welcome more testing for schoolchildren but can’t see why parents can’t do this from their homes on their own children if this is coming in. I have been really surprised at the teacher bashing on mumsnet (and IRL), I understand people feel strongly about childrens education (although sometimes I think there is way too much worry about academic success and not enough in mental well-being in children in the UK in general) but demoralising teachers for being understandably concerned about genuine risks in a pandemic (which the government seems reluctant to let them mitigate) isn’t helpful. I’m glad my son’s secondary head insisted on students wearing masks at all times except when eating and drinking after they had a few cases in week one of back to school in September when they were not wearing masks and parents were sending in symptomatic children. I think it’s really helped and they are all used to it now and forget they are even wearing them. Mind you even with that they seem to have had a flurry of COVID cases in the last few weeks of term, my son was sent home as a contact to self isolate which makes me even gladder he was wearing his mask the whole time.

I think in your shoes I’d enjoy the break for a bit and wait and see what’s being said in the New Year. Many parents can see how teachers are being treated and know they are being treated unnecessarily harshly by the government and some on social media etc.

I really appreciate everything my DCs schools have done this term and have told them so.
On the flip side, this news has given my DC some hope. DS is currently in his 3rd period of self isolation, is 16 and he's got GCSEs this summer. He's actually starting to suffer mentally and we're really hope this testing will mean DC are much less disrupted. I can obviously see how annoying this is for a teachers POV, but as a parent of teens I'd do anything to help out at schools for the sake of the DC and the huge impact it's having on them.

I cried all yesterday afternoon. I have been remote teaching this week as we have so man staff isolating we couldn’t open. I have been barely holding it together. I have been crawling to the holidays and thought I would feel better at end of term but everything has just hit me now. I haven’t seen my mum since March as she’s in a nursing home, I haven’t even spoken to her as she condition means she is mute and has no muscle strength to hold a phone. It’ll be the first Christmas in my life when I haven’t even spoken to her. I had a call to collect my children from school yesterday as DS has a temp so had to take him for a test. I may have a Covid Christmas to get through and then there was THAT news. I feel broken.

(Sorry for the pity post. I don’t talk to anyone about this IRL. I don’t want my family to worry)

I don't know anyone working in teaching who isn't at breaking point with it all.

Excellent timing once again. It was our last day on site yesterday. The head sent a 'we dunno what's happening' email and we all grabbed everything we could to take home just in case.

I'm annoyed about year 10 - I took their books in because I have barely looked at them this term, if I'd known I'd have made sure they had them in case of remote learning. Stuff like that has a real impact because most of them WILL lose any work they do on paper.

I'm trying not to let it get to me, but not having a plan really impacts my mental health, and I'm sure it does for a lot of the pupils and parents as well.

I don't agree that this has come as a surprise.

We've known since March that there would be disruption, and a realistic need to deliver lessons online.

I have just about killed myself preparing online resources this term, so that I would be ready to go online with no notice. As a result, I have all my lessons on Google Classroom beyond the February half-term.