To dread homeschooling

[Johan23]

I’m in Scotland where the schools don’t go back to the 11th, and for a week it will be remote learning (I imagine it will be longer). In the last lockdown my son was still at nursery, so we didn’t have to homeschool.

It was still a freaking nightmare working from home as he wanted our attention all of the time.

Our work is going through a ridiculously busy period, and we are all expected to just “get on with it”. But, I am totally stressing as I really can’t bear to go through all this juggling again.

@Whattimeisdinner

Look I'm not disputing there are teachers who have broken their backs, but at my school there was nothing, no calls, no videos, no lessons and DJ you'll forgive me for using my experience, not someone else's, as my barometer

From where I’m standing that is inconceivable. We would have been sacked!
Everyone in this position should complain.
I was at my computer or on the phone every day.

When you have a head who won't flex on attitude I'm sorry but no amount of complaining works - sadly some teachers are martyrs

@Whattimeisdinner

To everyone who got nothing during lockdown- What the hell were the staff at your school doing? We were flat out. How did they get away with it?

Lockdown 'projects'

Sunbathed

Got puppies

I've seen the evidence

But to be fair to them it came from the top

My DC's primary school was great last time. The teachers were working really, really hard, the 'remote learning' was about appropriate for what's possible at young primary age, they tried to work out what could be done by students where some of them had two furloughed parents with free time and laptops and some had no internet connection and some were being looked after by older siblings whose first language wasn't English. They did (non-live) video lessons, they tried to set activities realistically and provide feedback as work came in, they were kind and helpful and did all they could.

So I am NOT bashing teachers. Honestly. Honestly I am not.

But I am still absolutely dreading homeschooling again, because it is just not possible to do that and my own job and care for my toddler all at the same time. It is not. And there is no form of 'online learning' which is going to work for young primary children under those circumstances. It doesn't matter if it's a single Twinkl worksheet or an all-singing all-dancing lineup of Teams lessons for the day, my children are not old enough to be left to get on with it by themselves, and I am not able to support them because I cannot physically be in three places at once.

So YANBU, OP. The thought of being back to this again makes me want to weep. I qualify as a keyworker under ScotGov categories this time, but we still won't be able to use keyworker childcare/school as DH doesn't - and yet he's still expected to do his job - so, oh well, eh?

And the best my government can do to make this feasible is suggest that I talk to my employer to "come up with a balance that works for everyone".

I would have loved to have even seen my garden this year, let alone step foot in it .

Yep, @SkySports is one earlier in the thread.
The secondaries aren't arguing that they should stay open are they - probably quite happy with them being told to shut to all but KW again. Last time our teachers in our 2 local schools worked 1 out of 3 weeks - I mean seriously furlough them on furlough pay if that's the limit of effort given

so do please tell me, given there was no marking, no feedback, no lessons, no calls - what were you doing with your remaining 7 plus hours a day?

As I say, this was not my experience.
My DC had a hotline to their teachers and tutors. Emails pinging back and forth all day.

Same here as a teacher. Either on-line or on the phone.

I have no idea how schools got away with less.

@Whattimeisdinner

so do please tell me, given there was no marking, no feedback, no lessons, no calls - what were you doing with your remaining 7 plus hours a day?

As I say, this was not my experience.
My DC had a hotline to their teachers and tutors. Emails pinging back and forth all day.

Same here as a teacher. Either on-line or on the phone.

I have no idea how schools got away with less.

Well sadly they did, it must be hard to comprehend if you provided much more, that there are teachers getting away with not fulfilling the basics of their role, but it happened and will happen again

Yep. It's possible to dread home learning again and recognise that it's not the fault of teachers who are probably weighing up dreading it with relief that they will have a break from being in a highly unsafe workplace.

Totally.

I was getting emails from students at 10.30pm or over the weekends or half term asking for guidance about the work - and I replied every single time.

When you have a head who won't flex on attitude I'm sorry but no amount of complaining works - sadly some teachers are martyrs

They can think what they want. They had a legal obligation to provide work.
It makes me mad that an entire profession is being tarred with this brush.
At our school we worked. Hard.
As did my DC’s teachers and tutors.

I was getting emails from students at 10.30pm or over the weekends or half term asking for guidance about the work - and I replied every single time.

Me too!!
If the inbox ‘pinged’ I answered the message!

I totally recognise that even if you were a parent at my school (who were overwhelmingly delighted with the provision; we know, we surveyed them) that you still wouldn't be looking forward to having to do this again, especially if it means being stuck for childcare (primary) or leaving younger secondary aged ones alone.

@Whattimeisdinner

When you have a head who won't flex on attitude I'm sorry but no amount of complaining works - sadly some teachers are martyrs

They can think what they want. They had a legal obligation to provide work.
It makes me mad that an entire profession is being tarred with this brush.
At our school we worked. Hard.
As did my DC’s teachers and tutors.

As with all professions, some people are in it because they love it, it's their vocation - and some are in it for the money.

I just wish there were a few of the former at my school as the only people they let down were the children

@ByersRd

Yep, *@SkySports* is one earlier in the thread. The secondaries aren't arguing that they should stay open are they - probably quite happy with them being told to shut to all but KW again. Last time our teachers in our 2 local schools worked 1 out of 3 weeks - I mean seriously furlough them on furlough pay if that's the limit of effort given

Public sector workers can't be furloughed, so that's a non starter of an argument.

It's secondary school teachers who have been doing the media's job of raising awareness about the dangerous situation in their schools. They have been campaigning for schools to be safer, so that they can stay open.

One of my friends is a primary school teacher who was in on keyworker cover approx every three weeks. The rest of the time, she was trying to 'teach' her class of 30, most of who don't have their own device, nor Broadband, nor a parent in the house who can speak English. Some had an older sibling who could help.

She spent weeks of her time not in school sorting out supermarket vouchers for families, as the scheme was far from accessible or efficient.

Obviously on her own phone with the data paid for by herself.

Lazy fucker.

Well sadly they did, it must be hard to comprehend if you provided much more, that there are teachers getting away with not fulfilling the basics of their role, but it happened and will happen again

It is hard to comprehend.
Like I said, we would have lost our jobs.

Whattimeisdinner

NO schools didn't have a legal obligation to provide work.

The GOVERNMENT SUSPENDED THE CURRICULUM.

Sorry to shout, but this information has been provided so many times and people still don't seem to get it in their froth of teacher bashing.

I do work across schools in my broad experience where school leaders are strong, expectations were higher, however the curriculum was suspended by the government not schools.

During lockdown, strong leaders also ensured that school improvement continued, CPD, staff training, addressing action planning, to continue to move the school on. Schools are so pressured time to really look at research and pedagogy is so limited usually. Vulnerable children and families were well cared for, staff going the extra mile to deliver food, the community of the school supported with mental health. Leaders supported each other and the local authority to develop risk assessments, change and adapt moderation etc etc

If experiences were poor, I would be looking at whether the school is all it seems exploring a change of school.

She spent weeks of her time not in school sorting out supermarket vouchers for families, as the scheme was far from accessible or efficient. Obviously on her own phone with the data paid for by herself. Lazy fucker.

Lazy fucker indeed! 😂
I upgraded our WiFi and bought a laptop to replace my old one at my own expense so that I could actually work properly. I used my own phone to make calls... I bought practical resources from Amazon and posted them to students out of my own money (school finance office was closed) ...
I am indeed a lazy fucker...

I know some teachers at DS school were working incredibly hard as it was very easy to see the subjects where the teachers were doing live classes, marking work, feeding back comments versus the ones providing a few powerpoint slides or worse not telling us our DS hadn't logged in to their subject until the summer term report.

Again I don't blame the teachers- I don't know their individual circumstances- but I would point out that in my Financial services role most of us were working long hours to adjust to the changing landscape and those of us with DCs were having to juggle hours and timings.

In our school there is a leadership team. That's who should be coordinating this stuff and communicating with the parents. Perhaps I have higher expectations as DS goes to a private school, but they are well paid and should be sorting out the coordination.

@ByersRd

I do work across schools in my broad experience where school leaders are strong, expectations were higher, however the curriculum was suspended by the government not schools.

During lockdown, strong leaders also ensured that school improvement continued, CPD, staff training, addressing action planning, to continue to move the school on. Schools are so pressured time to really look at research and pedagogy is so limited usually. Vulnerable children and families were well cared for, staff going the extra mile to deliver food, the community of the school supported with mental health. Leaders supported each other and the local authority to develop risk assessments, change and adapt moderation etc etc

If experiences were poor, I would be looking at whether the school is all it seems exploring a change of school.

Sorry but changing schools not an option here, we are in a Grammar area and so all schools apart from grammars are poor... but that's another story

NO schools didn't have a legal obligation to provide work.

They did.
We will have to agree to disagree.

Sorry but changing schools not an option here, we are in a Grammar area and so all schools apart from grammars are poor... but that's another story

Sounds like it’s the Grammar school that is poor...

@Whattimeisdinner

Sorry but changing schools not an option here, we are in a Grammar area and so all schools apart from grammars are poor... but that's another story

Sounds like it’s the Grammar school that is poor...

I think you misunderstood, my kids don't go to Grammar so get the poor school choices

Whattimeisdinner teachers at my child's school were also driving/cycling around the neighbourhood delivering food - freshly prepared on the school premises - every day to families in receipt of FSM.

Clearly just enjoying the sun, the lazy fuckers.

A friend of mine had a breakdown (not home schooling related...) very near the beginning of lock down and while we (her friends) were trying to sort out childcare for her two children with her highly dysfunctional ex, ensure that she had electricity on her meter, contact the crisis team etc, the school counsellor cycled up and took the children to the park for a few hours for a few days, and sorted out her children being able to access keyworker provision in school.

Obviously not paid.

Another lazy fucker.

Iamusually

It doesn’t seem to matter if the school is independent a state grammar or a comprehensive... Our school is a comprehensive and our SLT set out very clear expectations of staff.