How are teachers actually feeling at the moment?

[ermmm2021]

Just in general really? How are you all feeling knowing you have to go back or not go back to school tomorrow? About the amount of news you've got?

It's hard enough being a parent right now so I'm trying to imagine the position you're all in to remember you have little control of it all and you all have feelings too.

I'm angry our school have not given any information or responded to any concerns but I'm guessing you may not be in a position to.

I’m not a teacher but my daughter is. She’s not overly worried going back, no more than she has been throughout.

Not a teacher but work in a school. I'm very reassured by the safety measures we have in place. I think the huge amount of news coverage makes me feel a bit jittery, but when I think about it properly, I'm actually feeling confident about returning.

No issues going back. Hate remote teaching and just want my classes in front of me. GCSE and A-Level pupils need face to face teaching in my subject.

I just want the kids I teach to have an education without jumping through endless hoops.

Btw most teachers will be going back even if schools only open for KW and vulnerable pupils. They don’t get time off to sit at home.

I love the students and love teaching, but think the DfE's handling of the pandemic has been nothing short of appalling. I'm considering whether I want to remain in teaching long term or return to my previous career.

If it reassures you that it's not necessarily your DC's schools being rubbish, during the DfE press conference head teachers were online having to ask each other what Gavin Williamson was on about. In recent days, guidance to schools has been changing within 24 hours.

I want schools to be open in a way that makes pupil and staff safety a priority and I want the DfE to be held accountable for their terrible handling of the situation.

I want all children to be in school but I think a few weeks with partial school closures (KW and vulnerable children in) would be best for everyone long term. People will undoubtedly become infected and some will die if we return to full opening with the infection rates so high. I am worried for myself, my family, the children I teach and their families, my colleagues and their families, the impact increased transmission will have on the NHS. Shut now so we don't (further) overwhelm the NHS and so we don't have to partially-close for a potentially longer period further down the line.

I just want to know. I'm a teacher at one school but my dc go to another. We know it's not safe and want to keep our dc off- trying to work out logistics but I don't know whether to go in or not. Worked throughout last lockdown and Easter and my dc went in but I'm in tier 4 and hospital overwhelmed and I know too many people I'll at the moment to make my decision a clear cut one. The guilt if I make someone ill or died is one I could do without.
Completely abandoned by government is how I feel.

Grateful for my job security.
A bit on edge about the uncertainty.
Sympathetic to students, parents and school leaders.
Hoping my anxiety doesn't creep up as I approach the third trimester.

I want to go back as I hate on line learning. I’m very nervous though - far more than I have been since March.

Seeing so many families mixing over the holidays hasn’t helped my nerves .

I am back at work as normal full safety of hand washing and windows to reduce risk.
I am lucky live in a low area work in special so total kids i work with around 24 and 9 other adults across a few rooms
I would ratger face to face teach any day but I believe more has to be done to actually make schools safer, these have been discussed since lockdown 1
Personally, the negativity from the press, government and public has made me re evaluate my role. I workat least £15000 worth of unpaid overtime a year, now, no more. I will look to join a union with a strong work to rule philosophy. I used to be happy to go in on days off for meetings, to take kids to hospital appointments, I use my own car and fuel, unpaid to transport kids. Now, this will be rare, my goodwill well is dry. That has been the covid impact for me.

Not a teacher but work in a school. Apprehensive about the lateral flow tests we have been told we will have to take part in administering. Not because of the extra work, but because I hope to god that the unreliable negative results won’t take the place of self-isolation for students or teachers who come into contact with covid positive people. I don’t want to be part of something that is possibly going to make the situation in schools worse, or part of the government pretence that they are doing something useful.

I am nervous. I have already lost my mum during this pandemic. I work with 2-4 yr olds who have no notion of social distancing. I also have asthma. On Monday I will be back in the classroom unable to wear a mask. When the parents test positive they don’t get their children tested. Yes, we have windows & doors open, & spend as much time outside as possible, but we do not have patio heaters & the weather is set to be only just above freezing so we will be inside for a fair proportion of the day. This does not feel safe. I love my work but I also wish to be able to keep safe myself & not to have to send my own children in to school.

I just want to know one way or another, I want to know what I'm planning for, I still feel it's a bit up in the air. I'm not worried about going in and teaching but I am also happy to teach online of need be. I just want to know for sure!

I'm not overly worried about going back myself (secondary teacher) as, although it has been tough since Sept, I feel I can keep myself safe enough.

I have big worries about my infant school age child who I feel will be less safe and when we catch this virus, I think it will be brought home by her. (I feel at the minute it's more of a when, not if we catch it unfortunately). I wish I could take her out of school but while ever I have to be in school myself, it's just not an option.

I feel most sorry for primary school teachers, how they are doing their job at the minute is beyond me. I'm getting sick of reading negative posts about teachers at the moment. Unless you've worked in a school, during this pandemic, you've got no idea. Those so desperate for schools to remain open at all costs should sign up to volunteer and help keep schools open, rather than teacher bashing online.

I feel more nervous about my dc catching and transmitting it and I worry more about catching it myself now the more transmissible version is here. I have huge empathy with working parents and students -I found online learning with my own primary school nigh on impossible. I would absolutely hate to be a primary teacher just now. I loathe the government for their hugely reactionary approach rather than proactive approach.

Me and my husband are both clinically vulnerable so I’m scared about teaching back in a poorly ventilated room of 30 people with no masks or protection. I’m scared for my elderly ecv mum who I care for. I’m angry that the government has let this virus rip through our schools and communities when we could have had rotas and other measures such as masks etc to help slow the spread. I am sad and worried for the pupils in my class as well as my own two (primary aged) children. I worry about their futures and impact all this is having. I am exhausted from the constant worry. Seven of my colleagues have had the virus. I know it’s only a matter of time until I get it too. I am saddened by the constant teacher bashing. I am shocked by the amount of bots and trolls that are allowed to perpetuate this. I am worried that soon there will be no experienced teachers left in our profession and what that means for the future of education. I worry for the vulnerable families in my school. I worry about how we’re going to share the 8 laptops we got from the DfE with our partner school. I worry how I will homeschool my own kids if needed whilst teaching other people’s.

I will take this as a genuine question despite the teacher-bashing on many threads. I am terrified. My school has a fair management team who allowed mitigation but schools were never safe and they will be Covid soup with the new strain doing the rounds. I am scared for me, my family and all of you. There will be no hospital beds left for anyone with any health issue, let alone complications with Covid. I am not trying to make life difficult for working parents but my nerves are shot with all the worry. I don’t know any teacher who enjoys online learning but it is the only thing to do for the next few weeks (IMO). I have taught for over twenty years so this isn’t about a lack of commitment. The government of this country have let us down.

Furious with this shit government for not planning properly in advance for what was pretty much OBVIOUSLY going to happen.

Annoyed that I have to make uninformed choices about whether I'm comfortable being back in school. Why are they keeping this information from us? Obstructive shits.

Frustrated that I can't plan properly for what, and how, I'm supposed to be teaching in only a few hours time. Cross that I have to ask my team to do things that I just don't know enough about the safety of.

So you know, everything is just chipper.

Sen teacher here so have worked throughout and our school will remain open as it has done. I'm CEV, haven't shielded at any point - I don't want to. Not worried. Very happy to go back. No concerns but then covid has never worried me in the slightest.

Agree with a lot of the above. It makes my life much easier to be teaching in school and have my own children in school too but I'm frankly insulted that the cases are approaching 60k per day and yet all we have in primary schools is a bit of extra hand washing and the ability to open windows if we are lucky enough to have them.

The government had so many opportunities to work with schools to develop stages like rota learning and national online learning for when we needed it but they just stuck their fingers in their ears and said that they were keeping schools open no matter the cost. We are going to lose a lot more education in the long run (and many have due to repeated isolations).

I left teaching just before lockdown and not sorry I have missed the last year. I now teach online, and it works really well, but I only work with individuals and small groups - if there was no Covid, I would be in a centre rather than WFH.

If I was still at school, I would want us all to be in school, but only if I could have my own classroom - none of this keeping year groups in bases and teachers moving around. I would want 'my own' environment'. That said, I think we should have locked down for two weeks Oct half term and a month at Christmas.

Kids are going to spread this virus because they and schools are ideal for transmission - we need careful planning - I saw this coming in the summer and even when numbers were climbing, people were saying, we don't need to do anything, numbers are low. Sooner rather than later.

I'm tired, mostly. Trying to keep up with the news and plan when no one knows what's going to be announced next.

I'm a secondary head of department. I am recovering from Covid which I caught despite following all the rules. I'm scared to go back but won't show that at school. I'm breezy as fuck at school.

Thank you for asking. No one asks.

The government have sold you all down the river. Schools are safe? Right. They could be a lot safer. Kids are scared too.