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.

Catching covid = shit.
Teaching online = shit.

Rock and a hard place, all options are shit.

Should have said:

Having to somehow manage a weird mix of in class teaching and remote teaching, in two completely different formats for a range of abilities = shit.

@IHeartKingThistle

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.

I'm sorry you're still getting over covid but I'm just a bit unsure why you're scared to go back... You've had it recently so you're not going to get it again?

A generalisation, but I have noticed that teachers under the age of, say, 35 are not so worried whilst those heading towards fifty and beyond are very worried. Obviously, knowing you are more at risk affects how you face this virus although the hospital situation should concern everyone. I would grab furlough if it were offered to me. I am very envious of those who are still furloughed or working from home, despite understanding there are other pressures. I could have coped- just- if the virus hadn’t mutated and become more infectious.

I’m a yr1 TA.
Not concerned for me personally about going back, and I know both my primary age kids are happier in school. We are lucky that cases are not too bad where we are (yet)
I have previously been against school closures but this time round I think the government are shooting themselves in the foot. Cases have rocketed and to me it makes far more sense to shut the schools for a few weeks now before other areas get completely out of control but my prediction is that we will all go back next week and end up being closed a couple of weeks later...
Looking forward to seeing the kids again and hearing about their christmases though!

I'm angry with the government about their "management" of this whole farce. We could all see, weeks ago, that schools were not safe at all. It's pure luck which schools have been hit hard and which have escaped so far.

I'm also pretty anxious. I've got a primary age dd going into her school on Tuesday with absolutely no mitigations. I'm teaching all yeargroups for my secondary pupils online this week, and the lessons I had planned before the holidays aren't going to work because they were planned for face to face teaching rather than online (so I'll spend all day tomorrow planning lessons for Monday). I've got a week before I'm expected to be in a classroom (that's bloody freezing) with up to 30 pupils at a time. I know that first week of face to face will only have years 11&13 physically in school, but one of my year 11 classes has 30 pupils in it, so we still won't be able to social distance in any way. I don't know how many of them will be in school though, surely some of them will be isolating from contacts over Christmas/new year, or will be staying at home because they're anxious. So I'll be teaching in person AND online for those classes that will. That'll be fun.

Sen teacher here so have worked throughout

Yes, not an SEN teacher here, but I have also worked throughout.

@OpheliasCrayon it's a combination of knowing how bad having it is, knowing that someone I know caught it again after less than 3 months (rare I know but still) and knowing I could bring it home to DH and so could my DC who go to a different secondary school. I'm scared for them too. It may not be logical but I'm more scared now than I was before. I isolated in one room for 10 days when I had it so my family didn't catch it and it messed with my head a bit. Many reasons to be honest!

@BustopherPonsonbyJones

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.

My thoughts exactly. Dh and I also not keen to send our own dc in as kw kids. My dsis suffering terribly 6 months on with long Covid. She doesn't want us to go back in.

I just want to know one way or the other if mine and my kids' school is going to be open on Monday.
I'm happy to send my kids to school and I'm happy to.go to work.
I'm not worried about Covid.

I'm not a teacher (a retired one though) but my daughter teaches in a large secondary school in Surrey. As far as she is aware she's going back to school on Monday but with only Y9/11 plus KW children. She's had endless tests due to pupils and staff testing positive (she hasn't...yet). I feel it's only a matter of time before she tests positive. Her classroom is so small that if she needs to get something out of the cupboard then the whole class has to move.
The other problem at the moment for her school is that with so many teachers absent due to covid it will soon be impossible to run classes either at school or virtually.

@BustopherPonsonbyJones

I'm mid forties. I'm not worried.

@Andi2020

Who are the 'few teachers you have spoken with' who are talking about 'extra time off' and expecting to 'spend more time with own kids'. These are literally the things that will not be happening. I've reported you for spouting bullshit.

Spent 3 hours sorting online learning for Tuesday. I’m over online teaching already!!
Please be under no illusions- teachers hate online learning, but the situation is out of control thanks to our USELESS government who knew exactly this would be happening yet have not listened to us at all.
We have staff zoom meetings tomorrow (Sunday). It’s a good job we have all those holidays and only work till 3.30 right??
....oh wait.

@MrsMomoa
As I said, it was a generalisation but, in my experience, it seems to be more or less the case. On these boards, there are some young teachers who are worried and older teachers who aren’t. There are so many teachers we aren’t always going to agree. I am middle-aged and terrified.

@Andi2020 get over yourself! Most have said in the thread it’s easier actually going in to school than teaching from home so stop spouting your shite about just having some time off.

@Andi2020 how to wreck the teaching profession with a few insensitive remarks!

My thoughts are that I would like an accurate time frame for what is going on so I can be planned properly (normal lessons don’t work easily online), rather than be changing it as I go along.
I would also like updated guidance on exams for years 10 and 11 so that I can prepare/adapt for them rather than everything being last minute.

It’s been a shocking eye opener for me. As soon as my son is in high school (2 years from now) I will be changing career. Thankfully I have other professional qualifications which will make a career change easy.

I'm not getting extra time off!! Who's getting extra time off? I'm getting extra time at home, re planning lessons I'd already planned so they can be delivered remotely instead of in person.

I'm not getting extra time with my kids. Dd is going to school, unless that changes by Tuesday (it might, who knows?) And I'll be working.

I won't be getting to teach my dd, she'll be at school, and if she's at home then she'll be getting extra screen time so I can teach live lessons from the dining table, and she'll be doing her own remote learning set by her teacher. I won't have time to teach her, I didn't during the last lockdown. I was just like all the other working parents, trying to fit in bits and bobs of her education around my own work.

Putting things up on Google classroom isn't going to cut it for my pupils. I'll be recording videos of explanations, putting together resources (some of which might even come from twinkl), and answering emails from pupils. If pupils don't do the work I set, I will have to help them "catch up" when we go back face to face, that's not an easy option for me. Their exam results still reflect on me. Every class I teach is years 10-13, so all of them are preparing for external exams, and all of my lessons are necessary. They don't have the luxury of just not bothering, and neither do I.

Andi, you left out
"And if I had half a brain I'd be dangerous"

OP I'm feeling better that I won't teach face to face till the 18th, but really scared of the current increases and where it's all heading, and anxious having seen a projection that it will be a full year till I get vaccinated.
Also, very very pissed off with Nicola Sturgeon's government.
(If I had Boris, I would be very, very, very pissed off).

@Andi2020

If I was a teacher. I'd say like a few teachers I have spoken with We are lucky on full pay to be Getting extra time off Getting more time with our own kids Can teach them instead of getting infected by kids who mixed over xmas We can put a few bits of work on Google classroom if they do it that's up to the kids but I not bothered whether they do or not I'll still get paid.

Absolute nonsense. Teachers will work harder if schools PARTIALLY close, they will be IN school teaching the few children who will still need to attended and then they will be working EXTRA hours to provide for those children at home. Many will also have their own children's home learning to think about too.

Don't write such utter bollocks.

I’m feeling completely fine from my own perspective. Remote learning was very successful and no issues about being face to face. My concern is that the children will spread the virus even more once they are back in school and will then pass it on to their family and the wider community.