How are teachers feeling now?

[ssd]

I've got an awful lot of sympathy for teachers in all this, I feel they've been hung out to dry. But hopefully the vaccine news and cases coming down will make them feel a bit better.
My kids have left school so I've got a general interest. .no bone to grind.

I’ve just been diagnosed with anxiety. Feel physically sick every morning. In tears driving to work feeling totally overwhelmed by the whole situation. No sign of a vaccine and ‘in school exams’ situation is a nightmare for everyone- had a parent ask me to ‘do my pupils a favour and make sure they do well because of covid’.... what she meant by favour is cheat by telling them the content of upcoming assessments. I’ve just about had enough. Trying to hang on for another two weeks and hoping the easter fortnight magically gives me the emotional strength to get through the summer term. My GP thinks I should be off work :( I’ve never felt worse re work :(

I do believe the nurse who was quite famous in the first pandemic because she cried when the shelves were bare at the supermarket has now said she is resigning : so that's one example of a nurse saying she is on her knees on SM. Many nurses have taken to SM to complain vociferously about PPE shortages : otherwise how would we know? There isn't anything like the same sheer numbers of police as tecahers on MN.

I have several police friends on FB inclusing my DSis . Always venting about workload and behaviour of the public and government.

I agree with every single gripe NHS staff have but it is simply not true there haven't been posts and threads on here bemoaning their lot. Usually - but not always- kindly received. You might not have seen them manic.

I am not sure why a thread where people chat about how they feel within one workforce has to entertain you?

Well, I’d say it was derailing, so I shall get the thread back to the question as it’s so interesting hear how others are finding things. Thanks to all who have shared their views.

I’m in primary, @ssd and pleased to be back with the children. The children-although there have been lots of tears and anxiety, are generally so pleased to be back. There are no masks though so it all feels a bit surreal sometimes.

Most of the staff aren’t vaccinated and like a pp mentioned, I find myself having to have remote meetings with people who refuse to come into schools (social worker, EP, specialist teacher, speech therapist, family support worker and nurse, so far) who have ALL been vaccinated, yet I’m in a meeting room, unvaccinated, with unvaccinated parents who aren’t wearing a mask.

Fair enough, Piggy, I have seen a couple but nothing at all on the scale of teacher threads of all kinds. Though I admit I am obviously more likely to look at a teacherthreaf than one of a profession that has nothing to do with me. However, I do genuinely think there's an imbalance. Mumsnet has a whole board for teachers (the staffroom). Not sure if there are others for other jobs. I'm only talking about real life and mumsnet, I don't use Twitter etc.

Not sure what other purpose anyone has for reading a mumsnet thread though? It's a social media forum. If it's not I terestong, why would anyone read it?

*interesting, that should say.

or else it's just very boring to read

If you find a thread asking for teachers opinions boring to read, may I suggest you find a different thread. I’ve found it really interesting and look forward to reading more views from teachers.

Just completely exhausted.

I was in school last week and I’ve never been so unenthusiastic. I barely got to Friday. It feels like I’m dragging myself along by the fingernails.

I really don’t want to go in tomorrow.

I read this one because it was interesting to me as a teacher. I am more interested in why non teachers feel the need to come along and tell teachers they are wrong in what they are feeling! Which happens every single time. I think some posters feel personally affronted that the teachers who are theoretically teaching their DCs aren't relentlessly positive and happy and can't seem to accept that teachers who seem positive in public might actually feel quite stressed, sad, exhausted and anxious. SM is literally for moaning, sharing and venting when you can't do it in your working day!

There is also EduTwitter.

I don't know why there isn't a nurse's corner on MN or why staffroom even came to be. There is an academics' corner,, though. The OP isn't a teacher so is right to ask her question outside of the staffroom, if she wants.

I don't find it boring at all. To me, it's one of the most interesting threads active right now. But it's interesting precisely because there are a range of people on it with a range of different opinions - happy teachers, unhappy teachers, supportive non teachers and non supportive non teachers. I find the posts of all of them interesting. If it was 220 posts from just one of those 4 groups - less interesting. Variety of opinion is good.

I have two jobs, one working in a school. I'm so lucky that I qualified for my vaccination with my other job, but it's my job at the school that makes me feel very uncomfortable and I've had a few wobbles. It doesn't sit right, I keep 2m distance from everyone other than my family and then go into work and just can't keep away from the children.

I understand why the vaccinations are done on a risk basis, but there's no acknowledgement for those that have to work in close proximity to others with little protection. They have no choice but to put themselves at risk. Yes, we all have for going out is food shopping if we can't get deliveries and exercise, but that can be done as carefully we chose.

Not sure if there are others for other jobs. I'm only talking about real life and mumsnet, I don't use Twitter etc.

Mumsnet has boards for Carers, HCP Chat, Academics, Bloggers and Business founders/entrepreneurs

Happy to be back in school (secondary) and angry they were closed.
Tired after two weeks back and looking forward to hols starting on Thurs.
Can’t stand the moaning from so many on here.
Grateful to have a job I love and not redundant like so many people I know.

Ok, thanks Chloe. I wonder if teaching threads just spill out more into other topics because most people on mumsnet have an interest in teachers (as parents) whereas they don't in other careers.

I have tried posting in Staff room before but I find it's quite dead, except for one thread. It's frustrating to put something in the 'right' place and get zero replies when you know you can get a good conversation by putting it in Covid or AIBU.

I’m actually also quite worried about the mental health of my HT at the moment-the stress levels have been huge for them and it seems as if they have aged ten years in the last 12 months. There are a LOT of management job vacancies being advertised at the moment which suggests my HT isn’t alone in wanting out .

Personally I’m completely mentally and physically exhausted, but so relieved to be seeing my students face to face again.

Weirdly though, for the first time ever, I’ve got three emails from separate teaching recruitment sites in just one week who seem overrun with vacancies, especially for secondary teachers. Sounds like a lot of teachers have had enough

Yes, agree that HTs have a hideous job right now. Ours is very, very anxious and trying to enforce rules which nobody has much appetite to follow. But the responsibility is theirs in the end so I can see why they are more cautious, even without having much direct physical contact with people.

Exhausted. Was pleased to be back but now I'm in isolation with the rest of my class as one of them has covid. No vaccine for a long time to come. Depressed.

Oh cross post Letseatgrandma
That’s worrying isn’t it, but completely understandable on their part.

I'm physically much more tired than I was in remote learning but mentally, I find it's a lot less draining than being online. I had headaches and twitchy eyes every day in Jan/Feb. Now it's more like needing a healthy nights sleep every night.

I think the main difference is that school feels worthwhile whereas online school feels pointless.

The kids this week we’re incredibly badly behaved and pissed off to be back. I teach KS4 and KS5.
Anyone else?

Totallyfedup Ours are more badly behaved than usual, yes. But more in a way that suggests they've forgotten normal classroom behaviour. Sometimes it's like they forget they aren't on mute and that everyone can see and hear them. Other times I think they're just really keen to chat and socialise but less keen to do their work. They've been used to being the centres of their own little worlds for a while and have forgotten to consider others as much.

I wouldn't say ours are pissed off. There's a couple who were happier at home but most are really excited to be back. A few of the younger ones are very tactile and tearful at the moment.

I'm KS2 and 3 though, which could be a VERY different beast to KS4 and KS5!!

@manicinsomniac

Totallyfedup Ours are more badly behaved than usual, yes. But more in a way that suggests they've forgotten normal classroom behaviour. Sometimes it's like they forget they aren't on mute and that everyone can see and hear them. Other times I think they're just really keen to chat and socialise but less keen to do their work. They've been used to being the centres of their own little worlds for a while and have forgotten to consider others as much.

I wouldn't say ours are pissed off. There's a couple who were happier at home but most are really excited to be back. A few of the younger ones are very tactile and tearful at the moment.

I'm KS2 and 3 though, which could be a VERY different beast to KS4 and KS5!!

Aw, that’s actually quite sweet.

No, mine were definitely more ‘what’s the point in us being here?!’ and ‘this is too early’ and just rude for the most part...like I personally commanded them all back in.

And we are working on gathering evidence...which they are so not interested in doing.

Yes, I think forgetting classroom behaviour is definitely part of it.

We also had ‘you can’t make me wear my mask, it’s not compulsory’ and general SD compliance was low.

As I said - utterly exhausting.

Oh yes, we definitely have mask issues in KS3. I don't make them wear them to rehearse or perform because it doesn't work but they seem to think that means they don't have to wear them in teaching time either ('give an inch' syndrome, I guess!) We aren't asking them to social distance within year bubbles which definitely makes our lives easier right now but will mean the whole year group isolating if we get a case.

Their attitude does sound miserable for you though. Must male you wonder why you bother

Really happy to be back.
The main issue is the planning of “assessments” for year 11 and 13. I don’t think anyone outside of teaching has any idea how much time and effort goes into this. Everyone thinks exams are cancelled, but lots of schools are doing a series of tests, which require a lot of planning. The exam boards have done very little.