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 hope some more normality in September. I can’t wait for the luxury of having my own room again!

@Welovetoboogie

I’d love a teacher to tell me exactly how they think they work hard compared to a full time working person in the private sector.

Can't be arsed to try to educate you.

I've just booted the laptop up to spend my Sunday planning revision sessions for the GCSE students I'll be teaching in the holidays

@Welovetoboogie yawn.

If you haven't taught in a state school you don't get it. I'm not wasting time listing all the things I do. Ask the teachers you know how tired they feel.

THEY ARE NOT PAID FOR BREAKS YOU STUPID FUCKING IDIOT

Just start a thread called

'How are lawyers feeling now?'
or
'How are call centre staff feeling now?'
or
'How are engineers feeling now?'
or
'How are bus drivers feeling now?'
or
'How are fill in job title here feeling now?'

Cos then you can tell everyone how tired you are too, how busy you are too. This thread is about teachers, as given away by the title of it.

I’m feeling unsurprised that a thread about teachers on MN has released the losers with nothing better to do than try to wind them up.

I wish that people wouldn’t rise to the bait and try to justify themselves to trolls.

There are people out there ready to report any teacher who does this in the hope of getting them banned.

@Welovetoboogie
Which you get paid for

@Welovetoboogie

I’d love a teacher to tell me exactly how they think they work hard compared to a full time working person in the private sector.

Have you done both? Lots of us have.

I feel fine and relieved to be teaching face to face again. Kids glad to be back as well except for one or two.

I'm a primary teacher in a school nursery. We've been told visors are no longer considered safe enough (which I knew already but they are much more practical) and we must wear masks anytime we work closely with children which, when they are 3, is all the time. Except try having a conversation with a three year old, who may not speak much English or who has language delays, in a noisy room full of children playing with a mask over your face. They don't understand a thing I'm saying! So I end up lifting my mask to speak which renders it pointless. But I can't just wear a visor 🤷🏻‍♀️ It feels like another case of giving us unworkable rules for how to stay safe, because clearly working in close contact with dozens of children isn't particularly safe, so when we can't follow the rules, we can be blamed.

It's difficult, tiring and worrying.

If you substitute any other group for children then this is exactly what the many of us have been doing throughout the pandemic. The difficulties masks and social distancing bring are not unique to the teaching profession.

It will get better, the end seems in sight.

I’m not a teacher (unless you count the awful attempt I made at homeschooling )

But my family is full of teachers and they are unanimously overjoyed to be back in the classroom. None of them worked in person over lockdown as their schools were staffed by TA’s so they’re all very happy to be back!

The teachers at the school I’m a governor at are exhausted with the constant changes to how they are teaching together with the risks to their health. Two bubbles have already burst so the teachers have had to switch to online again. They are short staffed due to illness.

As always @Welovetoboogie I’d advise you that the profession is always open to new teachers. Please apply to join us, as your wealth of experience will be warmly welcomed.

Meanwhile, after 2 weeks my class are no longer needing to go to the loo every 12 minutes so we’ve got done work done- ready for me to spend today entering attainment data. I may as well pull the data out of a hat.

The difference between those who engaged with learning and those who didn’t is vast so I’m trying to work out how to sort out that little issue as well. Oh and the high schools would like info on those transitioning in September. Just a pen portrait of each child please...

But, love having the kids back- everyday they make me laugh.

Mostly I’m just glad it’s not winter any more Was bloody cold teaching with doors etc open - I was in full time.
Other than that, enjoying having my lovely lot back although knackered.
Looking forward to a lovely lovely 2 week break soon ahhhhh (sorry just stirring there 😂).

Just report every post the trolls make.

Eventually MN will ban them if there's enough reports.

WE don't need mentally ill attention seekers on here.

Bone grinding? Is that the new form of teacher bashing?

How are all the people who wfh feeling? A lot better now children are back in school

How are all people involved in GCSEs and A levels feeling? Depends as it will be test mark grade repeat between now and half term. Just waiting for parents to say that all the testing isn’t fair

@Welovetoboogie I'll bite. I have done both. Ten years working in IT for a multinational company with ridiculous hours and pressure. At least three overnights a month due to so much to do. I was well paid and given time off in lieu. Teaching is a completely different exhaustion. I am more tired this week than I have ever been. The kids are so needy. It's not like any other job - it's the mental exhaustion of so many different elements to deal with and if you haven't been a teacher you won't understand this. No amount of explanation will sink in to someone like you who is so hung up and bitter- you should try it if it's such an easy life. I feel sorry for you to carry so much negativity round with you - it must be draining.

Yep blue waves most working people have been to work every day since September and didn’t have a lovely extended break last summer or over Christmas.

@Welovetoboogie that was in response to your claim that teachers haven't been teaching in school during lockdown.

I have and it's been harder than normal. I've also been delivering home learning. Workload has been higher, not lower than normal.

I've been so pleased to have my whole class back but there have been many challenges and significant pressure to catch children up with scant resources. My performance management targets (which are directly related to pay and progression) still stand despite the fact that some children had not been in front of me for 3 months and didn't engage in home learning at all.

I don't know what you think teaching is like but your idea of it seems to be absolutely at odds with the reality.

they are unanimously overjoyed to be back in the classroom

Yes, I think that's true too. Certainly in primary, it's much easier to be in school.

It feels like the children have lost a lot of social learning stuff, which isn't going to come back quickly either. Lots of very rough play, they are being extremely sensitive and resorting to physical responses before trying anything else out, they are needy because they've had someone sitting with them 1-1 for months, or needy because they haven't had anyone with them for months and have lost all ability to learn independently, they are making lots of 'noises' - humming, singing, talking loudly to themselves etc - which isn't useful behaviour for their learning, or anyone elses.

Some children have loved being at home and made great progress, and are now frustrated with others disrupting them.

It's hard for them, and consequently we are spending most of our time on conflict negotiation, smoothing problems, telling them to be quiet and so on - which is tiring.

My normal day would look like:
Spelling/phonics/handwriting
Whole class reading
Maths
Break
English writing
PSHE
Lunch
Foundation subject
Foundation subject
Read class book

Currently they are just about managing:
Maths
Break
English writing
Lunch
Whole class reading
Part of a foundation subject (usually PSHE)
Read class book

It's going to take a long time to get back to 'normal'.

I have reported the thread as it will become unpleasant

I wear a mask in school and use a voice amplifier and it's great. From Amazon, the sort of thing dance instructors wear in large classes