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.

At DSs school the staff are not required to wear masks as it can interfere with communication. DS is wearing one partly to lower his risk but also to show solidarity with the kids but is losing his voice from having to speak louder.

@ssd

Are teachers allowed to wear their own masks? Boots sell ffp2 masks. I wear them working in a supermarket. I'm not sure what the protocol in schools is.

Yes we can. We have a supply of disposable masks which I haven't taken from as I hate all the plastic waste but I may have to try them to see if they make communication easier than a thick cotton mask.

Let's not forget having to care for kids who are quite shell-shocked at being thrust back into school life after 3 months of being at home, some of whom have barely spoken to their friends in that time (I was very surprised to find this included sixth formers who I assumed would be whatsapping and zooming all the time but no) and who are also utterly, utterly exhausted. Instead of society treating them gently and carefully they are being bombarded in the media with messages about how they need to CATCH UP or their lives will be RUINED.
They have forgotten how to engage with lessons now they're not on mute, camera off. They need to spend time relearning how to interact with people. And they are in very, very different places when it comes to being able to absorb what we are trying to teach them.

A lot of older girls are also all over the place due to the Sarah Everard case and subsequent events and discussions.

Y11 and 13 are barely holding it together. The way they've been treated by the govt is appalling. We are now at the same point exams were cancelled last year and in a worse position when it comes to knowing what's going on. How can that have been allowed to happen?

Teachers are working really hard to stop it all crumbling.

We are wearing our own masks. I take four in every day, because they get nasty and soggy when speaking to a class and projecting.

Yes noblegiraffe, all those things must be very hard to deal with. And the communicating through masks is hellish. I personally feel teachers have had it as bad if not worse than nurses. And there's not the same recognition. I don't know why. Maybe the media is to blame. I know nurses have had it awful ,but teaching sounds the same.

Thanks to all the teachers. My kids are finding it tiring having to cope with the constant changes so I don't know how you are all dealing with this aspect.

DH teaches primary. He's completely shattered and exhausted. Hated remote teaching throughout the lockdowns - made harder by me WFH full time in a busy role, plus us both having to try and homeschool our son (no, not all teachers managed to get a keyworker space for their own kids to attend school!). Was delighted to be back but caught covid the first week back from a student. He's been quite poorly since but has still had to do some work to assist remote learning even whilst he's been ill with covid (helping direct other staff to resources, answering parents etc). He has asthma - apparently not bad enough to warrant a vaccination as CV though according to GP (the inconsistent approach to asthma as CV is for another thread!) - and it's been difficult. On the one hand he is somewhat releived as he is unlikely to get a vaccine for a long while yet (v early 30s) and at least having covid now will provide some form of antibodies for a while and some of the "fear" will reduce.

A lot is constantly mentioned about schools being safe and lots of measures being in place. That's wholly inaccurate for primary schools. Teachers and students do not wear masks. Bubbles can be a whole year group of 90 kids - add to that after school club/ wraparound care messing with the bubbles too (wraparound care is necessary for working parents so totally don't begrudge this, but it's unrealistic to think pure class bubbles are completely isolated!). There's no 2m distancing between DH and the kids - they are too young to simply be taught in rows on desks with DH at the front and primary relies heavily on individual work with pupils or small groups. Pupils aren't tested with LFT like secondary pupils. Parents of primary kids can opt to do twice weekly LFT but in reality not many are bothering.

If I'm honest I would rather DH left teaching altogether. I thought this pre-covid but how he's been treated in the past year has cemented that for me.

@FenceSplinters

I feel sad that I haven’t been able to see my own parents for over a year, but I am in a room with a lot of people, all happy to tell me how their families haven’t been following rules.

This is much the same with all jobs.

I have experienced the same (nhs) all the way through, even when numbers were really bad and had to bite my tongue quite a few times. Yes it feels harsher when you can’t see your own family, I am in the same position.

I am knackered and have knackered already my back , neck, hip and shoulder and can't see my osteopath because covid. This can add itself to the damage to my eyesight done by Google Classroom!!

Also feeling delated about kids' behaviour : bundling into each other, pawing each other, fighting, hugging , high fiving. It is actually like being in a parallel universe and I think anyone not ever in a school doesn't perhaps realise most children/teens have not modified their social behaviours at all. There . is. no. social. distancing.

Deflated also by already having to set extra work for 12 SI students across five classes as a result of positive tests in the school. Schools are huge communities of largely unvaccinated people.

The stress and workload of GCSEs/ A Levels and CAGs - and lack of clarity of these from Ofqual/DfE is off the scale.

Oh well!

@ssd

Yes noblegiraffe, all those things must be very hard to deal with. And the communicating through masks is hellish. I personally feel teachers have had it as bad if not worse than nurses. And there's not the same recognition. I don't know why. Maybe the media is to blame. I know nurses have had it awful ,but teaching sounds the same.

Really? What a silly comparison. Nurses have been seeing people die every day of Covid, it really doesn't get much worse than that.

Its not silly to me. Its entirely justified.

And its in no way denigrating nurses. Both have had an awful time of it.

It absolutely isn't. Teachers work very hard and it's been a difficult time but to say they've "had it worse" than nurses is absolute nonsense.

@ssd

And its in no way denigrating nurses. Both have had an awful time of it.

Then stop the "who has it worse" then and accept that it's been tough for both.

Happy to be back but as previous posters have said, no effective mitigations in primary, rather those that are in place feel like they're just there to look like something is being done, and they are time consuming. Also feel extremely let down by the lack of vaccination.

I’m a TA, I love having the children back, but I’m pissed off that I’m expected to wear a mask all day because it’s not considered safe enough without, but also that being in school is safe enough that I don’t get a vaccine any time soon.

I'm giving my opinion wax, same as you. Don't bother telling me to stop.

Exhausted.

I am very happy to be seeing children and colleagues face to face.
I was the only member of staff working from home (combination of being Cv, recovering from medical issues following covid 5 months ago and my specific role during lockdowns - everyone else was in full time, except for PPA time which could be done at home.

I am loving teaching in person proper again.

I enjoy being able to chat over a coffee, albeit from a distance in an almost empty room, with colleagues - I love dh, it it's nice to be able to chat over a drink with someone else for a while.

I feel very fortunate that I have had my first vaccine, and before I returned. I'm not worried about catching covid and being ill at all anymore. I'm also doing twice weekly LFTs just in case.

However, I am utterly utterly shattered. I can't even describe to what level of tiredness I was by Friday evening tbh.

My health since covid isn't overly great, I have ongoing complications on top of the condition that makes me Cv. Being surrounded by 100s of children and adults all talking, children is quite overwhelming at times, as well,as tiring. I have a lot to do still, a lot of admin stuff as well as my normal teaching role, but since covid I'm still struggling with some things like juggling lots of stuff at once - I live with lists right now.

So happy but tired.

Really pleased to hear some schools are being vaccinated.

We are an sen school that didn't meet the criteria for vaccination despite all external careers meeting the criteria. Some of whom work in the school as Tas. (So at least they're vaccinated despite not giving respite since august.)

The head has asked for it to be reconsidered but I doubt it will happen.

We had a small out break last week too. One teacher is quite poorly.

Exhausted, and whilst I have every sympathy for concerned parents, the unrealistic and unfair demands are just too much at the moment. For example, a parent demanding a parents evening and update on progress when the children had been back in school two days, parents wanting help with parenting, complaints we've not responded to a report we have had in school one day. Most parents are lovely but a growing number are increasingly demanding and wanting action now.
The days are tiring as children have more needs we are doing our best to meet and then the trying to meet parents' needs either side of the school day is too much. I am just hoping that things calm down. This is unsustainable.
I've been sat at my dining room table working since 10am this morning and have a ridiculously busy week next week.
I am sure there are many other professionals who could have write similar to that above.

Am so relieved to be back tbh. However, I feel like my job has changed in that I have to provide even more pastoral support than in pre-Covid times. We provided lots of help for parents during Lockdowns and this need is still there. I've had parents email me in the evenings asking how to administer LF tests, at weekends asking me about applying for benefits (I don't answer until Monday btw), Zoom calls with outside agencies etc. I'm a teacher in a special school but the brief has widened and my workload has definitely expanded as a result.

I'm glad my own child has gone back to school. We didn't get a place but I'm part time and Dh could wfh. I was working at school as Sen schools have been fully open since Xmas. Last term exhausted us.

I don't feel ready to get my head around next term at all. This year has crushed a lot of us and exposed the issues with the curriculum and education today.

@Chocolateoatmilk

To be honest ssd you must have known this would happen.

To be fair it's one idiotic poster who everyone can ignore.

Glass houses and all that 🤷‍♀️

@RaraRachael

I'm completely fed up. I can mix with loads of children and colleagues but can't even meet my own family. The kids have to sit apart at school and can't do PE indoors but can play together out of school

Both my children in primary and secondary are having PE both indoors and outdoors?

I'm a TA in primary.

A lot of the children are finding it difficult to sit still and listen for even two minutes. When they are given the choice between two or three short activities set out in the classroom, they just flit from one to the other, seemingly unable to concentrate on anything for more than a few seconds.

The children who attended keyworker bubbles are annoyed because the relative peace and quiet of the classroom has gone. Those who have been off since before Christmas seem to have forgotten how to share or take turns with others. The snatching, shouting and arguing in the classroom is something of an eye-opener.

I absolutely love seeing everyone back in school but it's very clear that the teachers are exhausted. The ones with younger children are reporting that they're going to bed when their children do. My workload is tiny compared to theirs but even I'm falling asleep by 7pm.

The stress of keeping all the class bubbles separate is tiring - especially when you have a 'runner' or three who will do anything in their power to escape from their own room and into someone else's.

At home time of course, many of the children run straight off to play with children from other classes and year groups while their parents stand around in groups, having a chat in the school playground. Some days I really wonder why we're bothering.