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Original poster

Teachers - Anyone else worried?

250 replies

foundlingfar · 06/01/2022 19:51

Any teachers on here concerned about the current covid stats? I am surrounded by kids in my class who's families are isolating, they clearly have symptoms but have tested negative so are able to attend school. I feel like I can't do anything to protect myself and my family 😕. I work with very little children so I'm constantly tying shoe laces, helping to zip up coats, comforting children etc. I'm just so anxious and feel like other workers have been told to 'work from home' or 'limit contact' whereas teachers have been largely expected to get on with it. I know we're not the only ones but in primary, we aren't even allowed to wear masks as children need to see us speak etc. I know this is an awful thing to say as I love my job and children, but it's like we are putting the kids before our own health?! And come of us have families and our own children too!

OP posts:
rrhuth · 06/01/2022 20:21

@HermioneWeasley

What makes you think you’ll be unsafe if you catch the current variant? Are you CEV? Unvaccinated?

For the vast, vast majority Omicron is extremely mild or has no symptoms.

And yes, I’m a key worker who has been in work throughout the pandemic and I’m vulnerable.

This response is so boring. Why even bother posting. The op has explained their pov perfectly clearly.
PrivateHall · 06/01/2022 20:23

@FallonCarringtonWannabe

At this stage my concerns are chaos, workload created from the and the temperature. Ive ordered a thermometer so my whining can be backed up with accurate data. Last january I was teaching in rooms at 11degrees.
Yeh I would say this is a much bigger concern than omicron, I really feel for school staff regarding the issues you mention Sad
Lilifer · 06/01/2022 20:26

@foundlingfar

Any teachers on here concerned about the current covid stats? I am surrounded by kids in my class who's families are isolating, they clearly have symptoms but have tested negative so are able to attend school. I feel like I can't do anything to protect myself and my family 😕. I work with very little children so I'm constantly tying shoe laces, helping to zip up coats, comforting children etc. I'm just so anxious and feel like other workers have been told to 'work from home' or 'limit contact' whereas teachers have been largely expected to get on with it. I know we're not the only ones but in primary, we aren't even allowed to wear masks as children need to see us speak etc. I know this is an awful thing to say as I love my job and children, but it's like we are putting the kids before our own health?! And come of us have families and our own children too!
Why are you worried though? If you're fully vaccinated then at the most you'll have a dose of a cold, maybe a cough, something which you would never have worried about before? Unless you're CEV why are you worried? I think we can all assume we are going to get omicron at some point this year.
Fedupsotired · 06/01/2022 20:27

I still haven't warmed up from today 😭.
I'm resigned to getting it too, just a case of when 🤷🏼‍♀️

EurghCobwebs · 06/01/2022 20:29

@LookdeepintotheParka

University staff are also in work too (at least at my uni they are!) I have a few colleagues that are refusing to come back on to campus this term. Unfortunately there are going to be some disruptions to the student experience as a result.

I appreciate that some people are genuinely at risk from this variant but I'm not particularly concerned myself and would much rather be in work than wfh which became stressful and monotonous for me. Like a pp I don't think education should be disrupted again unless there's really no other option.

There are A LOT of industries that do not have the luxury of WFH.

Whilst teachers were able to do online teaching last year I was still getting into work at 7am to do a 10 hour shift with 400 people at my place of work, a lot of whom weren't wearing masks.

I was terrified of giving my sister who has advanced cancer Covid due to me having to get packed tubes/public transport and then work with the number of people that I do.

I don't pipe on about it because there are people who had it worse than me - hospital workers and shop workers. I'm sure a lot of other people were in a simile position and they too get on with it. I really wish teachers would stop thinking they are the only ones in the World not WFH and at risk of Covid. You are not.

These posts are seriously getting boring now.

Lilifer · 06/01/2022 20:31

@Smartiepants79

Honestly, no, I’m not worried. I may or may not catch it, I may or may not catch many things. I’m triple vaccinated. So is everyone else around me. We have only 1 child off at the moment and all staff in as normal. I would be more concerned about disruption than covid. I also really dislike the phrase ‘keeping everyone safe’. It’s meaningless. You can’t keep people safe from life unless you never allow them to leave the house. And even then approximately 6000 people are killed in household accidents every year.
Exactly this 🙌🏻
chocolateisavegetable · 06/01/2022 20:31

Lilifer School staff aren't just worried about catching it because of the illness itself - they are also worried about the disruption that is causes to their colleagues and the children. Staff are still going to measured in the same way (performance management, Ofsted etc) and children are still going to be sitting exams and also suffer when their routines are affected.

Lilifer · 06/01/2022 20:33

@chocolateisavegetable

Lilifer School staff aren't just worried about catching it because of the illness itself - they are also worried about the disruption that is causes to their colleagues and the children. Staff are still going to measured in the same way (performance management, Ofsted etc) and children are still going to be sitting exams and also suffer when their routines are affected.
That's not what the op is concerned about though is it? It's clear she is concerned about catching covid.
saraclara · 06/01/2022 20:37

@Blubells

But even those 'working from home' often have children or teenagers coming and going, carrying the virus.
And many primary school teachers do too. On top of the children they're with all day.
Bobholll · 06/01/2022 20:38

You are going to get covid from somewhere at some point. Maybe school, maybe other parts of your life. Your kids, your friends, your social life, the supermarket. I presume you are not hiding away at home on a weekend? I caught it from removal men in 2020 & at a kids birthday party in 2021. Felt ill, got better. Life goes on.

My DDs teacher is CEV & we are all very conscious of it & concerned during a bad outbreak in October. She’s had covid twice now, once pre & once post vaccine. Once caught from school during the outbreak (presumably, DDs class fell like dominos) & another she is almost certain from a friend she met indoors. She’s fine. She had a couple weeks off both times feeling pretty grim, worse first time before her vaccines. She’s fully recovered both times thankfully. I was chatting to her recently in Matalan when I bumped into her & she said she’s not afraid of it anymore.. she was in 2020 but now she’s triple jabbed, had it reasonably mildly twice & thinks given omicrons mildness, schools should just get on teaching kids now as there is so much they need to catch up on! 🤷🏼‍♀️

saraclara · 06/01/2022 20:39

@PrivateHall

Everyone is going to get covid eventually, whatever their occupation. It isn't just school staff at risk, remember those DC with it are bringing it home to their family too. We all just need to get on with it now I am afraid! Keep yourself as healthy as you can, get the vaccines if you can and brace yourself. Thankfully omicron is not serious for most people.
...and again. Many school staff have DC bringing it home from THEIR schools too.
Lilifer · 06/01/2022 20:39

"This response is so boring. Why even bother posting. The op has explained their pov perfectly"

@rrhuth your response is hardly riveting either ☺️

Fedupsotired · 06/01/2022 20:45

@EurghCobwebs so many teachers were in school teaching AND doing online stuff! I wasn't at home I was in school teaching children of key workers 🙄

Metallicalover · 06/01/2022 20:46

I think you have to try and change your mindset OP.
I resided the fact that everyone is going to get it a while ago. I work with people who have covid all the time with a lovely surgical mask and plastic gown to protect me. I do lateral flows before I visit vulnerable relatives and a PCR weekly for work and lateral flows in between.
I ended up catching covid from my husband on Christmas Eve.
I'm assuming your children go to school/childcare I know you haven't said their ages etc, your going food shopping etc.
A lot of workers aren't working from home and working with members of the public.

simonisnotme · 06/01/2022 20:49

i havent had it Yet ! but im sure i will at some point
(LSA nursery/reception)

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 06/01/2022 20:52

I don't pipe on about it because there are people who had it worse than me - hospital workers and shop workers. I'm sure a lot of other people were in a simile position and they too get on with it. I really wish teachers would stop thinking they are the only ones in the World not WFH and at risk of Covid. You are not

Aren’t education staff 37% or so more at risk though?

And why are you posting on here about it if you don’t ‘pipe?’

CovidForChristmas · 06/01/2022 20:53

I was unwell for over a week before my LFD turned positive and I tested every day. I didn’t have any of the 3 symptoms that qualify for a PCR.
Fortunately I got it in the school holidays, as did my family but if it had been term time I would have had to send them to school. Otherwise I would have been in trouble for unauthorised absence.

TheMoth · 06/01/2022 20:55

I'm sick of the chaos.
I'm sick of covering for ill staff.
I'm sick of setting work for ill staff.
I'm sick of thinking more about the constant changes, often as you walk through the door, than my lessons.
I'm sick of not really knowing what's going to happen with my gcse and a level classes. Again.
I'm sick of wearing so many layers every day.
I'm sick of kids using cv as an excuse not to put much effort in or to excuse poor behaviour. But at the same time, parents and government telling us how much they've missed.

Every half term since Jan 2020 has had disruption of some form. And no doubt in the next couple of years we'll have curriculum change and exam change again. It's wearing.

grafittiartist · 06/01/2022 20:55

I am worried about all of the cover, the disruption, the changing plans all the time.
So unsettling for the kids as well as us.

Chosenonesneakymincepie · 06/01/2022 20:56

I've just had it, caught just before we broke up for the xmas holidays. It really was very mild and I still had a lovely xmas. 'Keeping safe' really meant pre vaccines/omicron. It's practically endemic and we're all going to get it at some point. However, I do feel we don't need any extra pressure. Schools are open, we're doing are best in difficult circumstances so hopefully Ofted can suspend Inspection, Perf Management can be shelved for a year and we can just teach/babysit the best we can. Times are hard!

NinetyNineRedBalloonsGoBy · 06/01/2022 20:56

I'm a teacher, I've had it twice and even though I'm the wrong age / weight to be getting it - no, I'm not anxious at all.

Use your teachers' brains to understand the stats and read beyond the media scaremongering! Hmm

Original poster
foundlingfar · 06/01/2022 20:57

I know it's becoming difficult to avoid - I guess it's just my anxiety talking. 2 years of constant worry - including a pregnancy and giving birth to a child during the pandemic - has kind of got me on edge! Heading back to work has made me more nervous than I thought I'd guess.

OP posts:
refraction · 06/01/2022 20:59

@NinetyNineRedBalloonsGoBy

I'm a teacher, I've had it twice and even though I'm the wrong age / weight to be getting it - no, I'm not anxious at all.

Use your teachers' brains to understand the stats and read beyond the media scaremongering! Hmm

Wow Seriously!

There's people on here complaining all of the time about having to go in to the office but you had to be patronising didn't you. Hmm

PrivateHall · 06/01/2022 20:59

saraclare it isn't a competition, the point is it isn't just school staff at risk, is it. What an odd reply Confused The point we are making is that we are all exposed to covid and all expect to get it.

Blubells · 06/01/2022 21:00

You are going to get covid from somewhere at some point. Maybe school, maybe other parts of your life. Your kids, your friends, your social life, the supermarket. I presume you are not hiding away at home on a weekend?

This. Unless you live like a hermit you're unlikely to avoid catching it.