Any other teachers in Ireland getting ready for school?

[Booboosweet]

Only two weeks left! Anyone else counting down?

Me. I've always loved the start of the new school year, but not looking forward to organising the four DC and all the activities again. Have started buying a few things for school and will probably go in next week to see what exactly I need to get done.

It's busy isn't it? I'm wondering how I'm going to be with juggling work and my daughter's extracurricular activities. She's joined the local camogie u8 team. We've joined the book rental scheme and just had to get a few extra bits. I teach in Dublin and am looking forward to seeing everyone again. Hoping I won't have forgotten too many names of students and other staff!

I'm a bit allergic this year going back.. I think last year was so excited to be returning after the shit show of home schooling but this year the thought of facing into masks and scrubbing toys with Milton has me down in the dumps.

I know what you mean switswoo, I had been working in Third Level for a few years and went back to school last year. I was thrilled to be back and loved it but the masks and the constant sanitising, spraying, cleaning and steaming took up so much time. I would love to be able to give the class a relaxed, 'normal' school year, they really deserve it after the last two years.

Booboosweet, I have three of my four playing GAA in some shape or form, along with all the other stuff. I'm going to meet myself on the road some day with all the bringing them to activities.

I know what you mean daisyhead! And I only have one I don't know how you do it with 4.

Yes, heading back too! Tbh I never bought into most of the school Covid measures. I could either spend my day keeping my 'pods'/table groups the appropriate distance from one another, or I could actually teach...and as I didn't train to be a hygiene specialist, the teaching won out last year. So I'm not too bothered about that side of things other than the masks, dreading wearing one again!

Actually, did they reinstate the Covid budget that was given to schools? I seem to remember that getting scrapped last year, right around that time we were all in lockdown and the Dept of Ed ran their hilariously patronising webinar.

I know. I'm dreading wearing a mask all day again. So bloody uncomfortable. The worst thing is our school is still in prefabs because we're waiting to move into a new building. So we don't have our own classrooms and have to move from room to room.

Oh no, the dreaded prefabs! Actually, how did you find the temperature in them last winter? That's the thing I'm really dreading, having to keep the classroom door open all year. And the poor craturs who end up sitting by the open door get frozen to death (and it's not like you can swap them about that much with the pods).

I was in a prefab last year, I'm 'lucky' this year that I am in our almost 70 year old building. I know it was a pain but having the windows open on both sides of the room definitely when they're was a positive case in my class, no-one else got Covid. We just kept reminding them to wear extra layers to school and we didn't have to leave the door open because I had all the windows on both sides of the room. I'm not too excited about the cold and damp though.

there

@Booboosweet

It's busy isn't it? I'm wondering how I'm going to be with juggling work and my daughter's extracurricular activities. She's joined the local camogie u8 team. We've joined the book rental scheme and just had to get a few extra bits. I teach in Dublin and am looking forward to seeing everyone again. Hoping I won't have forgotten too many names of students and other staff!

I don't mean to be provacative but non-teacher working parents have to contend with everything you do as a parent but with way way way less leave, a longer working day usually which makes the extra curricular stuff so much more difficult. Finishing work at 5.30 when there's a camogie match at 6.30 40 minutes drive away is no joke. My (less tone deaf) teacher friends often say that they don't know how people in more 9-5, 20 days holidays type jobs do. That's before you even think about fitting in things like house maintenance, sorting clothes, dentists appointments, etc. Yes the school year is busy but arguably no more busy (and possibly less so) than for people in most jobs but you have what, 3 times more leave in which to re-group, do all the things you didnt do during term time and STILL have time for actual proper holidays.

And how is that helpful to Booboo? This is a teacher-centric thread, you're going to encounter teachers talking about the specific issues they face and not how Bríd the accountant down the road juggles everything - if you'd like a thread like that, set one up. I believe you're the tone deaf one here.

I'm not trying to be helpful as it doesn't sound as if she needs help with anything! Or has any issues. This is an open, if teacher centric forum and I'm sorry but it does grind my gears a bit that some (I emphasise some) teachers can be a bit oblivious to the pressures other working parents have. This does on occasion lead to them having unrealistic expectations in terms of parents time so it can become parent's business

I really and truly don't care. This is a thread for teachers talking about returning to school this September, not a compare and contrast with other careers.

If we're going to talk about how hard other careers are re: hours, then I'll start talking about how annoying it is only being able to take term time holidays, not being able to leave the room to pee when I need to, having over 90% of employment places closed to those without a specific religious training etc etc. Every career has pros and cons to it, we don't need to hear non-teachers giving out about how jammy we have it. If it's that great, come join us.

This is a thread on an open forum. put it on a teacher only site then if posters dont want input from non teachers !! I mean seriously. Like i have been nearly crying to my DH regarding the child care arrangements all the summer hols. Juggling work/ the odd camp / baby sitters soccer etc etc. As working parents, we are relieved when school starts ( which is awful )as creche / child minder for a 13 yr old is hard plus the worry. I mean give me the summer off anyday.
The poor kids should be enjoying home on the hols but its in and outta the car
Out the door at 730 some mornings with them tired. Just sooo stressful
Teaching is a very hard job but the holiers are life changing for their families and kids
After the 8 weeks with a couple of weeks off its difficult to read teachers are finding the prep back hard . You have to admit thats hard to swallow.
lucky teachers unlucky all other parents thats it in a nutshell .

I wish for my kids i was a teacher but far too late now .

I originally replied here for a bit of chat and the chance to see how others were getting ready for going back. I wondered for a minute if the comparisons with other jobs would start. Isn't it great that teachers can't even have a lighthearted thread without being reminded how tone deaf and oblivious we are.

Ignore ignore.

I’m a ex teacher, now working in another sector and before teaching I worked in another high pressure sector. Ignore those who have no idea or experience. Teaching is incredibly hard. It’s like being in a 6 hour play, with a make or break career critic in the back row and then doing a stressful office job in your spare time.

Sending best wishes to all those going back to school.

@daisyhead08

I originally replied here for a bit of chat and the chance to see how others were getting ready for going back. I wondered for a minute if the comparisons with other jobs would start. Isn't it great that teachers can't even have a lighthearted thread without being reminded how tone deaf and oblivious we are.

I remember one of those posters from another Craicnet thread - I learned very quickly to not waste time on them there. 'tis amazing how some pop up to have a good whinge about teachers.

I'm in my new classroom today giving it a good clean/sifting through old files from the 80s. I swear the cupboard clutter is breeding every time I turn my back

I hope we don't have to have those horrible individual storage boxes this year (but have resigned myself to it). They drove me cracked last year, I lost so much classroom space to them!

You're right.

I'm sitting here re-writing yearly schemes and looking forward to getting in next week to fix up my room with the thousand or so things I've printed and written in the last week.

Oh dear. I do appreciate other people have a hard time with less leave but I just posted as a general back to school thread.

I usually look forward to going back in September but I'm dreading it this year. I have a gorgeous class with gorgeous parents AND am jobsharing so I really have little to complain about. But it's the masks all day long that kill me. And no singing. And individual boxes. And the constant vigilance about children moving throughout the room. And no sharing stuff. And the non-staffroom, going the whole school year without seeing half the staff. And staff being snippy and stressed over little things because they have a vulnerable husband/child/parent at home and are in constant fear of bring Covid home. School without singing is school without soul, I hate it. But I'd a million times rather be in school than remote teaching!

I'm completely ignoring the dissenting voices here. I wasn't always a teacher but my sister was. I'd start work at 6am, she'd start at 9 and by the time I got home after 2.30, she'd be asleep on her bed and I'd be ready to paint the house. If you haven't done it, you won't ever get it, what an absolute marathon it is. And there's no point in trying to explain to those who really just don't want to get it. I love my job and love the holidays even more. And I would not and could not do it without the holidays.