Is there any thought yet as to how students are going to get home for Christmas?

[TawnyPippit]

I haven’t seen anything, but I’m assuming some thought must be being given to this, whether by the universities or the govt?. DS is in catered accommodation and I can’t believe that that that would keep on going all over the Christmas period. I’m not a Christmas obsessive - DS is just coming to the end of his first lockdown period, and also can’t come home for reading week as originally planned as we are Tier 2. But I have told him (rashly?) that it will all be ok for Christmas.

I guess the way it would currently work would be to do another period of isolation - which hopefully will be just 7 days by then - and then come and re-join our household. He is in Tier 1, so coming home is not a problem for him, its us that cannot mix households ATM.

I suspect its all too far away to strategise about at the moment as we will likely have several different iterations of lockdown restrictions before then, just idle musings.

TheNavigator of course plenty of jobs are stressful. All my post uni DC are in extremely stressful jobs (which they enjoy) including the two who have worked right through the pandemic on incredibly busy London Covid wards. Neither of them have moaned about the stress at all, although seeing so many deaths and being unable to help at such a young age concerns me greatly, as their mother. It's just that mumsneedwine seems to have an incredibly negative attitude to her career and so, while I fully appreciate that those teaching have stressful jobs, both not in a pandemic and during it, if someone is super negative and feels they can't carry on teaching unless their DC come home for a hug at Christmas, then it might be time for a rain check as to whether the job is worth the amount of grief it appears to give.

I'm not clear that teachers were more affected by the issues surrounding this year's results than the students (I had a Y13 DD - judging by what happened on results day at school I would say that the students were vastly more upset than the staff, with so many uni places lost).

Fair to say the teachers who were there - and the school is lucky to have so many fantastic teachers - were pretty fed up on behalf of the kids but not upset in the same way, clearly.

@goodbyestranger I had a year 13 too. None of it was fun but much worse for the students.

And please don't twist my words. I don't need a hug at Xmas. I selfishly want one. I'm not spending days with other people's kids to be told I can't see mine. Because that makes no sense to me. If it's safe for me to be with 2,000 people on a daily basis then it's safe for me to see 2.

@goodbyestranger perhaps your children feel they can't open up to you about the reality of their front line jobs, when you are so dismissive of daring to admit finding your job stressful. Which is pretty sad, actually. It is well known certain professions have a higher incidence of burn out and that is linked to having to always put on a brave and strong front and not having any outlet to express feelings. Please don't let your children know you admire their 'strength' - it may prevent them seeking the support we all need from time to time. Opening up about stress can be a sign of strength.

@TheNavigator always tell my students that crying is the best stress reliever. And emphasise that real men do cry (have a fantastic clip of several famous 'hard' sportsmen crying -Vinnie Jones does a superb speech). And we all need to talk about stuff.
I've cried a lot this term, as have my colleagues. It's very cathartic. Just wish we could do the hugs too. But the support we have for each other will get us through - that and a v smutty sense of humour, chocolate and wine.

TheNavigator my DC are extremely free with what they say to me. Yours is very amateur psychology.

Also, specifically, talking is different from moaning. If you look back at my post I very deliberately wrote that the two front line DC haven't moaned. That is quite different from saying that they haven't talked.

It was intended as a constructive comment to mumsneedwine. If any member of staff at our school said the sorts of things mumsneedwine says then the HT would be talking to them because clearly a teacher can't do his or her job effectively if they're incredibly unhappy with their situation. But enough. Time to move on.

Did you really, honestly, think telling someone to simply get another job was a constructive comment? Be honest. You really need to work on your understanding and empathy if you genuinely thought that was constructive. I can see your children may well choose to put on a brave face for you, in case they too get treated to your 'constructive' comments.

TheNavigator you're developing a theory about my DC (for the second time) to substantiate a very flaky argument of your own.

mumsneedwine seemed incredibly down about her job, on the basis of her posts, so yes, given what I know about the teaching profession my comment was indeed intended to be constructive. Students don't benefit from unhappy teachers.

@goodbyestranger 99 % of teachers are unhappy at the moment, so there'd be none to teach anymore if we followed that rule. Because we know schools are unsafe. In real life, to my students and parents, I am positive and smiley. But on here and to my colleagues I'm honest. The job is tough and scary. 2,000 people, not wearing masks and not socially distancing is bonkers. But I'll keep going as long as I stay healthy, with a smile. Moaning away on here !
And HTs feel the same. They are exhausted too.

@goodbyestranger I've developed a theory about you, not your DC. My theory is, you said a dickish thing to @mumsneedwine and are now doubling down on it because you don't want to admit how silly it was. Look, we all say stupid things, it's not a crime. mumsneefwine sounds to me like she is doing great, hats off to our teachers. My DH is one and has, shock horror, been known to have a wee moan - that doesn't mean he doesn't love the job.

@TheNavigator @goodbyestranger I say stupid things all the time (just ask my students). My mantra to my wonderful year 10 tutor group is just be kind. At the moment we all need a bit more kindness. And wine. We all need more wine (I may be living up to my user name this half term). 🤪

I'm not doubling down for any reason other than I meant exactly what I said. That's why I wrote it. I don't think it was in the least stupid. I didn't when I wrote it and I don't now.

I've no idea whether or not mumsneedwine is a great teacher. She may well be. Hats off to good teachers indeed but I think hats off to all teachers is pushing it a bit. Some really shouldn't be in the job.

@TheNavigator wine. Plenty of wine. 😂😂

I’ve just read this thread and I’m shocked to read what ‘goodbyestranger’ has posted. Someone who appears to be detached and quite clinical in her views without any empathy or understanding of the way things are!

@user1471555064 as a teacher I'm used to abuse on here. Seems that if teachers are not bouncing around telling everyone the world is full of fairies and flowers we are all crap at our job and should resign. Read some of @noblegiraffe posts if you want to witness teacher bashing at its finest. Apparently she wants to close every school in the UK 😂😂.
I love my job. I've had a few 'careers' but this one is the most rewarding by far. But at the moment it's exhausting and scary - some people will say I should resign for feeling this.
I'm also a mum. Of 2 very lovely girls who are doing their dream degrees. Just wish it wasn't during a pandemic. See, there I go, moaning again.

You’re not moaning, just honest about how things are at present. Some people can’t deal with that and prefer to look for a simplistic solution, which is anything but. Goodbyestranger, Noblegitaffe and other posters show an ignorance that isn’t worth bothering about!

@user1471555064 noblegiraffe is a teacher - she's one of the good guys !! She gets endless abuse for telling the truth about how unsafe schools are. She deserves a medal for trying to make schools safer. Didn't want her getting a bad press.
I need to stop working and go to bed. Been planning lessons for remote learning - we have now almost rewritten the whole KS3 &4 curriculums. Next job. Plan practicals that can be done without staff needing to be within 2 metres. Bunsen burners anyone 😂😂

Ah, sorry, I thought she was being criticised for her views. Good for her; Mumsnet is sadly the home of some posters who don’t live in the real world.
Remote learning is necessary but another job to add to the ever growing list!

user I'm not in the least detached from what goes on in schools and use of the term abuse is completely out of place. Just another instance of hyperbole. I've said what I've said and it's good to see that mumsneedwine does in fact quite like her job, despite all the posts which suggested she was utterly miserable - and that misery would of course affect her pupils, which is the critical point.

Sometimes less emotion not buckets of the stuff is a good thing, not that you'd know it sometimes on MN....

I imagine that under the current circumstances many teachers are totally miserable - doesn’t make them poor teachers. They are doing the best they can managing events outside their control. Everyone hopes things will soon get better but it’s looking like the current situation is going to be the norm for a lot longer than anyone would like.
Many many employees are in a similar situation.

@goodbyestranger 😊you always make me smile.

They arnt being welded in their rooms like in China, bring them home for Xmas!! Train/taxi/car/bus pick one !

@nicky7654 actually some were at one point. Manchester Met locked them in ! Security guards on doors and cable tied fire exits. Only when lawyers got involved was there a big apology and no one tried it again. Further lockdowns of halls have been voluntary, although students have kept to the rules.
DD gets out Monday after flatmate tested positive. She is looking forward to some outside air.

On that point: "Leaked Edinburgh University email warns security will guard doors to stop Halloween parties"

twitter.com/jim_dickinson/status/1322063195310272514?s=19