Expected to teach live online lessons?

[FlowerAndBloom]

Hi all,

We have received an email yesterday asking all staff to prepare to teach live online lessons during potential school closure on a new platform nobody has used before. My concern is that I cannot teach live all day while my own kids are at home and need supervising in their schoolwork. Has anyone else been asked this? How do I approach this? Private school in London if it makes any difference!

I won’t be doing that. I’ll set work on SMHW. I’ll respond to emails etc. But that will happen in the evenings, when my own children are in bed and STBXH isn’t using the home computer for work.

(And no, it’s not that I’m prioritising his work; it’s that he already works from home and needs go continue to do so)

You just do your best. If you have to set them a task and leave them to complete it for 10 minutes then you do. I'd have thought teachers would be more keen to make sure students don't miss out on their education.

The Khan Academy could be really useful. Duo Linguo for languages. Videos. Teach for 15 minute blocks, give links to things to watch. Q and A session at a given time or via email/group chat. Organising it so you have a whole morning on a subject with a class (not trying to teach like a school day timetable).
It'll be trial and error for a while but needs must.

I think you have to refuse to do this.
I will be refuse if y school ask me (Dont think they will),
Students will record and edit and they’ll be all sorts of career-ruining montages of teachers going around.
Plus it’s a bit safeguarding risky too. Can all the other kids see each other or just the teacher? The potential for teenage boys exposing themselves is higher than I’m comfortable with

I used to train people how to train using synchronous technology. There is a skill to it - both in design of lessons and how to manage the groups and classes. You are multi-tasking in different ways to the classroom. You will have to prepare your materials in advance. Neither you nor the learners will be able to be online for extended periods of time and it requires a lot of concentration. It's more useful that you have short structures sessions teaching a concept - then work set for the children to do alone while you can answer questions etc -- how old are the kids you are working with?

I don't know how your contract works in a private school but I would be speaking with your union about what you are being asked to do. If the government shuts state schools in order to isolate kids I don't see how you (or anyone else with young kids) can be expected to work continuous regular hours.... it's just not going to happen. Kids need looking after - they can't just be put in front of TV/electronics for hours and hours and hours for possibly weeks.

How incredibly selfish of you @CuckooCuckooClock. And actually quite ridiculous. The students could record you in school anyway if they're sneaky enough so what's the difference? And I'm not sure what you do/day whilst you're teaching that's "career ending", but for most people that's really not a concern.

How incredibly selfish of you @CuckooCuckooClock. And actually quite ridiculous. The students could record you in school anyway if they're sneaky enough so what's the difference? And I'm not sure what you do/day whilst you're teaching that's "career ending", but for most people that's really not a concern

It's not ridiculous. There's a world of difference between a teacher being told told they must record live lessons that can be manipulated and a student illicitly recording a lesson and later manipulating the material.

pinkyyy I’m not selfish. There are better ways for me to teach remotely, imo.

I don’t do anything I need to hide when I teach but I have seen edited footage of teachers that makes it look like they said something they didn’t say. The fallout was awful.

I also teach students who are sex offenders with a history of exposing themselves. I don’t want a live feed into their bedrooms.

I am not selfish at all. I love my students and I do everything I can for them. But I have boundaries and limits and this would cross mine. I suspect I’m not alone.
Maybe you could teach my classes too since you’re so fabulous?

I think teachers will have to do their best to offer some online input but i actually think the internet won't cope with the extra demand anyway. Mine has been shocking all weekend as it is which i suspect is linked to more people staying home.

I think teachers will have to do their best to offer some online input but i actually think the internet won't cope with the extra demand anyway. Mine has been shocking all weekend as it is which i suspect is linked to more people staying home.

I’m happy to screen cast and audio record but will not be video streaming or recording.

Maybe you could teach my classes too since you’re so fabulous?

That's just plain stupid.

The safeguarding issues are ridiculous....I don’t particularly want to be beamed into a teenage boys bedroom and kids have form for posting doctored images of staff all over the internet it’s rife in this day and age. I’m not doing it why do I need to explain something online when a million other people do it on YouTube and I can send a link?!!!

Exactly. Send some links to you tube teachers. Email some worksheets and answers to self assess. Much better for everyone.

What was raised by another teacher already in this situation was that live teaching won’t necessarily work because the kids parents won’t be home to direct them to work and they will only be available in the evening - or the parents will be working from home on the family laptop and the child won’t get to use it until later.

It cannot be assumed that live lessons are a practical solution and that uploading resources and videos (maybe you voicing over a PowerPoint rather than filming yourself) so that they can be accessed when possible would be more appropriate.

Also interesting to note that Microsoft Teams has crashed today with its increase in use in Europe so therefore, probably not best to rely on online classes/lectures anyway.

Every teacher in every country will have to do what their govt tells them
Within days of the Italian lockdown all teachers were up and running carrying on giving live lessons as usual.
A lot of the "I'm not paid to do that" types copied and pasted union stuff for a while but have adapted in the end when given the choice of continuing to do their jobs, for the good of their students, or take presumably unpaid leave.

Obviously the platforms being used are the affiliated to schools ones, or G Suite for schools etc. All coordinated by the form teachers, registers taken etc etc.

Obviously the platforms being used are the affiliated to schools ones, or G Suite for schools etc. All coordinated by the form teachers, registers taken etc etc.

But we use Microsoft Teams in our school, as do a great many....

If your not available to get childcare you are not available to work tell the school

Afaik, all the online platforms are working flat out to give more juice (for want of a better word) to their ok interfaces as the global situation worsens.
I don't imagine Microsoft will be any different.
Many Italian teachers thought they were off the hook by saying they'd upload work and mark it but we're swiftly told that's not teaching.
It does show who the teachers are who have the kids' best interests at heart though.

I would assume that everyone will be relaxed about kids creating a bit of noise in the background due to the current circumstances. Everyone is just doing the best that they can.

You’ve missed the news article about Microsoft Teams today then TheCanterburyWhales.

It does show who the teachers are who have the kids' best interests at heart though

ODFOD

Our schools are all closed and Ive been supporting my own children doing their work today. My 14 year old was 95% self-reliant, my 12 year old about 80% self-reliant, but my 8 year old needed me constantly.

My 8 year old's teacher sent a timetable of 6 x 45 minute lessons all of which required parental supervision. This is exemplary in one way, but completely incompatible with home working.

I used to teach secondary - obviously I couldn't have combined an 8 year old's learning with online teaching of a top set of 31 GCSE candidates nor a cheeky year 9 bottom set - for different reasons.

I work in adult social care now and can't take them with me either (could have done under normal circumstances but visitors are currently forbidden). Its a totally different problem though, and actually easier in a way as I work long shifts and can supervise my children when home and then go to work at 2pm knowing they've done their school work and DH is flexing his office job hours to be with them from 4pm, so 14 year old is in charge of 8 year old during 2 hours (during which screen time is allowed).

Teaching online only works if all schools do it, although it still leaves teachers with preschoolers or children with some special needs unable to comply.