How much of the work are you expecting to be done?

[SunnyStroll]

I work in a PRU, we are taking the view that if we can get students to engage enough so that we have fairly regular contact and know they are safe, we are doing OK. Regular work is being sent for those who are taking it seriously/want something to do but we're not expecting most of them to do it. We're transitioning to setting less work and more suggestions of things to do to help with wellbeing/general interest.

My own DC both left school last year and I am thankful for that everyday!

Among my friends who have children still at school, this seems to be the week that has broken them. The schools are putting on lots of pressure, the kids aren't engaged and the families are under increasing stress. Tears and tantrums from both parents and kids.

Are schools "getting" how much pressure they're putting on families? Do they care or do they see this as an opportunity to show parents how hard their job is (surely not?) Will children really be disadvantaged when they go back if they don't do it? Is the volume of work, at least in part, because teachers are keen to show their own bosses how hard they are working? (that was definitely the case initially for us). Are teachers thinking about the fact that parents are getting similar amounts of work from other teachers in secondaries?

I've been giving friends the same advice were giving our parents. Do what you can, be kind to each other, stay safe, we'll sort it out when we get back, if you can get them to read something/anything great but this doesn't seem to be in line with what they're getting from their own DCs' schools.

[BlessYourCottonSocks]

Agree absolutely with Piggy. Choose your words with a bit more care. Lots of us - in mainstream schools - are fucking struggling with our mental health too.

Don't start a thread in the staffroom that is critical of teachers. Just fucking DON'T, you dick. We've had enough.

[BubblesBuddy]

To be clear: this is not the fault of teachers. That doesn’t make it any less worrying.

[BubblesBuddy]

I suspect the low levels reported by the Sutton Trust are concerning them. That’s valid enough in my book. It’s not a race to the bottom with these DC is it? I assume schools do know what work DC complete when at school. How would they gauge attainment and progress if they don’t evaluate the work completed. It’s possible the Sutton Trust don’t know but their remit is to close the attainment gap and I’m sure everyone agrees this is vital but the mountain to climb is now a lot more daunting.

[BelleSausage]

I see everything is the teacher’s fault, as usual.

I am setting the work I am told to by the school. I am trying to sensitively monitor but the downward pressure is enormous.

I am so stressed out I feel sick.

This thread is not helpful in wording or attitude. Do you realise that there are human beings who are also stuck trying to juggle work and family and their own school expectations.

Perhaps go into AIBU and have a word with the parents who are complaining about the lack of work, constantly e-mailing and being shitty about us ‘being on holiday’ and making out we are lazy arseholes.

Parents like this are why heads are putting downward pressure on staff to be constantly on Teams teaching lessons and setting work.

None of us woke up and the first day of lockdown and decided to make our lives harder by setting and marking 200 tasks a week.

Take your own god damn advice. Jesus.

[Iwalkinmyclothing]

DS1 is usually in an AP via the PRU, they are taking the same approach- first priority is his wellbeing and ensuring he is complying with the lockdown, checking in with him and us regularly, giving lots of opportunities for him to do some work but not placing us under pressure to ensure he does it. I'm glad: if he was the sort of kid who would reliably get up, log in and complete work he wouldn't be in the PRU system in the first place so it just shows they have a proper understanding of him anyway!

DS2&3's mainstream primary have no expectations either. They are supportive, in contact, giving lots of ideas, opportunities, resources and suggestions, but again are focussed on wellbeing and getting through this, not adding to pressure at a very difficult time. I'm aghast at what some parents on here have described; not least because teachers making such demands of families during this are very likely under immense pressure from unrealistic managers and must also be having a horrible experience.

[ineedaholidaynow]

I assume there are some children, if they have a quiet space and the right technology at home, are doing better than they would in a classroom with many distractions.

[CarrieBlue]

Op - do you have a sideline as a journalist?

[noblegiraffe]

The Sutton Trust has published the attached data on DC completing homework.

I wonder what the graph would look like for students completing work when actually at school.

There seems to be this assumption that kids who aren’t engaging at home would be 100% on-it at school.

[noblegiraffe]

Are schools "getting" how much pressure they're putting on families?

Massive generalisation. Different schools are doing different things and different families are coping in different ways, just as they do when they are open. Personally my kids’ school is good and my kids are coping just fine. The school I work for has what I think are reasonable expectations. Other people might think differently. Other kids might cope differently. We shouldn’t aim for the lowest denominator (nor the highest).

Do they care or do they see this as an opportunity to show parents how hard their job is (surely not?)

Of course they sodding care.

Will children really be disadvantaged when they go back if they don't do it?

Will kids be disadvantaged if they spend months playing Fortnite against kids who spent months doing some academic work? You need to ask?

Is the volume of work, at least in part, because teachers are keen to show their own bosses how hard they are working?

No.

Are teachers thinking about the fact that parents are getting similar amounts of work from other teachers in secondaries?

It seems to be fairly common to be working to a timetable and setting a ‘lesson’ of work. So yes, it has been considered.

[BubblesBuddy]

The Sutton Trust has published the attached data on DC completing homework. The disadvantaged are becoming more disadvantaged. So work might be set but it’s not being completed. The whole report is worth a read of course. However setting work isn’t the same as it being done.

[Piggywaspushed]

Genuine advice, then : don't use loaded words like destroying. Support your friends in RL. Every school and every teacher is trying hard to support families, but also learning , under extraordinary circumstances. Your friends will find , if they contact teachers, they will help not judge 99.99% of the time, many being parents themselves (and even if they are not).

I'm out.

[SunnyStroll]

Stop taking it so personally, I'm just trying to support some struggling families .

[Piggywaspushed]

Also, you have now said we are destroying families!

I think you will find that's the coronavirus!

In my mainstream school, we are setting reasonable amounts of work, no videoed lessons and have yesterday been encouraged by a HOY to email students and parents if work is missing'at our discretion'. It actually annoyed me that the HOY wasn't doing this centrally, having more insight into the families and also knowing whether this was across al subjects or unique to one so that could explain overload of school contact to an extent.

[SunnyStroll]

I have suggested that they do. They are reluctant to do so for fear of being judged for not being able to get their kids to do as they're told.

[Piggywaspushed]

Read your OP again. It sounds entirely like you are saying schools, who have long long histories of working with children and families do not understand what it is to parent and do not understand the stresses of the current situation. That a teacher would peddle the 'teachers are unemotional robots' type of line with no RL experience is actually hurtful.
Have your friends contacted their schools?

[SunnyStroll]

I dont know why you've taken this to be having a go at teachers. I am a teacher! Everyone is doing an impossible job, schools don't know what's expected of them but destroying the kids and their families isn't going to help anyone. I was just trying to get a feel for what's going on in mainstream schools .

[Piggywaspushed]

have your friends contacted their schools OP?

[Piggywaspushed]

Just look on MN. Parents expect teachers to do their jobs. If we did not contact those not doing the work, we would be accused of 'being on holiday'.

I would have absolutely no clue how to engage a 10 year old in maths work. You are basically saying that only teachers know how to help DCs with school work. that's a bit insulting to lots of parents who are doing brilliant jobs (better than some teacher parents no doubt!)

[SunnyStroll]

I mean they know how to engage children in school work, that all. It's not the work itself that's presenting problems , it's getting the kids to do it and the worry of "letting" children fall behind. Teachers will understand the implications (or not) of that too.

You're right, some empathy would be good

[Piggywaspushed]

Have your 7 friends contacted their schools? because there really isn't much individual schools can do if they don't know about it.

[Piggywaspushed]

Oh, honestly, teachers of ,say ,secondary English do not have a magic wand to know how to 'do' year 6 maths, or year 8 German or Year 9 science.

The people I know who are under the most pressure are the teachers struggling to keep on top of setting lessons (sometimes live lessons, no thanks to pressure from the expectations of vocal parents and , often in fee paying schools and unhelpful comments from the Sutton Trust) and marking and attending meetings and writing schemes whilst supervising the entirely separate work of small children. Most primary teachers are female and I am sure you have heard of the Triple Shift.

Empathy would be good.

FWIW , I expect all my students (mainstream secondary) to dot he pretty accessible and not particularly time consuming ) work I set. if they don't do it twice I email them ,and then , after awhile, their parents. My school is full of 'why didn't you tell us this before' type parents, so I dodn't see whay I wouldn't let them know their DCs were not completing work.

You are right that we are in bubbles and don't know how much other colleagues are setting them. I have had a couple of emails from parent shaving slight meltdowns about their DCs' coping mechanisms and totally understand this - if contacted, the huge majority of teachers would work around this. But the issue of not accounting for what other subjects and teachers might set is just as much (if not more) an issue when schools are in session as normal.

[SunnyStroll]

Yes Piggy, that's why I'm asking.

There's no benefit to the schools if they get a load of broken children and families back after all this.

[SunnyStroll]

Insulting, why? Huge pressure is being put on parents when they have many other strains too? We, as a PRU have absolutely recognised that and changed what we're trying to deliver. My friends' DCs' schools dont seem to have. I'm just wondering what I can suggest to help. Teachers who are parents do have the advantage of knowing how to do it and what is really necessary.

[Piggywaspushed]

've been giving friends the same advice were giving our parents. Do what you can, be kind to each other, stay safe, we'll sort it out when we get back, if you can get them to read something/anything great but this doesn't seem to be in line with what they're getting from their own DCs' schools.

If you do work in a PRU, you would have to acknowledge the academic pressures are generally completely different, though, from a mainstream school.

[Piggywaspushed]

Are schools "getting" how much pressure they're putting on families? Do they care or do they see this as an opportunity to show parents how hard their job is

Sorry, but considering this is staffroom ,and on a parenting site, this is a bit insulting.

The vast majority of teachers are parents, too!