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The staffroom

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

Long covid and classroom teaching

1 reply

Bobodo · 14/10/2023 15:50

I'm still struggling with long covid symptoms and it seems like every half term at work is getting harder. Is anyone else in the same position with any advice?

I haven't had much time off work, but that's because I'd be off multiple times a week if I stayed off when I needed to rest. I think this makes most people think I must be fine, but I'm feeling (and sometimes being) sick and dizzy and exhausted by the simplest things.

After a full teaching day I can barely think straight anymore and every new initiative feels like it's going to break me. While I can plan and teach, and what I say and do in the classroom (even if from a seat!) works, I feel drained by the constant learning walks - they check we're displaying a retrieval task basically before the last class have been dismissed, greeting at the door, managing the corridor, taking the register promptly, reporting those absent who have previously been marked in, dealing with latecomers, speaking on the phone to those supervising pupils I may or may not have been told are isolated, which all means I just need to sit down for a minute.

But of course I should be up and explaining and modelling and questioning. And then circulating, live marking, even though I want to see what they can do independently. And then collecting in piles of work and starting the whole routine again.

I know most of this is part and parcel of teaching, but feeling ill makes it feel too much, and like I'm not able to do what I should be. Do I need adjustments (and what could they be)? Or am I just not cut out to do it anymore?

OP posts:
Hayliebells · 14/10/2023 18:38

Yes you may well need reasonable adjustments, it's probably worth a conversation with your GP, then occupational health. Really though you need a different school, they're not all like this. Even if well that would be too much. Move somewhere where they're not always doing learning walks, that's not a nice environment.

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