Off Topic Schools going back

Fine with the kids going back. Massively low risk category, and the little data we do have from studies suggest they are not the "super-spreaders" parents think (when it comes to this virus anyway). We need to get the economy moving and getting kids back to school will help with that. Its good the teachers are going back etc to make this happen.

I still think the over 50's and those with conditions which place them in high risk should still be shielded though.

 

Going back?

 

The issue i suspect is that, in my school certainly, it's the older members of staff and the very younger ones who can just extend from working one or two days a week up to full time again without having to make arrangements and without delay. For most of the staff (well over half) they have their own kids to sort out and the domino effect of getting them into childcare (if that's possible, some of my colleagues had grandparents involved previously and that's not doable at the moment).

If you ring-fence all the people over 50 and allow for the fact some staff are shielded or have children who are shielded or are pregnant or have a wife who is pregnant I think staffing issues would make it untenable.

What is interesting to me at least is the idea of teachers wearing PPE. My wife is very much of the view that it's almost entirely pointless for protecting teachers as the basic masks only really stop you spreading the virus to others and since the idea is that the children will not be wearing them the risk to me is the same as if i didn't bother (obviously i will be, if only to send the message).

 

Basically I want as many people as possible to go back to work and kids into school ASAP.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course.

 

My point was that teachers never left so can't go back

 

We need to start somewhere. Certainly I don't think its a case where you say one size fits all, everyone get your arse back to work/school. It has to be practicable and every effort should be made to make it happen in my opinion. Obviously where individual schools have issues then we need to be understanding about that. At lot of schools will cope though. Many parents won't want to send kids back too.

We've hit the point now where the cure is going to be worse for us than the actual thing it was brought in to combat.

It is never a good thing to treat people differently, particularly with regards to education. having kids in the same year, some back at school, some not, its far from ideal. Needs must though.

 

Sorry I meant teachers happy to make themselves available to do their job. I know Haslam pointed out it wasn't ever in doubt, but I still think its worth noting because many other people, industries etc are living in fear of this still. Its understandable too with the battering we've had from the media and government.

I reckon the next person to say the words "the new normal" should have their genitalia mutilated for being a complete ****.

 

T

 

However, teachers and those working within education have been treated like **** for more years than I care to remember - by the government, the media, the teaching uniions and by the general public.

I started teaching during the Labour government and although not perfect was infinitely much better than it has been since the Tories came in to power.

My contract is for 32.5 hours a week for 43 weeks (inc of 4 weeks holiday) yet I work an average of over 55 hours per week because if I do not do those extra 20+ hours I will not get all the work done and eventually sacked. I have done saturday school, extra interventions every week (no pay), I offer my Year 11 students revision sessions during my lunch break, I come in during holidays, I work through the paid holidays and the unpaid weeks.

Teaching initiaitves change on a daily basis. Governments introduce pointless tasks to complete for no other purpose other than making teachers work.

Since the Tories have come into power I have lost £18000 in real terms of pay which then has a knock on affect to my pension pot that I pay hundreds and hundreds into each month. Did you also know that the average pay for a teacher of the top ten paying countries is over £55000 for someone of my experience (this is around £16000 more a year than I receive). Governement research has shown the average teacher to work 47 hours per week which at our rate of pay would mean we should be paid £54000 a year.

Sad as it maybe, the other week I worked out how much I have spent of my own money on food, stationary and other essentials for work purposes and that figure is £15000.

Unions - I have to pay these £17 or so a month basically for insurance purposes in case I am accused of anything.

In my many years of teaching I have been verbally assaulted and physically assaulted. I seperated a fight between two year 10 boys and ended up with a snapped finger. Tried to seperate two year 9 girls from fighting and another child tried to move out of the way and he chair leg and her weight went straight to my little toe and boom. Have been told to **** off numerous times with one lad squaring up to me - was then told nothing would happen and the boy was back in my class next lesson.

Hopefully @haslam has had a better experience of teaching than I have but with decreasing numbers of teachers due to lack of recruitment and retention the problems will only get worse for those that stay. Would I recommend someone to teaching - **** no! Not at the moment - a lot of changes would need to be made.

Over social media and my chats with other teachers they have all said about changes being made - but I can bet the equity in my house that it will last the whole of 10 minutes! In teaching there are too many people who go "think of the children" or as they have no lives themselves are willing to do something that then puts pressure on other people who then fall into place and then it is just me saying 'no' and then I look like the **** that I am.

 

Oh and **** marking!!

This is how **** it is these days - I have to mark a piece of work each week- that is around 125 bits of work that each take 5-10 minutes to mark. I choose a piece of work. I have to write what went well and either an even better if or next steps.

So imagine I set you ten questions on adding and subtracting fractions with different denominators. You get ten out of ten. Do you really need me to write "WWW: you can add and subtract fractions with different denominators"? I then write "Next steps: try adding and subtracting fractions with different denominators that involves mixed numbers"

You get it back, I have to tell you that you need to respond to my feedback (in a different coloured pen) -
"WWW: you can add and subtract fractions with different denominators" - no **** sir, I did get them all right
"Next steps: try adding and subtracting fractions with different denominators that involves mixed numbers" isn't that todays lesson sir? how can I do something you haven't taught me yet?

I add to this during the lesson "mind your language and yes that is todays lesson but we have done converting between mixed and improper fractiosn - plus this is not for your benefit it for the benfit of Ofsted and any othe radult reading your book"

 

Ticks a box to say you were consulted though doesn't it. They understand your pain. They want to pay you more. The only way they can make that happen though is to remove some of the wealth from their elite chums or tax the nation even more. Their mates aren't keen on giving up any wealth, and they are already taking the piss with taxes. So its with a heavy heart they feel it is best just to **** off the teachers and NHS staff. Sorry about that.They'll send you a questionnaire so they can understand how that makes you feel though if that helps (mental health check box ticked).

Sorry I'm feeling a bit cynical about the world today

 

The one thing about this that absolutely ****ing boggles the mind is why there's still a six week Summer ****ing holiday. Why terms can't just be pro-rata'd is beyond all comprehension. Can anyone possibly offer a reasonable explanation as to why the Summer isn't down to 2 or 3 (at most) weeks? Parents need to earn some money and get some space from their kids, the fact they've not even looked at it is just a whole new level of political ****housery.

 

Er no.

 

Also look at my rant about pay and hours worked.

Any one suggesting this can get to ****

 

I can't see any cynicism.

 

Also teachers are shattered; physically, mentally and emotionally after a school year.

Oh Boo hoo parents have to deal with their children for 6 weeks.

 

I've done safeguarding courses that cover FGM and abuse in that area in general.
A post course question that went something like "you notice bruising around the genitals, what do you do?"

For an outsider to notice bruising around the genitals, I reckon they would be part of the problem!!

 

Whichever way you look - particularly if you look West - politics is absolutely, unconditionally ****ed. The Capitalist Western World is in an absolute mess, with two utter bumbling idiots "leading" the most powerful nations. Politics is literally detrimental to anything anybody tries to do, but Capitalism keeps us going because we're all stuck in a "look out for number one" framework. So we all have to keep feeding the machine, which really only feeds the wealthy, which keeps politics as it is with no hope or sight of change.

We're in a HUGE mess and it's going to get hellish before it changes, because real change is going to be feral.

 

6 weeks on top of four months. I'll let you do the maths.