“The best place for children is in school.” Duh 🙄. I don’t know a single teacher who would dispute that. Safe, properly mitigated schools are correct place for pupils & staff. The skeleton staffed, stressful, non-festive, Covid soups that are the reality. - not so much.
Covid is ripping through our school for the 3rd December running. This time there’s no self isolation period & both staff and pupils are expected in school. This isn’t education. It’s not even Christmas. It’s like an insane game of survival & we’re all too battle worn this time.
I'm also over parents who "can't deal their (kid/s) behaviour" but expect teachers to deal with it, alongside up to 32 other perhaps equally challenging children, because "they're trained for it". Also see "they knew what they signed up for". We're teachers, not magicians 👍
Okay, if you were once a teacher but no longer are, how did you escape and what do you do now? It's becoming clearer and clearer to me that I'm done.. burnt out, whatever. Enough.
😠I swear that this over-riding push to paint schools as child care will be the thing that makes me resign more than anything else. Nowhere in my college prospectus or 4 yr degree was "remember, you're there so parents can work".
School staff - have you found that you are doing more parenting than educating recently? Increasingly I’m having parents bring their child into school for me to talk them around/into things (eg attending appointments, going on a trip, getting showered). What is going on?!
Took dogs out (v rural area). Almost walked into a guy acting *very* strangely. Changed route & msged mum to alert her as she walks daily. 2 mins later, her car appears on the track. I was told to get in as she wasn't happy I was on my own. I'm in my 50's, she's in her 70's 🤣
Lots to do before sch**l on Monday.
I'm sitting in the sunshine, in the garden, doing absolutely sod all.
My Monday self will not thank me.
Am I moving?
Am I hell! 🌞
9 school days until the end of yet another insane, short staffed and chaotic term. I need to stop thinking that the next term “can’t be any worse” than the previous one because they’ve just proved me wrong continually since 2020. I’m too old and burnt out to deal with this 😩
Schools are riddled with covid. It's the last week of an 8 week term & numbers continue to climb. Pupils, parents & staff. Makes me wonder why we spent 2 terms remote learning when we're in school coping with these levels. Anxiety levels are high for all parties. When not if now.
Our daily absences are continuing to climb each day. How's everyone else doing? We've staff in with +tive children at home and +tive staff sending their children to school. We're never getting out of this, are we?
Okay, still ill, but the relief of knowing I’m not going to work for the next few weeks means I’m finally able to sleep. Once I have the energy I’ll be starting a non-teaching job search. Why am I worried about leaving a career which has no resemblance to the one I trained to do?
Just heard my cousin has died of Covid. I haven't the energy or headspace to deal with this on top of everything else. 2 weeks of term done, 2 weekends of being ill. I can't live like this any more.
The abuse teachers get for daring to strike 🙄. It's about time folk were honest & stated that it's about childcare. Given the year on year cuts to budgets, staffing & resources, it's now all about containing kids during the working day. Yet we get judged on the blessed data 🤷🏼♀️
@louiseatkinso14
It's a paradox - apparently everyone can do the job (judging by the armchair experts all over the internet) but no one wants to do it 🙄
Catching up? Lost learning? I work in a large school and the only pupils these phrases refer to are those who already had less than 50% attendance. They haven't turned up for the places they were allocated either despite a myriad of measures and strategies. Would you like us to
Scottish parents- does your teen bother/worry about wearing a mask to/in school? Mine couldn't give a toss and neither do their pals 🤷🏼♀️. They are...eh.."bemused" by some of the hysterical comments re "child abuse" and "muzzles". Glad to see so many level headed teens on here too.
Quote from youngest after being back in S3 for 2 days "I've had cover teachers for every lesson. I know nothing more than I knew before Xmas". Excellent. I'm delighted🤬 and youngest is angling to stay off 🤦🏼♀️ But schools are open at all costs eh
@NicolaSturgeon
@S_A_Somerville
@piersmorgan
I don't often agree with you
@piersmorgan
but you're absolutely correct here. Same with schools...they're screaming to have them fully open but they'll scream louder when they're home schooling - again- next term. Just because people are jaded doesn't mean C19 has gone away.
Me to Dr “well I’ve heard nothing re MRI/neurology so I assume everything is fine”. Dr says “You’d like to think so”. Long story short - MRI was not fine. If I hadn’t made an appt to discuss my continuing symptoms, neither the Dr or I know when I would have found out. NHS 2024
👏🏼👏🏼 used to adore my job. Can only talk myself into going into school a day at a time now. At the stage where I could just walk right out the door at any time and it’s a scary place to have reached.
When teachers who love teaching and are extremely good at it would rather do anything other than teach, including be unemployed, you know the ppl running the education system in that country have got things very, very wrong.
When you have numerous members of staff in tears because of the words and actions of both parents and pupils, you know something needs to change. Fast. This cannot continue to escalate. So angry tonight.
Clearly nurses, like teachers, have had enough of "vocation" being flung at them as emotional blackmail. I doubt it's a coincidence that it's also a career seen as traditionally female. "Vocation" = excuse to pile more on folk for no additional wage. Enough.
#Solidarity
#FBF
About to press submit on the first non-teaching job I've applied for since my student summer jobs days in the late 80's. Cold feet have suddenly appeared. Dare I do it? This being 10% braver is bloody scary 🙈
#veteranteacher
#canyouteachanolddognewtricks
Teen has spent roughly half the school week in the assembly hall - with other teacher-less classes - playing on their phone, eating crisps & playing cards. Not for the 1st week this term. Covid continues to impact on education whatever
@scotgov
would like to pretend. So angry 🤬
@missjredwards
@WhistleblowingT
This! My current HT isn't 1st in and last out and has a young family. They don't equate being in school = teaching expertise either. Maybe because those who are in our building longest are the biggest gossips 🤣
Can we stop with the "staff spread covid in primary schools" narrative. Staff are the only people in primary schools capable of keeping a social distance from each other 🤦♀️. It makes trying to discuss confidential matters SO much more fun. My mime skills have increased hugely.
I had some awful news today at work. Suffice to say after the reaction I got to sharing it with SLT, I will be looking for new job. I didn’t realise I was a robot and the platitude “you’re a real trooper, dogsandrobins” has lost its power. We’re humans, not robots.
@RogersHistory
Banda spirit duplicating
Friday pub lunches
Compliant kids
Parents believing you
Taking the class out for a walk by yourself
Not having the internet. Or computers.
Sticky backed plastic on EVERYTHING
My word folks, it's strike day and there's rich pickings on the mute/blocking front already. No one notices what you do until you don't do it, eh? Amazing the vitriol aimed at teachers when we don't just do as we're told. Get used to it folks. We're just beginning
#PayAttention
@ShannonDingle
I’m so sorry that happened to you. These anti abortion zealots see things in black and white and we all know there are many many shades of grey.
Today it seems that a LOT of people citing mental health of children as a reason for being in school also seem to think those same children being in school approx 50 wks a year, say 8am-5pm, wouldn't be detrimental to their mental health whatsoever.....Hmm...🤔🙄
@RogersHistory
OHPs and acetates
Banda machines
Covering work cards (that you wrote/drew) in sticky backed plastic
Chalk
Pub lunches on Fridays
That greasepaper loo roll
Ashtrays in the staffroom
Reinforcements to repair holes in A4 paper
in order to support them. Perhaps then, once they feel settled and secure, the children can have a regular schooling routine where they attend and are able to absorb the learning. THAT will address the issue of "lost learning". And now, at 7.15am, I'm away to school for the day.
@FakeHeadteacher
I actually currently have no idea. I really don't. Too old to retrain and too young to retire. I wouldn't tell anyone to come into teaching. I don't recognise it now compared to how it was.
Why are many colleges going online today and schools aren't?
That'll be because schools = childcare.
I think after the past few years, no one is in any doubt about that.
@MrsSmanwar
We are back to in person at work but my teens school is staying with virtual 🙌🙌. I'd much rather do 40 minutes at my kitchen table than 4 hours hanging about a dusty high school on a work night 👏👏
@ScottPughsley
I'm over 50, married nearly 30yrs, kids etc, and my mum still goes up to her bedroom to watch me walk back down the road to my own house. She also tells me to "watch the road" whenever I drive. I passed my test in 1987 and haven't had so much as a parking ticket 🤣
Train drivers, bus drivers, refuse collectors -solidarity! Up the workers!
School staff - lazy, child haters, had 2 years off, have mega holidays 🙄😤
& in a nutshell that's why there's currently a perfect storm of recruitment and retainment in education
#followbackFriday
@aliverocking
I think, having taught since I was 21, that I would miss the kids. That's about all I'd miss. The pointless mtgs, buying your own resources, staffroom politics, public hatred, being to blame for all the ills of society...not so much.
they are safe and warm throughout that day at least. This is where schools are filling in too many gaps in funding and other agencies. It's a further slap in the face to hear endless guff about measures to address "lost learning". Many families need a raft of measures
Daughter started being sent inappropriate msgs. These continued to become more graphic over a period of weeks and became photos. I was called to pick her up from school as she was “unwell ” - she cracked and told me everything and showed me her phone. She hadn’t responded
He stopped short with this nonsense when he saw my face. I told him if he wasn’t going to deal with this appropriately, we would go to the police. I also told him if anything similar happened again we’d bypass the school’s “help” and go straight to the police. Fife, 2016.
Strike special
#followbackFriday
if you grasp that:
*strikes are meant to be disruptive
*strikers aren't getting paid those days
*strikers can do whatever they wish on such unpaid days
* striking is a last resort
*pitting worker v worker won't work
#follow4followback
Over 1/3 of pupils absent, classes doubling up as not enough staff to cover. Admin, cleaning and catering staff absent. Can’t film nativity as 1/2 the cast are missing. Cancelled end of term house events. But hey, schools are open
#stateprovidedchildcare
I’ve just read a thread on the FB Scottish teachers group full of “what a great offer” type comments. How can apparently professional, educated people be so short sighted? Is it strike fatigue, the lure of backdated pay, or just a desire to fall for the spin of
@scotgov
#OMG
😩
Could someone please tell me how schools are simultaneously awful, but seemingly also the cure for all the problems that exist within society? As I see it, it's the *staff* who make the schools. Yet they are being lambasted whilst also being superheroes?
#paradox
#confused
Thoughts whilst off sick:
* I miss having a purpose in my day
* I don't miss my job
* If I didn't return, I wouldn't stay in contact with anyone
* I'm still stressed but I think it's more of a "habit"
* still can't sleep
* I'm not sure how I'm supposed to return to work
That's right Nicola, you meet virtually on Wednesday. Save your own hide. I'll just away into school on Thursday to mix with over 300 families. Don't think of dropping any last minute clangers on school staff either as we've pretty much had it.
Not sure how much longer I can keep just getting up & showing up, tbh. Another week of impossible to-do lists, shelving plans to deal with distressed pupils, & everyone wanting everything from you. Now. Oh & probably covering for staff with zero notice. Oh & playground duty..
Anyone else amazed at how early schools south of the border break up for Christmas? 🤯. I could do my entire shopping, decorating, etc, in the time between now and the 25th instead of juggling it all like some frazzled hag.
Things that are really getting to me 1) the gaslighting - it makes me want to scream 2) the whataboutery - just stop it, you sound like a dick 3) the denial of clear facts - just because it doesn’t suit your agenda. Almost every topic you can think of - they’re there. Stop it.
Over on FB every other story is about "should schools close early/reopen later". Guaranteed to get all the 🚀out & whip up anti-teacher feeling (cos we all know WE make the decisions) 🙄. And it's "what about working parents". I didn't train for 4 yrs so people could go to work.
@bowlof_petunias
@HBertinelli1
They are insane. In my 31st year teaching so I don't think anyone can doubt my commitment to children. However, my own 3 children need their mother. They shouldn't lose me because my workplace was unsafe/U4U bully me into it/I have to sacrifice myself so kids can learn maths FFS
Don't close - slagged off (bloody teachers)
Do close - slagged off (bloody teachers)
Let's just rename schools "childcare centres" and stop the pretence, shall we? 🙄
I’m so fed up of the media going on about pleading with unions NOT to strike, as the jobs their members do are so essential.
If those jobs are SO vitally important, why not pay the people doing them properly, FFS 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
storm these pupils houses, drag them into school, tie them to a chair and somehow "force" learning into them? We are already knocking folk awake in the mornings and transporting some pupils to school. None of which is in our remit whatsoever but we do because we *know* then that
@dunlin57
We have children (primary) in a reasonably affluent area coming to school hungry in increasing numbers. The first thing we ask everyone each morning now tends to be "what did you have for breakfast?" or in some cases groups/classes just start the day with something to eat.
@chriswalford
@dunlin57
That's why some groups/classes just all have a drink and cereal bar/toast/cereal...more as a universal provision. So there's no stigma or shame attached. However there's no ignoring a child's rumbling tum 😔
Have spent most of my week (again) trying to justify to parents and carers why their child(ren) cannot have the support they require and I’ve had it. GIRFEC and “team around the child” are just handy catchphrases. They mean nothing without time, money and staffing.
WTF?! Staffrooms were closed. Some still are! We ate in our classes or our cars. We weren't trusted to social distance ourselves...but still trusted to educate and work amongst 100's of children without masks on. The gaslighting of school staff and their experiences continues....
"I don't think at any time he thought he was breaking the law... he thought just like many teachers and nurses who after a very long shift would go back to the staff room and have a quiet drink"
Tory MP Michael Fabricant urges Boris Johnson to apologise
When there are rumbles of a "staff night out" and all you can think is "it's bad enough being around these people when I'm PAID to be there, why would I voluntarily spend an evening with them" ?! It is just me?! Am I just an unsocial old boot? 🙈
If you are increasingly frustrated that apparently schools are simultaneously both the cause of and the cure for all the ills of society (whilst being underfunded, understaffed and the staff within should work for buttons “cos it’s a vocation, innit”)
#followbackFriday
Anyone else making a list of things to look forward to in order to get them through term 1? So far I’ve got….afternoon tea with a friend, road trip to Anstruther for fish and chips, a show at Edinburgh Playhouse as well as a crop of family birthdays.
And came out with the line “You know X really needs to be more resilient…” I actually thought I might reach across the desk and hit him. So teenage boys shouldn’t be spoken to or disciplined for sending porn/dick pics or harassing girls, but the girls should just shrug it off.
A family member went to London, on a coach, for the sodding football. Now they've tested positive. And so have 8 of of their friends so far. Untold hassle re family funeral, vulnerable family members etc. Never saw that happening. Hope they feel it was worth it 🙈🤦♀️
Last day of term - what does it hold? Thrown into a class to cover? Doubling up classes with less than 1/2 present? Pupils bouncing off walls because they don’t want to be at home? Finding more staff crying in dark corners? Answering more insane emails from parents? Ho ho ho 🙈🥳
If like me you’re north of the border, have no half term to gloat about, 5 more weeks to the finish line and have the Sunday night dread, please send me a GIF to distract me from my anxiety.
Thinking of everyone who just has to get through this last day of term before collapsing in a heap. Eyes on the prize (or ears on the afternoon bell). No more get ups 🙌🏼🙌🏼
Absolutely. MPs and MSPs should be leading by example. After all, we elect them AND pay their wages. Is politics a vocation, you know, like teaching apparently is? Join us
@UsForMPs1
Can't go into school tmw. I should have seen a doctor wks ago but you can't ring up saying "it's an emergency" & then not attend bcs you're covering a class 😩. So now, I really need to see a doctor, but the guilt of not showing up tmw has me up to 90. This is no way to live.