TEACHERS...have you had enough?

[HeatherC]

Wondering how any teachers on here are feeling about their jobs come this fall? I know three teachers who have just had enough and are taking early retirement (a year or two early) as a result of Covid.

They have said that just the possibility of going hybrid was just too much to handle at this point in their careers. They don’t know how they would be expected to do online as well as in person classes because there aren’t enough hours in the day or even floor space in the classrooms. Some concerns were regarding the technical aspect of this process. How do you teach inperson and online at the same time. Who handles network or computer issues with the kids? Will their workloads be doubling as a result? Some kids don’t have reliable internet. The list goes on and on.

‘Budget cuts are also happening and teachers are being laid off. So then how do you have one teacher teach a class of 24 plus kids six feet apart. Even splitting the class in half and alternating days still leaves too many students in a room.

I have been hearing a ton of how kids need to be in school, but not hearing a lot of how we are going to be helping the teachers make this happen.

How are you feeling about the upcoming school year? You are all in my thoughts.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Wondering how any teachers on here are feeling about their jobs come this fall? I know three teachers who have just had enough and are taking early retirement (a year or two early) as a result of Covid.

They have said that just the possibility of going hybrid was just too much to handle at this point in their careers. They don’t know how they would be expected to do online as well as in person classes because there aren’t enough hours in the day or even floor space in the classrooms. Some concerns were regarding the technical aspect of this process. How do you teach inperson and online at the same time. Who handles network or computer issues with the kids? Will their workloads be doubling as a result? Some kids don’t have reliable internet. The list goes on and on.

‘Budget cuts are also happening and teachers are being laid off. So then how do you have one teacher teach a class of 24 plus kids six feet apart. Even splitting the class in half and alternating days still leaves too many students in a room.

I have been hearing a ton of how kids need to be in school, but not hearing a lot of how we are going to be helping the teachers make this happen.

How are you feeling about the upcoming school year? You are all in my thoughts.

As a middle school language arts teacher in a small Catholic school, I am not looking forward to next year. You listed my biggest fear - "They don’t know how they would be expected to do online as well as in person classes because there aren’t enough hours in the day or even floor space in the classrooms. Some concerns were regarding the technical aspect of this process. How do you teach in person and online at the same time."

We actually do have the floor space to have desks 6 feet apart because our building is 100 years old with HUGE classrooms, and our enrollment is down due to this mess, so we have small class sizes. That makes in person more feasible for us. That said, there is no way that a teacher can teach in person and online at the same time. There just are not enough hours in a day. Now if the in person classes are filmed/broadcast/live streamed and the notes are given using a document camera, then a student at home could take part in an in person classroom. That's going to be the best bet. But once too many people get sick, the school will close, and everything will go online again. Teachers will need to be ready to pivot.

All the teachers I work with are exhausted from working overtime the last 10 weeks, filled with anxiety about the coming school year and are very afraid of getting sick once school starts back up since our diocese is committed to starting the school year in person.

I'll be involved in the summer covid planning for 2.5 more weeks, and then I go out on medical leave for double knee replacement, which has been in the works since January. I won't be back at school until mid September or possibly October. On one hand, it stresses me out to leave when things are so crazy because I don't know what to plan for my sub. On the other had, I'm kind of relieved that I don't have to deal with the craziness for a few months.

I've just told all my teacher friends to do the best they can under the circumstances. Nothing about next year will be ideal, but every school and teacher in the world is in the same boat. Our best under these circumstances will have to be good enough. I'm trying really hard not to stress about stuff over which I have no control.

 

[CGB]

USA Today recently ran a survey where 1 in 5 teachers said they would be unlikely to return in the Fall.

As a teacher who doesn't have any issues with technology in teaching, this past quarter was the absolute hardest I've experienced in my career. Most of my kids (and their parents) did okay with the remote learning. In our district, it wasn't a technology issue (despite our 50-60% poverty rate). We issued chromebooks and coordinated with local internet providers to install free access in the homes that needed it. However, the struggling kids who I would typically go sit beside and quietly persuade or help them work in my classroom.... those kids I lost with remote learning. No amount of calling parents, emailing, texting, providing videos, etc. was successful. It was exhausting... and I still wish it would have turned out differently.

I don't know what's happening this fall. We're still waiting on word from our governor and then I suspect our district will start having meetings to figure out how we will make it work. I've taken June to catch up on my home projects/health appts. After July 4th, I plan to start adjusting my curriculum so that it is mainly on-line, even if we physically go back to school in August. It's just better to be prepared since the virus is still out there. I have a feeling that even if we open... it will only take one student/teacher/parent to test positive for covid.... and then we'll be shut down again.

 

[Kitty 34]

Heather, you need to ask all our DIS parents how they feel about prospective changes.........are they ready to send them to the teachers?

 

[Meriweather]

DS and DIL have decided to home school their kids this year. Not sending them back into school.
They have hired DD to do it. She is a teacher and doesn't want to go into a classroom or back to her job at Kohl's, so this works for all.
If the grand kids went back, we would not be able to see them since we are both high risk.

 

[Sabeking]

I formally worked in first grade a few years back but went to a private preschool. The situation is a little different but I am seriously thinking of quitting IF we even go back. I went in last week to clean the room and over heard my supervisor talking about the changes. The kids will have to wear masks and each bring in their own individual play dough. There would be no sensory bin activities and disposable lunch mats. More hand washing, no special snacks to go with theming....the list goes on and on. They are 3; which at times is like herding cats. I don’t think I have it in me.

 

[sam_gordon]

I need enough teachers to leave so DD can find a job (graduated in May).

 

[sherriepaul]

I'm a middle school sped teacher and if we go online for next year it will be mandatory for me to collect progress monitoring data on students that are non-verbal and don't look at computer screens very well. So it will definitely be interesting!

 

[AustinTink]

Apparently, our governor has a crystal ball that tells him it will be safe for students to return to school in the fall without masks and other precautionary measures. Ugh.

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/e...turn/269-b1c6756e-3a66-4838-af5f-6425e418d78a

 

[HeatherC]

Heather, you need to ask all our DIS parents how they feel about prospective changes.........are they ready to send them to the teachers?

I am guessing they are more than ready to send them to the teachers.. And it is only June!

 

[JimMIA]

My middle daughter and many good friends of mine are teachers. I'm a retired police officer, and I have NEVER understood how teachers do it!

 

[bethbuchall]

I formally worked in first grade a few years back but went to a private preschool. The situation is a little different but I am seriously thinking of quitting IF we even go back. I went in last week to clean the room and over heard my supervisor talking about the changes. The kids will have to wear masks and each bring in their own individual play dough. There would be no sensory bin activities and disposable lunch mats. More hand washing, no special snacks to go with theming....the list goes on and on. They are 3; which at times is like herding cats. I don’t think I have it in me.

I teach 3 and 4 year olds at a very small, private preschool. The church and preschool board have already decided that we aren't having school in 2020-2021 due to the restrictions we'd have in place. It breaks my heart to not have this year's 3s as 4s, but I definitely understand the reasoning. I'm hoping that we'll be able to go back in 2021-2022, but this may be the end of the school.

 

[MamaLema]

I formally worked in first grade a few years back but went to a private preschool. The situation is a little different but I am seriously thinking of quitting IF we even go back. I went in last week to clean the room and over heard my supervisor talking about the changes. The kids will have to wear masks and each bring in their own individual play dough. There would be no sensory bin activities and disposable lunch mats. More hand washing, no special snacks to go with theming....the list goes on and on. They are 3; which at times is like herding cats. I don’t think I have it in me.

Sorry to momentarily hijack this thread, but I also work with preschool and our government has released a 20 page guideline booklet about all the changes that will be happening. I read it like this the whole time. I don’t know if I can do it.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I am so glad I left teaching a few years ago. This whole thing would have caused me to have a nervous breakdown if I was still teaching.

 

[DisneyOma]

Waiting to hear if I get laid off. I feel sorry for the new teachers coming into the system - I doubt there will be any job openings as the teachers that retire/quit will most likely not have their positions filled. That's the cheapest way to save money, and unless there's a federal bail out for public schools, there are going to be a lot of laid off teachers looking for jobs who will get those quit/retire jobs before the inexperienced newbies, if school systems decide to fill the positions.

 

[penn19]

Apparently, our governor has a crystal ball that tells him it will be safe for students to return to school in the fall without masks and other precautionary measures. Ugh.

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/e...turn/269-b1c6756e-3a66-4838-af5f-6425e418d78a

Saw this today. I wouldn’t bank on any of this happening. I’m sure they want to be optimistic. And not lose funding and all but....

 

[luv2sewtjr]

Online teaching was twice the work and none of the fun. School just ended for me on Friday and I’m taking a few weeks off before I start thinking about next year.

My physics classes have hands on, collaborative components that are tough to replicate at home. I am worried about budget cuts, etc but I don’t have the luxury of not working.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Online teaching was twice the work and none of the fun. School just ended for me on Friday and I’m taking a few weeks off before I start thinking about next year.

My physics classes have hands on, collaborative components that are tough to replicate at home. I am worried about budget cuts, etc but I don’t have the luxury of not working.

I love what you said because it's so true - twice the work and none of the fun! And for crappy pay, I might add. What makes it worth it is seeing and interacting with the kids every day. Without that, it was sheer drudgery. And we were constantly being told by our administration that we weren't doing enough.

I have one more year of college to pay for. After that, I may have to reevaluate.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Toronto Sick Kids hospital released this today:

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2020/06...mends-children-return-to-school-in-september/
Kids should return to normal school, as they don't seem to be the vectors of contamination for covid like they are for other diseases.

 

[monsterkitty]

I need enough teachers to leave so DD can find a job (graduated in May).

Tell her to come to Colorado - we are incredibly short of teachers!

If this would have happened last school year I would have retired last year instead of this year.

Right now the district I just retired from is going to have at least one teacher per subject area at each school be the on-line teacher. They will be using the already established online school the district uses for students who are homebound because of health and those who have been expelled. Depending on how many parents chose online instead of in-person will determine how many teachers they will need for each. The district has asked me to do online music so the kids will have an elective. I am debating.