Teachers and Educators in the Times of Covid

[Ali]

I am in a new district this year. I went in yesterday and the room was so hot and the mask made it extra miserable. I drank so much water. Even with a reduced class size, the room is going to be a nightmare until the weather cools. Drinking fountains are shut off, so any student who forgets a water bottle is going to be miserable. I expect lots more bathroom breaks. I am planning on wearing skirts and dresses until with weather cools down. 

[WiseGirl]

Day 2 of virtual PD. Schedule is up. I have to provide 1.5 hours of specialized instruction/week. When? Where is the time for that? Do I really only see some of my classes every other week? Wtf!!!!

Wonder if I can win the lottery...

[PreciousPantsofDoom]

School begins on Sept 8th here. After some push back, it was agreed that the students delay their return until the 10th to allow for 2 days of orientation to the new norm for staff. 

I work as a substitute, so I haven't been inside a school since March. Our district did go back in June for a month, although it wasn't full attendance and no subs were called. 

I just got the back to school email from the district. There are 45 pages of general bullshit to read and talk of a video to be posted "soon."  So in other words, there are ZERO plans to give subs any on site orientation.  Every single other group, from special ed assistants to school librarians will get 2 days of walking through procedures. We get a document and a fucking video?!  And almost all of them were on site in June so already have some idea how things work.

I had to stop reading the document. I got to the part about wearing face shields. Provided for itinerant staff (eg. A visiting deaf and hard of hearing consultant teacher) but not for subs. Nope. We are just "expected to maintain proper social distance."  With primary school kids. Right.  

IF I get called in, and IF I agree to go in, I'll be wearing a mask and a face shield and trying to stay the fuck away from everyone.  I really don't know how I'm going to manage to you know, actually teach anything. 

 

[Ozlsn]

3 hours ago, PreciousPantsofDoom said:

There are 45 pages of general bullshit to read

45?!?! WTAF? I would ask if they're paying you for the time taken to read that, but I suspect I know the answer. 

I don't know why the hell they aren't including you in the walk throughs with other staff, it would make a lot more sense. That way everyone has the same information, and can ask questions.

One question in general - how are they managing staff desks? One of the issues here in high schools has been that staff desks are often crammed into one area, and the recommended 4sq metres of space is impossible.  

 

[WiseGirl]

Union is going to mediation about whether or not teachers have to come in even if there are no students.

School starts tomorrow... wth me in my office and the kids at home. It makes me sad.

[OhNoNike]

Parent here.  Looking to send some sunshine to my kids’ virtual teachers (grades K and 4th).  Would a teachers pay teachers gift card be helpful?  I know some teachers use it; I’ve used it myself.  I may do amazon as well.

Virtual hasn’t always been easy, mostly with my older kid.  I’ve begged, I’ve cried, I’ve threatened privileges... but that’s my problem, not theirs. They’ve done a superb job. 

[Ali]

1 hour ago, OhNoNike said:

Parent here.  Looking to send some sunshine to my kids’ virtual teachers (grades K and 4th).  Would a teachers pay teachers gift card be helpful?  I know some teachers use it; I’ve used it myself.  I may do amazon as well.

Virtual hasn’t always been easy, mostly with my older kid.  I’ve begged, I’ve cried, I’ve threatened privileges... but that’s my problem, not theirs. They’ve done a superb job. 

I think either Teachers Pay Teachers or Amazon gift card would be appreciated by a teacher. Since so much more is digital, it is nice to have the option to purchase digital activities.

[WiseGirl]

Dear Google Chrome,

Thanks so much for crashing today, the first day back, teaching virtually.

Not so fondly, in fact pretty much irritated,

WiseGirl

*wanders away in search of of adult beverages...

[PreciousPantsofDoom]

Yesterday was the official school opening day here.  No students until tomorrow, but staff back for orientation (they were getting walk through of procedures as well as getting classroom set ups finished.) 

I teach on call so was at home being alternatively stressed, pissed, and bored. Stressed because the district decided that this was a great time to upgrade the call out system.  The result of this was that when we went to sign on yesterday, a large number of us discovered that our profiles had been switched to expired/inactive.  Some were told that the district hadn't received the paperwork we have to submit every summer (a sore point anyways as the district refuses to put in any system that allows you to check if they got it or not until the school year begins-at which time it is too late.)  Some people were asked to resubmit the paperwork as a result. I had the same note on my file, emailed & called to ask what gives,and got no reply.  This morning still no reply, but the problem had been fixed. So no big deal right? Not really, but thanks for making an already anxious group of people who haven't worked since March just a bit more anxious. 

Watched the 45 minute H&S video required by the district.  45 mins of my life I'll  never get back. Was so hoping it would be more specific about exactly what the procedures are.  Nope. Was a recap of the 45 page (why is everything bad #45?) guide I already had to read. With such gems as how to wash your hands.  And encouragement to open windows.   They do admit that the much touted learning cohorts  (groups of between 30-120 kids, depending on age) are for contact tracing purposes only, not prevention. And again informing me that keeping a 2m distance is all that is needed to keep everybody safe (including when singing during music!? (Wtf! No!))  All of this delivered excruciatingly slowly by some H&S person sitting by herself in her office while showing PowerPoint style pages that were basically verbatim what she was saying.  (If only she knew somebody (or an entire group of teachers????) who could give her some tips on how to deliver information in a more engaging way.) I got so bored I amused myself by seeing what the closed captioning was doing.  Apparently the video was really about someone called Kovid Knight Teen. I think he might be the villain. He needs to watch out for the First Date Attendants though. (First Aid Attendants)  because they have face shields. 

I'm still quite conflicted about accepting a job at all. It's crystal clear that the district is doing as little as possible to ensure my safety.  They are doing something to make it safer for kids and permanent staff, but I doubt it will be enough. I know kids want to be back to normal, but I think this is just theatre until we have to shut down again.  

 

[therulesofjinx]

I am not a teacher, nor do I have children, but I want to thank all of you who are teachers/educators for your hard and important work. I can only imagine how stressful your already difficult jobs are right now.

Kids in my state started school on the 8th- a hybrid remote/in person plan. Although I am very pro-mask, I was sad to see little kids standing outside waiting for their buses in their masks. It must be so hard to go through a day seeing only half of your teachers' and friends' faces and not being able to cue off of full facial expressions or learn vowel sounds by mimicking mouth shape, etc.

[47of74]

I'm guessing #CovidKim thinks the school board is supposed to grovel before her before agreeing to do everything she and fuck face over in DC want

Quote

Gov. Kim Reynolds on Thursday provided an update on coronavirus in the state and addressed a lawsuit filed by Des Moines Public Schools over the state’s requirement for at least 50% in-person learning. The district was denied a request for temporary injunction in the case Tuesday.

Reynolds said 326 of Iowa’s 327 school districts have implemented return to learn plans. She said three districts have been granted waivers to temporarily provide remote learning. Some others were granted waivers due to damage from the Aug. 10 derecho.

Des Moines Public Schools are still providing online-only classes while the district waits for the lawsuit to move through the courts. Reynolds said the current plan does not comply with the law.

“I am committed to working with the school to meet the health and education needs of our students. And part of the reason that the legislature and I are requiring that the primary means of instruction be in the classroom is because we know that the lack of in-person educational options disproportionately harms low-income and minority children and those living with disabilities. And it can lead to severe learning loss, especially for children with heightened behavioral needs for so many of our students,” Reynolds said. “And I know without hesitation that members of the Des Moines school board care about these issues as well. And that’s why I’m asking them to meet with my team at the department of Education and the Department of Public Health to work out a way for us to help get the district in compliance with state law.”

 

[Ozlsn]

https://mobile.twitter.com/grubreport/status/1303799147267407874

Thread from a parent about when zoom froze on her 2nd grader's teacher's computer during a class and 2nd grade anarchy ensued. 

[Walking Cat Bed]

I've been working for a school district for almost two years. I was hoping to get five years before moving on (a nice foundational job) to other library related jobs.

I am going to leave the district after finishing tomorrow's work. I'm helping with (virtual) training and won't leave the other people involved hanging -- but I am not commuting across town when new Covid cases are increasing daily. I asked for continued remote work and was given the "compromise" of two days a week remote. I have health concerns, but they're not severe enough to keep me home 100% (and even though there's someone in the office every day,  the boss wants to be "fair".) There's been talk of sending us to fill in when school librarians aren't available. I am not willing to do that but I know that the only way to not be voluntold is to not be there. (And the other person in my office is both anti-vax and visibly balked at wearing a mask in the office when another person was there. I'd rather not.)

So I am looking at local temp agencies to see who has remote work available and I'll send a nice, polite, very firm email wishing everyone well professionally and wishing them good health. 

[WiseGirl]

Not my district but in my state. A parent sent a child to school while they were waiting for COVID test results (so the kid wasn't feeling well to begin with). Test came back positive so now a whole class has to quarantine for 14 days. Nice (sarcasm font) but it won't be the only time. Parents send their kids to school sick all the time.

[smittykins]

I’ve read that many schools no longer give out “perfect attendance” awards because it encourages kids to come to school sick(I missed out on getting it three years in a row due to chickenpox in fifth grade[pre-vaccine]).

Edited September 11, 2020 by smittykins

[SoybeanQueen]

I'm a teacher, too. High school. Just echoing the same frustrations many of you have already mentioned. We've been back in school face to face since August 19. There is a virtual option, as well, but the classroom teachers just have to teach those kids at the same time as their face to face students. And we're supposed to make sure each remote student has contact with each teacher daily plus talk to their parents weekly, and if a student doesn't check in with their teacher or get online when they're supposed to, guess who has to spend their plan or out of school time following up? It is not the student's parents, I will tell you that.

I am new to teaching. It's my 3rd year. I love my job and my students. But this year is really hard and I'm tired. I'm currently quarantined along with my large family, so I have to make sub plans daily along with being online to video-conference and manage my classes. Plus make sure my kids are doing their work. I desperately need to have some non-COVID medical procedures done, but they've been canceled because I'm quarantined, and now I don't think I'll have any more days off to schedule more medical appointments. It will probably be December, over winter break, before I can take care of the things my doctor said needed to be done "stat."

[WiseGirl]

Okay one benefit from teaching at home, wait there are two.

1. No line for the bathroom

2. I can watch Schitt's Creek during my lunch break.

[WiseGirl]

Truth

[Marty1227]

My daughter has been back teaching in the classroom for about a month now.  They have a virtual option, but most students chose the in class option....until this week.  Last week they had 2 students with positive Covid tests, so a number of students have had to be quarantined.  She told me one of her classes went from 1 virtual student to 13 today.  

She had to get tested over the Labor Day weekend, as she wasn't feeling well.  Was out for 4 days waiting for test results, which came back negative...this time.  She says most of the staff feel like it is close to collapsing.

[47of74]

On 9/11/2020 at 7:50 AM, smittykins said:

I’ve read that many schools no longer give out “perfect attendance” awards because it encourages kids to come to school sick(I missed out on getting it three years in a row due to chickenpox in fifth grade[pre-vaccine]).

The elementary school I went to for 3rd through 6th grades handed out perfect attendance awards up until my 5th grade year.  It was usually just a couple students who would get the award.  That year they announced it was the last year for the perfect attendance awards, that they weren't going to have them starting the following year because they felt it was encouraging kids to come in sick.

Junior high they kept the perfect attendance awards going and I got one in 8th grade.  I was the only student to have perfect attendance that year and it was the only K-12 year I had perfect attendance. 

Oh and for all the good educators there's always the one that has to be a douche cannon

Quote

University of Cincinnati officials are looking into a situation in which a student claims an adjunct professor gave him a zero for not attending a lab after the student says his girlfriend tested positive for COVID-19.

UC student Evan Sotzing tweeted on Thursday that adjunct professor John Ucker gave him a zero for not attending an in-person lab after the Cincinnati Health Department instructed him to quarantine.

Sotzing attached a photo of Ucker’s email response, which says in part, “For students testing positive for the chinese virus, I will give no grade.”

John Weidner, Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, said university officials immediately looked into the situation to see whether the school’s Return to Campus guidelines were followed.

 

[PreciousPantsofDoom]

Having now been back in class I can confirm that the district is full of shit about its Covid plans. There are too many kids and not enough physical space to do much better than they are. Lots of hand washing, a good amount of mask wearing, so it's not like they are not trying, but these are elementary school kids, so it's completely impossible to get everybody doing it right 100% of the time. It's ok in our district at the moment (although already some schools in the neighboring district with classes shut down. ) From what I've seen, as soon as anybody catches anything, nothing that is being done so far is going to stop it spreading. What the public is being told is clearly bullshit. 

I'm in there as a sub, so by definition I'm not in their "cohort", which means a face sheild for me. I will say that trying to teach while wearing a mask and face sheild supremely sucks. I usually can get it so my glasses don't fog up, but after a while the heat builds up and I get condensation on the inside of the sheild. Still figuring that out. Also, I'm worried about how my vocal chords are going to hold up. All of this gear doesn't make it easy to be heard clearly so I'm sure it's going to lead to vocal strain at some point. 

 

39 minutes ago, 47of74 said:

chinese virus

JFC, racist much?  (Just to be clear, I'm talking about the Professor, not @47of74

Edited September 22, 2020 by PreciousPantsofDoom

[Ali]

13 hours ago, Marty1227 said:

She says most of the staff feel like it is close to collapsing.

I feel like this. I have never felt this exhausted before. I am in a new district, so I have new curriculum and preparing everything is is so much more work. I feel like I am constantly cleaning too. Every time I have an in person class, I have to clean all the desks and surfaces right afterwards.

4 hours ago, PreciousPantsofDoom said:

Having now been back in class I can confirm that the district is full of shit about its Covid plans. There are too many kids and not enough physical space to do much better than they are. Lots of hand washing, a good amount of mask wearing, so it's not like they are not trying, but these are elementary school kids, so it's completely impossible to get everybody doing it right 100% of the time. It's ok in our district at the moment (although already some schools in the neighboring district with classes shut down. ) From what I've seen, as soon as anybody catches anything, nothing that is being done so far is going to stop it spreading. What the public is being told is clearly bullshit. 

I'm in there as a sub, so by definition I'm not in their "cohort", which means a face sheild for me. I will say that trying to teach while wearing a mask and face sheild supremely sucks. I usually can get it so my glasses don't fog up, but after a while the heat builds up and I get condensation on the inside of the sheild. Still figuring that out. Also, I'm worried about how my vocal chords are going to hold up. All of this gear doesn't make it easy to be heard clearly so I'm sure it's going to lead to vocal strain at some point. 

 

JFC, racist much?  (Just to be clear, I'm talking about the Professor, not @47of74

Can you look into a microphone? My school has ones that go around the neck. I started using it after I noticed my voice felt strained.

[47of74]

8 hours ago, PreciousPantsofDoom said:

JFC, racist much?  (Just to be clear, I'm talking about the Professor, not @47of74

Yeah probably quite a bit. I’m sure this douche cannon of an adjunct is a fuck face supporter. I hope he gets kicked to the curb soon. At the schools around here he’d be gone now. None of this paid vacation bullshit. 

[PreciousPantsofDoom]

9 hours ago, Ali said:

an you look into a microphone? My school has ones that go around the neck. I started using it after I noticed my voice felt strained.

Funny, I was thinking about that last night.  I might have to but I really don't want to.  Already I'm wearing mask+shield, glasses and hearing aids. Maybe I'll just build one of those robot things with my face on the screen like Sheldon used once and call it a day. ?  

[Marty1227]

@PreciousPantsofDoom My daughter is using a microphone.  She has polyps on her vocal chords and her ENT recommended she use one.