Why are most teachers too scared to return to in person teaching, but most parents want schools open

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My job is much harder to do at home. It’s hard enough to do at school. I live with my mom who is not in great health. So I’ll do much more work in order to keep her safe.

Ok, but parents are just as likely to have a vulnerable family member living with them, as teachers, yet survey after survey shows the vast majority of parents want schools to reopen and the vast majority of teachers want schools virtual. Since there is no reason to think teachers are more naturally cautious than the public at large, I think it’s safe to assume that there something else at play here

And as a teacher, I would never admit this IRL - even though I’m nervous about online teaching in the fall, mainly because we still haven’t been told what the hell it will entail, I still think it will be nicer than dealing
with the commute, discipline issues, staff politics, expectation to run after school clubs, etc than teaching in person.

Troll

Ask Jeff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op, I have no idea what most teacher thing but anecdotally, I can tell you that one teacher wants to stay home because it is much more convenient . She is only pissed now that she will actually be required to teach live during school normal hours - she wishes it was like during spring, or conversely, like in Mexico where they just have to post a video, have the students watch it and come to class with questions. She is really upset that she will have to actually sit down and teach during school hours.

If the borders were open, she would move to some other country during this time and try to enjoy it while "teaching." Hopefully, she is in the minority, but she is so tone deaf that it hurst sometimes. I have to contain myself to not come out to blows since at the end of the day, *I* had great experience with my own children's teachers during spring and I am pretty sure I will have again given our school principal.

Thank you for these insights. Motivations around convenience and personal lifestyle (like wanting to travel and work from the beach) are perfectly valid. Digital nomads in IT have done it for years to great success. I only wish teachers generally approached this discussion with more honesty and transparency, instead of hiding behind commentary like "I don't want to die!" and "Parents must really hate their kids!"

I agree. I don’t think the OP’s teacher friend was being tone deaf. I think she was being refreshingly honest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op, I have no idea what most teacher thing but anecdotally, I can tell you that one teacher wants to stay home because it is much more convenient . She is only pissed now that she will actually be required to teach live during school normal hours - she wishes it was like during spring, or conversely, like in Mexico where they just have to post a video, have the students watch it and come to class with questions. She is really upset that she will have to actually sit down and teach during school hours.

If the borders were open, she would move to some other country during this time and try to enjoy it while "teaching." Hopefully, she is in the minority, but she is so tone deaf that it hurst sometimes. I have to contain myself to not come out to blows since at the end of the day, *I* had great experience with my own children's teachers during spring and I am pretty sure I will have again given our school principal.

Thank you for these insights. Motivations around convenience and personal lifestyle (like wanting to travel and work from the beach) are perfectly valid. Digital nomads in IT have done it for years to great success. I only wish teachers generally approached this discussion with more honesty and transparency, instead of hiding behind commentary like "I don't want to die!" and "Parents must really hate their kids!"

Oh my god. We aren’t hiding. We are scared. Teachers returning to work is not the same as people who work in individual offices returning to work. My husband is not returning to his office and he is not a teacher. They actually may never return to their office, because working remotely works for their industry. Teachers cannot wait until it is safe enough to return because this is not the way that we know how to teach. Distance Learning is more stressful and challenging for us, too. We have kids too. We want those kids to go back to school. Both of my kids want to go to school. I want to go to school. It’s just not safe yet.

How do you get to speak for 100% of teachers? Do you have a crystal ball? As the PP noted, for some teachers wanting DL is actually more about personal convenience or lifestyle.

Show me the source. I’m speaking for myself and my co-workers. That person is writing conservative copypasta.

Dude, it's all over social media. Also, what's wrong with acknowledging the obvious that some teachers want DL for simple personal convenience? You actually undermine your own credibility when you pretend it could only be about the shrill fear of death.

That just isn’t what I’m seeing/hearing in my teacher groups. Teachers want to teach. They also want to stay safe.

Well of course. Teachers aren’t dumb enough to admit it. I prefer to teach virtually from home, but aside from DH, I’m not going to admit that anywhere outside of an anonymous message board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op, I have no idea what most teacher thing but anecdotally, I can tell you that one teacher wants to stay home because it is much more convenient . She is only pissed now that she will actually be required to teach live during school normal hours - she wishes it was like during spring, or conversely, like in Mexico where they just have to post a video, have the students watch it and come to class with questions. She is really upset that she will have to actually sit down and teach during school hours.

If the borders were open, she would move to some other country during this time and try to enjoy it while "teaching." Hopefully, she is in the minority, but she is so tone deaf that it hurst sometimes. I have to contain myself to not come out to blows since at the end of the day, *I* had great experience with my own children's teachers during spring and I am pretty sure I will have again given our school principal.

Thank you for these insights. Motivations around convenience and personal lifestyle (like wanting to travel and work from the beach) are perfectly valid. Digital nomads in IT have done it for years to great success. I only wish teachers generally approached this discussion with more honesty and transparency, instead of hiding behind commentary like "I don't want to die!" and "Parents must really hate their kids!"

I agree. I don’t think the OP’s teacher friend was being tone deaf. I think she was being refreshingly honest.

+1000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op, I have no idea what most teacher thing but anecdotally, I can tell you that one teacher wants to stay home because it is much more convenient . She is only pissed now that she will actually be required to teach live during school normal hours - she wishes it was like during spring, or conversely, like in Mexico where they just have to post a video, have the students watch it and come to class with questions. She is really upset that she will have to actually sit down and teach during school hours.

If the borders were open, she would move to some other country during this time and try to enjoy it while "teaching." Hopefully, she is in the minority, but she is so tone deaf that it hurst sometimes. I have to contain myself to not come out to blows since at the end of the day, *I* had great experience with my own children's teachers during spring and I am pretty sure I will have again given our school principal.

Thank you for these insights. Motivations around convenience and personal lifestyle (like wanting to travel and work from the beach) are perfectly valid. Digital nomads in IT have done it for years to great success. I only wish teachers generally approached this discussion with more honesty and transparency, instead of hiding behind commentary like "I don't want to die!" and "Parents must really hate their kids!"

Oh my god. We aren’t hiding. We are scared. Teachers returning to work is not the same as people who work in individual offices returning to work. My husband is not returning to his office and he is not a teacher. They actually may never return to their office, because working remotely works for their industry. Teachers cannot wait until it is safe enough to return because this is not the way that we know how to teach. Distance Learning is more stressful and challenging for us, too. We have kids too. We want those kids to go back to school. Both of my kids want to go to school. I want to go to school. It’s just not safe yet.

How do you get to speak for 100% of teachers? Do you have a crystal ball? As the PP noted, for some teachers wanting DL is actually more about personal convenience or lifestyle.

Show me the source. I’m speaking for myself and my co-workers. That person is writing conservative copypasta.

Dude, it's all over social media. Also, what's wrong with acknowledging the obvious that some teachers want DL for simple personal convenience? You actually undermine your own credibility when you pretend it could only be about the shrill fear of death.

That just isn’t what I’m seeing/hearing in my teacher groups. Teachers want to teach. They also want to stay safe.

Well of course. Teachers aren’t dumb enough to admit it. I prefer to teach virtually from home, but aside from DH, I’m not going to admit that anywhere outside of an anonymous message board.

Why? I’m just curious.

My grade level team was texting about this yesterday. Out of 7, 5 of us think we will opt for teaching from the classroom. One might, depending on what care is available for her own kids on a given day, and one will teach from home since she has a newborn. Reasons given included access to materials and separation of the workspace from home. During a staff meeting this week one grade level team asked if they could meet in the building to plan.

I don’t think I’ve heard from anyone who prefers distance instruction over in person instruction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents do NOT want schools to open. They are well aware of the risks! Many parents are voicing sadness and frustration that their children's lives are still upended for the upcoming school year, but it doesn't mean they WANT schools to reopen with the pandemic uncontrolled as it is.

Every polls I’ve seen taken by a local school district Or private school in the last month has between 60 and 85 percent of parents in support of school reopening. National polls differ because of local covid situations.

source?

I'm a different poster but the polls done in NOVA such as FCPS, APS, and Falls Church showed 60% or more wanted to start school with the hybrid choice. That doesn't mean full time with packed classrooms, but they want some in-person option.

Why don't you sign up to teach at a school since its important to you? You are willing to risk our teachers lives but not your own.

I would if I wasn't already doing my OWN damn job. You know, the one I am hired to do and get paid to do.

Yes, and please tell us of the conditions of your job. Are your co-workers climbing onto your lap and hugging you tightly whenever they see you? Do they routinely sneeze and cough into your face? Are you in a room with them for 8 hours straight, no breaks? Are you constantly needing to remind them not to touch their private parts, pick their noses, etc? Are they constantly sticky, grimy, or smelling faintly of poor bathroom hygiene?

Actually I work with adults with mental health needs and sometimes intellectual disabilities so yeah. They do want to hug, get high 5s, hold hands etc. Yes, i do work with a group of them at one time.
You know what? Part of this new way of life is TEACHING people new social norms. New ways to great, new ways to say hi, new ways to get needed attention. And yes, they ALL wear masks for over 8 hours a day. OMG how is this done you ask? We teach them it keeps them and us safe. You know, the people they care about as well and they do it. Do some need reminders? Yup. Do some need to try 10 different masks before finding one that doesn't pinch or hurt their ears? Yup. Do they need to go to the restroom to wash their hands a lot? Yup. Do they use sanitizer? Yup. Do they need to step in a hall to take their mask off for a minute sometimes? Yup.
Is all of this ok? Yup.

And I teach children with disabilities, and my district has already told us that "it's okay" for our students to not wear masks at all. Is that okay with you? Because it isn't okay with me and while I was previously motivated to try and go back, I no longer feel that they are putting any real protections in place. They have not acquired any of the PPE they are promising us. They haven't updated the ventilation systems (many of our schools don't have a system to update, in the first place, including my own). They're not mandating that students be tested for the virus. Basically the plan is just to go back and pretend that the virus doesn't exist. I'm not doing that, and neither will my colleagues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents do NOT want schools to open. They are well aware of the risks! Many parents are voicing sadness and frustration that their children's lives are still upended for the upcoming school year, but it doesn't mean they WANT schools to reopen with the pandemic uncontrolled as it is.

Every polls I’ve seen taken by a local school district Or private school in the last month has between 60 and 85 percent of parents in support of school reopening. National polls differ because of local covid situations.

source?

I'm a different poster but the polls done in NOVA such as FCPS, APS, and Falls Church showed 60% or more wanted to start school with the hybrid choice. That doesn't mean full time with packed classrooms, but they want some in-person option.

Why don't you sign up to teach at a school since its important to you? You are willing to risk our teachers lives but not your own.

I would if I wasn't already doing my OWN damn job. You know, the one I am hired to do and get paid to do.

So quit and change fields. You're obviously very knowledgable about education. Let's put that wisdom and passion to good use. Remember, if you love children you will accept any and all working conditions in order to go back to full time, face to face school. It's okay if kids don't have to wear masks! Let's pack thirty of them into a classroom. You're not getting any lunch or bathroom breaks-you can just teach while the kids eat, so they don't talk to each other. You're going to need a lot of new supplies because the kids can't share any materials, but we cut the entire supply budget so you can just purchase those out of pocket. And remember to smile!

No one is asking you to 'accept any and all working conditions'. Stop trying to fan the flames and martyr yourself.
People are back at work. MILLIONS of people. People who don't want to die. People who aren't dying. Aren't getting sick.
Work places have adapted, changed, modified and allow PPE. How do you honestly NOT get this? It is NOT March 17th. We have learned more, know how to stop the spread and have learned how to triage cases before they get too severe. Do you really think we are where we were this Spring? Have you not read the news, read any studies, educated yourself at all? What have you done?
If offices and public businesses can open up with precautions there is no reason schools can't. My kids have worn masks since April and so have all of their friends, and family. You act like kids have been under a rock and will have no idea what the hell a mask is. They also wear hats in the winter. WE don't refuse to leave the house when it is cold becuase "how will my kid wear a hat???????". No. We put it on and say it needs to stay on. Done.
Will there be a learning curve for kids? Yup. But that is like anything new. You know, we TEACH them why it is important and how to properly wear one. Stop acting like all of our kids are dumb and can't figure a damn mask out and don't know how to wash their hands.

Those are the conditions we've ALREADY been told we will be working under. Don't pretend this is hyperbole. They've told us that the students may not leave their seats except for scheduled bathroom breaks, kids must work through lunch, and no recess or gym. They've stripped our supply budgets. They've taken away our planning time. The kids are not required to wear masks, so while I'm glad that your children have been practicing, I am powerless to ask my students to wear them. They're trying to get us to work face to face all day at school and then work with the remote kids after we go home-two teachers for the price of one! It's crazy. They say our contract is suspended because of the pandemic, so they can do these things.

BTW, the US has had 1,000 deaths a day for 16 days in a row. Not sure why you think conditions have improved since March. They have not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op, I have no idea what most teacher thing but anecdotally, I can tell you that one teacher wants to stay home because it is much more convenient . She is only pissed now that she will actually be required to teach live during school normal hours - she wishes it was like during spring, or conversely, like in Mexico where they just have to post a video, have the students watch it and come to class with questions. She is really upset that she will have to actually sit down and teach during school hours.

If the borders were open, she would move to some other country during this time and try to enjoy it while "teaching." Hopefully, she is in the minority, but she is so tone deaf that it hurst sometimes. I have to contain myself to not come out to blows since at the end of the day, *I* had great experience with my own children's teachers during spring and I am pretty sure I will have again given our school principal.

Thank you for these insights. Motivations around convenience and personal lifestyle (like wanting to travel and work from the beach) are perfectly valid. Digital nomads in IT have done it for years to great success. I only wish teachers generally approached this discussion with more honesty and transparency, instead of hiding behind commentary like "I don't want to die!" and "Parents must really hate their kids!"

Oh my god. We aren’t hiding. We are scared. Teachers returning to work is not the same as people who work in individual offices returning to work. My husband is not returning to his office and he is not a teacher. They actually may never return to their office, because working remotely works for their industry. Teachers cannot wait until it is safe enough to return because this is not the way that we know how to teach. Distance Learning is more stressful and challenging for us, too. We have kids too. We want those kids to go back to school. Both of my kids want to go to school. I want to go to school. It’s just not safe yet.

How do you get to speak for 100% of teachers? Do you have a crystal ball? As the PP noted, for some teachers wanting DL is actually more about personal convenience or lifestyle.

Show me the source. I’m speaking for myself and my co-workers. That person is writing conservative copypasta.

Dude, it's all over social media. Also, what's wrong with acknowledging the obvious that some teachers want DL for simple personal convenience? You actually undermine your own credibility when you pretend it could only be about the shrill fear of death.

That just isn’t what I’m seeing/hearing in my teacher groups. Teachers want to teach. They also want to stay safe.

Well of course. Teachers aren’t dumb enough to admit it. I prefer to teach virtually from home, but aside from DH, I’m not going to admit that anywhere outside of an anonymous message board.

Why? I’m just curious.

My grade level team was texting about this yesterday. Out of 7, 5 of us think we will opt for teaching from the classroom. One might, depending on what care is available for her own kids on a given day, and one will teach from home since she has a newborn. Reasons given included access to materials and separation of the workspace from home. During a staff meeting this week one grade level team asked if they could meet in the building to plan.

I don’t think I’ve heard from anyone who prefers distance instruction over in person instruction.

What a coincidence! Right after the teachers unions successfully pressured our schools into 100% DL, you suddenly have all these teachers profess how much they would have *just loved* to teach in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents do NOT want schools to open. They are well aware of the risks! Many parents are voicing sadness and frustration that their children's lives are still upended for the upcoming school year, but it doesn't mean they WANT schools to reopen with the pandemic uncontrolled as it is.

Every polls I’ve seen taken by a local school district Or private school in the last month has between 60 and 85 percent of parents in support of school reopening. National polls differ because of local covid situations.

source?

I'm a different poster but the polls done in NOVA such as FCPS, APS, and Falls Church showed 60% or more wanted to start school with the hybrid choice. That doesn't mean full time with packed classrooms, but they want some in-person option.

Why don't you sign up to teach at a school since its important to you? You are willing to risk our teachers lives but not your own.

I would if I wasn't already doing my OWN damn job. You know, the one I am hired to do and get paid to do.

So quit and change fields. You're obviously very knowledgable about education. Let's put that wisdom and passion to good use. Remember, if you love children you will accept any and all working conditions in order to go back to full time, face to face school. It's okay if kids don't have to wear masks! Let's pack thirty of them into a classroom. You're not getting any lunch or bathroom breaks-you can just teach while the kids eat, so they don't talk to each other. You're going to need a lot of new supplies because the kids can't share any materials, but we cut the entire supply budget so you can just purchase those out of pocket. And remember to smile!

No one is asking you to 'accept any and all working conditions'. Stop trying to fan the flames and martyr yourself.
People are back at work. MILLIONS of people. People who don't want to die. People who aren't dying. Aren't getting sick.
Work places have adapted, changed, modified and allow PPE. How do you honestly NOT get this? It is NOT March 17th. We have learned more, know how to stop the spread and have learned how to triage cases before they get too severe. Do you really think we are where we were this Spring? Have you not read the news, read any studies, educated yourself at all? What have you done?
If offices and public businesses can open up with precautions there is no reason schools can't. My kids have worn masks since April and so have all of their friends, and family. You act like kids have been under a rock and will have no idea what the hell a mask is. They also wear hats in the winter. WE don't refuse to leave the house when it is cold becuase "how will my kid wear a hat???????". No. We put it on and say it needs to stay on. Done.
Will there be a learning curve for kids? Yup. But that is like anything new. You know, we TEACH them why it is important and how to properly wear one. Stop acting like all of our kids are dumb and can't figure a damn mask out and don't know how to wash their hands.

Those are the conditions we've ALREADY been told we will be working under. Don't pretend this is hyperbole. They've told us that the students may not leave their seats except for scheduled bathroom breaks, kids must work through lunch, and no recess or gym. They've stripped our supply budgets. They've taken away our planning time. The kids are not required to wear masks, so while I'm glad that your children have been practicing, I am powerless to ask my students to wear them. They're trying to get us to work face to face all day at school and then work with the remote kids after we go home-two teachers for the price of one! It's crazy. They say our contract is suspended because of the pandemic, so they can do these things.

BTW, the US has had 1,000 deaths a day for 16 days in a row. Not sure why you think conditions have improved since March. They have not.

Oh sweetie. Do you really not understand that no one was being tested in March?

I have never, ever seen supposedly “professional” people complain, whine, and stomp their feet so much in my life. Mortifying.

[Anonymous]

I think schools won’t full reopen until the mid 2020s at earliest

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think schools won’t full reopen until the mid 2020s at earliest

If teachers get their way they may never open.
I say use the buildings for homeless shelters, low income housing etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most parents do NOT want schools to open. They are well aware of the risks! Many parents are voicing sadness and frustration that their children's lives are still upended for the upcoming school year, but it doesn't mean they WANT schools to reopen with the pandemic uncontrolled as it is.

Every polls I’ve seen taken by a local school district Or private school in the last month has between 60 and 85 percent of parents in support of school reopening. National polls differ because of local covid situations.

source?

I'm a different poster but the polls done in NOVA such as FCPS, APS, and Falls Church showed 60% or more wanted to start school with the hybrid choice. That doesn't mean full time with packed classrooms, but they want some in-person option.

Why don't you sign up to teach at a school since its important to you? You are willing to risk our teachers lives but not your own.

I would if I wasn't already doing my OWN damn job. You know, the one I am hired to do and get paid to do.

So quit and change fields. You're obviously very knowledgable about education. Let's put that wisdom and passion to good use. Remember, if you love children you will accept any and all working conditions in order to go back to full time, face to face school. It's okay if kids don't have to wear masks! Let's pack thirty of them into a classroom. You're not getting any lunch or bathroom breaks-you can just teach while the kids eat, so they don't talk to each other. You're going to need a lot of new supplies because the kids can't share any materials, but we cut the entire supply budget so you can just purchase those out of pocket. And remember to smile!

No one is asking you to 'accept any and all working conditions'. Stop trying to fan the flames and martyr yourself.
People are back at work. MILLIONS of people. People who don't want to die. People who aren't dying. Aren't getting sick.
Work places have adapted, changed, modified and allow PPE. How do you honestly NOT get this? It is NOT March 17th. We have learned more, know how to stop the spread and have learned how to triage cases before they get too severe. Do you really think we are where we were this Spring? Have you not read the news, read any studies, educated yourself at all? What have you done?
If offices and public businesses can open up with precautions there is no reason schools can't. My kids have worn masks since April and so have all of their friends, and family. You act like kids have been under a rock and will have no idea what the hell a mask is. They also wear hats in the winter. WE don't refuse to leave the house when it is cold becuase "how will my kid wear a hat???????". No. We put it on and say it needs to stay on. Done.
Will there be a learning curve for kids? Yup. But that is like anything new. You know, we TEACH them why it is important and how to properly wear one. Stop acting like all of our kids are dumb and can't figure a damn mask out and don't know how to wash their hands.

Those are the conditions we've ALREADY been told we will be working under. Don't pretend this is hyperbole. They've told us that the students may not leave their seats except for scheduled bathroom breaks, kids must work through lunch, and no recess or gym. They've stripped our supply budgets. They've taken away our planning time. The kids are not required to wear masks, so while I'm glad that your children have been practicing, I am powerless to ask my students to wear them. They're trying to get us to work face to face all day at school and then work with the remote kids after we go home-two teachers for the price of one! It's crazy. They say our contract is suspended because of the pandemic, so they can do these things.

BTW, the US has had 1,000 deaths a day for 16 days in a row. Not sure why you think conditions have improved since March. They have not.

You teach in which state?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op, I have no idea what most teacher thing but anecdotally, I can tell you that one teacher wants to stay home because it is much more convenient . She is only pissed now that she will actually be required to teach live during school normal hours - she wishes it was like during spring, or conversely, like in Mexico where they just have to post a video, have the students watch it and come to class with questions. She is really upset that she will have to actually sit down and teach during school hours.

If the borders were open, she would move to some other country during this time and try to enjoy it while "teaching." Hopefully, she is in the minority, but she is so tone deaf that it hurst sometimes. I have to contain myself to not come out to blows since at the end of the day, *I* had great experience with my own children's teachers during spring and I am pretty sure I will have again given our school principal.

Thank you for these insights. Motivations around convenience and personal lifestyle (like wanting to travel and work from the beach) are perfectly valid. Digital nomads in IT have done it for years to great success. I only wish teachers generally approached this discussion with more honesty and transparency, instead of hiding behind commentary like "I don't want to die!" and "Parents must really hate their kids!"

Oh my god. We aren’t hiding. We are scared. Teachers returning to work is not the same as people who work in individual offices returning to work. My husband is not returning to his office and he is not a teacher. They actually may never return to their office, because working remotely works for their industry. Teachers cannot wait until it is safe enough to return because this is not the way that we know how to teach. Distance Learning is more stressful and challenging for us, too. We have kids too. We want those kids to go back to school. Both of my kids want to go to school. I want to go to school. It’s just not safe yet.

How do you get to speak for 100% of teachers? Do you have a crystal ball? As the PP noted, for some teachers wanting DL is actually more about personal convenience or lifestyle.

Show me the source. I’m speaking for myself and my co-workers. That person is writing conservative copypasta.

Dude, it's all over social media. Also, what's wrong with acknowledging the obvious that some teachers want DL for simple personal convenience? You actually undermine your own credibility when you pretend it could only be about the shrill fear of death.

That just isn’t what I’m seeing/hearing in my teacher groups. Teachers want to teach. They also want to stay safe.

Well of course. Teachers aren’t dumb enough to admit it. I prefer to teach virtually from home, but aside from DH, I’m not going to admit that anywhere outside of an anonymous message board.

Why? I’m just curious.

My grade level team was texting about this yesterday. Out of 7, 5 of us think we will opt for teaching from the classroom. One might, depending on what care is available for her own kids on a given day, and one will teach from home since she has a newborn. Reasons given included access to materials and separation of the workspace from home. During a staff meeting this week one grade level team asked if they could meet in the building to plan.

I don’t think I’ve heard from anyone who prefers distance instruction over in person instruction.

What a coincidence! Right after the teachers unions successfully pressured our schools into 100% DL, you suddenly have all these teachers profess how much they would have *just loved* to teach in school.

The feelings of these people were the same even before our district decided on full distance learning, but I realize there is no way I can prove that.

[Anonymous]

I'm afraid to teach in person. I stay away from people as much as possible. I don't want to be hospitalized. I will probably quit if they make me go back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op, I have no idea what most teacher thing but anecdotally, I can tell you that one teacher wants to stay home because it is much more convenient . She is only pissed now that she will actually be required to teach live during school normal hours - she wishes it was like during spring, or conversely, like in Mexico where they just have to post a video, have the students watch it and come to class with questions. She is really upset that she will have to actually sit down and teach during school hours.

If the borders were open, she would move to some other country during this time and try to enjoy it while "teaching." Hopefully, she is in the minority, but she is so tone deaf that it hurst sometimes. I have to contain myself to not come out to blows since at the end of the day, *I* had great experience with my own children's teachers during spring and I am pretty sure I will have again given our school principal.

Thank you for these insights. Motivations around convenience and personal lifestyle (like wanting to travel and work from the beach) are perfectly valid. Digital nomads in IT have done it for years to great success. I only wish teachers generally approached this discussion with more honesty and transparency, instead of hiding behind commentary like "I don't want to die!" and "Parents must really hate their kids!"

Oh my god. We aren’t hiding. We are scared. Teachers returning to work is not the same as people who work in individual offices returning to work. My husband is not returning to his office and he is not a teacher. They actually may never return to their office, because working remotely works for their industry. Teachers cannot wait until it is safe enough to return because this is not the way that we know how to teach. Distance Learning is more stressful and challenging for us, too. We have kids too. We want those kids to go back to school. Both of my kids want to go to school. I want to go to school. It’s just not safe yet.

How do you get to speak for 100% of teachers? Do you have a crystal ball? As the PP noted, for some teachers wanting DL is actually more about personal convenience or lifestyle.

Show me the source. I’m speaking for myself and my co-workers. That person is writing conservative copypasta.

Dude, it's all over social media. Also, what's wrong with acknowledging the obvious that some teachers want DL for simple personal convenience? You actually undermine your own credibility when you pretend it could only be about the shrill fear of death.

That just isn’t what I’m seeing/hearing in my teacher groups. Teachers want to teach. They also want to stay safe.

Well of course. Teachers aren’t dumb enough to admit it. I prefer to teach virtually from home, but aside from DH, I’m not going to admit that anywhere outside of an anonymous message board.

Why? I’m just curious.

My grade level team was texting about this yesterday. Out of 7, 5 of us think we will opt for teaching from the classroom. One might, depending on what care is available for her own kids on a given day, and one will teach from home since she has a newborn. Reasons given included access to materials and separation of the workspace from home. During a staff meeting this week one grade level team asked if they could meet in the building to plan.

I don’t think I’ve heard from anyone who prefers distance instruction over in person instruction.

Why? Seriously? You really can’t think of any reason I’d rather work from home??