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

[Anonymous]

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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??

Yes. Just wondering why that is your preference. For me I prefer to teach from the classroom. My thought is everything I can do from the home I can do from the classroom plus I have easy access to materials, more space, I won’t clutter the house with school stuff, I will see some other adults in person even if just for brief periods of time, and it gets me out of the house. My commute is only about 4 minutes and it will give some separation between home and work.

Maybe you save on a long commute. Maybe you have kids at home. Sure I can think of reasons. I was just wondering what they are and why you wouldn’t admit your preference outside of an anonymous board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, DL is not child care! Many teachers want to teach from home so they can watch their own kids. School administrators must remind teachers that they will have to make child care arrangements while they're on the clock. Child care is the responsibility of teachers and they should have thought of that before having kids.

The parents that want schools to open to act as childcare while they work (at home or office) should have thought of that before having kids too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, DL is not child care! Many teachers want to teach from home so they can watch their own kids. School administrators must remind teachers that they will have to make child care arrangements while they're on the clock. Child care is the responsibility of teachers and they should have thought of that before having kids.

The parents that want schools to open to act as childcare while they work (at home or office) should have thought of that before having kids too.

That's why all teachers must teach DL from inside the school building, not from home. They can't berate parents for wanting child care but then also say it's OK for them to interrupt DL every 5 minutes so they can change their own baby's diapers. Can't have it both ways!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, DL is not child care! Many teachers want to teach from home so they can watch their own kids. School administrators must remind teachers that they will have to make child care arrangements while they're on the clock. Child care is the responsibility of teachers and they should have thought of that before having kids.

The parents that want schools to open to act as childcare while they work (at home or office) should have thought of that before having kids too.

That's why all teachers must teach DL from inside the school building, not from home. They can't berate parents for wanting child care but then also say it's OK for them to interrupt DL every 5 minutes so they can change their own baby's diapers. Can't have it both ways!

Couldn’t the teacher teach from home and arrange care for the infant? Why would the teacher have to go into the building?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, DL is not child care! Many teachers want to teach from home so they can watch their own kids. School administrators must remind teachers that they will have to make child care arrangements while they're on the clock. Child care is the responsibility of teachers and they should have thought of that before having kids.

The parents that want schools to open to act as childcare while they work (at home or office) should have thought of that before having kids too.

That's why all teachers must teach DL from inside the school building, not from home. They can't berate parents for wanting child care but then also say it's OK for them to interrupt DL every 5 minutes so they can change their own baby's diapers. Can't have it both ways!

Couldn’t the teacher teach from home and arrange care for the infant? Why would the teacher have to go into the building?

No, teachers need to be in the building. There was a NYT article on how teachers groups are pushing to limit DL because some teachers are "embarrassed" to teach from home or have too many other distractions like child care. Teaching from school would solve that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, DL is not child care! Many teachers want to teach from home so they can watch their own kids. School administrators must remind teachers that they will have to make child care arrangements while they're on the clock. Child care is the responsibility of teachers and they should have thought of that before having kids.

The parents that want schools to open to act as childcare while they work (at home or office) should have thought of that before having kids too.

That's why all teachers must teach DL from inside the school building, not from home. They can't berate parents for wanting child care but then also say it's OK for them to interrupt DL every 5 minutes so they can change their own baby's diapers. Can't have it both ways!

Couldn’t the teacher teach from home and arrange care for the infant? Why would the teacher have to go into the building?

No, teachers need to be in the building. There was a NYT article on how teachers groups are pushing to limit DL because some teachers are "embarrassed" to teach from home or have too many other distractions like child care. Teaching from school would solve that.

^^ Also, DL should not double as child care for teachers.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why people are so quick to say parents just want child care. I want my kids in the classroom because that's where they learn and socialize. DL really sucks. who in their right mind argues its as good or better than in person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why people are so quick to say parents just want child care. I want my kids in the classroom because that's where they learn and socialize. DL really sucks. who in their right mind argues its as good or better than in person.

In person school is not going to be a good place to learn or socialize right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, DL is not child care! Many teachers want to teach from home so they can watch their own kids. School administrators must remind teachers that they will have to make child care arrangements while they're on the clock. Child care is the responsibility of teachers and they should have thought of that before having kids.

The parents that want schools to open to act as childcare while they work (at home or office) should have thought of that before having kids too.

That's why all teachers must teach DL from inside the school building, not from home. They can't berate parents for wanting child care but then also say it's OK for them to interrupt DL every 5 minutes so they can change their own baby's diapers. Can't have it both ways!

Couldn’t the teacher teach from home and arrange care for the infant? Why would the teacher have to go into the building?

No, teachers need to be in the building. There was a NYT article on how teachers groups are pushing to limit DL because some teachers are "embarrassed" to teach from home or have too many other distractions like child care. Teaching from school would solve that.

^^ Also, DL should not double as child care for teachers.

How is it doubling for child care of the teacher arranges for someone to watch the child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, DL is not child care! Many teachers want to teach from home so they can watch their own kids. School administrators must remind teachers that they will have to make child care arrangements while they're on the clock. Child care is the responsibility of teachers and they should have thought of that before having kids.

The parents that want schools to open to act as childcare while they work (at home or office) should have thought of that before having kids too.

That's why all teachers must teach DL from inside the school building, not from home. They can't berate parents for wanting child care but then also say it's OK for them to interrupt DL every 5 minutes so they can change their own baby's diapers. Can't have it both ways!

Couldn’t the teacher teach from home and arrange care for the infant? Why would the teacher have to go into the building?

No, teachers need to be in the building. There was a NYT article on how teachers groups are pushing to limit DL because some teachers are "embarrassed" to teach from home or have too many other distractions like child care. Teaching from school would solve that.

^^ Also, DL should not double as child care for teachers.

How is it doubling for child care of the teacher arranges for someone to watch the child?

Most teachers will not be hiring a nanny. Dream on. That's why teaching from school building is essential.

[Anonymous]

I heard Washington, Co. Public Schools is going to require teachers to teach in the schools. True?

[Anonymous]

We need a Reagan-like mass firing of teachers who won't go back. Time for another profession! Trust me, there will be plenty of people to take your place. Go retrain to be a computer programmer or something where you never have to leave your cave again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We need a Reagan-like mass firing of teachers who won't go back. Time for another profession! Trust me, there will be plenty of people to take your place. Go retrain to be a computer programmer or something where you never have to leave your cave again.

This is hilarious!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, DL is not child care! Many teachers want to teach from home so they can watch their own kids. School administrators must remind teachers that they will have to make child care arrangements while they're on the clock. Child care is the responsibility of teachers and they should have thought of that before having kids.

The parents that want schools to open to act as childcare while they work (at home or office) should have thought of that before having kids too.

That's why all teachers must teach DL from inside the school building, not from home. They can't berate parents for wanting child care but then also say it's OK for them to interrupt DL every 5 minutes so they can change their own baby's diapers. Can't have it both ways!

Couldn’t the teacher teach from home and arrange care for the infant? Why would the teacher have to go into the building?

No, teachers need to be in the building. There was a NYT article on how teachers groups are pushing to limit DL because some teachers are "embarrassed" to teach from home or have too many other distractions like child care. Teaching from school would solve that.

^^ Also, DL should not double as child care for teachers.

How is it doubling for child care of the teacher arranges for someone to watch the child?

Most teachers will not be hiring a nanny. Dream on. That's why teaching from school building is essential.

I hope all parents working from home while their child does DL have also hired nannies. Your work from home job shouldn't be your childcare, either, since you think it's so unprofessional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, DL is not child care! Many teachers want to teach from home so they can watch their own kids. School administrators must remind teachers that they will have to make child care arrangements while they're on the clock. Child care is the responsibility of teachers and they should have thought of that before having kids.

The parents that want schools to open to act as childcare while they work (at home or office) should have thought of that before having kids too.

That's why all teachers must teach DL from inside the school building, not from home. They can't berate parents for wanting child care but then also say it's OK for them to interrupt DL every 5 minutes so they can change their own baby's diapers. Can't have it both ways!

Couldn’t the teacher teach from home and arrange care for the infant? Why would the teacher have to go into the building?

No, teachers need to be in the building. There was a NYT article on how teachers groups are pushing to limit DL because some teachers are "embarrassed" to teach from home or have too many other distractions like child care. Teaching from school would solve that.

^^ Also, DL should not double as child care for teachers.

How is it doubling for child care of the teacher arranges for someone to watch the child?

Most teachers will not be hiring a nanny. Dream on. That's why teaching from school building is essential.

I hope all parents working from home while their child does DL have also hired nannies. Your work from home job shouldn't be your childcare, either, since you think it's so unprofessional.

I never advocated for this but plenty of teachers did. For months now teachers have relentlessly shamed parents that "school is not child care," "parents must hate their children and want to kill teachers," and "every parent is responsible for their own child care or else they should not have had kids." It is only fair that these teachers now live by the same standard they set for everyone else.