Teachers: do you trust the families in your school to take COVID seriously?

[Anonymous]

The amazing part of public school is that it doesn’t matter. You get to teach those who are taking COVID seriously and ones who aren’t. Occupational hazard. Some kids come into school without brushing their teeth or hair too. Some even eat processed foods.
How can we force all families to be like us? The responsible ones?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The amazing part of public school is that it doesn’t matter. You get to teach those who are taking COVID seriously and ones who aren’t. Occupational hazard. Some kids come into school without brushing their teeth or hair too. Some even eat processed foods.
How can we force all families to be like us? The responsible ones?

Uh...no. This is not actually what we signed up for. This isn’t like a healthcare profession where you need to expect to be exposed to viruses during a pandemic. I know I never would have become a teacher had I known there would be a pandemic during my career.

[Anonymous]

Parent here, and no, I don’t. But then, I also don’t trust teachers to take it seriously, either.

I do have faith in masks, though, so at least if the adults in the buildings will be diligent about those, and the kids at least pretty good, that’s enough for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess it depends on what I define as "taking it seriously". I don't think a family needs to stay home all the time to take Covid seriously. Families can safely participate in sports or travel as a family without gathering in a mixed group for example. I don't expect people to never eat out at restaurants.

Mask, distance, wash your hands.

Well I for one do not want to be indoors near anyone who is eating at restaurants or participating in sports and traveling. I’m not doing anything (don’t even go to the grocery store), so why should I put myself at risk because others don’t want to do the same? And no, I’m not talking about people who have to leave their house for work, I’m talking about people choosing to make unnecessary trips to any location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess it depends on what I define as "taking it seriously". I don't think a family needs to stay home all the time to take Covid seriously. Families can safely participate in sports or travel as a family without gathering in a mixed group for example. I don't expect people to never eat out at restaurants.

Mask, distance, wash your hands.

Well I for one do not want to be indoors near anyone who is eating at restaurants or participating in sports and traveling. I’m not doing anything (don’t even go to the grocery store), so why should I put myself at risk because others don’t want to do the same? And no, I’m not talking about people who have to leave their house for work, I’m talking about people choosing to make unnecessary trips to any location.

So that will leave you with what options? Leave of absence? Resign? Can you retire early?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The amazing part of public school is that it doesn’t matter. You get to teach those who are taking COVID seriously and ones who aren’t. Occupational hazard. Some kids come into school without brushing their teeth or hair too. Some even eat processed foods.
How can we force all families to be like us? The responsible ones?

Uh...no. This is not actually what we signed up for. This isn’t like a healthcare profession where you need to expect to be exposed to viruses during a pandemic. I know I never would have become a teacher had I known there would be a pandemic during my career.

+1 Exactly. And the first poster's post is exactly why I am deciding that I won't go back to school in person until everyone is vaccinated, including students, and the pandemic is no longer a pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess it depends on what I define as "taking it seriously". I don't think a family needs to stay home all the time to take Covid seriously. Families can safely participate in sports or travel as a family without gathering in a mixed group for example. I don't expect people to never eat out at restaurants.

Mask, distance, wash your hands.

Well I for one do not want to be indoors near anyone who is eating at restaurants or participating in sports and traveling. I’m not doing anything (don’t even go to the grocery store), so why should I put myself at risk because others don’t want to do the same? And no, I’m not talking about people who have to leave their house for work, I’m talking about people choosing to make unnecessary trips to any location.

So that will leave you with what options? Leave of absence? Resign? Can you retire early?

Take it out on the students with vindictive behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess it depends on what I define as "taking it seriously". I don't think a family needs to stay home all the time to take Covid seriously. Families can safely participate in sports or travel as a family without gathering in a mixed group for example. I don't expect people to never eat out at restaurants.

Mask, distance, wash your hands.

Well I for one do not want to be indoors near anyone who is eating at restaurants or participating in sports and traveling. I’m not doing anything (don’t even go to the grocery store), so why should I put myself at risk because others don’t want to do the same? And no, I’m not talking about people who have to leave their house for work, I’m talking about people choosing to make unnecessary trips to any location.

So that will leave you with what options? Leave of absence? Resign? Can you retire early?

DP. I have filed my ADA accommodation request. If it is not granted then I will resign.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess it depends on what I define as "taking it seriously". I don't think a family needs to stay home all the time to take Covid seriously. Families can safely participate in sports or travel as a family without gathering in a mixed group for example. I don't expect people to never eat out at restaurants.

Mask, distance, wash your hands.

Well I for one do not want to be indoors near anyone who is eating at restaurants or participating in sports and traveling. I’m not doing anything (don’t even go to the grocery store), so why should I put myself at risk because others don’t want to do the same? And no, I’m not talking about people who have to leave their house for work, I’m talking about people choosing to make unnecessary trips to any location.

So that will leave you with what options? Leave of absence? Resign? Can you retire early?

DP. I have filed my ADA accommodation request. If it is not granted then I will resign.

PP
That’s true. ADA would be another option if you are eligible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess it depends on what I define as "taking it seriously". I don't think a family needs to stay home all the time to take Covid seriously. Families can safely participate in sports or travel as a family without gathering in a mixed group for example. I don't expect people to never eat out at restaurants.

Mask, distance, wash your hands.

Well I for one do not want to be indoors near anyone who is eating at restaurants or participating in sports and traveling. I’m not doing anything (don’t even go to the grocery store), so why should I put myself at risk because others don’t want to do the same? And no, I’m not talking about people who have to leave their house for work, I’m talking about people choosing to make unnecessary trips to any location.

So that will leave you with what options? Leave of absence? Resign? Can you retire early?

DP. I have filed my ADA accommodation request. If it is not granted then I will resign.

PP
That’s true. ADA would be another option if you are eligible.

Covid paranoia is not a valid ADA accommodation. That was settled months ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess it depends on what I define as "taking it seriously". I don't think a family needs to stay home all the time to take Covid seriously. Families can safely participate in sports or travel as a family without gathering in a mixed group for example. I don't expect people to never eat out at restaurants.

Mask, distance, wash your hands.

Well I for one do not want to be indoors near anyone who is eating at restaurants or participating in sports and traveling. I’m not doing anything (don’t even go to the grocery store), so why should I put myself at risk because others don’t want to do the same? And no, I’m not talking about people who have to leave their house for work, I’m talking about people choosing to make unnecessary trips to any location.

So that will leave you with what options? Leave of absence? Resign? Can you retire early?

DP. I have filed my ADA accommodation request. If it is not granted then I will resign.

PP
That’s true. ADA would be another option if you are eligible.

Covid paranoia is not a valid ADA accommodation. That was settled months ago.

Yes. PP here and that’s why I wrote “if you are eligible”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess it depends on what I define as "taking it seriously". I don't think a family needs to stay home all the time to take Covid seriously. Families can safely participate in sports or travel as a family without gathering in a mixed group for example. I don't expect people to never eat out at restaurants.

Mask, distance, wash your hands.

Well I for one do not want to be indoors near anyone who is eating at restaurants or participating in sports and traveling. I’m not doing anything (don’t even go to the grocery store), so why should I put myself at risk because others don’t want to do the same? And no, I’m not talking about people who have to leave their house for work, I’m talking about people choosing to make unnecessary trips to any location.

So that will leave you with what options? Leave of absence? Resign? Can you retire early?

Take it out on the students with vindictive behavior.

What is wrong with you?

[Anonymous]

Taking it back to the original topic…I’m an educator who’s been tutoring some children with learning disabilities throughout the pandemic. One family assured me that they took things seriously, but when I worked with their child, the kid never had a mask that fit properly, and the whole family was venturing out often for meals and snacks. I declined to work with them in-person any longer. Not long after that, I met with the child online. Poor kiddo could not stop coughing and complaining of feeling cold. I met with another student in-person in a different household that was taking things “seriously.” At the end of our hour together (one of several meetings over a few weeks), this child said they were excited because a household employee was coming back to work soon after having been absent with “flu.” Days later I fell ill, and the family never mentioned their viral exposure to me.

These families know I am not meeting with many people in-person right now. They see me taking steps to mitigate everyone’s risk, like quarantining and moving appointments online after seeing my elderly parents at the holidays. They haven’t been willing to take additional safety measures. I’d don’t have a lot of faith that behavior will magically change when more schools re-open.

[Anonymous]

Taking it back to the original topic…I’m an educator who’s been tutoring some children with learning disabilities throughout the pandemic. One family assured me that they took things seriously, but when I worked with their child, the kid never had a mask that fit properly, and the whole family was venturing out often for meals and snacks. I declined to work with them in-person any longer. Not long after that, I met with the child online. Poor kiddo could not stop coughing and complaining of feeling cold. I met with another student in-person in a different household that was taking things “seriously.” At the end of our hour together (one of several meetings over a few weeks), this child said they were excited because a household employee was coming back to work soon after having been absent with “flu.” Days later I fell ill, and the family never mentioned their viral exposure to me.

These families know I am not meeting with many people in-person right now. They see me taking steps to mitigate everyone’s risk, like quarantining and moving appointments online after seeing my elderly parents at the holidays. They haven’t been willing to take additional safety measures. I’d don’t have a lot of faith that behavior will magically change when more schools re-open.

Yes, people have very different meanings behind being "careful." This is sort of like the kids who don't always use condoms but are "really careful" or adults who drink and drive because their "tolerance is really high." Or maybe even sort of like the parents who don't "supplement" like tiger moms, but then you find out they have a private tutor or do workbooks or math problems almost ever night. In their minds they are not even lying - the words mean different things to them, and that's not "supplementing" or what they think it is. Or have their kid compete play on multiple sports teams of the same sport but "we're not super competitive and we don't take sports that seriously."

We know someone who was adamant that in person is not safe but her kids were playing unmasked outside with many kids, unsupervised, closely all summer, then puts the kids in indoor sports and is traveling to ski and do those types of things. In their minds, they are behaving more safely than others who want to return to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess it depends on what I define as "taking it seriously". I don't think a family needs to stay home all the time to take Covid seriously. Families can safely participate in sports or travel as a family without gathering in a mixed group for example. I don't expect people to never eat out at restaurants.

Mask, distance, wash your hands.

Well I for one do not want to be indoors near anyone who is eating at restaurants or participating in sports and traveling. I’m not doing anything (don’t even go to the grocery store), so why should I put myself at risk because others don’t want to do the same? And no, I’m not talking about people who have to leave their house for work, I’m talking about people choosing to make unnecessary trips to any location.

So that will leave you with what options? Leave of absence? Resign? Can you retire early?

Take it out on the students with vindictive behavior.

What is wrong with you?

On the bright side, it’s an empty threat. Anyone who would do this based on her interpretation of what is a “good” trip and what is a “bad” trip is probably just looking for an excuse to teach badly. Or they already suck and need to have a reason why.