Teacher here, ready to throw in the towel...

[Anonymous]

I was so looking forward to just having a regular school year.

This fall for elementary school looks like it is going to be complete chaos. Our back to school staff messaging contains nothing about how we are going to deal with instructional ramifications of the many absences and quarantines that are bound to occur. From the school district's perspective it seems like we are just plunging forward expecting things to be perfectly normal. Absolutely no discussion of virtual or hybrid instruction for kids who are quarantined or what we will do if teachers are out. No discussion of how we will handle all the as yet unfilled teacher positions.

So whatever happens is going to be reactive, not proactive. They will tell teachers we need to come up with "alternative assignments" for students out of school for 10-15 days each time. Then parents will complain and they will flip us to providing hybrid instruction as we did last year. I DON'T WANT TO TEACH HYBRID again. I just can't do it.

I just can't do this whole thing. I just want it to all go away.


What school district? Ours is having kids who are in quarantine live stream their classes from home during the quarantine period. My son is in 6th, though, which is middle school where we live.

No one wants to deal with COVID again. Parents don't, teachers don't, kids don't. But, that's the reality of this world at present.


DP. I know MCPS isn’t planning this. The argument is that parents hated Zoom and thought it didn’t count as school.

IDK, we are not in MCPS, but I thought the zoom instruction our district offered was pretty good. Would I choose it over in-person, no, but it was decent.
But then again, my son was in 5th grade last year, so he was in an age group that it was more likely to work for.

[Anonymous]

There’s one school district I read about who said quarantined students will watch classes on Zoom But teachers will not interact with the students over zoom in any way. Students will then complete assignments virtually. So that’s like, bad hybrid? I guess.

It probably works ok for high school. I’m reasonably sure second graders won’t just sit and watch a teacher on zoom all day without any interaction with the teacher. I know my kids wouldn’t have done any work at all if I wasn’t talking to them, asking them questions, interacting with them during the lesson. But hopefully if they are quarantined it’ll just be one time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't teachers have 2 months this summer to drum up a plan for kids home sick? Arguably, if a kid is sick, why should they do work? They are sick. Mark assignments as 100%, give missed math lesson sheets when they return so they can catch up.

I'll drum up some plans if they paid me to but they didn't.

Lots of government employees work OT unpaid. Especially ones who have people relying on them for their welfare. Like children relying on YOU for their education. Don't be a clock watcher.

That’s funny, we aren’t even allowed to move our cars on our prep periods. We can’t walk out the door thirty seconds before the official end of day, even if all the kids are gone. Our jobs have zero flexibility. We don’t get PTO, have to schedule doctor’s appointments on holidays, and are tasked with completing virtual meetings and trainings on site for no reason. Everyone knows that teachers work a ton of unpaid overtime. Everyone wants to watch the clock when it comes to teachers, but god forbid teachers draw boundaries or ask to be respected and paid for your time.

[Anonymous]

Ha, PP! OP here. I’d gladly do some planning over the summer. But not until the school district figured out its plan.

Otherwise it’s just wasted effort.

I’m half expecting a bunch of us teachers to be switched last minute to Virtual Academy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You are insisting on missing the point. Why aren't you pulling up your Nearpods or Kami documents from last year and using them this year? You don't need them recorded. But you can easily use those and make modifications based on your experiences last year with what worked and what did not work.

To my knowledge no public school system in the DMV has the expectation that teachers will be distributing, collecting and grading paper documents. You need to use the electronic documents that you used last year.

At this point I believe that you are either being deliberately obstructive to making this year work or deliberately obtuse in how to make this year work. Either way I am done with your nonsense. Good luck to your students because it sounds like they're going to need every bit of luck they can get with you as their teacher.

I feel like you are the one missing the point. Your Nearpod/Kami suggestion solves a problem I do not have.

The problem is that students who are quarantined and excluded from school for possibly multiple 10 day periods will be missing their direct instruction if we don't give them a way to participate in virtual learning, which right now my school district is not allowing.

My concern is that instructionally, this fall is going to be a mess. And after last year, I'm just not up for it any longer. I want to just bow out and let someone else take my job, and I'm this close to doing it. My mother is elderly and needs someone to help her out more often and my husband is already retired. We have health care taken care of already and the house is paid off. I was trying to stick around a few more years for full retirement but man... I'm ready to quit now.

Maybe it’s best to focus on those who keep coming to school? You can’t solve all problems, focus on what you are able to solve?

Well, I am experienced enough to know that we’re going to get back to school next week planning for one thing and we are going to be told to pivot and all of a sudden told something completely new. I’m positive in fact that that is what is going to happen. That’s what I don’t have the energy for anymore. Not actually looking for advice, just commiseration perhaps from fellow teachers.

I agree. I am doing what they're asking but I am not investing too much into it. Once I saw the report about the kid in VA who died it was the writing on the wall. Masks with no social distancing is not going to work. The only question is how many kids will need to get sick and die before we are told to pivot. We are crammed like sardines into a can at my school. There is no way this is going to end well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ha, PP! OP here. I’d gladly do some planning over the summer. But not until the school district figured out its plan.

Otherwise it’s just wasted effort.

I’m half expecting a bunch of us teachers to be switched last minute to Virtual Academy.

Same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s one school district I read about who said quarantined students will watch classes on Zoom But teachers will not interact with the students over zoom in any way. Students will then complete assignments virtually. So that’s like, bad hybrid? I guess.

It probably works ok for high school. I’m reasonably sure second graders won’t just sit and watch a teacher on zoom all day without any interaction with the teacher. I know my kids wouldn’t have done any work at all if I wasn’t talking to them, asking them questions, interacting with them during the lesson. But hopefully if they are quarantined it’ll just be one time.

There were 40+ kids in my second grader's APS virtual class last year, so it's not like there was real interaction. It was awful, but that's all APS made available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't teachers have 2 months this summer to drum up a plan for kids home sick? Arguably, if a kid is sick, why should they do work? They are sick. Mark assignments as 100%, give missed math lesson sheets when they return so they can catch up.

I'll drum up some plans if they paid me to but they didn't.

Lots of government employees work OT unpaid. Especially ones who have people relying on them for their welfare. Like children relying on YOU for their education. Don't be a clock watcher.

That’s funny, we aren’t even allowed to move our cars on our prep periods. We can’t walk out the door thirty seconds before the official end of day, even if all the kids are gone. Our jobs have zero flexibility. We don’t get PTO, have to schedule doctor’s appointments on holidays, and are tasked with completing virtual meetings and trainings on site for no reason. Everyone knows that teachers work a ton of unpaid overtime. Everyone wants to watch the clock when it comes to teachers, but god forbid teachers draw boundaries or ask to be respected and paid for your time.

Hmm, should all government workers tell their bosses they are "drawing boundaries" and refuse to perform? I'm sure that would go over well, like ice cream in hell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't teachers have 2 months this summer to drum up a plan for kids home sick? Arguably, if a kid is sick, why should they do work? They are sick. Mark assignments as 100%, give missed math lesson sheets when they return so they can catch up.

I'll drum up some plans if they paid me to but they didn't.

Lots of government employees work OT unpaid. Especially ones who have people relying on them for their welfare. Like children relying on YOU for their education. Don't be a clock watcher.

That’s funny, we aren’t even allowed to move our cars on our prep periods. We can’t walk out the door thirty seconds before the official end of day, even if all the kids are gone. Our jobs have zero flexibility. We don’t get PTO, have to schedule doctor’s appointments on holidays, and are tasked with completing virtual meetings and trainings on site for no reason. Everyone knows that teachers work a ton of unpaid overtime. Everyone wants to watch the clock when it comes to teachers, but god forbid teachers draw boundaries or ask to be respected and paid for your time.

Hmm, should all government workers tell their bosses they are "drawing boundaries" and refuse to perform? I'm sure that would go over well, like ice cream in hell.[/quote
Seriously. Similarly, this week I have to travel for work to a major SE US covid hot spot because courts are open. It is what is required or I'll be unemployed.

[Anonymous]

I agree. I am doing what they're asking but I am not investing too much into it. Once I saw the report about the kid in VA who died it was the writing on the wall. Masks with no social distancing is not going to work. The only question is how many kids will need to get sick and die before we are told to pivot. We are crammed like sardines into a can at my school. There is no way this is going to end well.

My kids are in 7th and 9th. Once Pfizer is no longer under an EUA, I hope the school district will mandate it. Then, there really isn't a reason that the kids can't safely get back with masks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s one school district I read about who said quarantined students will watch classes on Zoom But teachers will not interact with the students over zoom in any way. Students will then complete assignments virtually. So that’s like, bad hybrid? I guess.

It probably works ok for high school. I’m reasonably sure second graders won’t just sit and watch a teacher on zoom all day without any interaction with the teacher. I know my kids wouldn’t have done any work at all if I wasn’t talking to them, asking them questions, interacting with them during the lesson. But hopefully if they are quarantined it’ll just be one time.

There were 40+ kids in my second grader's APS virtual class last year, so it's not like there was real interaction. It was awful, but that's all APS made available.

Huh. There were 22 in mine, in PGCPS. 40+ definitely sounds dreadful. I'm sorry to hear about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s one school district I read about who said quarantined students will watch classes on Zoom But teachers will not interact with the students over zoom in any way. Students will then complete assignments virtually. So that’s like, bad hybrid? I guess.

It probably works ok for high school. I’m reasonably sure second graders won’t just sit and watch a teacher on zoom all day without any interaction with the teacher. I know my kids wouldn’t have done any work at all if I wasn’t talking to them, asking them questions, interacting with them during the lesson. But hopefully if they are quarantined it’ll just be one time.

There were 40+ kids in my second grader's APS virtual class last year, so it's not like there was real interaction. It was awful, but that's all APS made available.

Huh. There were 22 in mine, in PGCPS. 40+ definitely sounds dreadful. I'm sorry to hear about that.

It was too stressful for the teachers to teach a normal day, so they combined two classes and each teacher only had to work a half day.

#thankyouAPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Talking is overrated. All teachers need to shut up about how to deal with stuff, and actually DEAL with stuff!

Maybe we are tired of being the solution to all of society's problems. Maybe we want everyone to know how it really is in schools. We have dealt with our inept school districts for our entire careers. Now you get to see what we have to put up with.

The solution to all of society's problems? Christ lady, get over yourself.

Teachers/Public Schools are asked to:
Detect various forms of abuse and neglect.
Detect rapid gains in BMI or failure to thrive.
Detect mental health issues ranging from anxiety and mild depression to OCD, bipolar, even schizophrenia or more severe.
Identify families in financial crisis or housing insecurity that need a referral to social services.
Supply weather appropriate clothing, bedding, and shoes as well as supplemental food (3 meals + snacks, weekend food).

As a former desperately poor kid who was being abused sexually, I support all that schools do now, but it is too much! Doctors do not also have to see if kids are making educational progress.

Is that your list of “all of society’s problems”

Oh come on now. I’m a school counselor and even I am not expected to detect specific mental health disorders. I am expected to make referrals. You have a counseling department, admins, PPWs and a lot of other layers beyond you. You simply need to be the bridge, and that’s not such a heavy lift. If you’re concerned about a kid, direct them to the appropriate resources and share your concerns with your team. The martyrdom thing is making all educators look bad. My students’ parents are having a tough time, too, and while your feelings are valid, this is the job you took. If you don’t want to do it anymore, that’s fine, even understandable. But please quit with the woe is me stuff, because it’s embarrassing to those of us who are going to roll up our sleeves and just get to work and do the best we can. No one has a crystal ball, and yes, MCPS is a mess, but just take it day by day. Complaining will only keep you stuck in misery.

[Anonymous]

I had to seek therapy and medication a few years ago after a student in my classroom had daily physical meltdowns where he would physically attack me and other students. This went on for months while we “collected day.” He threw a plastic clock at me which hit the side of my eye causing a tear in it. Teachers are attracted at school everyday. My colleague was attacked by a student everyday and she was pregnant. Nothing could be done until they collected enough data. Absurd! We are not the police and shouldn’t need de-escalation training.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Talking is overrated. All teachers need to shut up about how to deal with stuff, and actually DEAL with stuff!

Maybe we are tired of being the solution to all of society's problems. Maybe we want everyone to know how it really is in schools. We have dealt with our inept school districts for our entire careers. Now you get to see what we have to put up with.

Everyone already got to see how inept schools have been with DL for the last 18 months. I'm sorry about your situation but right now I'm really more worried about students and the massive learning loss. You're fretting about stuff that hasn't even happened yet. If there is another outbreak we'll deal with it, but until then it's finally time to get back to work and teach.