Teachers of P&B

[Melanius Mullarkey]

13 hours ago, ICTChris said:

Give everyone this year straight A’s and see what happens.

You mean downgrade everyone?

[Rizzo]

Has anyone been told what they're expected to do next week other than set online work/development work? Falkirk schools are open to S4-S6 pupils who have still to complete units and coursework along with children of key workers.

Edited March 21, 2020 by Rizzo

[pandarilla]

dundee teachers in work all next week

It's unbelievable.

I can't believe we're still getting seniors in to finish assessments and provide evidence.

That needs to stop.
It should be a tiny number of vulnerable kids and as small a number of possible of key workers kids.

It's like teachers have been battered down by years of 'where's the evidence' that we're afraid to use our professional judgment.

[JMDP]

A bit ahead of you here in Spain. We have been closed for almost two weeks now and although there has been no official word, it seems that will be extended til after Easter at very minimum but I would be surprised if we are back before September. 

Whilst exams have been cancelled in UK, international GCSE's are on for the moment.

Thankfully, we are really well set up for distance learning so it has been about as good as possible given the circumstances. It has been really difficult for all involved though.

[Monkey Tennis]

11 hours ago, pandarilla said:

It's unbelievable.

I can't believe we're still getting seniors in to finish assessments and provide evidence.

That needs to stop.
It should be a tiny number of vulnerable kids and as small a number of possible of key workers kids.

It's like teachers have been battered down by years of 'where's the evidence' that we're afraid to use our professional judgment.

Genuinely don't know what Monday will bring.

I think there's almost a perception here that schools remain largely open, such is the ambiguity surrounding seniors, 'vulnerable' kids and the offspring of frontline workers.  I might be wrong, but I fear that putting people right on this, might be what part of next week is about.

The difference in message being communicated to staff and kids across the country is vast.

[pandarilla]

Genuinely don't know what Monday will bring.
I think there's almost a perception here that schools remain largely open, such is the ambiguity surrounding seniors, 'vulnerable' kids and the offspring of frontline workers.  I might be wrong, but I fear that putting people right on this, might be what part of next week is about.
The difference in message being communicated to staff and kids across the country is vast.

I'm involved in the union as a rep and already things are starting to change.

Think discussions are taking place tomorrow.

They have to get rid of the seniors, and just get volunteer teachers in for the rest. So many kids will be in because their parents are teachers who will be in work. That's madness.

[Monkey Tennis]

1 minute ago, pandarilla said:

I'm involved in the union as a rep and already things are starting to change.

Think discussions are taking place tomorrow.

They have to get rid of the seniors, and just get volunteer teachers in for the rest. So many kids will be in because their parents are teachers who will be in work. That's madness.

Yes, I've heard of teachers being advised to bring their young kids to work in parts of the country.  That is indeed bonkers.  

I believe anecdotally, that some parents here will send in kids old enough to care for themselves, simply to give their days some structure and what's perceived as a compulsion to do some work.  That utterly needs to be stopped.

I'd genuinely rather attend work if I'm well and can be of use.   A greater degree of uniformity is required though.

I'm also keen that you don't get gormless teachers posting on social media accounts about relaxing at home enjoying wine and box sets, while people in other jobs are slaving away riskily, or worried sick about money.  An instruction not to, shouldn't be necessary, but in ny experience, it probably is.

[git-intae-thum]

15 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

 

I'm also keen that you don't get gormless teachers posting on social media accounts about relaxing at home enjoying wine and box sets, while people in other jobs are slaving away riskily, or worried sick about money.  An instruction not to, shouldn't be necessary, but in ny experience, it probably is.

This. Schools were shut for two reasons. It was obviously necessary to slow the spread .....but also necessary because pupils AND TEACHERS had made a decision themselves and were increasingly failing to turn up. To keep schools open was not advisable....but it was also not sustainable due to the lack of teachers.

Really......there should be no pish take.

It will not go down very well. Particularly amongst the nurses, doctors, police, shopworkers and other occupations who have no choice but to keep going (as is expected) and to take the risk on the chin.

And more so, amongst those who are going to be increasingly impoverished and will look agast at folk getting paid for f@ck all.

[Monkey Tennis]

7 hours ago, git-intae-thum said:

This. Schools were shut for two reasons. It was obviously necessary to slow the spread .....but also necessary because pupils AND TEACHERS had made a decision themselves and were increasingly failing to turn up. To keep schools open was not advisable....but it was also not sustainable due to the lack of teachers.

Really......there should be no pish take.

It will not go down very well. Particularly amongst the nurses, doctors, police, shopworkers and other occupations who have no choice but to keep going (as is expected) and to take the risk on the chin.

And more so, amongst those who are going to be increasingly impoverished and will look agast at folk getting paid for f@ck all.

Yes, I think there's a strong need - for the reasons you suggest - for teachers to be seen as working at providing some sort of service.

In truth, I think the attempts to post work online for kids to do, is largely tokenistic. You can imagine the divergence in work that's going to be produced by kids, according to home circumstances. If we put much store in it, it will see any notion of 'closing the gap' violently undone then reversed. 

However, I think the token part is actually important.  I don't wish to hysterically and lazily reach for a wartime parallel here, but I'm going to anyway:  It's like the Home Guard.  Deprived of the chance to make a massively meaningful contribution, there's a need for purposes of morale and appearance, to have teachers muck in as part of this, rather than being beneficiaries of it, protected from the financial cost.

I've clearly overreached here with the Home Guard bit - we're doomed / don't panic etc - but I think there's a point in there that demands that teachers respond sensitively.

[madwullie]

I'm not teaching anymore but I agree with the point about gormless teachers posting about having their feet up. Quite a few of my former colleagues have been very guilty of this during snow days (remember them?) and of course during the holidays. 

A balance need to be struck though. Its surely not necessary for teachers to attend their places of work - when it comes down to it there's little point introducing this policy then making everyone go to work anyway - that's the very definition of unnecessary social contact. 

Glad I'm not the one having to make these decisions. Seems like a bit of a mess. 

[madwullie]

Genuinely asking for a friend, she is a single parent, dad not around. Wee girl just turned 4 and her nursery has closed as it's a private nursery. Only other childcare is grandparents both over 70 one already ill. 

Those of you who are talking about it being an option to take the kids with you to school, is that kids of any age or just kids of school age? She has no idea what to do. 

[pandarilla]

Genuinely asking for a friend, she is a single parent, dad not around. Wee girl just turned 4 and her nursery has closed as it's a private nursery. Only other childcare is grandparents both over 70 one already ill. 
Those of you who are talking about it being an option to take the kids with you to school, is that kids of any age or just kids of school age? She has no idea what to do. 

She should stay off if she has no provision for her kids, and she's a teacher.

They're trying to keep places open to get staff in but Dundee have certainly extended 'carers days' that you can take to get things sorted. If go with that option but keep in touch with the head teacher.

[madwullie]

Thanks mate  

[Monkey Tennis]

2 hours ago, madwullie said:

Genuinely asking for a friend, she is a single parent, dad not around. Wee girl just turned 4 and her nursery has closed as it's a private nursery. Only other childcare is grandparents both over 70 one already ill. 

Those of you who are talking about it being an option to take the kids with you to school, is that kids of any age or just kids of school age? She has no idea what to do. 

Were she down here, she'd be absolutely fine staying off with her wee girl.  I've got colleagues planning on doing just that tomorrow, and as far as I know, it's not a problem.

Regardless of where she is, my advice would be to do exactly the same. 

I do believe however that in Midlothian, they've been told to take kids in with them.  It's pretty outrageous sounding, but I understand that as of Friday's instructions, that was the case.  

That's where confusion comes from.  It's very unfair that people feel torn in this way.  

[madwullie]

29 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Were she down here, she'd be absolutely fine staying off with her wee girl.  I've got colleagues planning on doing just that tomorrow, and as far as I know, it's not a problem.

Regardless of where she is, my advice would be to do exactly the same. 

I do believe however that in Midlothian, they've been told to take kids in with them.  It's pretty outrageous sounding, but I understand that as of Friday's instructions, that was the case.  

That's where confusion comes from.  It's very unfair that people feel torn in this way.  

I'm on the app mate so don't know your location. She stays in North Lan but works in West Lothian 

[Monkey Tennis]

1 hour ago, madwullie said:

I'm on the app mate so don't know your location. She stays in North Lan but works in West Lothian 

I'm Dumfries and Galloway.

It sounds like there's been further developments this afternoon anyway, at least as regards SQA stuff.  Trying to catch up on it now.

[pandarilla]

So no senior pupils should come in to complete coursework.

Nicole sturgeon made that clear.

It's all about the most vulnerable (a really small number) and kids of key workers. Hopefully within days the key workers will not be 'all council staff' like it is in Dundee for tomorrow. Get the teaching staff home, except those that are needed.

[Monkey Tennis]

38 minutes ago, pandarilla said:

So no senior pupils should come in to complete coursework.

Nicole sturgeon made that clear.

It's all about the most vulnerable (a really small number) and kids of key workers. Hopefully within days the key workers will not be 'all council staff' like it is in Dundee for tomorrow. Get the teaching staff home, except those that are needed.

Yes, that sounds about right.

Working from home will be the order of the day.  I'm still totally unclear though about what provision for LAC or CP kids is intended to look like.

[madwullie]

2 hours ago, pandarilla said:

So no senior pupils should come in to complete coursework.

Nicole sturgeon made that clear.

It's all about the most vulnerable (a really small number) and kids of key workers. Hopefully within days the key workers will not be 'all council staff' like it is in Dundee for tomorrow. Get the teaching staff home, except those that are needed.

Good to hear that. Fucking ridiculous they were going to try to get seniors in anyway  

[madwullie]

Just been forwarded Larry flannigan's email he sent today. Pretty firm