United Kingdom VII: Taking Pride in Your Success

[cutmymilk]

Nuthugged by the forum, or a douche, or an idiot, or all three?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/keir-starmer-labour-reopening-schools-strike-b1805544.html

Haha.

He doesn't actually say what the headline implies. There will be some form of summer school, no doubt, but it won't be school as it will be on 8th March. It will be select kids with support staff who will be paid extra.

My partner is an infants teacher. She is back today with half a class and from wednesday will have 30 pupils in. This is in an area in Wales which is one of the covid hotspots of the UK. So yeah, we are already in it and its how we as a family caught covid in October. At least in England you have a few more weeks.

[wheelaa]

Yeah, the health aspect is my number one concern at present, for teachers, kids, the wider community. I disgaree with what I believe is the current position that teachers are not in a priority vac group.

Oooph, I was 10% through a massive rant / post earlier today, gave up. I think a very very very very very very very brief tl/dr would read...

I view teaching as an altruistic profession. I view education as one of if not the most important parts of human development / society. Health first, kids' needs second, no question, no debate, whatever it takes to meet those educational needs.

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2021/feb/22/uk-covid-live-lockdown-schools-vaccines-boris-johnson

The first dose of Pfizer vaccine reduces hospital admissions by 85% whilst the Oxford vaccine reduces them by 94% so far giving us one of the first clear indicators of reaching a stage where lockdowns won't be needed.

[QualityChimp]

/Admin hat on

Gang, the lockdowns and their repercussions are something that affect us all, so it's hard not to get heated.
Your experience of Coronavirus and the effects of the resulting restrictions may differ from another's.

It's important that we're able to voice our opinions so that we can discuss them in a friendly manner.

Try to avoid name-calling as that's not going to resolve anything.

/admin hat off

[charlesr]

Dude you're a douche you do realise that don't you?

Can you find a way of changing minds on this without resorting to insults please. Forum rules are here.

Thanks to youknowwhoyouare for reporting this. Always happy to put a lid on insults.

[Lebowski]

Lockdown 3 in October anyone? But we-hey june bitches beer gardens gonna be packed get me a jager BOMMMMB

sing it

"We're all going on a summer holiday, no more Covid for a week or two"

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2021/feb/22/uk-covid-live-lockdown-schools-vaccines-boris-johnson

At least 17 May before I can get in a cinema... oh, man.

Lockdown 03 will scale down in stages lasting all the way till mid-June

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/feb/22/daft-punk-french-electronic-music-duo-split-up-after-28-years

Bonus news update: Daft Punk have split after 28 years

[kryss]

If teaching was such the well-paid and luxuriantly-holidayed doss it's being presented as here, the sector wouldn't be in such a crisis to recruit and retain new teachers. I'd encourage anyone of that view to give it a try and see how long they last.

We had someone come from oil & gas in September (after retraining) to teach science. They walked 2 weeks later.

[Golgo]

We had someone come from oil & gas in September (after retraining) to teach science. They walked 2 weeks later.

Darn tootin'!

[Cassius_Smoke]

German politicians say the Oxford vaccine is bad... Shocked when Germans won't take the Oxford vaccine.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/germans-are-turning-down-oxford-astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-hpvh6rh6r

[Soundwave]

Can you find a way of changing minds on this without resorting to insults please. Forum rules are here.

Thanks to youknowwhoyouare for reporting this. Always happy to put a lid on insults.

Just calling them as I see them
To be fair I expected the message sooner than this & I'm well aware of the rules but certainly doesn't change my opinion with comments like they made

Neil

[Blobcat]

I always 'knew' i'd end up teaching like my mum and later stepdad, even in primary school I knew I'd end up doing it no matter what I had interest in. Weirdly always looked at secondary like my parents and not primary. Did lots of volenteering, assisting, team teaching, summer schools and finally tried teaching whilst training 2 years after leaving university trying to teach graphics and technology. Absolutly hated it and wanted to quit after 4 months but knew if I could work there and qualify I was 'set for life' with pay, increase in pay, job security, pensions and holidays and so on. I didn't quit that Christmas but had a bit of a mental breakdown by Easter and never went back. The kids were vile mostly, the teachers were not allowed to say or do anything in regards of behaviour management (my main gripe) and it was all about numbers rather than caring for kids needs. I had a handful of nice moments but after that breakdown I realised I would live longer and healthier by being poorer and happy than work in that job that sucked the life out of me.

I did a skint of assisting/ smaller classes for summer schools which I really enjoyed but knew it wasn't my calling by then. I wanted to cut ties with that town and finally moved out from my parents and worked in any job I could get at the time which was dementia care work for 5 years. It was rather sole destroying in its own way, with crazy hours and just mentally difficult and straining not to mention how it impacted my relationships and social life, but I felt I was doing more and helping more in society and the community that I ever did with teaching. It felt more supported (not by management which was pretty non existent until just before I left) and I felt more alive there than I did teaching.

When I originally started teaching back then, everyone I knew from my mum's workplace told me to run as it was just so awful for teachers back then, no idea what it was like just before lockdown.

I earn less than £23k a year and am constantly challanged and busy but way happier than I ever was teaching.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Already seeing a deluge of social media d1ckhead5 giving it the inevitable "wHaT aRe YoU gOiNg tO Do oN jUnE 21sT????!!!????" treatment.

As understandable as it is in the circumstances and context, it's clear that people are completely going to cut loose with the safety guidelines/guidance. I almost feel like I should lump on a fourth national lockdown happening...

[cutmymilk]

People won't wait until then either. As soon as schools are back socialising is back to normal, aside from not being in a pub.

[cutmymilk]

I always 'knew' i'd end up teaching like my mum and later stepdad, even in primary school I knew I'd end up doing it no matter what I had interest in. Weirdly always looked at secondary like my parents and not primary. Did lots of volenteering, assisting, team teaching, summer schools and finally tried teaching whilst training 2 years after leaving university trying to teach graphics and technology. Absolutly hated it and wanted to quit after 4 months but knew if I could work there and qualify I was 'set for life' with pay, increase in pay, job security, pensions and holidays and so on. I didn't quit that Christmas but had a bit of a mental breakdown by Easter and never went back. The kids were vile mostly, the teachers were not allowed to say or do anything in regards of behaviour management (my main gripe) and it was all about numbers rather than caring for kids needs. I had a handful of nice moments but after that breakdown I realised I would live longer and healthier by being poorer and happy than work in that job that sucked the life out of me.

I did a skint of assisting/ smaller classes for summer schools which I really enjoyed but knew it wasn't my calling by then. I wanted to cut ties with that town and finally moved out from my parents and worked in any job I could get at the time which was dementia care work for 5 years. It was rather sole destroying in its own way, with crazy hours and just mentally difficult and straining not to mention how it impacted my relationships and social life, but I felt I was doing more and helping more in society and the community that I ever did with teaching. It felt more supported (not by management which was pretty non existent until just before I left) and I felt more alive there than I did teaching.

When I originally started teaching back then, everyone I knew from my mum's workplace told me to run as it was just so awful for teachers back then, no idea what it was like just before lockdown.

I earn less than £23k a year and am constantly challanged and busy but way happier than I ever was teaching.

I've worked in schools like that, but there are better places to be. Despite the job being public sector, every school is remarkably different in how it is run and how pupils are handled. The school you describe sounds terrible, with management covering their ears as they don't deal with having to actually teach.

From what you said, care work is more your calling anyhow.