VENT- I don't want my building to reopen! Public school

amother

↑ Teal ↓

Wed, Oct 21 2020, 1:20 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

You like it as an OT? Aren't you doing teletherapy all day?

I work with older kids mostly (middle and high school) and they can manage the technology quite well. The younger kids cannot! I like sleeping later. I like being home for lunch so I can make myself normal meals. I like not having to drive anywhere at the crack of dawn (or before that at this time of year). I like saving a half hour on the commute. I like seeing my kids before work and giving them a kiss before they go to school. For my lunch break I can actually have a break (as opposed to in school where I feel I cannot put my guard down and actually relax). I also do short household things during that time which is super helpful (throw in a load of laundry, wash dishes, etc).

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Oct 21 2020, 1:45 pm

amother [ Teal ] wrote:

So it sounds like you're in a very similar boat as me. My relative does teletherapy, but with younger kids whose parents need to supervise, so she finds teletherapy exhausting and draining. You're mentioning the same benefits as I find!

Is your school open now?

amother

↑ Blush

Wed, Oct 21 2020, 3:05 pm

it is such a touchy subject. I feel for you op and good you are doing something about switching careers. in general, its an issue because many feel many teachers (not you/not individuals) do have it easier this way and are pushing to keep it this way to the detriment of kids/society/economy. I don't have a horse in this race we go to private jewish schools but do wonder how Cuomo and DeB are factoring this all in to their rush to close us R"L. Looks bad if we are operating at a healthy enough rate with protocols but public schools are not. sorry off tangent
best of luck to you Op

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Oct 21 2020, 3:34 pm

amother [ Blush ] wrote:

I hear that totally. However, what they threw us into with hybrid learning was an utter and complete mess.

Most private school teachers do NOT have it easier this way. Nor do elementary school teachers, or any teacher who is required to teach on Zoom all day. Many teachers are working like dogs, adjusting their schedules to their students', staying available at all hours of the day and night.

I was not a proponent of the hybrid model. I think they need to go fully in person with masks and testing for elementary school kids, and either the same or fully remote for high school kids.

amother

↑ Teal ↓

Wed, Oct 21 2020, 3:39 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Only kids who are in special ed rooms the whole day were "invited" to come in for in person services. (Which makes a lot of sense... try doing anything on zoom with a non-verbal kiddo!) The rest of the students are virtual.

Normally I am running from one classroom to the next taking students on the half hr. Pretty exhausting in my opinion.

At first teletherapy stressed me out so much but I have come to accept that it is not a normal time and therefore I cannot expect normal results or participation or normal anything for that matter! I do my best and THAT IS IT! Close that computer and say see you tomorrow peeps!

imorethanamother ↓

Wed, Oct 21 2020, 6:11 pm

I knew it! I knew it was easier!!

My special ed kid went from a 8-2:45 schedule to a 9-12 schedule, and all the teachers kept going on and on and on how their pay should stay the same because zoom is sooooooo hard. It made absolutely no sense to me. Especially when I started joining on zoom to see what was going on.

Mind you, I live where property taxes are through the roof and the teachers union is insane. You know the kind - we won’t open until all the police are defunded, there’s no more homeless in the world, and peace shall reign on all mankind. So it’s really finally validating for someone to confirm what we’ve all known all along. Not opening is a preference for many, which makes their fear of covid juuuuust a bit suspect.

OP, I have no doubt you work really hard. And all teachers work really hard. But essential workers also work really hard and we all had to go back to the workplace. I would really like my state to say that teachers can choose, as a whole, not to go back to work, but everyone has to take a pay cut. And then let’s see where everyone’s concern really lies.

Vent over. OP, good luck. The above rant isn’t about you, just the system. I wish you luck with your new career!

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Oct 21 2020, 6:15 pm

imorethanamother wrote:

Okay, please don't paint my experience on everyone else. Many teachers-especially those who are teaching on Zoom-are at their wits' end. My situation is unique in that we do very little live teaching.

I agree that the teachers' unions are insane. That's one of the many reasons I want to leave teaching; I'm sick and tired of the fact that my financial interests are at direct odds with my political and moral beliefs.

amother

↑ Smokey ↓

Wed, Oct 21 2020, 6:45 pm

It really depends on the school district. I belong to various teacher groups and, yes, some are working more than others.

As I said previously, I teach live the entire day except my lunch break. Now, it may appear to parents that I get long breaks in the day. But that's because I am teaching small groups in addition to whole class instruction, and it isn't the day for their child's small group in that subject area during that time period.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Oct 21 2020, 6:48 pm

amother [ Smokey ] wrote:

Exactly - that's why I'm saying that it's easier for me, but not for most. It's not just based on the district. Many NYC DOE teachers are working like dogs. It's specific to my school.

I find that when I go to work, I'm much more physically drained, I don't have time to eat or drink, and when I come home I need to take a nap. This is directly because of the schedule we are operating under in which we can teach 7 classes in a row with no break.

amother

↑ Bisque

Wed, Oct 21 2020, 7:33 pm

imorethanamother wrote:

I was thinking the same thing. All the teachers on my FB groups jump down anyone's throat who ask why schools can't be in person now, that zoom is so much harder, and they wish to be in the classroom. I don't think they want to be back in the classroom that badly in reality, for all the benefits that OP mentioned.

amother

Cobalt

Wed, Oct 21 2020, 7:43 pm

amother [ Smokey ] wrote:

This thread is interesting, especially how some posters jump at one person's experience. As the op said, her experience is not the same as other public schools. I work in a public school in Nyc! I have regular teaching classes where we and the students are required to wear masks all day and social distance with limited number of students per class and windows/doors open.

But, I also teach a remote only class because so many students chose remote, its middle school. I HAVE TO TEACH LIVE every day to my one remote class and then I "run" to my next classes who are in person in the building(classrooms are far apart). Then, after my classes, I need to respond to students ' emails/comments etc which is so time consuming, it would be easier to help them in person!!

I'm working very hard, but I'm enjoying coming to the school building because I have so few students so it's nice to have smaller classes, but theres still a pressure bec of social distancing, I cant monitor/help them grow in learning the best way possible.

So, every public school In nyc is very different because principals have different ways of implementing policies, and different areas have different superintendents in charge.

amother

↑ Smokey ↓

Wed, Oct 21 2020, 7:56 pm

True. I think the worst scenario of all is doing a combo, where you are responsible for in person and live virtual teaching simultaneously. I am able to teach virtually successfully & see progress from my students because I am not trying to teach 2 groups in two separate modes at once. Not possible to do that and reach both groups. I know there are some districts doing that, and it sounds brutal.

abound

Thu, Oct 22 2020, 10:09 am

It also depends on the public school. There is one school where everyone is remote but it is the teachers responsibility to teach the students. Principal keeps telling the teachers to be flexible and work with the kids. so if the kid does not want to learn till 10PM then the teacher has to teach that one student, so teachers have to keep teaching at crazy hours. its impossible.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Oct 22 2020, 10:11 am

abound wrote:

That is absolutely insane. I know my school has gone to the opposite extreme, but for the most part, many of us have kind of done that on our own. I've had it easy mainly because it's the beginning of the year and assignments aren't that tough. Last year, I'd get on Google Meet sessions with individual students at all hours of the day and night to help them out.

amother

Papaya

Thu, Oct 22 2020, 10:18 am

abound wrote:

Wow. My son is in a big district where all the kids 7th-12th are remote. While synchronous learning is the expectation, for the HS at least, all the materials including the teacher teaching via google meet are all put up to allow for asynchronous learning if the child can't make it for all the classes on time, and they have "office hours" every other day from 245-330p on google meet too. The teachers are pretty flexible for turn in times. (ie. by midnight, etc.)

amother

↑ Teal

Thu, Oct 22 2020, 10:49 am

I know I posted before that I like working remote for many reasons including the ones OP mentioned. However I do feel a need to defend teachers who do not feel this way!
In my district:
While teachers may not have to commute, they are still working the same hours as always, providing synchronous instruction as they would for in-person teaching.
Teachers (and related service providers such as myself) have had their schedules changed about 100x and have to deal with that. That is not a typical part of a new school year.
Teachers are dealing with students not showing up, showing up in pajamas in bed, doing all sorts of crazy things during video calls, not paying attention or just turning their cameras off and staying in the meet. It is a new slew of behavior issues in the "classroom".

I think some teachers unions (such as mine) are crazyyyyy. But I am honestly thankful that they support us the way they do. Otherwise the district would completely take advantage of us which they constantly attempt to do.

↑ imorethanamother

Thu, Oct 22 2020, 11:36 am

amother [ Teal ] wrote:

I hate teachers unions, because their goal is the teacher’s welfare. Unions are important for factories or workplaces where the worker needs to be protected. In a teachers union, the focus is the teacher and not the classroom or the student. And I don’t see why teachers are more at risk of being “taken advantage of” in the workplace than any other workplace. My boss constantly gives me jobs outside of my exact job description, and that’s just life.

That’s a spin-off though.

amother

↑ Smokey ↓

Thu, Oct 22 2020, 11:45 am

If not for the union, I wouldn't have a duty free lunch (no bathroom break at ALL), drawer with a lock for my purse, and would have to find my own subs or come in sick (don't know what I would do over YT). I gladly pay my dues to the union.
Also, I work in a good school, but without the union for protection, teachers assaulted by students would not be able to have them removed from the classroom if the principal didn't care to. Or, not allowing an angry and potentially violent parent from accosting you in your classroom during the work day. These things do happen to teachers who work in states with no unions.
Those are just a few of the things the unions have fought for. Ime, pple who bash teachers union don't really know why there is a need for them.