How will schools be able to go back in September? (Continued)

teachinggal123 wrote: »

A great many of my colleagues are very happy ... they have effectively been on fully paid holidays since March.

Some are saying that they will do the same again if schools close. They are under no obligation to do online/blended according to them.

Continue attacking me if you wish ... that is what is now openly being said.

What are you openly saying? I hope you are saying that 'I'll do the best for my students'. You love playing the victim, instead be the leader of your students.

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

What are you openly saying? I hope you are saying that 'I'll do the best for my students'. You love playing the victim, instead be the leader of your students.

I, and others on this thread, are saying that some teachers did nothing since March. I'm also saying that many primary schools sent one 'homework' email on Monday morning and nothing else after that.

Teachers know this but it doesn't suit the narrative.

Based on a combination of this evidenced teacher inaction/underperformance, combined with the attitude of the teachers on this thread, I am worried about how schools will go back in September and how another shut down will be death with.

Blondini wrote: »

*Were not we're

teachinggal123 wrote: »

*I'm

Warbeastrior wrote: »

Oh that's just sad hahaha

Haha ... yes it is!

But seen as I've been corrected a few times at this stage in a similar way I thought I'd join the grammar nazi party!!

teachinggal123 wrote: »

I, and others on this thread, are saying that some teachers did nothing since March. I'm also saying that many primary schools sent one 'homework' email on Monday morning and nothing else after that.

Teachers know this but it doesn't suit the narrative.

Based on a combination of this evidenced teacher inaction/underperformance, combined with the attitude of the teachers on this thread, I am worried about how schools will go back in September and how another shut down will be death with.

Christ I haven't been following this thread for a while but I come back and you're still spouting the same story weeks on!

You have openly admitted doing basically nothing to help your students during lockdown. How can you criticize others when you did nothing yourself??

You should be using this time to try and catch up and sort out your resources in an effort to make up time with them!!!
I have all my schemes edited and ready to go at this stage. Please don't let your students suffer again.

teachinggal123 wrote: »

Do you think the opening plans for schools include a plan for going online/blended if the school has to close?

This discussion is a really important part of every school reopening plan, and it worries me that the same thing could happen again where primary schools thought one email a week was sufficient and some teachers did nothing.

That can't be allowed to happen again, but as far as I can see, it is very likely to.

I actually desperately hope it doesn't.

Our school did a satisfactory job, not great, not terrible, given the circumstances. That being said, my kids learned nothing from online learning because guess what - their teacher had to work and look after a three year old, and they are five and eight and need a real life qualified teacher who is not also trying to do a full time job at the same time.

So if my school decides to do feck all when inevitable October closure happens, I'll be delighted. Because I'm not actually going to be able to teach the kids anyway, and this way there's no fights over getting their tablets out and not listening and wandering off because the three year old is watching tv. Summer has been bliss in comparison to March to mid-June (when I gave up).

And if the teachers who don't also have children (not many of them) sit at home watching Netflix, I have no issue with that.

teachinggal123 wrote: »

Do you think the opening plans for schools include a plan for going online/blended if the school has to close?

This discussion is a really important part of every school reopening plan, and it worries me that the same thing could happen again where primary schools thought one email a week was sufficient and some teachers did nothing.

That can't be allowed to happen again, but as far as I can see, it is very likely to.

I have seven nieces and nephews in four different national schools around Ireland. All of them got the one email per week and their parents weren't overly impressed. My own children are in post primary and I thought their teachers were marvellous. I also have a wide circle of teachers, mostly primary, in my family and friends and all of them without exception spoke of being snowed under with work. Some of the teachers I know that said how hard they were working themselves were not happy with the work their children were getting from the children's teachers. Have also seen an odd teacher on this very thread speak of not being too impressed with their children's teachers. So it's hard to know the actual truth. But really that's all in the past now. Everyone was on a learning curve and it was massive upheaval for everyone, teachers, parents and children. To be honest one of my children is a right slacker and I found getting messages from one of his teachers very stressful so it's hard to please everyone. You do what looks like too little (although there may be alot of work behind the scenes) and parents are unhappy, you do too much and parents and children feel under pressure. If it has to be a way of life going forward, hopefully everyone has learnt alot in the meantime to allow us all to rise to the challenges and be compassionate to each other. You never know what people are going through.

JDD wrote: »

Oh God, can we not have another 50 pages on what teachers did or didn't do during lockdown? I think that has be hashed and rehashed to bits. Some did nothing. Some did a satisfactory job. Some went over and above what they were asked to do. Like every bl**dy work environment in the country.

End of story.

Now, can we concentrate on the opening plans for schools. Thanks.

It’s still relevant, because if a better effort had been made across the board I think remote or blended learning would be more acceptable at this point. Because it was by and large a fiasco, it’s not being entertained now.

teachinggal123 wrote: »

Do you think the opening plans for schools include a plan for going online/blended if the school has to close?

This discussion is a really important part of every school reopening plan, and it worries me that the same thing could happen again where primary schools thought one email a week was sufficient and some teachers did nothing.

That can't be allowed to happen again, but as far as I can see, it is very likely to.

Firstly there should be clear instructions coming from the department in relation to online learning going forward. It should not be left up to individual schools to work out. This would avoid lazy teachers (like yourself as you have admitted) sitting back and doing nothing. Our school did an okay job but on reflection over the summer we could have done better. And I have q plan in my head for what will happen if (and when) we have to close again. But it should be the same plan across the board.

My own personal circumstances will have changed too as my youngest is starting school and i will have to up my home schooling game but I will make it work with my own kids and my students as that is what I get paid for.

Lillyfae wrote: »

It’s still relevant, because if a better effort had been made across the board I think remote or blended learning would be more acceptable at this point. Because it was by and large a fiasco, it’s not being entertained now.

The reason it isn't being entertained is because the Govt set their stall out that there would be a full reopening. They are hell bent on this being achieved and damn the consequences. Anything that goes wrong, blame will be directed towards the schools themselves.

BonsaiKitten wrote: »

My personal theory is that she was set up to fail here. The government know school reopenings will not go smoothly and picked the rookie as she's less of a loss to them. They don't want the long term, more valuable TDs to be damaged by the fallout.

Now, she wasn't forced into it by any means (we assume ) and so she is still culpable in it all. But I wonder if she's being silent because she realises there's nothing she can really say here. And as we saw with that Independent interview, she's not a smooth talker.

You don’t think that maybe the fact that she has no relevant qualifications whatsoever to be the leader of a government department might hinder her in any way?

Lillyfae wrote: »

You don’t think that maybe the fact that she has no relevant qualifications whatsoever to be the leader of a government department might hinder her in any way?

Would that impact the government deciding who to give the poisoned chalice to? Doubt it. In fact it makes her an even more attractive proposition as if this ruins her political career she's no serious loss to them.

PowerToWait wrote: »

I must say, from a largely neutral / no skin in the game point of view, the lack of imagination and innovation from the ‘experts’ in the DES is extraordinary. Or maybe they simply couldn’t be arsed?

Now I'm not one to stick up for the department but maybe, just maybe they have been told not to plan/provide/allow for anything other than a full reopening?

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Now I'm not one to stick up for the department but maybe, just maybe they have been told not to plan/provide/allow for anything other than a full reopening?

Right. Is that how it works? Purely political motivation decides educational policy? Even worse than I thought if so.

khalessi wrote: »

I agree with you, it is still relevant. I think some people did very well some did ok and some did nothing at all. I am hoping that there is something in the back pocket.

I sincerely appreciate that comment, because it took you a long time to acknowledge it (not just you, it’s not my intention to give you aggro).

I just think that the ironic thing is that many in government seem to think that a few years in a classroom with 20 odd 7 year olds somehow qualifies them to run a country, not that Minister Foley is a teacher.