Schools closed until February? (part 3)

I took a break tonight. Discovered the **** show that is America. Then dived into bridgerton to completely forget the absolute crap that is the world.

I love to teach. Love it. Love it. I do my best. I’m sure some students hate me and others love me. No one is universally successful but I do my absolute damndest and I work hard.

However over the last ten years I have been increasingly hurt and marginalised by society at large, the media and my Department of Education my bosses. Leaks and leaks, no consultation. Finding out about my job from the media, not even from the department. Circulars on a Friday evening. The disrespect goes on.

Teacher bashing is now a national pastime. It was always there in the background. As the daughter of two teachers and niece of more I knew that. So I suppose you could argue I knew what I was getting into. However it is so so much worse now. The media, the social media, it is constant. It is exhausting. It’s is horrible. And it’s practically bullying.

Everyone always says ‘oh I’m not talking about you’, ‘you are a good teacher’, ‘oh I KNOW it’s not you’.... BUT....

There’s always a but you see. Always a but. It goes on and on and round and round and round.

There are bad employees in EVERY profession. There are good employees in EVERY profession. There are good and bad employees in the public service. There are good and bad employees in private industry. It is difficult to fire anyone. Public or private. The bashing has to stop.

Tonight however. Tonight. Where do I even start. Today I am flabbergasted at my ultimate boss. At her, a fellow teacher, who has just hung her whole profession and all the ancillary school staff out to dry.

If schools don’t manage to open for LCs they will be vilified by parents and students who want to be in.
If schools do open they will be vilified by parents and students who are scared or at risk and do not want to attend.
If we go live with all classes (against the wishes of many of our students I might add) then we’ll be overloading the students
If we do not go live with all our classes we’ll be lazy.
If the unions let us in it will be ‘fair play to the government for sticking it to the unions’
If the unions protect us then it will be ‘God damn unions’
The bitching goes on and on and on and it’s always our fault.

This is not a ****ing competition. This is not a competition. It is far, far more serious than that. It’s not a ‘whose job is less safe’. I’m sick of the comparisons. I’m sick of the ‘what about’

This is a pandemic. We have infection levels that are the worst in Europe. We are currently worse than the north. We have a new strain which is more infectious and spreading rapidly. When even Boris Johnson is closing schools and cancelling exams why in Gods name is my Boss decreeing and repeating over and over that it is ‘safe’ for the LCs and the staff to be in school.

I may give off about things. Like anyone I rant and get things off my chest. But usually I can at least see the logic. Even if I fundamentally disagree with it and fight it.

Tonight though.... Tonight I truly feel that my government has absolutely no respect for education. At all. And not just teachers. I’m talking about us all. Parents, teachers, students, SNA’s, caretakers, secretarys, bus drivers, the list goes on. They will all be back next week. To satisfy the political ‘promise’ that they would keep schools open. At all costs? That’s what it seems to have come to

I am worried for my colleagues, teachers and all the ancillary staff from bus drivers to secretary’s. I am worried for my students. I am worried for their families and what may spread silently in classrooms with just cloth masks. I am worried for our country. I am worried about our health services. Our front line workers dealing with the potential hidden spread that will continue. In schools without adequate testing. Without adequate contact tracing.

And without actual advice from NPHET or the CMO that this is actually a safe proposal.

What if it doesn’t work?

Well unfortunately based on my last ten years, there are many who will blame the teachers. Again.

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

Wow, an amazing post that sums up exactly how i currently feel. Well done.

It took a while. I needed to get it off my chest before bed. I am ‘privileged’ to be classed as very high risk so add the massive guilt I’m currently feeling for being so utterly relieved tho be teaching from home to every other feeling I have tonight.

I’m horrified

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Mirrorwall .... this post needs to be published. I felt every bit of your anger reading that.

Would you consider sending it to Voice For Teachers or somewhere similar where it can be seen and shared at large?

Thats not a bad idea. I will actually. I wouldn’t publish it on social media myself because I’m not able for the inevitable ‘but’ and ‘whining’ teachers. But though an intermediate I don’t mind