The pandemic has completely transformed our everyday lives. But the problem of where and how children are getting their education has become a particularly hot topic, as they can and do get infected and transmit the coronavirus to others.
Should we shut down schools? Should we reopen them? Should teachers with underlying health conditions return to schools? What are the prevention and control measures to be put in place in schools? These and other similar questions have been bugging politicians, parents, and pretty much everyone else involved in teaching since the beginning of the outbreak.
Caught in the middle of the argument are the teachers. They keep adapting to new regulations, delivering both on-site learning to some children as well as lessons to others.
And while there’s certainly a time and place to discuss these processes, one headmaster from London, United Kingdom, has had enough of parents contacting his school only to complain that the teaching staff is doing badly. Here’s the letter he sent them.
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People think the last paragraph’s gold
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In the US, similar debates have also been raging with teachers at the center of the talk — whether vilified for challenging it or praised for trying to make it work.
Conducting more than a dozen interviews with educators, Natasha Singer wrote in The New York Times that teacher burnout could erode instructional quality, stymie working parents and hinder the reopening of the economy. “[They] described the immense challenges, and exhaustion, they have faced trying to provide normal schooling for students in pandemic conditions that are anything but normal. Some recounted whiplash experiences of having their schools abruptly open and close, sometimes more than once, because of virus risks or quarantine-driven staff shortages, requiring them to repeatedly switch back and forth between in-person and online teaching,” the text said.
And it’s not just the disease to be feared. Teacher Jeffrey Boakye said they’ve all seen the past year how kids’ exam results, and thus their futures, can hang in the balance of government algorithms. Or how social inequalities can so easily lead to material deprivation and financial instability. “A generation of young people are staring down the barrel of an exam system that Covid has shown to be precarious,” Boakye explained. “When students have put their faith in your promises as a teacher, you start to wonder if you’re part of the problem or the solution.”
One thing is clear, though. Mindless criticism doesn’t make things better. And thank you, headmaster, for reminding us all about it.
And they loved the way the headmaster stood up for his staff
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What many parents fail to understand, or at least synthesize/generalize, is that education is a process. Students pick up skills and concepts over time, sometimes half and hour, and sometimes half a year, depending on the subject and/or the child. Seeing a lesson and understanding its full intent are two very different things. I'm glad those parents have an interest in their child's education. But watching teaching is like watching baseball: it seems easy enough to do, until you hear that first pitch go by as you stand at the plate.
A beautifully sugar coated burn. To complain about this you have to first admit you are the one he is talking about and then admit you are not an expert. The perfect insult lol!
As a teacher, I continuously get the 'You're a teacher, why are you tired? You work 6 hours a day and get 12 weeks holiday a year." When I first started, I used to bite back about actually starting at 7 and finishing at 6 and working weekends and half-terms- all unpaid overtime- but I would get scoffed at. Now I just say "Yeah, it's great isn't it? I am so lucky. You should re-train yourself!"
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Education is priceless, IMO, and courtesy equally so when you're asking professionals to do a better job. Under the circumstances, with glitchy systems and funding issues and and and.... Hat tip to anyone sticking it out.
Dear angry parent, I think you are confused. The goal of our schools and community sports is to help all children succeed, not just your child. It is unlikely either will be provide 100% of what your child needs. As a parent, you know your child's weaknesses; it is up to you to arrange private tutors and individual sport coaching. Your level of interference is not in your child's best interest. Consider the vast variety of schools and teaching methods, find the one you approve of. Please consider what is best for your child. Any further emails from you will be automatically forwarded to me. Please allow our teachers to teach.
Good job! Too many entitled parents are expecting miracle work from teachers. They are navigating this as well, doing as they are told. They are new to this. Many of us have the challenges of childcare and jobs...and is anyone judging them for any decreased performance? And are any of us faulting parents for helping with the remote learning and faulting them for their child if they don't excel? No. People need to lay off our teachers. Teaching is no walk in the part and they have up to 30 kids and classrom strategies. they did not learn online schooling strategies where the routine is changed and they have less control. They do not have access to some materials (because often they make materials for their kids for activites, can't so that now) and families cannot get all the materials, so they have to figure out how to reach kids in a manner that doesn't requiring buying or much buying.
My wife is a teacher and you wouldn’t believe what horrible shits so many of the parents are.
Well done Sir. Having been in the catering trade for far too many years I considered teaching youths how to be a Chef many years ago in the UK (in a college, for 17 / 18 + years olds) and was invited, after checks etc, to sit in for a couple of weeks to see if it was the sort of job for me ; long story v short, I lasted a week, mostly because I wanted to kick out the 'students' who were there because they thought it was going to be easy (thank you TV cooking programmes !!), or the ones who joined up because their mates did and they had no imagination to do anything else, or the ones who thought that cooking meant doing 9-5 Mon to Fri and got a shock when I pointed out that weekend working was pretty much mandatory and that 70 + hour weeks when it was busy was normal, and just so much other stuff that it seriously raised my blood pressure. In a week !!! Many of the tutors were quite happy to turn up, do the bare minimum and get a reasonable salary with sensible hours... Go figure eh
I am glad that I get to experience what it is like in the classroom. And while I appreciate this person standing up for his team, I have also seen things that are unacceptable. And still this is not the time to bitch about it. One of my son's teachers bullying children into responding (when in fact there is a tech issue and the kid is literally a classroom away since he is in school for the emergency day care provided). Another teacher using one of those terrible puzzles from social media where the joke is in details that 8 year olds don't get. And you know what, even though I was at the verge of saying something about it, I didn't. This is not the time. But do talk to your kid and explain that teachers are having a hard time also. You know what I did do? Send a nice note to the kindergarten teacher of my other son because she is trying so hard to keep spirits up during their weekly call and my youngest loves it. And after all this is over, there will be time to reflect.
I'm so glad you didn't flag up a couple of minor mishaps during such a hard time. Even in the best conditions, the best teachers can take a risk in a lesson, trying to introduce an activity or task that they think could interest, challenge or extend knowledge and learning, just to reflect that it didn't work and back to the drawing board! We're human, I'm so glad you recognised that!
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Frustrated parents wanting what is best for their children and worried about their future. Dont be a d**k to the teacher but, the minimum expectations for homeschooling provision are grim and will result is poorer prospects for children who have had it for a long time.
You are forgetting the amazing skills that the children are gaining from this experience. Sorry, but how often do you use algebra in your own daily life as an adult? Pupils are learning resilience, self management skills, copious new IT skills, communication, they are taking an interest in current affairs- things that actually give them an advantage over those of us who experienced normal school days day in, day out. They will use these skills to their advantage when they leave school. Teachers are doing a great job. We are all adjusting but it is not all doom and gloom.
Load More Replies...
This was from the UK. You can say what you want about the US education system, but obviously the issue of teaching in an global pandemic is, in fact, a global issue.
Load More Replies...
What many parents fail to understand, or at least synthesize/generalize, is that education is a process. Students pick up skills and concepts over time, sometimes half and hour, and sometimes half a year, depending on the subject and/or the child. Seeing a lesson and understanding its full intent are two very different things. I'm glad those parents have an interest in their child's education. But watching teaching is like watching baseball: it seems easy enough to do, until you hear that first pitch go by as you stand at the plate.
A beautifully sugar coated burn. To complain about this you have to first admit you are the one he is talking about and then admit you are not an expert. The perfect insult lol!
As a teacher, I continuously get the 'You're a teacher, why are you tired? You work 6 hours a day and get 12 weeks holiday a year." When I first started, I used to bite back about actually starting at 7 and finishing at 6 and working weekends and half-terms- all unpaid overtime- but I would get scoffed at. Now I just say "Yeah, it's great isn't it? I am so lucky. You should re-train yourself!"
Load More Replies... Education is priceless, IMO, and courtesy equally so when you're asking professionals to do a better job. Under the circumstances, with glitchy systems and funding issues and and and.... Hat tip to anyone sticking it out.
Dear angry parent, I think you are confused. The goal of our schools and community sports is to help all children succeed, not just your child. It is unlikely either will be provide 100% of what your child needs. As a parent, you know your child's weaknesses; it is up to you to arrange private tutors and individual sport coaching. Your level of interference is not in your child's best interest. Consider the vast variety of schools and teaching methods, find the one you approve of. Please consider what is best for your child. Any further emails from you will be automatically forwarded to me. Please allow our teachers to teach.
Good job! Too many entitled parents are expecting miracle work from teachers. They are navigating this as well, doing as they are told. They are new to this. Many of us have the challenges of childcare and jobs...and is anyone judging them for any decreased performance? And are any of us faulting parents for helping with the remote learning and faulting them for their child if they don't excel? No. People need to lay off our teachers. Teaching is no walk in the part and they have up to 30 kids and classrom strategies. they did not learn online schooling strategies where the routine is changed and they have less control. They do not have access to some materials (because often they make materials for their kids for activites, can't so that now) and families cannot get all the materials, so they have to figure out how to reach kids in a manner that doesn't requiring buying or much buying.
My wife is a teacher and you wouldn’t believe what horrible shits so many of the parents are.
Well done Sir. Having been in the catering trade for far too many years I considered teaching youths how to be a Chef many years ago in the UK (in a college, for 17 / 18 + years olds) and was invited, after checks etc, to sit in for a couple of weeks to see if it was the sort of job for me ; long story v short, I lasted a week, mostly because I wanted to kick out the 'students' who were there because they thought it was going to be easy (thank you TV cooking programmes !!), or the ones who joined up because their mates did and they had no imagination to do anything else, or the ones who thought that cooking meant doing 9-5 Mon to Fri and got a shock when I pointed out that weekend working was pretty much mandatory and that 70 + hour weeks when it was busy was normal, and just so much other stuff that it seriously raised my blood pressure. In a week !!! Many of the tutors were quite happy to turn up, do the bare minimum and get a reasonable salary with sensible hours... Go figure eh
I am glad that I get to experience what it is like in the classroom. And while I appreciate this person standing up for his team, I have also seen things that are unacceptable. And still this is not the time to bitch about it. One of my son's teachers bullying children into responding (when in fact there is a tech issue and the kid is literally a classroom away since he is in school for the emergency day care provided). Another teacher using one of those terrible puzzles from social media where the joke is in details that 8 year olds don't get. And you know what, even though I was at the verge of saying something about it, I didn't. This is not the time. But do talk to your kid and explain that teachers are having a hard time also. You know what I did do? Send a nice note to the kindergarten teacher of my other son because she is trying so hard to keep spirits up during their weekly call and my youngest loves it. And after all this is over, there will be time to reflect.
I'm so glad you didn't flag up a couple of minor mishaps during such a hard time. Even in the best conditions, the best teachers can take a risk in a lesson, trying to introduce an activity or task that they think could interest, challenge or extend knowledge and learning, just to reflect that it didn't work and back to the drawing board! We're human, I'm so glad you recognised that!
Load More Replies... Frustrated parents wanting what is best for their children and worried about their future. Dont be a d**k to the teacher but, the minimum expectations for homeschooling provision are grim and will result is poorer prospects for children who have had it for a long time.
You are forgetting the amazing skills that the children are gaining from this experience. Sorry, but how often do you use algebra in your own daily life as an adult? Pupils are learning resilience, self management skills, copious new IT skills, communication, they are taking an interest in current affairs- things that actually give them an advantage over those of us who experienced normal school days day in, day out. They will use these skills to their advantage when they leave school. Teachers are doing a great job. We are all adjusting but it is not all doom and gloom.
Load More Replies... This was from the UK. You can say what you want about the US education system, but obviously the issue of teaching in an global pandemic is, in fact, a global issue.
Load More Replies...
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