Finally, this school year is over

[QED]

I have never been so exhausted and in need of a break. Earlier this week, the stress I'd been ignoring started coming out. But finally, it's over.

When we returned to in person teaching, we went to a block schedule. Instead of seeing each class for ~1 hour/day we saw them on alternate days for ~2 hours to minimize the number of students in halls, etc. The problem with this is that teenagers can only absorb so much before shutting down. To keep them engaged, I had to modify nearly everything. Lessons needed to be a little bit longer and then have students practice more. At first, we were to keep students 6 feet apart on tables 4 feet wide. We were to minimize interaction to minimize transmission. Even so, students were contact traced and quarantined necessitating having a google meet open and including the quarantined students in discussions. That was on and off through the year. One of my students was quarantined three times due to contact tracing! All work needed to be in google classroom - which works fine but it was essentially double work to do that and provide materials for students in person.

All through the year we were reminded of the stress on students, and rightly so. But the stress on us was barely acknowledged. We heard of parties students had with no social distancing or masks adding to our fears of contracting the virus. The stress did ease up a bit after we were vaccinated so we felt safer. But yeah, I'm supposed to be the grown up and handle the stress. I did, bottling it up, focusing on students. And now...it's my turn to just let it all go.

Thank you for listening.

[Solly Mack]

1. I hope for you the best unwind, wind down, relaxing summer ever!

[QED]

4. Thank you...that's my plan!

[BigmanPigman]

2. I had this similar problem while teaching in Elem. School.

"The problem with this is that teenagers can only absorb so much before shutting down. To keep them engaged, I had to modify nearly everything".

When a student went on a vacation or had an absence from the regular school year we had to make a specialized contract with each student for the entire day's work for every day not in class. We had to grade it when returned and this was so time consuming. The state wouldn't pay the local district for days when no student was present. It was mainly "busy work" and a waste of time for everyone involved.

This week I ran into my neighbor who is Spec Ed Push-in for High School in my district and I asked if he will be teaching over the Summer. He answered me in a nanosecond...NO WAY! He is exhausted mentally and physically.

Tons of teachers left their jobs/careers and retired early this year due to Covid. It just wasn't worth the enormous effort as well as the added risk of becoming infected. It was a lose-lose situation for some.

[QED]

3. Wow! That is a lot of extra work.

I did feel like we did a lot of busy work too.

We lost a number of teachers too. One of my now former colleagues plans to have a food truck. I'm kind of jealous.

[Meowmee]

5. What teachers are and have been expected

To deal with through this ridiculous. Hours more work, being exposed as you said to terrible people who don’t give a damn about exposing you to covid with parties etc. I don’t envy you having to deal with all of that and that particular age group as well.

Tg I have been teaching only online since last year and will continue. My students did expose me to my first covid pneumonia early on in this though. One came to the last in person day, walked up to me, said he didn’t feel well and I told him to leave immediately. Then he mentioned later in an online setting that his family members had covid and he wasn’t quarantining. Several others were ill with probable covid directly after online teaching started. One with confirmed covid and hospitalization.

From now on, we will always have a big storage of kn95, sanitizer etc. I will never listen to any recommendations not to mask which was criminal and I will cancel any in person teaching as soon as there is any sign of something similar. I will do what I need to to protect myself and my family etc.

I hope you have a good rest and treat yourself well.

[QED]

7. We were concerned about students exposing us to Covid

and it actually happened to you! I'm sure it was an anxious few days waiting to see if he'd passed the virus to you.

We had a couple of teachers who were vocally and obnoxiously anti-mask. One quit, the other (a science teacher!) just griped about it all year - just so unpleasant to be around. As if the rest of us liked wearing the damn things.

Hope you enjoy your summer rest. We've earned it! I noticed this morning my shoulders feel loose - not all tensed up.

[Meowmee]

14. Thanks- So terrible these anti maskers/ vaxers etc.

One of my students did expose me because I had covid double pneumonia in that time frame, it started out with a severe headache and runs and fever which I thought was a migraine and then went to my lungs. I thought it was bronchitis at first but the severe pain alerted me it was pneumonia and my doc said go to the field hospital.

I cannot be sure if it was him or another, several were ill, but most were not tested, one other had confirmed covid with the same symptoms as me and he was in hospital for a day only. He recovered fully, I am a long hauler. He told me his grandmother died from it and that a relative who lied about having covid had come to visit passing it to them.

I will never listen to any you don’t need a mask etc. recommendations again. Masks are hard on me with asthma and glasses but they are essential to protect yourself. It is terrible that a science teacher is like that, but one of my father’s docs said to us masks don’t work because he had contracted it! There are lots of crazies out there.

I am still masking now although fully vaccinated. I will take no risk to get it again. I was getting it from my father again in January who was exposed at an er, before we were eligibleto get a vaccine, but I knocked it out with zpack tg. His health has been destroyed by it. I am still stressed, it has been a terrible time and my father has now become a virtual invalid after covid who we are caring for 24/7.

That is great you feel more relaxed now, hopefully things will get better, more people will get vaccinated and variants will not cause a new upsurge in the fall and winter. I am hoping vaccines will be required soon to attend schools with limited medical only documented exceptions 😀

[QED]

15. Not sure if it's ignorance or distrust of science - or both.

Our neighboring school district is anti-mask. They had to have a mask mandate per the county but the whole community is anti-vax, anti-mask and has/had the highest infection rate.

I hope your father will recover - and you as well.

[Meowmee]

18. I just call it stupid and crazy, I am so sick of the stupidity here

And it is not all on the right, there are plenty of anti vaxers elsewhere etc. unfortunately. There is a large element of narcissism as well and not caring about others. Thanks 🙂

[catrose]

6. All my teacher friends, at all levels, are in similar shape. It's been awful.

[QED]

8. Yes, awful and relentless.

[AwakeAtLast]

9. My last day was Monday

170+ in person days, asynchronous, going to 7 different classes and two buildings daily, 500+ students! Oh, and not only talking, but SINGING
with masks!

I've never been so glad to see a school year come to an end.

Enjoy your well deserved break!

[QED]

11. We finished yesterday.

It sounds like a really frightening year for you. All those aerosols from singing! When the last kids left, I nearly crumpled into a pile and sobbed.

Hope you enjoy your break also!

[Thtwudbeme]

10. Middle School librarian here- responsible for

approximately 1,400 chrome books. About half are checked out to students in a blended learning environment.

Parents are already starting to get demanding about chromes their kids need for summer school.

I have two more weeks, and right now I am sitting in my bathrobe, staring at DU and drinking a bloody mary.

I think I'll take a shower here in a little bit.

The teachers I work with are falling apart- coming into the library (I maintain a safe space, and I do not gossip) and crying.

[QED]

12. I don't think parents understand the load we've been carrying.

Good luck accounting for all of those chrome books.

[dsc]

13. I am basically done too

only have to give an exam to a set of students on Tuesday and maybe make up exams. It has been rough have to say the least. We were hybrid under 3 cohorts from Sept to Jan, then 2 cohorts from Jan to March, and no cohorts from March to the end of the year. At least I had already been under block scheduling. I am glad to have this be over.

[ProfessorGAC]

16. I Subbed All Year

From what I've seen, you're not alone.
Most every teacher with whom I've interacted (Grades 6-12) give off the "worn out" vibe. And, I'm talking dozens of teachers, not a few.
The combined in-person/online thing drove me nuts, and I'm not responsible for anything other than that one day.
And, working in 13 districts, I might not be back for 3 months.
If I found it tedious, the real teachers must find it exhausting & frustrating.
Take this time to decompress!

[QED]

17. Exhausting and frustrating - exactly!

But it's over. I only took two half days all year for doctor appointments, one due to a reaction to the shot. We were short on subs and we ended up subbing for others in our department. I knew if I took a day off it would just be a burden on my colleagues so I didn't. I could have used a couple of mental health days. Now I have 42 sick days in the bank...