Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 295 – Persevere

01 Nov 2020 49 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

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“It’s not the load that breaks you down. It’s the way you carry it.”

C.S Lewis

Wow. Profound quote, you found there, Spidey!

And quite apt, again. (Seriously, how do you do that, every week? Find something that suits my mindset?)

As I type this, I am mulling over the aannouncements made by BoZo, sorry, BoJo, aka Boris Johnson, our bumbling buffoon of a Prime Minister, this afternoon evening. (It was due for 4 pm, then stretched to 5pm after which, it was sometime after 5 pm, which ended up just after 6.30 pm, I think.

Sorry, where was I?

Oh, yes. That announcement.

Well, it appears that as of Thursday, (because the virus knows to wait until then before spreading more) England will be entering national lockdown take 2.

Similar to that of March, but different, still.

Last time we all thought it was a couple of weeks, but it ended up months, before measures were eased.

This time, it runs for four weeks, until December 2nd. Because them, up above, think that a month should be enough to help us get back to some semblance of normality by spring, and quite possibly a better Christmas… I wait and watch.

Actually, no, I don’t wait at all. Because it’ll be daily duty as usual for me, and all the other staff in the education sector.

Baasically, all non-essential business have to close, incuding retail shops, hospitality businesses, like bars and restaurants, gyms, etc.

If you are in offices, you are back to working from home, indefinitely.

Certain industries that can’t function from home, such as construction, and manufacturing, may still be open.

But don’t worry, the drs and hospitals will be in full swing. As will all other emergency services, and supermarkets.

And nurseries, schools, colleges and universities.

I am so torn by this decision.

On the one hand, why are schools not being shut too, as they seem to be the areas where infection rates are rising, and though children may suffer much less from the virus, they are also carriers who can transfer it to members of their own families?

And on the other, it is important for schools to be open, because of the effect the last lockdown and closures have already had on the progress of many children, and, more improtantly, their mental wellbeing.

If we closed, it would be to go to remote learning, which we are lucky to be able to access, and provide for ‘most’ children. (‘Most’ because not all have electronic devices at their fingertips for a whole day at a time. Especially if you are in a family with several children of a younger age.) My two being in secondary, are computer literate, and though they don’t like it, they can access everything.

But, I hate Remote Learning for the younger kids.

It’s much more accessible for the older kids, who can take instructions, understand computers and technology, and hand in work. aside from ensuring your kid is up and logged in, most parents shouldn’t have to do much more.

With the younger ones, firstly, exactly how long do the Government really expect them to be on a screen for? My class are of an age where we are teaching them about behaviour and social interraction. Not sitting, staring at a screen, which most are pretty good at, but that’s only if it’s mindless YouTube videos. Kinda impossible when they are at home.

Secondly, we are responsible for laying the foundations of what will be a good base for a child’s education. That’s why we are called the EYFS – Early Years Foundation Stage.

I may be able to record an input, and design tasks for a child to do at home, to begin to understand addition, takeaway, language of position and size. I can set work to help them learn their sounds, and form letters. I can read stories for them, and ask questions. But, it’s then down to the parents to ensure they are doing these things, and to sit down and participate with the child. And they’re not teachers. Sure, many will try their hardest. But some parents have more than one child, in different classes, of different abilities. How are they expected to cope with trying to supervise ‘lessons’ for all their kids?

I hope most of my class turns up, come Monday, for their education’s sake. But I worry about if we suddenly have to provide for both home learning and in school learning, if parents decided they don’t want to send their children in. It’s a busy enough life, as a teacher, but this means teraing yourself in two. Providing content which is consistently updated and uploaded to our hub, and teaching the same, if not more, to the children who are in.

Then I also have to deal with the worry that my own family have, about us, as school staff, and pupils (Lil Man and Lil Princess) being in school, while the rest of the country is in lockdown. I know it is preying on Hubby Dearest’s mind a lot. He is so tense, and is still suggesting I jack in my job in school, as my health and wellbeing is more important to him than my salary.

But, it’s not about the money. Teaching, and the children; it’s in my blood. It’s what I’ve wanted to do, since I was six. It’s my vocation in life, and with a vocation, you take the ups with the downs.

Oh, and you cannot mix with another household, inside, or out, unless it is with one other member, and that is for recreational exercise purposes… (in the cold and dark, at the moment). But, you can look after children from another household as part of childcare… (and risk your kids taking the virus into the heart of another houshold, filled with more of your loved ones who you might not be able to actually meet, because you can’t actually mix with them!)

Seriously, my brain is all a-kerfuffle… but, I’ll have it all in place, come the next set of changes…

So… tell me, are you someone who knows how to carry your load, or does change unbalance you?

Have a peaceful Sunday Peeps.  And enjoy your week!  

49 Comments (+add yours?)

  1. equitysoftware
    Feb 05, 2021 @ 17:05:10

    I am glad to hear your schools are staying open, Ritu. The damage to the children’s education and mental health caused by lockdowns far outweighs the benefits, in my opinion. I can see this with my retaining walls own children, especially my younger son who started high school this year. I can cope with both, they both have advantages and disadvantages, but doing both at the same time, with the same salary seems like an unfair load on the teacher.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Ritu
      Feb 05, 2021 @ 17:34:14

      Well we aren’t open in the traditional sense. We are only allowed the children of Key workers, or vulnerable children. Everyone else is being educated remotely, and I hate it!
      It is a fine balancing act…

      Like

      Reply

  2. lisa
    Jan 15, 2021 @ 10:21:51

    I agree, Ritu! What an inept excuse for a leader, and how pathetic England now looks on even the national stage. I can cope with both, they both have advantages and disadvantages, but doing both at the same time, with the same salary seems like an unfair load on the teacher. I can see this with my own children, especially my younger son who started high school this year.Retaining Walls

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Ritu
      Jan 15, 2021 @ 11:16:52

      It is really tough, but, aagain, it depends onyour school leader, too. Are they reading the guidance properly,or skim reading and expecting too much of their staff.
      Recently the debate has been about the 3/4/5 hours of remote learning.
      It feels impossible to do live learning, or recorded videos for that amount of time.
      Actually, that is not the expectation, at all!
      The cumulative amount of time a child is remote learning for is that 3/4/5 hours. So recorded or live videos could be a fraction of that time, and the rest, time given to actually do work, or a task set to foster creativity, or even reading time.
      I’m so thankful I have a head who is really on it with these umpteen documents the DfE keep sending us, changing goalposts regularly.
      It’s by no means easy, but we are coping much better than some schools, because we have solid leadership and guidance behind us as a staff.Hope your children are coping well enough with this awful situation!

      Like

      Reply

  3. Rae Longest
    Nov 08, 2020 @ 16:25:31

    If you are locked down, then it’s coming for us too. Thanks for the advance warning. I will see my foot doctor, hairdresser (and get a short haircut ), and go to the nail salon, ’cause IT’s coming!
    I loved the quote. So many of Spidey’s sayings make their way into my Quote Notebook. THANKS!

    Liked by 1 person

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  4. thereluctantpoet
    Nov 02, 2020 @ 19:16:57

    Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet.

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  5. OIKOS™-Editorial
    Nov 01, 2020 @ 21:22:17

    Welcome home, in lockdown, Sis! ;-( Here we are starting tomorrow, and in my opinion will not end with November. You are so right, with the youngsters and extended screen time too. Lets hope we will get a better forcast for 2021. Please stay save with yours. Best wishes, Michael

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. syl65
    Nov 01, 2020 @ 20:56:04

    This Corona/Covid has the world in a blackhole with no clear way out. Another lockdown but hopefully not for months. Hang in there, Sister and stay as safe as possible 💜

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. johnrieber
    Nov 01, 2020 @ 20:53:06

    I feel for EVERY essential worker who is putting their health at risk to perform their jobs while most of the country sits at home…I hope the decisions being made make a positive difference, because we don’t seem to have managed to do so yet, and here in the US, our overall response has been shameful…

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. Jennie
    Nov 01, 2020 @ 19:33:35

    Hear, hear!!! You know I’m with you all the way on this. Our remote learning for children last spring turned into Zooms, fancy correspondence with families to give them suggestions for things to do at home, and also putting stories and songs on YouTube. It was sooo much work, and the little ones just need the in-person to develop social and emotional skills. Sigh!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Ritu
      Nov 01, 2020 @ 20:22:37

      I knew you would get what I mean, Jennie. I’m all for making suggestions of activities, and even recording stories and stuff, but the learning that they need, really needs to be hands on! It’s going to be a tough one, especially if parents choose to keep children off, creating bigger gaps, and then we are told we have to provide both in class, AND distance learning. Not sure how that will work!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  9. willowdot21
    Nov 01, 2020 @ 19:04:42

    Please don’t get me started, I hate shielding. I can’t see my son’s, one works at Heathrow up close and personal with the public, my grandchildren are at school and nursery their dad works from home..but they are in another county, and my eldest working from home but an hour and a half away in another county.
    They say the hospitals could be at bursting capacity by the end of the month… In time for my long awaited op? …don’t get me started! 💜💜💜

    Liked by 1 person

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  10. Shivangi
    Nov 01, 2020 @ 17:21:47

    Pretty tough situation…the US will be following soon I guess. But going with the flow is all I can do…

    Liked by 1 person

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  11. Erika
    Nov 01, 2020 @ 15:37:48

    The kids you are teaching are definitely too young for homeschooling. The way I understand it is are more like getting prepared for school but it is not school like sittein at desks, writing, calculating,… It sounds similar to kindergarten over here. I don’t know how this shall be taught online since the purpose is to socialize them and (as I said) preparing them for school. It misses that purpose and doesn’t make sense at all. You cannot give them homework or tell them over the screen to learn that.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Ritu
      Nov 01, 2020 @ 15:44:42

      It is precisely that, Sis. We are giving the foundations for, not only learning in the future, but their life skills, too, and that is tough to do, online.
      Sure, I can read stories to them, and have an online sing along, but I can’t then assess how well they are making relationships, communicating with others, or understanding.
      Then how can I guarantee that any written evidence of work, that may be photographed and sent to us, hasn’t been heavily aided by well-meaning parents?
      It’s a double edged sword, but what I do know is, that my kids need to be in front of me, for me to actually help them!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  12. LucciaGray
    Nov 01, 2020 @ 10:54:30

    I’ve taught face to face for most of my working life, but the last seven years I was teaching adults, mainly online, with one hour face to face a week. I can cope with both, they both have advantages and disadvantages, but doing both at the same time, with the same salary seems like an unfair load on the teacher. The solution is simple, employ another teacher for online teaching, or reduce the teacher’s work load at school if she’s expected to prepare and follow up online classes, too. Simple but will education authorities even try to do it?

    Liked by 1 person

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  13. jenanita01
    Nov 01, 2020 @ 10:18:03

    Reblogged this on Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie ~ Authors.

    Liked by 1 person

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  14. jenanita01
    Nov 01, 2020 @ 10:17:45

    I feel so sorry for Boris. He is trying his best, but some of the advice he is being given is ludicrous. None of it makes any sense, it’s just confusing and irrational…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. robbiesinspiration
    Nov 01, 2020 @ 08:05:45

    Personally, I am glad to hear your schools are staying open, Ritu. The damage to the children’s education and mental health caused by lockdowns far outweighs the benefits, in my opinion. I can see this with my own children, especially my younger son who started high school this year. I won’t keep him home again [unless the school closes and there are no options] even though he is high risk. He will wear a KN95 mask and go to school with sanitiser.

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Ritu
      Nov 01, 2020 @ 09:17:47

      It’s so tough, Robbie. I know it’s better for the kids. But there are so many doubts flying through my mind, you know?
      Still, let’s see what happens now…
      Stay safe xx

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  16. Steve Tanham
    Nov 01, 2020 @ 07:46:44

    The Bumbler bullies on… Oh, how I agree, Ritu! What an inept excuse for a leader, and how pathetic England now looks on even the national stage. Still ‘we’ voted for him…and Brexit, which is shortly to compound the damage…
    To humour: my best fried at school and college used to twist the Smokey line and sing ‘he ain’t heavy, he’s my sister’. Always brought a smile. Happy Sunday. we’ll all get through this! Steve

    Liked by 2 people

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  17. niasunset
    Nov 01, 2020 @ 07:12:47

    what days we all live… I heard the luckdown this morning… I do pray dear Ritu, How I wished to stop all these wrong ddecisions and actions… Be in safe, Love, nia

    Liked by 1 person

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