schools opening when it has snowed!

thegirlintheattic

I hate to get on my bandwagon but...

The government bashes teachers so much these days it has become acceptable for everyone to do it. I doubt many people realise they are teacher bashing. It doesn't help that the ones who teacher bash generally have bad experiences of school from their childhood and that colours their judgement.

As for workshy, those who chuck that accusation around usually have very little experience of teachers or teaching. I leave the house before 7am each morning and it is rare for me to be in before 6-7pm. I usually do at least an hour of work at home each evening, and at least half a day at the weekend. This is not uncommon among the teachers I know. The few who turn up at 8:20 and leave at 3:20 are those who have children, they do the pick ups/drop offs then work late into the night to make up for it. A least half of my holiday time is usually spent on school stuff, particularly with making new resources to keep lessons up to date and interesting. I will happily give up my lunch times to help students and I run extra-curriculars. I take students on residential trips willingly (and we don't get paid any extra).

I'm not saying I'm a martyr and I don't want sympathy. I chose teaching over a much less stressful and much better paid career because I love doing it. I knew what I was getting into. However it does get tiring when people go on and on about teachers having it easy, leaving at 3pm, being workshy etc.

If only those who bash could do the job for a little while, maybe that would change their mind. Funnily enough, whenever it is suggested that someone becomes a teacher if the going is so good, they always have an excuse, usually that they don't want the pay cut!

gregg1

What I will add to this discussion johnny is this and I hope you appreciate that this is true, my OH hates the school being closed. Particularly at this time as her students are fast approaching exam time and they need every minute of tuition and help they can get.

It really is a nightmare for her when those students' timetables are thrown behind due to bad weather. She ALWAYS goes in during Feb half term and some saturdays to do catch up lessons whenever there has been weather disruption (and many times when there is none).

Now I really do not expect praise for her but it would be nice to hear it acknowledged at some point that (a) it really is not a teachers decision to close a school (as I said before, in my OH's school, the coach companies tend to call the shots more often than not) and (b) it is as frustrating for teachers who have planned the lessons and already have precious little time to get through the work before examinations take place.

I hope you can see my point.

kingfisherblue

Yesterday my older son's school was open, but two of the main transport providers would not allow their coaches/minibuses out, as the side roads were too dangerous. The children are collected from home as it is a special school and all of the children have disabilities and/or learning difficulties.

This morning, the bus escort told me that the main roads are fine, but many side roads are still like ice rinks. I live near the end of the road onto my small estate, so outside my house is clear, but one child lives across the main road in a small block of flats - and the escort commented on how dangerous it was to drive onto the carpark there to collect the child.

Risk assessments are not just about the school grounds or ratios, but also about how safe it is for the children and staff to get to school. I hate snow days and would rather my children were in school, but I wouldn't want anybody - staff, drivers, escorts or children - to be put at risk unnecessarily.

Incidentally, my older son enjoyed some worksheets about animals that I printed from the internet. He doesn't like being off school, unlike his younger brother, who doesn't mind at all.

Hanging_by_a_thread

johnnyl wrote: »

I assure you shes not, Im talking to her right now :rotfl:

Do you talk to all the little voices in your head?

Valli

johnnyl wrote: »

(use of machiney and lathes in craft or contact sport etc)

Which contact sports use lathes, then?:p

gregg1

kingfisherblue wrote: »

Yesterday my older son's school was open, but two of the main transport providers would not allow their coaches/minibuses out, as the side roads were too dangerous. The children are collected from home as it is a special school and all of the children have disabilities and/or learning difficulties.

This morning, the bus escort told me that the main roads are fine, but many side roads are still like ice rinks. I live near the end of the road onto my small estate, so outside my house is clear, but one child lives across the main road in a small block of flats - and the escort commented on how dangerous it was to drive onto the carpark there to collect the child.

Risk assessments are not just about the school grounds or ratios, but also about how safe it is for the children and staff to get to school. I hate snow days and would rather my children were in school, but I wouldn't want anybody - staff, drivers, escorts or children - to be put at risk unnecessarily.

Incidentally, my older son enjoyed some worksheets about animals that I printed from the internet. He doesn't like being off school, unlike his younger brother, who doesn't mind at all.

How I wish all parents were as understanding and sensible as you (and I hope that does not sound patronising in any way)?

kingfisherblue

gregg1 wrote: »

How I wish all parents were as understanding and sensible as you (and I hope that does not sound patronising in any way)?

My degree is in education, and I volunteered in schools (including my son's special school before he became a pupil there) whilst I was studying. My degree took five years part time, as I still had my son's disabilities to care for, in addition to everything else involved in bringing up a family alone. I learned a lot about the internal workings of schools, mainly because I was interested and somewhat curious - so I asked a lot of questions .

I have also been brought up to respect teachers and other school staff, and although there are a few who don't deserve much respect, the vast majority that I have met do deserve it. It is those who 'bash' others that I have little time or respect for, especially when they cannot understand simple explanations, no matter how many ways the details are put across.

'Bashing' teachers or others is not productive. It doesn't make anybody bigger or better, it just shows immaturity. In every profession there are people who are good at their jobs, and people who are not as good or who are downright bad at what they do. Lumping everyone together in order to badmouth them comes across as bullying, especially when it is persistant.

Mrs.W_2

My eldest's school re-opened today. There was no way we could drive out of our village, so I walked her there. Took us 40 minutes. We were on time.

And by the time I got home my OH was still lying on the sofa. This is his third day on the sofa, unwashed, in his dressing gown, dying of man flu.

Sod him, I've got a kid back to school! Yipeee!

johnnyl

Valli wrote: »

Which contact sports use lathes, then?:p

you know what I meant :rotfl:

johnnyl

wishicouldmakeitbetter wrote: »

Bollox. Do you know how often ambulances turn up to a school of 1300 students - many of whom have epilepsy, food allergies, cerebral palsy, neurological disorders, etc. Possibly 100+ students on the medical register. Add in the factors that you conveniently ignored about the site (that you haven't seen) the mobiles (that you haven't seen) and the location of the school (that you blah blah blah).
You must be a joy to spend time with!

Well firstly, the emergency services are running, they are one of these many people that I mention that do make it into work. That aside......

Shutting the school does not eliminate those risks or protect those people from what you have mentioned because they will still be somewhere with them with exactly the same challenges in getting the emergency services there. In essence, you have achieved nothing by doing it. The only aspect of the above that I agree with is the location of the school.

The school has to make sure its operation and any risks it induces are managed and managing risk isnt about not doing things but how to do things in the safest way. Anyone who shuts a school on the grounds of what you say quite simply does not understand risk assessment. They participate in tick box versions that are used to justify a decision that has already been made. That isnt risk assessment, it is @rse covering and nothing more. It pretty much the same as those who think that you can send someone to do a very hazardous job just because we have writen an RA for it. Neither are worth the paper they are written on if the person doing it doesnt understand how to quantify then manage risk.