Schools closed until February? (part 3)

average_runner

Sammy2012 wrote: »

Based off last time I don't expect kids to learn. I had 28kids on the 12th of March. After that I never heard from around 12 of them again. Some kids did engage daily but they didn't retain the information. I had half my class again this year as I work in a rural school and have the same classes as last year so one class moved on to another teacher and one class stayed with me. I spent the month of September going over the important thing they missed from March to June as they didn't have a good knowledge base. Most of the kids in this class had engaged daily up until the beginning of June.

I have done courses on how to improve my teaching style for online learning but I would much rather be in the classroom. I have enjoyed being back and so have the kids and I would be in favour of closures now and make up for time during the year or extend the year to the first week in July.

You need parents buy in also. Our two were good for 3 hours of school work. Teacher gave us the pages to go through, email her if questions, then we correct it and screenshot it for teacher. Teacher did zoom calls and a test via zoom call on friday for spellings and tables.

It worked and ok for short term.

wirelessdude01

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Good interview with Leo Varadkar on radio 1 this morning. Norma will be leading the return to schools, which right now will be happening on 11th. She will be in touch with the unions and principals shortly.

Education stakeholders aren't meeting until Thursday as reported by The Sunday Business Post.

TheValeyard

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Education stakeholders aren't meeting until Thursday as reported by The Sunday Business Post.

Why do they always leave it so late? Surely people have preparations to be done.

wirelessdude01

ElJeffe wrote: »

I wonder if Ryan's allotment in Goatstown is less than 2klms from his house.

Surely he is using his windowsill like he suggested in the Dail.

Sammy2012

JP100 wrote: »

It all depends, I suppose, I was stopped previously by a guard when out cycling in an urban area and asked where I was going and coming from. I can only assume I was asked these questions at the time because of the 5k rule.

I fully agree it does. The same rules don't work for everyone. We have been mostly abiding by the restrictions. We didn't go out at all in December when things opened up. I wanted to spend Christmas with my parents so we said we'd just keep to ourselves. Both myself and the kids are high risk enough but we limited contacts in every other way. We have been having a very quiet week this week but friends of mine have been going to lots of places and are saying they are packed. So its all hot air as there's no compliance or enforcement if it at all.

khalessi

average_runner wrote: »

You need parents buy in also. Our two were good for 3 hours of school work. Teacher gave us the pages to go through, email her if questions, then we correct it and screenshot it for teacher. Teacher did zoom calls and a test via zoom call on friday for spellings and tables.

It worked and ok for short term.

Thats the thing for it to be done properly, schools should not be sending 5 hours of solid work a day. Distance learning is not about transferring school timetable to home, that is impossible, even in school it is not solid learning, there is movement play conversation.

3 hours max a day for primary.

Sammy2012

average_runner wrote: »

You need parents buy in also. Our two were good for 3 hours of school work. Teacher gave us the pages to go through, email her if questions, then we correct it and screenshot it for teacher. Teacher did zoom calls and a test via zoom call on friday for spellings and tables.

It worked and ok for short term.

I didnt do zoom calls but would this time round. I had good parent buy with the kids who engaged. I was available every day during school hours to answer questions and was in constant contact with the kids on seesaw but its not the same. Now IF we don't go back I will be sticking yo revision and small things this time round. I fully believe IF we are to go back to online learning it will only be for a week or 2 so it won't be that bad.

Dickie10

IM PP teacher , i would favour leaving school off til Feb 1 and continue to June 30th. start leaving cert on July 6th. basically push everythng back a month

Dickie10

everyone do what were told basically go to ground for the month

jimmytwotimes 2013

Dickie10 wrote: »

IM PP teacher , i would favour leaving school off til Feb 1 and continue to June 30th. start leaving cert on July 6th. basically push everythng back a month

Something like this wud be preferable to online. Online was a disaster with very low student engagement

Eoinbmw

Any opinions on what can be done for special needs schools who by design have small class sizes and for the most part online learning is not possible due to the nature of the child's disabilities?
Genuinely concerned for my own lads wellbeing at this stage he suffered badly during the original lockdow!

Stateofyou

Dickie10 wrote: »

everyone do what were told basically go to ground for the month

Many won't, that's the problem. They have to be forced. It's depressing to look at the comment sections of all the major media news outlets. Loads of comments with the majority of likes proclaiming this a hoax and just a flu. I've lost a lot of faith in humanity.

Bananaleaf

Dickie10 wrote: »

everyone do what were told basically go to ground for the month

Yeah but they won't. And then what? Part of me gets annoyed at the thought of having to do something like the above because I have been doing this correctly since March last year.

If people arent going to cop on and start staying at home and limiting their contacts, are we going to constantly push the school year out to accommodate them?

Now, let my slating commence ....

Sammy2012

Stateofyou wrote: »

Many won't, that's the problem. They have to be forced. It's depressing to look at the comment sections of all the major media news outlets. Loads of comments with the majority of likes proclaiming this a hoax and just a flu. I've lost a lot of faith in humanity.

Fully agree.

Sammy2012

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Yeah but they won't. And then what? Part of me gets annoyed at the thought of having to do something like the above because I have been doing this correctly since March last year.

If people arent going to cop on and start staying at home and limiting their contacts, are we going to constantly push the school year out to accommodate them?

Now, let my slating commence ....

People talk about lockdown. We have never had full lockdown. People need to read about what happened in Spain, Germany or other countries during lockdown.

average_runner

TheValeyard wrote: »

Gets even more complex,
Say management demand staff teach from building, yet creche or primary schools are closed. You literally cannot leave kids unsupervised. So, emergency parental leave?

We need a clear plan.

If remote, management should have more sense. Especially if other half cant help

TheValeyard

average_runner wrote: »

If remote, management should have more sense. Especially if other half cant help

Ah yes, sense and upper management......

Dickie10

live with my parents 85 and 76 genuinely scared now of going to school and carrying c19 back home, vaccine within touching distance for these people,

combat14

Schools in England may stay closed for weeks, admits Williamson

Education secretary casts doubt on plans for schools to reopen as headteachers call for exams rethink (Gaurdian Uk)

Icyseanfitz

As me and others have said, the government don't give a fiddlers for the safety of staff and children so long as they can look like they are doing the correct thing. Schools will be open on the 11th, a surge of "household cases" Will happen again/continue and we will be restricted to 1km exercise.

What a ****ing joke.

combat14

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said that existing Covid-19 restrictions should be given “a chance to work” before any new restrictions, including closing schools, are considered. (Irish Times)


the reality is that the new restrictions will only properly start to kick in from today the 3rd jan after a weekend of new year celebrations, xmas holidays and house parties..

we still havent seen the full extent of covid surge yet and it could take the next 10-14 days to play out, bringing us right up to the 18th jan before we truly know what is happening

hard to see schools open on 11th jan adding fuel to the fire when hospitals are under such extreme pressure right now before true surge kicks in

Icyseanfitz

What new restrictions, ive never seen towns and roads as busy, people don't care anymore and then added to that you tell them its alright for 1million + individuals to go back into full circulation in a weeks time.

appledrop

Just under 5,000 cases but sure open the schools sure will be grand.

C__MC

Put all schools all on holiday until January 31st
Work the month back

Inquitus

C__MC wrote: »

Put all schools all on holiday until January 31st
Work the month back

Aye agreed, take a months Vacation now and slot it in by shortening the Summer Holidays by a month.

helpful

I think the sensible thing to do would be to delay the reopening until the end of the month.
Maybe at that point would it be possible to bring primary school children in depending on numbers having a week on week off.
Secondary schools are where this may get more complicated, would there be anyway of bringing in sixth years for onsite classes and allow the remaining year groups to work online. Teachers could teach online from the school building if it’s easier too. Allowing first years in might be required in some places also l but I just don’t think there should be a full return for secondary schools this side of midterm unless there is a drastic change in numbers.

Icyseanfitz

We should put money on what angle will be used to keep them opened on the 11th, 1. kids are safer in school than wandering the streets 2. Schools are covid free areas 3. Kids are asymptomatic and staff and families don't matter. 4. Babysitting for the economies sake

eviltwin

They can open on the 11th as planned but my son won't be there.

Icyseanfitz

eviltwin wrote: »

They can open on the 11th as planned but my son won't be there.

Issue with that is many parents will send their children to school so that they can work, on top of the fact that if schools are open and you choose not to send a student in, the department has told schools not to help them remotely.

alroley

I really don't think schools will be open on the 11th.