It took less than two months to go from "teachers are amazing and need to be paid more" to "teachers are doing a terrible job" on all my social media feeds.

I think most of us know that virtual school does not work for many (most?) students. Online schools existed pre-pandemic + were not usually a student's 1st choice because they rely heavily on self-motivation and independent work. And that's when we aren't in a global pandemic.

Right now teachers are learning to do an entirely new job with no training + supplies they probably purchased w/ their own money. They're being given ever-changing mandates and suggestions from districts and states. Video conference software? Not part of the toolbox pre-pandemic.

We're flying the plane while building it. Padlet, Edpuzzle, Google Apps, Zoom, Meet, Jamboard....all tools teachers are learning right now. Most teachers are learning these tools on their own time because the school day consists of grading, meetings, and contacting students.

All that feedback that takes place in the classroom orally or through silent looks? Most of it now has to be written out and it takes much longer. Some districts don't allow the use of video conference software for safety reasons so there's no conferencing or small group work.

Some teachers are very uncomfortable running live classes because of the issues they present. Some aren't doing it because they have less than 50% of students participating. When we are in school and have less than 50% attendance the lesson plan usually goes out the window.

Teaching new content via live video (what some parents are asking for right now) requires tech expertise OR a lot of supplies. I don't have a whiteboard in my house. Science teachers don't have chemicals or other lab supplies in their home. Who is providing those things?

Teachers don't have home offices to teach from! Our work is always done in classrooms. Right now, I teach from the living room or kitchen. My husband works in our office(guest room) because his job provided him with tools (multiple monitors, phone) so he needs that space.

So teachers are teaching (some of them are only allowed to teach 20 mins per class and can only assign x minutes of work per day), writing new lessons/curriculum because what worked in school doesn't work online, grading/providing feedback, and checking in w/ students.

All of that goes beyond the contracted school day. Most teachers I know are working 12+ hours per day. We know this isn't working and we hate it. But teachers aren't the problem; the system is. Please don't gaslight teachers because you are upset with the infrastructure.

Please don't ask even more of teachers right now. We are dealing with our own families + mental health, too. Many are working day + night. It isn't perfect; some situations are worse than others. But reach out to us + ask for what you need. I promise we can provide guidance.

We know there are massive inequities right now. Many of us are working our butts off to reach as many students as possible without leaving most of them behind. Grades and curriculum are created by us- we will adjust next year.