Teachers seem to be the odd man out in society today. Florida, my beloved state, is divided on even the most simple things when it comes to teachers. It is one of the reasons so many teachers are leaving the profession and why so many of us are suffering from mental health issues that the public knows nothing about.
I am vaccinated and because I am, I feel relatively safe. I also live alone with two dogs and am not a social butterfly. I go out on occasion but live pretty simply and in the summertime, I may go a whole week without seeing another human or carrying on a conversation with anyone but the grocery clerk, where I still use them and not the self service checkout.
When school began again, it was very freeing not to have to mask up according to the CDC and then boom, we should all be wearing masks because of the Delta variant. So now I feel unsafe again.
After listening to the people who control my school, I have figured out that the smaller group, those who don't believe in vaccinations, some who don't have children in the schools, and some who are still spouting the "personal rights" and "I don't have to mantra". So as a teacher, now this is what I have to do so they can continue to deny science exists and keep insisting that we are in no danger.
I wear a mask every day, although I am not required to. My students are about 50/50, which means half of them do and half don't. Then the number is halved again by those wearing masks around their mouths but not their noses and my not having the ability to say ANYTHING to them, or I will be in trouble.
Now I once again must have my temperature taken and answer a questionnaire first thing in the morning but we can't ask the students to wear a mask. I have students who want the vaccine but whose parents refuse to allow them to get one. Somehow, this scenario keeps playing over and over.
And people wonder why we continue to drop like flies from our chosen profession because mentally we just can't handle it any longer. It still puzzles me why we let this continue to happen? Why we allow our elected representatives to treat us to much like peons? They are supposed to work for us, remember? Why how we feel doesn't matter?
I have a ripped Achilles tendon and a hairline fracture in my ankle right now. I am in a boot and still manage to get to work each day because I worry so about my kids. I am old, with slight COPD and worry about Covid-19. Short of quitting my job and staying home permanently, I have no recourse but to continue working. I have no trust fund or rich husband. Someone needs to pay my mortgage and feed my dogs. But the toll on teachers, especially on the part you don't see, which is their mental health, is great. Please be kind and get your shit together. Your kids deserve us at our best. Our best is suffering right now.
No comments:
Post a Comment