Teacher, tell your story!
This is a page where we would like for you to share your story, share that which is happening now for you, please be honest and open. Our goal is to collect stories anonymously, not only will these go into the annals of history they will also share the many teacher’s voices that are living through this moment in time.
We want you to imagine you are sitting in a circle with other teachers who like you are trying to find their balance through this crisis. In this safe circle you are given some time to speak and share what is on your mind when you arrive at your job whether physically or digitally from home. Please do not hold back, in this circle there is no judgement. Turn inwards and speak openly.
Read other teachers’ stories
“Är lärare i en lite mindre skola i Sverige . Vågar inte jobba. Allt är som vanligt i skolan förutom att man påminner om att tvätta händerna oftare, försöka låta bli att kramas, försöka hålla avstånd (vilket är omöjligt i skolan med trånga klassrum och stora klasser, och alla äter ändå i matsalen). Min klass ska t.o.m. åka och bada i simhallen tre gånger i juni.
Mellan sport- och påsklov var jättemånga elever och lärare sjuka, många i coronaliknande symptom. Ingen får testa sig i Sverige om man inte blir så sjuk att man inte kan andas och måste till sjukhuset.
Det råder sådan tystnadskultur i skolan. Rektorn får direktiv uppifrån. Vi får inte säga till elever eller föräldrar om någon har Corona eller inte. Varken säga ja eller nej. Även om en personal skulle bli smittad får inte rektor säga att en personal är smittad. Detta strider mot mänskliga rättigheter tycker jag i en pandemi. Personal får ta tjänstledigt, men eleverna behöver gå i skolan, skolplikt råder.
Även storföretag i närheten tystar ner ifall de har fall av Corona. Ingen får veta, för då sprider man oro. Hela samhället tystas ner. När ska folk reagera och tänka själva, inte bara följa strömmen? Vi måste säga ifrån! Vi måste rädda vår hälsa.”
“We gathered in the lunchroom as we did when there was no pandemic. No one observed the social distancing rules. I questioned my own sanity. Slowly, slowly children had stopped coming to school. Friends were working from home where possible and others were talking about social distancing. My morning commute had an additional change; a red tape now protected the driver from something very normal: passengers. We were now a threat, we could make him sick, as we were unable to see this virus and we have clearly no idea how it was spreading. People needed protecting. We thought we might hear from management that we could stay home and work from home. That our health, physical and mental was a priority. I thought we would be trusted to continue to support our students in their learning progress to the best of our abilities considering the crisis. Management would suggest that we worked from home.
Instead we were told despite our empty classroom it had been decided we must go into work. It was important that we demonstrated our full 8 hours the school would be paying us for. We were told that we needed to provide evidence of our teaching live streams needed to be recorded as the swedish authorities will be checking once the pandemic is over that teachers had been teaching like they said they would be. I felt sick to my stomach at a time of such uncertainty this was what was happening at the school, the place I went to work everyday. We were never asked how are you, space was never given for us to speak our concerns. They were kept buried inside us causing anxiety and stress, the lack of trust towards me made me feel even more stressed and I could sense the motion of fight , flight or freeze taking over.
The principal stood there and warned us of the looming economic crisis and how this would cost jobs and I’m sure you don’t want to lose jobs do you? She threatened. Death tolls were rising along with the numbers of people falling sick. Family members far away were being forced to quarantine, the country that I grew up in I watched on tv was like watching a crime drama which I once watched for relaxation. That morning I had walked through the park choking as my tears streamed down my face. Thinking of my bedridden father and diabetic mother.”