COVID 14 -The School Teacher

They've sent us all home oh what am I to do
My lovely students - and none of them had the flu
Some of them the young ones they were crying,
As I waved good bye to them my hanky flying
That's it for the term here at school-the year is over
Now we have to see how we can teach them online
Talk about sickness cover
It makes more sense to just send them on holiday
An enforced kind of prison break
Where they are held captive at home for 8 weeks
By their parents
But that won't happen it is too severe
But maybe extreme circumstances call for extreme measures
For the young ones the parents will have to be the teachers
I can't see it working, not long term after a couple of weeks
They will be pulling their hair out

Then there are the older ones who will be taking their exams, they are gone for good
And how will they revise, on what, and what support
Most of my teachers are not fully tech-savvy they will have to
learn to be online that's all
Its just a completely different kettle of fish
Half the time you can't see the students
Then they can't hear you
The annoying ones turn off their cameras right on cue
When you begin to ask them a question
And the teenagers are just shy
To speak in front of a teacher one to one or in front of others
Takes boldness, but they can try

You see and then you have the factor that they must show their homes
And they do not feel comfortable sharing that with others
Except over the phone
And what about the ones who have poor family relations
They are trapped at home, with little social consolation
I think this high lights the strengths of the internet age
And its failings
We have these institutions and they are more than places of education
For many troubled souls they are sanctuaries
Places of social support and community away from
A domestic disturbance, and now they can't get away
And the internet is no place to be searching for an escape
In certain situations
So we will do our best us teachers
Keep buggering on as Churchill said
Now we must practice what he preaches