Georgina Bromilow, a former classroom and supply teacher who now helps schools and teachers connect at Teacher Booker, explores the often humorous twists and turns of remote learning.

We really don’t know how you’ve done it, but here you are, “finally at the finish line” as one of our teachers put it. Remote learning, Covid testing, bubbling, re-planning to avoid group work, catch-up sessions, endless zoom lessons and OFSTED visits, you all deserve 6 months on a Caribbean beach!

We know you have risen to these challenges, as only teachers can, managing to have a laugh along the way at the crazy situations and funny things you and your pupils have said and done. Here are a few thoughts and stories we have heard about from our teachers and beyond, I wonder how many resonate with you? If you have some tales of your own we would love to hear them too, please send them to me at georgina@teacherbooker.com.

  1. A Science teacher told me she had sent out lesson tasks to her class in a dropbox file, only to discover they were her holiday snaps from the Algarve in 2019.

  2. A Y5 teacher remembers giving a maths test online only to hear a student’s Mum whispering the answers to her son.

  3. Teaching in your Pyjama bottoms and slippers for months on end and then worrying how you will get back into waisted trousers ever again!

  4. Finding out that some children had taken screenshots of themselves ‘paying attention’ on some zoom lessons then cut the zoom video and replaced it with the picture on the lessons they weren’t that keen on attending!

  5. One teacher told me ‘I sent my class out for a break and when they returned to the Zoom lesson there was a feline placed on top of one of my Y3’s heads. I said “Right now, it’s time to learn, so let’s take that cat off your head”. Words I really never thought I would say…’

  6. Seeing into all your pupils’ living rooms and bedrooms and even being invited round for a ‘playday’ when this ‘germ’ has gone.

  7. Teaching phonics lessons to screens filled with half-asleep, asleep, horizontal, nose-picking, upside-down, teddy holding, thumb sucking, muted EYFS classes.

  8. Asking maths questions only to have your Alexa answer them…

  9. Music lessons with pots, pans, kitchen accessories and basically anything to hand that makes a noise.

  10. Saying ‘you’re on mute’ ‘You’re off mute’ ‘Can you mute’? ‘Can you un-mute?’ more times than anyone thought physically possible.

Here’s to the next term packed with buzzing classrooms, proper shoes, and not enough loo breaks… until then have a great Summer!