How has lockdown affected you?

For many, lockdown has been a challenging time. It has brought about a lot of change that as human beings we have a psychological disposition to resent. Of course, the many deaths, financial, physical and mental struggles are, although at times hard to comprehend, a huge loss to our people. So many have lost their lives and no amount of positive perspective will make that easier to accept or rationalize.

There are aspects of lockdown that have ceased to amaze me. The bonding of strangers, families, friends and whole nations has moved me on multiple occasions. For those working on the front line my respect continues to grow. However, there are a new wave of front line workers who, in the UK, are getting used to exposing themselves to the virus for the first time and for the sake of others. It is less than two weeks since schools reopened in the UK and this means that teachers, teaching assistants, headteachers and other school staff are now stepping up to work not just behind the scenes as they have been, but directly with the pupils they teach. Without adequate PPE and the continued long hours and pressures, teachers are putting themselves at risk not only for the sake of those they teach, but for the many parents trying to juggle home-schooling.

The account below has been written by a teacher who, as she has done for many years, works incredibly hard to not only bring balance and structure to the lives of the young children she teaches, but also to the family and friends she supports on a daily basis.

'Lock down has been a positive time for the world to stop and take stock. Many people like myself have benefited from having time to breathe and slow down in day to day routines. My family is blessed to live in a beautiful area and I acknowledge that, for many, the past few months have been very difficult. However, working from home has worked well for us and even now that I am back at school teaching, the reduced pupils and reduced pressure has meant I can begin to enjoy the job as it should be. My colleague and I feel guilty for leaving work at 16.30 pm, but remind ourselves that we have been there since 8 am and that actually this is what a normal teaching day should be like - time to go home and spend quality time with your family. Other positives of these past months have been the close bond we have created with each other at home. Four adults living together again after such a long time has worked surprisingly well - all working on tolerance and understanding! We have enjoyed many meals together and a shared love of cards and board games. We probably won't have this time together again, so we must treasure it.' - Anonymous