What working in a school during COVID19 has taught me

Let’s be honest, I work currently as an assistant in a secretary office specifically for students of a secondary school . I honestly can’t say it’s a job I will be doing a lifetime, however I have learnt quite a bit about life, students, young minds and how the current system in Luxembourg works.

Let’s start with the fears. It’s not really a fear, it’s more like anxiety and adrenaline. I get anxious every time the phone rings or I am told to call a parent, cause living in Luxembourg, there is a high chance I have to talk French. I personally am terrible at speaking French and really avoid it as much as I can, although I am still better then most of the world. Now during COVID times, I am slowly getting used to talk constant French simply because we have the great pleasure of informing the parents about the positive cases in the class room or of professors and explain all the measures being put into place, which are a lot. I also have the pleasure of asking questions and worse answering theirs.

Let’s talk parents. This is a fun one to write about. Students in their teenage years mostly think they know better and yes they barely listen to their own parents, leave aside professors. During COVID19 times, this proves difficult. Communication is low and if you mention the words ‘tested positive’ or ‘coronavirus’, ‘isolation’ or ‘quarantine’ most parents tend to freak out without knowing what is actually going on (again leaving aside those parents that don’t understand properly English, Luxembourgish, German or French) Some parents really care, or are just anxious and leave their child at home as soon as they can and try and get them tested on a regular basis, some parents are like ‘oh ok, sure, anything else we have to do’ and some parents plain simple don’t seem to give a damn about the situation or their kid (makes me angry and sad sometimes). I am gonna be clear about, this doesn’t apply to everyone. Parents also don’t seem to understand that the measures we have are not to protect the kids in the classroom, but to protect the rest of the school. If your kid has a different break to the rest of the school, because one of their class mates has tested positive, we try to keep the school away from the positives, not to shield the kids that have possibly been already exposed to the virus, but to protect the rest. People don’t seem to get that logic at all. Also we love it when parents call us for their kids to get tested.

Ok in what world, does a school give you a prescription for a coronavirus test? Sometimes I feel like people leave their logic thinking aside.

Students do seem a lot more tense during these weird times. I mean I get it, there is a possible deadly virus in a classroom, which is invisible to see, yet someone might have it and spread it. Yet they hate sitting in a classroom with masks (although I do think most people slowly got used to it now). My school decided that there is a mask requirement starting in front of the school until the last step on the school grounds. They have to keep it on during class and are only allowed to take it off during the actual breaks outside the classrooms, when they eat. Otherwise, MASKS ON. It is a lot to ask from potential 12 year old kids to sit 6 hours a day on a chair with a mask on. Let’s also not forget, fall has started and winter is coming. In my school, you have to open the door and windows for 5 minutes before and after class to be sure there is enough ventilation. So around 1 hour of the 6 hour school, the windows are open in winter. Of course, it starts now with a million parents calling every day to tell us their child will stay home as they feel ill or sick or have a cough. It’s flu season and with the corona virus, everyone thinks they got it. Everyone asks to get tested and everyone stays home while waiting on the result. WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY FAIR. BUT people (even I do it, have always done it and hate myself for it) google symptoms and try and find their own. They find that that little throat ache might be the symptom to the virus and stay home for days. I try to just stay away from my loved ones. i understand that this virus is serious, believe me I do (being tested again today), but personally it does drive me insane. I have anxiety and the smallest symptom I freak out, start sweating, start feeling my heartbeat stronger and just feel freaked out like I want to run away. I get it, believe me. That’s why I have to tell myself the virus is not as terrible as it actually is as I would literally make myself insane through my own brain!

Back to my work. I am saying it extra loud for the ones in the back: WE ARE NOT THE HEALTH MINISTRY. WE DO NOT KNOW EVERY PROCEDURE. WE DID NOT CHOSE THE PROCEDURE, WHY THINGS ARE HANDLED A CERTAIN WAY. WE DO NOT CHOOSE WHAT HAPPENS TO STUDENTS, IF THEY ARE BEING TESTED OR ISOLATED. We simply do our job and try and help where we can. AND WE DO NOT DO TEST ON STUDENTS IN SCHOOL! We aren’t doctors y’all. Parents tend to forget this. No idea how many times I had to explain to parents that we do not test kids in school. They get a letter they can use to get tested, OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL, IN A LAB.

Rumors spread like wildfire. One person has got the virus and BAAM within 3 minutes the whole school knows. Always surprises me they are capable of this, but they aren’t capable to bring back a letter that was handed out weeks ago.

Overall, working in a school during COVID is, to put it blunt, shite. We have so much to do that is completely different compared to what the job is in the description in the first place, but somehow it is still part of our job. COVID has completely changed the work rhythm and tbh I have had small meltdowns or anxiety attacks when I got home. I try not to worry or think about it too much, but for example having to look after a class with students who have all been in contact with their positive class mate does get you anxious. This is really not what I thought I would work as after graduating form a theatre and performance Master, but I also didn’t think something like COVID would A. ever happen, B. or at my time of age. It still feels like a movie and sometimes I do wish someone could just snap their fingers and it would be gone. What a beautiful insane unrealistic thought. instead I hope of a vaccine or solution to be found soon as even watching movies I’ve seen a million times get me anxious due to the characters being really close to each other or just not wearing masks. (please tell me I ain’t alone on that one).

I hope this gave you some perspective on my work as of right now and how much I do not want to talk about COVID to anyone after work. Also keep your distance, wear your mask, disinfect your hands and stay safe. Hopefully see you soon, and btw Call me Chrissi.