Music Specialist here! The recorder has its merits. It's used by some teachers to develop finger dexterity and Music literacy amongst grades 3-4 (this is the year level band where Music reading steps up a notch). It's also used to teach the basics of wind instrument playing like keeping the left hand at the top of the instrument and tonguing. Many students who excel in recorder playing go on to learn the flute, clarinet or the saxophone. It is also a lovely sounding instrument when played correctly (watch some YouTube videos to see what I mean).
Same. This is my 15th year as a primary school teacher and I am so done. The helicopter parents, the over-assessment of the children (compromising quality teaching and learning time), the increasing amount of children who don't take "no" for an answer, using my lunch breaks to catch children up with work, for behaviour management and, to catch up on my own work so that I am not sitting at a desk until 6pm (when I arrived at school at 7.30am). I am a QLD teacher and so the impact of COVID on my career hasn't been too bad. I really feel for my southern colleagues at the moment.