Why are teachers so rude?

i've been in and out of a few schools as a pupil, as a parent, and as a temp teaching assistant, reading mentor and youth mental health first aider.

Are ALL teachers rude? No...
There are rude people who are teachers, and there are stressed/rushed teachers who may not be the most polite, but not ALL teachers are rude.

I've met my fair share of school staff who can be abrupt, abrasive, superior, and yes, on occasion, bloody rude, most of it i will let slide as you can see the abrupt stuff is because they're overworked and harassed.

There are a couple i have made complaints about because they were so rude to me (both as a parent and as a temp staff member) for no real reason.. i get people have shitty days, but that doesn't excuse them using me or anyone else as their emotional punch bag.

I think making sweeping statements like your OP is rude tbh.. people are not an homogenous mass, they're individuals and some will be rude, and others not.

One teacher appeared to be rude, not all teachers. They were were most likely really busy and didn’t have time for niceties. Sorry but you’re overthinking this.

I used to believe this axiom, but now I don't. I have experienced life as a fat person and as a thin person. As a (very) fat person I would say that most people treated me quite poorly - dismissive etc, and then when I became slim it changed completely. On some occasions the same person (often male) who had been dismissive and uninterested would suddenly become attentive and interested in me. I suppose you could say that I was the problem (I was fat and should have lost weight?)

So, while I don't agree with what op has said, I am not sure that it's about her. I believe what she says, but I am not sure that she is seeing what is really going on in schools and why people behave the way they do as a result.

I don't recognise this at all.

The issue is not rudeness on one side or another. The issue is a lack of appreciation of the privilege of being allowed into a school during its operating hours.
Every person working in a school has workload beyond their actual capacity. And that includes whatever member of school staff who accompanies you in the building on your work visits. If teachers keep running up to them with urgent questions, then that person who is giving you their time must be fairly senior.
So by you entering the school you are taking a senior member of staff away from hundreds of micro obligations to do with running the school safely and happily.
I don't think anyone is being rude. They are doing their jobs.
Whereas you too are doing your job, but are a guest on the actual premises, and by definition are preventing them doing their jobs. They can't let you in there alone. It's a school. You take a whole member of senior staff for your one hour.
Had you thought of scheduling your visits out of school operational hours?
No?
Do you leave with an apology for taking their time away from more immediate stuff?
No?
Seriously? Teachers are rude by working in the way they normally work?
Know your place. You are a guest.

I think it’s the culture of teaching. You’re always running at 100 mph just to stand still. If you need an answer to a question you pop into the person who can answer it, then crack on. There are always people dropping in and out of meetings and it’s just the way it is!
Your post is unpleasant and unnecessary and certainly does not project the image of the kind, friendly professional you say you are.

This.

Former teacher here. I think that sometimes teachers spend so much time with children, that they start acting like them!

As a parent I've also been on the receiving end of letters that are so unnecessarily combative from the first communication and I wonder how these have been written by people whose job is literally to communicate.

That said, I've also known some really kind and wonderful teachers.

Like most public facing roles, there are some people who really shouldn't be in them, who seem to actively hate the people they are being paid to assist. I think teaching might be one of professions where it's possible to stay too long and become cynical and cold.

Nail on the head!

I think what you're experiencing is people suffering from stress. You are seeing at first hand the effect of cuts on the humans who work in education.

I overheard some young teachers talking a couple of years ago about having to wash a child's clothes and feed them. They each said there were kids they wish they could take home and care for.

One of my friends - a supply teacher - said she turns up at schools that do not have the basics - stationery, books etc.

The effect of stress on kids is also overwhelming and who gets the brunt of it? The Teachers! They experience verbal and physical aggression from students and parents (who retaliate when teachers try to calm their kids).

Teachers these days are childminders, prison guards, law enforcement...

We should be praising our teachers, not castigating them. In fact, we should be standing on doorsteps and giving them a round of applause every week to give them a boost.

I don't think you need to be rude though! Lots of jobs are similar, not just teaching (thinking of places like Starbucks and Tesco when it's manic).

You can be busy but still have manners.

I know a few teachers socially (friends/family/acquaintances) and regardless of whether or not they’re nice people generally (most of them are) they do have this air of superiority about them so I can totally imagine them butting into conversations and not thanking people for holding doors open. I think it’s because they’re used to bossing students round all day it becomes part of their personality. I also think that it’s a stressful job which probably makes them quite frustrated and miserable most of the time.
However from meeting teachers through my children being in school I know that there are also loads of really, really lovely ones who are kind, polite, friendly and go out of their way to help their students.
But yes generally I know exactly what you mean op.

Oh here we go...

Yep, and some people seem to go around expecting everyone to kiss their arse at every moment as if they are gods gift, and anything below that is perceived as rude.

They are not rude. I meet teachers regularly at work and they are mainly stressed and anxious but not rude

“Amble? Float in and out merrily?”
Stop goading super busy and purposeful teachers OP.

This. I remember wearing the mask of patience, understanding and fairness then getting to my car at the end of the day and shaking, usually with exhaustion. I’d often been sworn at, usually had at least one item of classroom furniture thrown at me and maybe been spat at. Police would be able to deck the culprit and pepper spray them. I had my voice to talk them down while protecting other kids in the classroom.

And I think behaviour has deteriorated since I retired. At 50 because I was totally exhausted by it all.

*Not all days were this bad.

I have cause to be in school on occasion through the day. The staff are always polite and pleasant, just in a rush with lots to do.

Odds on the OP works for a facilities management outfit - they are likely universally hated within the school.
A school near mine has its estate run by one, the head calls them all sorts of names in staff meetings, the school business manager tells staff they are ripping the LA off, and the staff don't like the set up - therefore anyone visiting from them won't be getting a hug, cuppa and a cake!

I think it's down to lack of time. Teachers literally don't have time to go to the toilet. Unless you've done it, you wouldn't understand the time pressure.

I don't really know why everyone's piled in, but you've been perfectly polite

It’s not polite to ask why an entire profession is rude.

I suspect a scrap was exactly what the OP wanted.

I work with the loveliest of teachers and support staff.

I used to work in schools. In an "in the school but not of the school" kind of capacity. I do recognise what you are saying. It's not universal, but there is always that undercurrent. Teachers are doing what they can in an often stressful environment with pressure from all sides and invariably insufficient resources, time and support to achieve it all. Niceties like greetings, social dances like excuse me are all worn away over time. It's not personal. But it does contribute to the worsening environment for all. If schools were such happy places to be, we would not be struggling so much to keep staff and children in them!

I have recently taken on a job that involves visiting schools

How recently, I wonder?

I have worked in schools for nearly 30 years and don’t recognise this at all.

Lumping all teachers together like some homogeneous group- all with an identical personality is bizarre-teachers are all people. Different people. Asking, ‘why are teachers so rude?’ suggests all of them are the same and all rude. Some people are rude, yes. I’ve met rude doctors, some very rude nurses who point blank ignored me and some very rude people working for the police. I wouldn’t assume all people working in those jobs were the same, though! I’d probably just assumed they were busy. Like many teachers.

Do you go into classrooms while the pupils are learning? I can’t describe how annoying that is. It really interrupts the flow of the lesson and in my school can cause dysregulated behaviours.