Teachers : what's the worst thing about the job now?

Yeah I'm not too worried about my job. Until we have the funding to fully upgrade infrastructure (high-speed, reliable wifi which works inside the Faraday cages that schools are, servers, money for cloud storage, tech support, actual up-to-date physical devices, software, subscriptions), it won't happen. That's assuming that technology can do what we do in the classroom in terms of motivation, encouragement, entertainment and actual human connection. It's also assuming that kids know how to use tech - as a 90s child who grew up with computers, but having to figure it all out by myself, I am still frequently surprised by how few kids know how to work progams, solve login issues, use research tools or otherwise manioulate tech to their advantage.

My kids are at university now, but I am shocked and depressed reading this.

I also feel a bit pessimistic. You can throw all the money you want at schools, but if there is an underlying problem with poor parental attitude, what hope have teachers got?

A question. Are any teachers commenting here teaching in a private school? Because I imagine that there are parents there too with entitled attitudes? But obviously those schools don’t take that many kids with SEN or disability or from difficult home situations. Does that make a significant difference?

another question. My niece teachers at an inner city secondary school in Leeds. She’s only five years qualified and now Head of her department. But she loves it and said she would not want to work anywhere else. This is her second school and she enjoyed both. My friend’s kids are at a state secondary in a London borough. They are also doing well and have gone to Oxbridge. So there is clearly a difference between different state schools as some teachers speak positively, even in deprived areas. So is it the senior leadership too that can make a real difference?

What? Kids already spend too much time on screens by choice and less time doing real life activities and engaging with other people face to face. Also, it takes quite a lot of policing to make sure they are actually using their devices to do their school work (rather than just mucking about online) when they are in a classroom. How well do you think that's going to go if they are at home unsupervised being 'taught' by AI while mum and dad are at work?!

Not forced, by choice.
That would make a difference.

Good grief that's horrific about the police and the need for them. For someone who was at school in throughout the 70s and a bit of the 80s it's like hearing stories from some dystopian fiction writer. I just can't fathom where we've gone so far wrong with young people in such a short space of time that there is barely a week goes by when one of them doesn't stab another kid to death. It's beyond comprehension.

Absolutely this in a nutshell. Unless people have spent any time at all in a classroom, they really have no idea.

Behaviour and parents.
I've been teaching for thirty years and can remember a PP slide with three red dots amongst twenty seven white dots.
'You focus on the pupils who display behaviour that can disrupt lessons,praise the pupils who engage'.
Twenty eight years later I can't do that any more because there are growing 'red dots' in every class I teach.
Swearing, throwing items, pulling up shirts and rubbing their chests,fumbling under the desk, following girls out of the class room.
Girls sitting on the laps of boys and stroking their faces and hair.
I've logged every incident but it just 'teenagers' .
Parents make excuses for extreme behaviour including throwing scissors at vulnerable pupils.
' He's got weird hair: he's a short arse: she's not got acrylic nails'

@SocialMeeds
So well said, really sorry that it got to that point for you but glad you escaped.

@Nothatgingerpirate

I think we are leaning towards that situation.
Pupils at home, on screens, with AI explaining/demonstrating a subject.
Obviously wouldn't work for PE (or it might even) or these overrated school trips, but in the future it might be the case.
Human beings will become redundant from this particular job.
If it's so horrible, why not stack supermarket shelves?!

Oh so this is how you think it will work?
That worked so well during Covid didn’t it? 😂
Are you suggesting that parents will have to give up work then? That will be popular!
Have you forgotten about the impact online learning had during Covid? The vast amounts of money spent helping kids catch up, the dumbing down of exams for 2 years afterwards to make sure grades weren’t far lower than in previous years?
Plus I’ve never seen so many students struggle to socialise after what was only really a disrupted year of learning and no interaction with peers! What will this mean for employment prospects and society as a whole?
Oh and many of us are taking lower paid jobs because IT is so horrible! I’ve taken a 20K paycut! That’s how bloody awful teaching is!

@PinkGrapefuit

I think most people see strikes as being about pay, so make it clear it's about health and safety, working conditions etc, support or not, no point just complaining and not taking action

I think it was mentioned on here regularly that it was about lack of funding in the profession which was affecting students. So not especially teacher pay but things like poor quality of buildings, lack of resources, not enough TA support for SEN children, but also the low starting salary meaning lack of recruitment of younger staff.

I don't think most teachers are in it for the amazing salary. For me it was the variety of the working day as I found office admin dull. The holidays are a perk but that wasn't my initial reason for going into teaching.

Younger staff aren't really staying in the job so I think my own children will be ok as they are teenagers now, but once Gen X are retired I'm not sure what will happen 😉

Behaviour

I left two years ago after twenty years as a secondary school teacher. I left because I was burnt out, anxiety at its worst and I wanted to be more present for my own two children. Do I miss it? Yeah I miss the kids and the buzz of teaching my subject which is a major passion of mine. But I don’t miss the constant anxiety, the constant scrutiny and the absolute poor behaviour of the kids. It is soul destroying to put all your efforts into preparing lessons day after day, week after week for them to be torn up by constant low level disruption. I’m not talking about major behavioural issues although of course that did happen. But the constant, drip drip of having no equipment, chewing gum, rocking on chairs, phone out, AirPods in, talking over me, shouting out, no pen again cos the one I lent to them has been chewed and broke up, water bottles being messed with, water everywhere, can I go to the toilet, can I use my exit pass, can I see Miss so and so, can I go and get a drink, rinse and repeat. The behaviour system was three strikes and they leave. So that’s what I did. The usual offenders would be gone every lesson and repeat the same thing every lesson in that day causing the same problem with me then with their Maths teacher, then in PE, then in geography. Then at the end of the day we had to have a chat titled ‘restorative justice’ otherwise known as bullshit about them not doing it all again, for them to, wait for it, turn up to the next lesson and do it all over again. There are no sanctions that kids give a shit about anymore. Staying at home for most is a holiday and if not, they can just stroll the streets looking for trouble out there. One lesson about five years ago, a Year 10 lad had stolen a pen knife from the technology rooms. Was flashing it about in my lesson refusing to hand it over. I called SLT for support. We eventually managed to get him to relinquish the knife. Consequence? Day in school isolation then back to normal the day after that. Another kid caught dealing cannabis. Same punishment. Another kid who had the wrong shoes on, same punishment. We are doing these kids no favours by molly coddling them with snowflake consequences. Then in amongst all this chaos is social media, cost of living, poverty, gender questioning children, kids with SEND and NO support from external agencies cos they are saturated. Leaving it down to schools to be front line support.

I miss the classroom and the kids despite the chaos but I value my wellbeing more. I’d picked my tree and was close to driving into it. I fell out of love with the job and had no more shits or patience to give. The retention and recruitment crisis is massive and it’s going to take generations of change to fix that not just Bridget shuffling a few papers about.

@Nothatgingerpirate

Comprehension clearly isn’t your strong point is it? 🙄

‘The poster is right, and entitled to their opinion, without your rudeness.’

The poster was talking badly spelled and uninformed bollocks. I find that rude. I also find it rude to attack an entire profession and try to tell them to stop moaning without having a clue what their job actually involves.

‘Are you a teacher? I wouldn't be surprised.’

Again, see my above point about comprehension. Yes as it happens, I taught for 20 years so know what I’m talking about. Also you being rude here! That’s right, all teachers are awful! 🙄

‘Anyway, give it ten or so years and the moaning teachers will be replaced by AI. Cannot wait for it.’

Eh? Just how is that going to work? If real fully trained humans can’t manage the behaviour of poorly behaved kids then how exactly is AI going to do that? Or do you envisage unqualified people are going to crowd control while perfectly well behaved kids sit there listening to AI learning? Will this be done at home where parents will be responsible for supervising their ‘AI taught’ children?

‘Oh, and teachers, have you heard of retraining for a different job?’

Again, see my above point about comprehension. Also the news about the recruitment and retention crisis (not exactly a secret) as well as the many comments on here from teachers who have left or who are actively planning to leave.

As a parent to a “gifted and talented” child and a child with an EHCP for autism, I do NOT want them taught by AI. i want human connection - the slight glance, the wink, the tap on their work where they could improve.

Parents don’t care why the strike is happening. They just care that they’re being inconvenienced. They’re not going to suddenly be tolerant of being inconvenienced because the reason is different.

You only have to go on MN to see that they also don’t believe teachers who discuss their experiences.

Nothing will change until there are no teachers left, at which point parents will start screaming about not being warned about the issues.

I think (at least for secondary) it's all down to the mag lock. The buggers can't get out. And they don't consent to be there. At what point did it become a teacher's responsibility to police whole communities? Criminal age of responsibility in England is 10. Open the gates and let the cops deal with it.

National strikes have to be about something affecting all teacher members so that’s why it’s normally about pay or pensions. You can’t have a national strike about working conditions that vary between schools. Individual schools have gone on strike about poor behaviour in those schools (and I think across a MAT too, if the behaviour policy is the same for all).

I would love to leave but unfortunately taking a £20,000 pay cut isn’t realistic.

I'm afraid people don't believe teachers when they talk about the problems in schools and how awful the job has become. They just think we are moaning about nothing. And strikes are inconvenient because school = childcare.

I think most people see strikes as being about pay, so make it clear it's about health and safety, working conditions etc, support or not, no point just complaining and not taking action.
Hopefully when recruitment becomes too difficult something will be done, for everyone's sake.

Nothatgingerpirate

The poster is right, and entitled to their opinion,

Yes they are entitled to an opinion, however stupid it is.

without your rudeness.
Are you a teacher? I wouldn't be surprised.

Part of the problem is that people/posters seem to think that they should be able to post any BS and teachers should just take it. But its strange that those same posters go on about the "real world" and hate it when people .pull them up on their shit because its rude. Do you (general) want the real world or not?

Anyway, give it ten or so years and the moaning teachers will be replaced by AI. Cannot wait for it.

If it ever happens it does make you wonder who the parents will blame for their children failing due to poor behaviour.

Oh, and teachers, have you heard of retraining for a different job?

We are in a recruitment and retention crisis. so yes many of us have heard of it and are doing so. Its why your kids have so many untrained people in front of them.

I would agree with entirely if a lot of those same parents (and their children) didn't complain we didn't take them anywhere....

Ah yes, more screens, that'll help behaviour 🙄

From what age would you have them at home?
How would you deal with the children who simply did not switch on their computers?

Yeah, we all know how brilliantly learning from a screen worked during lockdown.