Why is do parents not "thank" a teacher?

[Dcteacher]

I took 11 children to Borneo. For 2 weeks.

We did a lot.
Suba dived in the South China Sea.
Trekked the foothills of Mount Kinabalu.
Stayed in the jungle and learned jungle craft.
Spent to day on a tropical island.

On return. Not one single parent thanked me for the trip of a lifetime for their child.

I had spent the previous 2 years helping with fundraising, answering questions doing the paperwork, taking time out of my holiday. This is not in my job description. I don't have to do this.

Not one.

Why?

But surely they are aware of this fact before making the choice to go.

Yes they are, it is why so many teacher do not do residentials.
Those that do take pupils on residentials accept that but it would be nice to be thanked.

Every post you make @DoorPath shows you have little idea (and no imagination) about the requirements of being responsible for 11 teenagers (who are not your own). I'm not a teacher, and I travel a lot for work, working crazy hours at conferences, for example, but I know that my work trips are easy compared with the kind of thing that @Dcteacher has just done.

And look at the outcries if a child is hurt, or worse still, dies, on one of these trips. The teachers are always blamed.

And by blamed, you mean potentially prosecuted. As I said before, I'd never take children abroad. I'm just not paid enough.

Except there are times when you are not at work and can do what you like. This is not the case with teachers on trips.

Oh for goodness sake. Yes, but you understand that the rest of the time the rest of us are engaged in actual work. This is like a SAHP saying that they work harder than a 9-5 person because they are "always on". Yes, but the working person is working a lot harder during the 9-5. Swings and roundabouts, innit.

Do you do unpaid trips for work in your holiday time?

Nice to know that you don't consider looking after children "actual work".

I think the difference, though, is that if you are on a work trip you get paid, have down time and do not have the life or death responsibility for others.
Whereas a teacher on a residential is doing it unpaid, fully responsible for 24 hours a day and gets no down time at all. Primary school residential for example always have children wet the bed/have nightmares/start their periods during residentials. In secondary school, there are some children in each cohort who always try to drink underage/escape to the pub/vandalise things. Plus statistical likelihood of injuries/illnesses/allergic reactions etc.

I would argue a teacher on a residential therefore works significantly harder than most other work trips. In lots of other professions,work trips are often "fun day out" type experiences e.g. a conference in a nice hotel, the chance to go for a drink with colleagues after hours etc., someone else presenting so you can sit and stare into space. Even if a work trip involves late night negotiations for contracts, say, this is is intense but PAID and NOBODY CAN DIE.

Lots of people understand what work is, obviously, but by not thanking the teacher it is clear they DONT understand the OPTIONAL UNPAID and SIGNIFICANT stress the teacher has gonr through to make the trip happen.

Do you do unpaid trips for work in your holiday time?

I sure do, weekend and evening work trips all the time. No one is paid extra for these. Did you think we were?

Nice to know that you don't consider looking after children "actual work".

I certainly see teaching as actual work. I guess supervising eleven 16-18 year olds seems light compared to actual work like teaching, meetings or presentations. I'm not sure why you're so adamant that this supervision has to be so hard.

Even if a work trip involves late night negotiations for contracts, say, this is is intense but PAID and NOBODY CAN DIE.

It is really strange that some teachers here think that other workers get paid for going on work trips. How do you think that works? We just go on the trips, and don't get paid for the extra/weekend/evening time. You sound clueless about the rest of the workforce.

And of course PEOPLE CAN DIE on work trips. There's no magic bubble around those of us who aren't teachers or students that protects us from death. You're really making a huge deal over this - is it really a concrete worry for you that your students might DIE on a trip? Are you crippled with anxiety in school every day that a student might DIE? You're really stretching for a reason why supervising some students is SO MUCH HARDER than work that the rest of us engage in. It isn't.

I didn't say that it was "so hard" but it is work with all that goes with it.

@DoorPath

It is really strange that some teachers here think that other workers get paid for going on work trips. How do you think that works? We just go on the trips, and don't get paid for the extra/weekend/evening time. You sound clueless about the rest of the workforce.

I currently get paid overtime for work outside of my normal hours.
I also get paid from door to door. So paid for travelling.

You like many would like to think that teachers have only ever been teachers and are "clueless about the rest of the workforce." but the truth is that you seem clueless about what being a teacher entails.

You're lucky @FrippEnos - NHS here. No paid overtime, no being paid door to door, no time off in lieu for travel time. Miniscule meal allowance. Have to pay for smaller train fares and claim back. Certainly no trips to Borneo - if I have to travel outwith my board area I have to justify why I need to travel and why it can't be done on Teams. The public sector rocks.

Ah, I meant those of us in salaried jobs/careers don't get paid for work trips above and beyond our salary. Certainly not in most professional jobs, to which teaching is akin.

Exept that all residential type trips my DC have been on always involved a professional instructor or a language teacher running classes/ sessions.

Surely these are down times for the accompanying teachers.

But then, it's a MN fact that teachers have it 10x harder than any other profession.... race to the bottom indeed.

FWIW, I think being a teacher is a difficult, challenging, but rewarding job.

I guess the point is that most jobs come with difficulties, challenges and rewards.

SirChenjins

This is my current job and job previous to teaching, one of the reasons that I left was the lack of respect and that I had to pay for so much that should have been provided by the state.

I accept that my current professional position come with perks, overtime and other benefits as my professional time is recognised and respected.

This we can definitely agree on and no teacher has ever said differently.

DancefloorAcrobatics

Such a good point then spoilt by this.

But then, it's a MN fact that teachers have it 10x harder than any other profession.... race to the bottom indeed.

As it should be - but it just doesn’t work that way in all professions. DH for example is in private practice - no overtime, paid travel etc, it’s just expected of him. Teachers are no different to so many other professionals in many sectors.

Yes that is the theory but raising £60 every week for almost 2 yrs (the cost of the most recent overseas trip) is a huge ask in a COL crisis when paid work very hard to come by for 15/16 year olds.

The compulsory field trip abroad was why my dc didn't take GCSE geography. We haven't been able to afford a family holiday for years so it was a non-starter.

@Isthisreasonable my daughter didn't do paid work. She did fund raiser such as sponsored events, quiz nights, car washes and gained sponsorships from local buisnessez

@supersonicginandtonic the kids that are going have struggled to keep up those types of events and local businesses aren't supporting this anymore. Most of the sponsorship is coming from parents, grandparents etc.

It's not made easier by general questioning of the value/environmental impact of these trips.