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?

I have seen many people over the years that I have worked in health care. In the thousands and at the minute manage services of over a thousand people. Do we get much thanks, a bit generally not everyone. Have we changed lives? Yes definitely. We do it because we care not for glory🌻.

Sounds like it's probably for the best that you won't be organising any future trips, teens are not exactly known for thinking about anything else other than their own needs/feelings.

Honestly, I've never stopped to think about it.I really wouldn't have thought that teachers would do it all unpaid and use their personal annual leave. This sounds awful, I did kind of think that school trips were part of the job (more so day trips).

For the trip you've done, the responsibility of thanking you is down to the 16-18yr old pupils, as they are the ones who benefitted from it.

I'm not surprised. As a teacher who has done residentials, evening theatre performances etc, hardly any parents say thank you. Lacking manners. I always make sure I say thank you to my dc's teachers.

And for those who say it is a 'teacher's job', do you say thank you to the shop assistant, doctor etc? I do.

From the other side, I sent a ‘thank you’ hamper and card to a teacher to thank them for taking my child (year 6) to a five day residential trip and sent an email to the head to say thank you for allowing the trip etc and received no response!

Yes, I say thank you to the shop assistant, but if they've served my teenage DC, I expect DC to thank them at the time, I wouldn't go in to thank them as well.

The kids who can afford to travel to Borneo on a school trip will be the same kids who will travel during their gap years.

Working towards paying for it themselves is rubbish You must be aware that the majority of the kids who 'work towards' it are being fundraised by their parents and other relatives.

A means tested hardship fund? Ie the parents who are already struggling to send their own kid are also expected to pay something towards the cost of another kid as well?

Your post is ideological at best, and otherwise naive to the realities of the financial strain such trips put on parents.

During your annual leave?

My DH is sent abroad loads but not during his annual leave.

To those saying "plenty of other jobs where people don't get thanks".... well isn't that the problem!!!! Its not a race to the bottom.... People's expectations are constantly increasing, do more, work harder, just because! We should all be getting thanked by somebody at some stage for doing a good job.

What's unique about working abroad while being a teacher is that you're also responsible for a load of children who aren't yours while there.

I worked in a different career before becoming a teacher and enjoyed some foreign conference travel. Yes it was tiring and challenging in the ways you describe, but at least I could go back to the hotel and chill at the end of the day, or go out for a night time stroll to explore the city. A teacher is in the role of a parent - to 50+ kids - and they don't get any downtime at all. Every minute of the day you're on alert and you're being hyper vigilant because you have the responsibility of all these kids' safety on your shoulders. You can't go and sit in the bar and have a glass of wine, or go out for a walk, or get an early night. It's really not comparable to a work conference abroad.

@Greatcurry Very true, I would expect my children to thank these people too.

But as in the OP's case, and a teacher had taken my DC abroad and kept them safe etc, I could also afford a quick thank you.

Oh you just haven't got a clue...

That's really, really sad. I can only assume they have not been taught manners. I hope they are grateful.

It's just not as catching and won't deliver that good deed nuance!

But the attendance might be higher as more parents/ students could afford it.😉

Honestly, I've never stopped to think about it.I really wouldn't have thought that teachers would do it all unpaid and use their personal annual leave.

Any trip that runs outside of, or over, school hours is in teachers' unpaid time. And running residential trips is not in a teacher's contract.

I have seen many people over the years that I have worked in health care. In the thousands and at the minute manage services of over a thousand people. Do we get much thanks, a bit generally not everyone. Have we changed lives? Yes definitely. We do it because we care not for glory🌻.

Glory? No teacher expects glory from doing a school trip. Just basic manners. I'd always say thank you to an HCP after an appointment etc.

Honestly, if you don't want to do these trips, don't do them. Most parents will be relived and the children will barely notice. As for the benefits they bring for students, the ones who get to go are already very priveledged, it doesn't matter.

What kind of school do you work in, OP? Is it a private school with quite a high level of entitlement anywdy?

That's so rude. I'd feel exactly the same as you, OP. My kids would 100% have thanked you - and been reminded to if they hadn't! - and I'd have thanked you as well. It's just ignorance.

As a parent I'd assume that teachers are paid to do this so I don't think I would necessarily feel like I had to thank them. Am surprised to hear that this is not the case.

Even so I'd assume that teachers only go if they want to ie on balance they think they personally get something out of it.

As you don't get paid I can quite see that it's a huge responsibility and hassle!

🤣 I've got to ask when was the last time you took numerous kids (not related to you) on a trip over seas where you are on duty 24/7 , where even when you are in amazing places you spend the majority of your time checking on the kids and having high awareness.
Actually don't answer you're one of the idiots who say 'oohhhh you got a free holiday, you've been on a jolly' also known as you're bloody thick

And yet no one makes teachers go, we always have more volunteers than needed.

Some teachers enjoy going. The ones who don't, don't need to go.

Honestly, if you don't want to do these trips, don't do them. Most parents will be relived and the children will barely notice.

Not remotely true. Kids love trips and constantly ask about them. Parents ask about them too and complain if there aren't any. School trips are the absolute highlight of school for many students. They talk about them a lot. On the one I run, we have students crying on the way home every year because they don't want to leave! Believe me, if the kids and parents weren't bothered about trips, schools would not go to the effort of running them!

This.

Come back when you volunteer to take eleven kids from Jaywick to Borneo and people might think more highly of you.

You don't know that re: gap years. For a lot of students I've taken on trips, they would never have had the confidence to go somewhere far flung by themselves, but they felt safe to do it with their friends and teachers and it helped them grow as a person.

Most students who fundraise in my school do so in their local community. Parents and relatives are actively encouraged not to donate.

Hardship funds are not paid for my other parents.

I am not naive to the realities of what a strain school trips put on parents. However, I don't think we should be denying all children opportunities because some people can't afford them.

I'm sorry OP - that's rubbish. I always thank teachers after trips (and concerts, school plays etc). I'm very aware that giving my children extra opportunities/experiences comes at a cost for the staff - and I'm grateful they do it. I can imagine how hard the trips are, it's a long way from a free holiday.

And equally it's always nice to be thanked by patients when I do my job with care and thought - yes that's what I'm paid for but it helps to be acknowledged.

Anyway, thank you!