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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

aibu to think teachers should

295 replies

goodbyemrschips · 28/04/2011 08:26

to think teachers should work like the rest of us.

Just have 5-6 weeks of a year and work 8-5 mon to fri.

If this happened then they would get all the time they needed to set up lessons and teacher train etc during the time the kids were on holiday.

[this is inspired by another thread]

OP posts:
LDNmummy · 28/04/2011 21:06

"I would also like to point out that as a police officer the idea that dealing with a lippy teenager is tantamount to "mental abuse" is going to have me laughing till I go to bed tonight."

As a police officer you have more backing to deal with behaviour such as this adequately and dealing with it is part of the job in the sense that you are paid to deal with this kind of member of the public. It is your job, not an interference to you doing your job like it is in teaching.

One lippy kid in a class can set the whole class back for days or even weeks and disrupt everyone's progress (which the teacher then takes flack for or has to correct). All most teachers can do is caution or send the child to detention. The child has to do much worse before further action can be taken. Teachers even have to take sexual harrassment on the chin to a certain degree whereas as a police officer you could probably take some form of immediate and more effective action against a verbal attack.

A lippy child can be more than a few basic insults and can be so difficult to deal with when you cannot punish adequately (as teachers have had so much authority taken out of their hands) that it can escalate to become mentally and even emotionally arduous to deal with.

kickingking · 28/04/2011 21:06

I suppose I do feel ripped off.

I can't enjoy my days off with my DC as I am constantly panicking about work. My DH struggles to understand that I do not choose to work these hours, he thinks I am either over-commited or bad at managing my time. I'm neither of those things, I HAVE to put those hours in. He likes to tell me I have it easy as I am part-time - ha!

I am in a massive panic about DC starting school in September as I think that I physicallly will not be able to get from his breakfast club to my school by 8am, and starting work any later is not an option. We live, work and go to school within a 3 mile radius - it's ridiculous. No allowances are made for anyone at school, whatever their circumstances - I will not be allowed to take my child to school on his first day, for example :(

JamieAgain · 28/04/2011 21:06

you know 2 teachers. Well you are quite the expert OP

LDNmummy · 28/04/2011 21:06

That last post was to looktowindward

NinkyNonker · 28/04/2011 21:09

I'll have to hold my hand up and admit that I never worked as hard as some of the teachers on here, or found it as stressful. But I had come from a horrendously stressful career previously so maybe that coloured my view a little. DH is the same. We work (worked in my case) more than many would seem to believe on here though.

I never see these posts as teachers whining though, more just defending themselves and stating that actually they do work pretty hard.

kickingking · 28/04/2011 21:11

Reread Diablo's post - not a 2 level difference though! Do you mean two sub-levels?

I have also seen children 'go backwards' - various reasons, usually home issues and poor teaching combined - and start Year 3 at, say, a 2a and leave as a 2b or sometimes even lower.

diabolo · 28/04/2011 21:12

spaniel it's not being explained at all.

We have several (10+ from a cohort of 60) children who we graded as W, 1C or 1b (on their Test on Entry), who the Primary schools had given a 2c, 2b or even 2a at KS1 SATS!

I know! It's unbelievable.

We have asked the LEA to look at this huge discrepancy as it is really having a dreadful impact on our progress.

BoneyBackJefferson · 28/04/2011 21:13

diabolo

sorry, trying and failing to multitask Blush

diabolo · 28/04/2011 21:14

kicking no. I mean 2 levels.

kickingking · 28/04/2011 21:15

Diablo - something really fishy going on there, then...Hmm

spanieleyes · 28/04/2011 21:17

But a child working at level W can't effectively write, a child working at 2C can use past and present tenes correctly, include capitals and full stops, use simple structures to structure their own writing, there is a HUGE difference between the two and there is NO WAY that any competent teacher could mistake one for another! A two sub-level difference you can JUST about explain, but certainly not a 2 LEVEL difference. I'm not surprised you are asking the LEA to investigate!

diabolo · 28/04/2011 21:28

Oh yes kicking - like the Primary school lying through it's teeth! And don't get me wrong, the area is bad! Very low income, low parental employment, lots of CIN problems etc, no aspiration etc etc..

But until this year, for the last 4 years, we have been working with this, and still managing 80 - 85% English at Level 4 KS2, but only 60% Maths....

our old Head of Maths was HOPELESS and didn't care a jot, it was apparent in everything she did. She was our old HT's best friend and needless to say, neither of them are no longer with us!

Hopefully, things will impove now the LEA are on-board.

spanieleyes · 28/04/2011 21:33

diablo, I'll lend you a couple of my yr 6 mathematicians if you like, if I can borrow a few of your writersGrin

diabolo · 28/04/2011 21:35

spanieleyes thank you Grin

diabolo · 28/04/2011 21:39

Apologies to goodbyemrschips as I have hijacked this thread for the last 2 pages.

Night all.

AppleHEAD · 28/04/2011 21:44

I would love a teaching job that is 8-5 where do I apply. I seem to be doing 7.15 - 6.30 and then more work when I'm home. Then every weekend. Oh and the first week of every holiday or a few days of half term. Oh and then the last couple of weeks of the holidays.
Love love love my job love the kids I meet. I am lucky to so something I adore. I'm secure enough to not give a flying f**k what people think of teachers or teaching.
Today a child I have been working with endlessly finally understood about addition.... Little star!!! What a day

moonwakjer · 28/04/2011 21:46

kicking that sounds really really really stressful.

I had a very stressful role, and the lack of control that you speak of, and the lack of understanding others have over your situation just add to it all to make it more stressful. I know lots of mums that supposedly work part-time ....yeah right!

I really do hope you can work something out and take some time out for yourself. You don't want to burn yourself out - it won't be good for anyone. You can only do what you can do!

Hats off to all the teachers trying to make a difference every day, lots of people, like me, really do appreciate what you do.

ivykaty44 · 28/04/2011 21:46

If any teachers would like to be an ambulence driver then please do shout up, the shifts are long and include nights, no allownce made for having children or bieng allowed to drop of at breakfast clubs
sorry but stop your winge, we all have hard jobs at times and teaching is not the hardest or the easiest, its coming across that way and teachers seem to get very wound up by it, soemtimes you need to justs relax and tell the op to come and stand at the fornt of the class room and teach without a lesson plan and see how they get on - cos they will fall flat on there face so don't rise to the bait, we are all doing a job and we all have it hard and soemtimes we get a good day and others we have a bad day, soem get more hours and others get less hours. I you want to swap pay or responsability either, if you get it wrong the league tables go down if ambulence crew get it wrong the consequences are not connected to league tables

Panzee · 28/04/2011 21:50

Oh let's do a 'who has the hardest job' thread.

Brain surgeon or rocket scientist anyone?

moonwakjer · 28/04/2011 21:53

Ivykaty - guess what? Life is not a competition where you win a prize because you are a paramedic.

The consequences of a good education are life changing too!

A teacher who gets it right can change the direction of people and the life they lead. Think about it.

diabolo · 28/04/2011 21:53

Brain surgeon panzee

You could always ensure your rockets were un-manned!

Original poster
goodbyemrschips · 28/04/2011 21:57

and a paramedic who gets it wrong could have a dead body on his hands.

Far more important than if little tommy can add up

OP posts:
BoneyBackJefferson · 28/04/2011 21:59

goodbyemrschips

the paramedic wouldn't be a paramedic without the teacher.

Original poster
goodbyemrschips · 28/04/2011 22:01

meaning? lol

We have all gone to school you know it is not optional.

OP posts:
moonwakjer · 28/04/2011 22:01

Boney has said it!

Goodbyemrschips it is a competition for you, isn't it?