To be a bit confused and a bit annoyed that I earn less

[MrsKravitz]

As a senior lecturer at a University than an A level teacher.
Seriously considering changing.

Why is everyone debating whose job is hardest, or what job deserves more money?

The fact is that we live in a capitalist economy. Your friend is paid more because her employers believe that they could not get someone else to do the job as well for less money.

You are paid less because your employers believe that they can employ someone who is qualified enough and good enough for that amount of money.

If you think there are other jobs that you could do that pay more money, that would not be worse in other ways (hours, stress, liking what you do all day), then by all means go and apply for them.

I work in an state school (well actually it's an "Academy" now ) and we have a large enough 6th form that some of our teachers only teach psychology A-level, however they aren't guaranteed to have 6th form tutor groups (although they usually do) and they do have contact with lower school pupils when they do "duty" around the school at break time and before and after school (which is more difficult if you don't actually teach and therefore know any of the younger pupils).

As a new teacher you would normally start at the bottom of the main pay scale (£21.5k outside of London and it's "fringe"). With your previous relevant experience you could expect to be placed higher on the pay scale, however even the maximum wage on the main pay scale is £31.5k (unless you have additional responsibilities). Teachers who have reached the top of the main pay scale can apply to go through Threshold to reach the upper pay scale, and eventually reach the maximum pay for a classroom teacher which is about £36.5k.

I'm not convinced that the pressures and stress levels of being a university lecturer are the same as those of a secondary teacher, however I haven't worked in a uni so wouldn't know. If you can get a job in a private school teaching A-level psychology that pays £48k then I think you should go for it - I would!

I did because I was going by your 11.33 post and type really slowly on my phone! Why did you do supply?
I think you also need to remember why you moved sectors in the first place. What's your subject? Are you a physics lecturer? What do you mean not cleared for research?

Atswim I don't mean the standard, I mean the value of them, already students are choosing to stay on to do an extra year of MA rather than going into graduate jobs. This is going to lead to employers being able to choose MA graduates instead if BA graduates.

I don't think my remark was particularly bitchy: it was realistic. If the OP seriously thinks she'll command that kind of money in a state school or find it easy to get a job teaching in one with the experience she has I think she's being unrealistic.

Why do teachers display so much disdain for their own professions.?

Sounds awful, talked me out of it.

ignoringthechildren I appreciate that you have mentioned that given you havent worked in tertiary education,you dont know what its like or what our pressures are. I think a lot of people assume its completely different to the reality there too :)

I agree with ilovesooty at 11:54.

My DH teaches English in secondary, you do get paid well as you work up the ladder and gain more experience.

But... the responsibilities in terms of pastoral load alone incredibly outweigh what a uni lecturer would have to deal with, unless working in a private institution, and this is what teachers usually earn more on, their extra resposibilites.

No mainstream school would pay a teacher that much unless they took on extra duties and taught all age groups.

Teaching a year 9 class is not experience enough to feel you have a wide enough scope on what it is to teach younger pupils.

When did you teach supply and secondary? Things may have changed greatly since then and teaching roles have become increasingly more difficult.

Plus the further you move up the ladder to command a higher wage, the more managerial your role can become which adds extra pressure.

So what are you complaining about then !

If you think teaching is a better deal, go for it!

Read trills post above for an excellent précis of the situation.

MrsK I think people are just trying to say that you have an unrealistic view of what teaching is if you think you could just walk into a job teaching just A level and earn 48k. If you know where one is on offer then go for it! That sounds like heaven to be honest!!

How do you know how much pastoral care we have to deal with?

fontsnob such a shame, that 48K looked so good. :(

It's not so much that teachers necessarily don't like their profession, more that they're so used constantly defending what the do/how much they're paid/how much holiday they get/why the pupils don't behave better/why the pupils don't get better results...

It's not that I don't want other people to teach, more that every year I see so many people making themselves ill, getting completely despondent or leaving the profession altogether. It's a great profession if you're suited to it, are good at managing the workload and stress levels and actually like working with children.

I love my job but it is bloody hard and the only reason I'm not a complete stressy mess right now (well other than being on mat leave) is that I teach part time.

I don't think all teachers think of their job with disdain, I think the negatives are highlighted when they feel someone is looking at it through 'rose tinted glasses' IYSWIM.

For me teaching is something I like to think of as a 'Bipolar career' in that it has massive high's but this is balanced out with massive low's. It has its points which make it all worth it, but the low's can be very disheartening too.

48k for A level teaching sounds like a job I would never ever give up! sigh.

Thank you LDNmummy and Fontsnob

I'm not intending to be bitchy or show "disdain", but the only teachers who earn £48,000 are in positions of responsibility and I don't think the OP sounds as if she has the required experience even if she could find a job like her friend apparently has.

Thank lynehamrose :)

I am just relieved to see this post isn't called AIBU to be confused and a bit annoyed that I earn less than someone on benefits.

By comparison, this is a breath of fresh air.

I teach in a secondary school, teach 11-18 have pastoral responsibility and am post threshold and earn just shy of 35K.

If you can tell me where I can earn 48K please let me know.

I think with the changing nature of students who stay on in education the pastoral demands can be higher than you would imagaine in HE. Are you in an FE college or university?

universities have changed more than school I reckon. I had no pastoral care at college. None. I saw my 'personal tutor' twice in 3 years. Mind you, I read the obituary of a grand old chemistry teacher in which it wad said she viewed pastoral care as an "unwarranted intrusion in her pupils' private lives. And I laughed.

You are so right basingstoke. When I went to Uni, we never ever spoke to the lectureres, ever! Now we have weekly pat meetings, have to sort their SN's, finances, academic problems and personal issues and have them phoning our mobiles on weekend, eveninge etc

Basingstoke, I was once interviewed in a rather well known independent school and was told something rather similar in an interview. Once I established that they were not joking or trying too provoke a response I cut the interview short and went home!

Sorry, i think I have a crumb inmykeyboard

Things may well have changed and the pastoral workload may well have increased for some university lecturers (though clearly this is not consistently the case, as friends of mine with older children, away at university have told me some horror stories of minimal contact and teaching time, tutorials cancelled at the 11th hour and assignments not assessed for weeks. Though of course this may not apply to the op who may be fantastic at her job)

But surely the bottom line is , if the op feels that teaching is a better deal, and that she is qualified and skilled to walk into a 48k job teaching A level, it kind of begs the question as to why she hasnt done that!

Do you give your students your personal mobile number? That would be a huge no no in a secondary school. Having said that I have had 7 emails from my students this morning! At least you can answer an email at your own convenience.

MrsKravitz why don't you think of a different career? Is there anything you could go into in business, with your skills?