To think that all parents should spend a day in the life of a teacher

[Ivortheengine8]

in the classroom [alone with a class of little brats sweety pies and see what little angels their children all are at school?
Do you think any parents would be surprised? Overwhelmed? Shocked?
well?

Oh god no, having also needed a week to recover from DS2's 10th Birthday party at a local bowling alley, I am under no illusion as to how awful kids can be en masse.

I could not be a teacher, I just couldn't cope. I don't mind admitting that I think teaching (when done properly) is a very difficult & stressful job.

i worked on some after school clubs and i liked children on masse beats working with boring adults - though i admit a club is more fun that actual teaching

YABU In my view. Do you think you should spend a week doing my job, or the jobs of everyone out in the world who provides a service of any nature?

I think that it isn't a question of how hard the job is, but some parents need to have a better understanding of the job and the pressures involved. The parents who think that losing a school jumper is the responsibility of the teacher and tells him/her off about it. The parent who thinks that their child, who is doing quite well in class, needs special hw and special treatment. The parents who think it's OK to speak at length to the teacher every morning before school thus holding up the start of the class! The parent who thinks that any teacher who tells their child off is a wrong and needs a talking to.

Parents and teachers are supposed to be on the same side. I think it would be fantastic if all parents could spend a day with their children's class so they could see what goes on and feel more involved in the activities of the school. Instead of feeling that the school is some mysterious enemy bent on making their child unhappy and undermining the parental role.

And for the record I don't want anyone to spend a day doing my job. They'd realise it was a doddle!

Day in life of a teacher
8am - get up
830 - arrive at school
9am - go through latest chapter in text book being studied
1030am - gossiping in staffroom, who fancies who etc
12pm - lunch - spend 50 mins moaning about how busy you are. Help head of PE tie his laces.
1-3pm - more textbook-based study
330pm - show your face in staffroom
335pm - sneak off home when nobody is looking

This is just a silly suggestion. We are not teachers but then neither have you walked a mile in our shoes. Each family is unique with their own unique circumstances, emotional stuff, etc. It annoys me no end that teachers like to put children into little boxes and expect them all to do/be similar with families who couldnt be more different.

I think teachers should rather come home to our houses and see what we are all trying to juggle and how we are all breaking our backs to keep our heads above water, kids doing well, etc. Easy to sit there and say "when you get home, please do...... or ask your parents to help ........" When in reality, our lives are total run, run, run and we do our very best to fit everything into a small amount of time.

Maybe the teachers are the ones who would be in a for a shock.

I don't think that it's the kids that would phase me. The meetings, the box ticking, the hierarchy, the great list of do's and dont's not to mention the PARENTS!!!!! They would be the thing that finished me off.

I've spent some time in various classrooms as a volunteer - sometimes with my own children, sometimes not. I did it so as to understand the culture of the schools in question and how children are actually taught. I'm not pretending to be an OFSTED inspector so I can't say about outcomes but I have seen some inspirational teaching. Sadly I have seen more that would take your breath away, children shouted at like dirt, ignored and put down for no reason - sadly the latter is more regular - whilst the TA or teacher in question would turn round to speak to me and switch into this-is-an-adult-so-I-have-to-be-fairly-polite mode. And I don't think for a minute its anything to do with children's poor behaviour or parents behaviour for that matter. If a teacher isn't up to the job, they aren't up to it.

I went in with the idea that its incredibly hard being a teacher, I came out with the same notion. That's never really been a question for me. As one poster said early on, you only have to do a kids party to see how utterly draining it can be. But you wouldn't get away with treating children at a kids party how I've seen some teachers and TA treat those in their charge.

And good points about teachers with/without children - I admire those without all the more for being understanding, its hard for a 23 year old NQT to themselves into the shoes of a middle aged mother with 4 children but many of them seem to have the empathy to do it.

What's the OP's take on this though? What were you getting at? You seem pretty derogatory about children yourself.

Could I just add that I wish teachers would realise the impact they have on our children. They can make or break a subject and in turn the future career of these little ones. Dont treat them so harshly, dont belittle them - you dont know their story or what happened the day/night before or what is going on in their little lives. Be gentle - everyone is fighting their own battle.

A woman posted earlier asking if she should keep her daughter at home as she didnt sleep well the night before and she was worried she would have a bad day. As teachers, surely this should just be understood. Sometimes life just happens and they (having CHOSEN a career in children), should understand this.

It's more than that.

In the end the teacher walks away from the children in July.

If they don't teach them adequately, or if the pastoral care isn't adequate - it's not the teacher who has to pick up the life long consequences.....

There is a reason why us on MN have so many opinions about school and teachers - it can make or break our children.

I get that a teacher can't be perfect and can't do a brilliant job all the time of teaching 30 kids.

But I can never forgive them when they fail my children.

I can forgive them for sending home the wrong book, or for DD losing her jumper, or not being picked for the school play or any of a hundred trivial things.

But not all mistakes teachers/schools make are trivial. Some of them truly are damaging life long.........

Nuttychic, Indigo, very well put.

mdowdall, what a bizarre fantasy of a teacher's life. Unless you have been a teacher (which you clearly havent', from that weird little Daily Mail skit), how on earth do you know what they do?

What is the point of this post? Why do parents needs to experience a day in the life of a teacher?

I worry about teachers that think they have such a hard time, and the impact that this attitude must have on their pupils. Perhaps a better slant would be for these teachers to experience what other jobs are like. These type of teachers seem to be totally oblivious of the fact that other jobs might be stressful.

Teachers who come out with this "poor me" attitude shouldn't be in the job. You chose your profession. You weren't forced into it. If you don't like it get out and leave space for people who genuinely want to be teachers.

No, they should come and see mine. Teachers make my work life hell sometimes. I would love for them to come and see how irritating it is to deal with them sometimes.

Pay attention teachers. Sometimes you have to listen instead of talk!

unfortunately the days of "if in doubt, text book out" are long gone.
we cant afford them

I don't see why parents should spend a day in the life of a teacher. What is the point? So they would presumably fall down in gratitude?

I agree with others that teachers choose to teach, I can't imagine it is the easiest job in the world but also irt is by far the hardest.

I'm bored of the bash the teachers threads too. But I do wish they wouldnt take themselves so bloody seriously.

errr....if your job got bashed in the press and on the internet as much as theirs does you'd probably take it pretty seriously too.

YABU, and I am a teacher!

I do my job because I love it most of the time and because it is all I have ever wanted to do, I don't care what anyone else thinks of me/teachers, whether they think I have the hardest job in the world or whether they think it's a piece of cake. I don't see how someone doing my job for one day would change anything.

Plus, several of my parents wish me luck most mornings when they leave their little darlings with me, I think they are pretty aware of what my day is like

Excellent post journey

*mdowall" if you are bored with such threads why are you starting them and on them?

I can imagine many teachers do feel maligned, and within the huge group that comes under the general job title teacher there are many that have the right to feel like it, some will know the job isn't the most difficult, some will think it is and every shade inbetween. I can't see where this is going? Where's the OP gone?

I'm content with that sovery - leaving it here then: some teachers are lazy and moany and some are admirable. Can't say fairer than that.