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AIBU?

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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Teachers - you're 'avvin a laugh aintcha?

869 replies

mholdall · 04/11/2011 22:56

Kids recently had a week off - half term. They were back this week then, guess what - teacher training day. Seriously, what I want to know is this: is there ANY other job in the country where you get:

  • 13 paid weeks holiday a year
  • Good pay
  • Good pension (believe me, you do compared to people who do proper jobs in private sector - if you dont believe me, try it)
  • And yet you still need these extra days to do some training. Training for what, exactly? Seriously, for what???? And how am I, as a parent, supposed to factor childcare in here.
  • Oh, and you still do nothing but moan about pay, pensions etc
  • Rant over
OP posts:
Lifeissweet · 05/11/2011 11:11

aargh. Do you ever feel like no one is listening?

I AGREE about INSET days and holidays. I agree!

Holidays are too long, INSET days are inconvenient, teaching is a brilliant profession!

What I have been arguing about is the OP's statement that it is a 'cushy number'. It isn't! It's as hard as any other job. I am not arguing that it is harder. It is different and hard in a different way.

The OP - and Herethere at times - is suggesting that it is easier than other jobs. It probably is easier than some , but it is not an easy ride.

That is all I am defending teachers against. Surely if I started telling other people their jobs were easy without having done their jobs, then I would be strongly told exactly why I was wrong? That is all I'm doing.

noblegiraffe · 05/11/2011 11:12

My proposal was to make teacher hours regular 9 - 5, what's wrong with that suggestion?

Teaching workload isn't spread evenly throughout the year so your suggestion is completely unworkable.

It'd be like suggesting that instead of lawyers working all out in the run-up to a big trial they prepare for it a couple of months previously. Or after the trial.

gorionine · 05/11/2011 11:12

*The children would have sport (or drama or music or home work club) from 3 pm - 5.30 pm.8

Guess what, In our school, most clubs are lead by teachers from 3.15 to 4.15 on a voluntery basis. With your idea 6 out of 9 clubs in our school would be cancelled because the teachers would be marking paper/preparing lessons.

MNHQ
HelenMumsnet · 05/11/2011 11:12

@NorfolkNChance

Actually my rant deletion now makes the thread hard to read as several people have referred to it!

Again, NorfolkNChance, it was the personal attack at the end of your post that meant it had to go.

We'd love you to repost it - it was very moving - but with the PA taken out.

MNHQ
HelenMumsnet · 05/11/2011 11:14

@roundtable

What on earth! Why has my post been deleted? I didn't swear or be rude. For goodness sake. Angry

Just to be clear. We don't delete swearing (unless it's truly beyond the pale). But we do delete personal attacks. Please do have a look at our Talk guidelines

TheMonster · 05/11/2011 11:15

My son had a training day at school yesterday.

I had to pay for an extra day of childcare.

I'm a teacher.

I am very pleased that his teachers are developing and updating their skills, for the benefit of my child. Paying for an extra day of childcare is worth that.

winemakesmeclever · 05/11/2011 11:15

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

NorfolkNChance · 05/11/2011 11:16

Helen is it possible to have it PM'd to me so I can take out the bit at the end?

ChippingInAutumnLover · 05/11/2011 11:18

Helen - why not just put the posts back and delete the little bits you don't like.

However, if it's the OP reporting the posts, it's a little bit rich to expect them not to respond in kind isn't it?

Lifeissweet · 05/11/2011 11:19

I have been effectively told I am thick as the academic requirements for teachers are so low. I think that may be teacher bashing...correct me if I'm being over sensitive.

There are teachers on this thread who have had to list their academic credentials and have been told that their achievements are due to 'grade inflation' because no one intelligent would be a teacher.

I find that offensive. If that isn't teacher bashing then what is?!

shineynewthings · 05/11/2011 11:19

Oh fair enough.....

roundtable · 05/11/2011 11:19

I don't recall making a personal attack. Can you send me a copy please? I did reference the OP attack on teachers and how they all moan and question his ability to see into the lives of all teachers in rather a sarcastic way

However, can I ask why the OP's post is allowed to stand? She/he's post is much more inflammatory and rude about a group of people than some of the posts that have been deleted.

NorfolkNChance · 05/11/2011 11:21

In fact should the whole thing just be deleted now, it's turning into a bun fight (and yes I do include myself in that) and it would be best gone IMO.

MWB22 · 05/11/2011 11:22

If the idea of teachers working set hours happened I have a couple of questions.

  1. Once the teaching day is over who is taking care of our children? Someone suggested teaching assistants ? but who is paying them? I can?t afford it, so is it the school? If so, where do they cut the budget from to find the finances to pay them?
  2. When it reaches 5pm (or whatever the stop time is) what happens if they?ve only marked half of that day?s work, do they leave the rest unmarked? Or what if they?ve only planned maths and science? Do they cancel literacy? What if they haven?t written an IEP or filled in certain paperwork, do they just leave it? Some will say they go back to it tomorrow, but tomorrow they?ve got all that day?s work to deal with.

When I take my child to brownies at 5.30pm I regularly see teachers staggering out the door carrying huge bags of work to do at home. One even has a shopping trolley on wheels. I think that the fact that they can do some of their work at home after they?ve made dinner, got the children to bed, etc. is what makes the job doable for many and without that flexibility we would loose many skilled teachers.

Original poster
mholdall · 05/11/2011 11:22

Can I just say I have not reported anybody and never do. These boards are over-censored enough without people telling tales on each other.

OP posts:
Feenie · 05/11/2011 11:24

However, can I ask why the OP's post is allowed to stand? She/he's post is much more inflammatory and rude about a group of people than some of the posts that have been deleted.

I would also like to know the answer to that - perhaps MNHQ support the OP's view?

The deletions on this thread are ridiculously over-sensitive and out of proportion to the way threads are usually handled.

hopefulgum · 05/11/2011 11:25

Ah, yes roundtable, but the OP's attack was on a group of people rather than a "personal" attack, I'm guessing. I think my husband's suggestion about ignorance may have been why my post was deleted.

I felt it was quite tame compared to some of the stuff I've read on mumsnet.

MoreBeta · 05/11/2011 11:25

EvilTwins - its sounds as though you really enjoy the aspects of teaching that are outside the classroom. I had a teacher like that. He ran the swimming squad and a massive drama production every year too. He had a slightly lighter (English) teaching load as a result.

There would be a need for people who ran the after school (after 3.00 pm) activities. No reason why you could not drop some of your normal teaching load to focus on that or even get paid more to do more on top of yoru normal load.

I know several teachers that run commercial (for profit) holiday sports/dram/dance clubs in holidays and also do paid for tutoring at night. No one is being asked to do more under my proposal - just that the schood day and school year works differently.

roundtable · 05/11/2011 11:26

Yes, if everyone's posts are going to be deleted, defending teachers against an unpleasant OP, then the whole thread should be deleted.

Why can a group of people on masse be attacked but it's not allowed the other way around in response to the orginal attack from the OP?

MildlyNarkyPuffin · 05/11/2011 11:26

You can say:

I'm sick of these pathetic fucking attacks on teachers from people who know nothing about the hours they actually work.

If people think it's such a cushy job why don't they apply.

What kind of fuckwit thinks individual teachers are somehow responsible for the way the school year is arranged?

MNHQ
HelenMumsnet · 05/11/2011 11:26

@NorfolkNChance

Helen is it possible to have it PM'd to me so I can take out the bit at the end?

Yes, will do. Smile

MNHQ
HelenMumsnet · 05/11/2011 11:28

@ChippingInAutumnLover

Helen - why not just put the posts back and delete the little bits you don't like.

However, if it's the OP reporting the posts, it's a little bit rich to expect them not to respond in kind isn't it?

We don't edit posts, Chipping. That way lies the road to ruin!

And it wasn't the OP who reported the posts. Another MNer drew our attention to the thread as a whole.

backwardpossom · 05/11/2011 11:28

rolls eyes

roundtable · 05/11/2011 11:29

MildlyNarkyPuffin Grin

roundtable · 05/11/2011 11:31

Who told the teacher? Who was it...?

< eyes up posters on the thread suspiciously>

Grin Oh dear.