Teachers - you're 'avvin a laugh aintcha?

[mholdall]

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

Training? why would a babysitter need training? skiving bastards.

I dont know any teacher who doesnt work at least 6 weeks of their 13 weeks "holiday" ssome work more. No over time either. Personally I like a standard 8-4 job, but in reality I work weekends and evenings from home too. I dont know any collegues who dont spend at least 3 nights a week marking till 11.

i do agree that extra training days are uneccesary

I do too - thats why my son has between 7-8 weeks summer holiday - all training days are twighlight!

My parental-hat-on arguement is insets should be uniform across the borough.

And how am I, as a parent, supposed to factor childcare in here.

Teachers arent your babysitter

Psssst! It wasn't a training day, they just sat around on their arses in the staffroom, eating biscuits and laughing at how ridiculously easy their jobs are.

"Yet most jobs arent so ridiculously cushioned from the harsh realities of real life."

Exactly.

In fact, if you look at working conditions worldwide, most jobs don't have paid holiday or maternity leave or days off or health and safety standards or a living wage.

Why should any of us?

ANSWER ME THAT.

You couldn't give me enough money or holidays to teach quite frankly.

I don't know how teachers stay so sane (and so nice, we have a few in our family and they are so bloody lovely).30 kids who aren't mine, all day every day.

Sounds like my idea of hell - hence I have a huge appreciation of them.

As I sit here doing my planning for the next half term at 11pm on a Friday nigh when my husband is in the next room watching q movie like most private sector workers Which he is- my first and training for what? I don't know where to start with that one.

But... I can't help myself...

• Teachers don't get paid for their holidays. They get a salary for the days worked in term time which is divided by 12 and paid monthly.

• Yes, pay is okay compared to some jobs, crap compared to other jobs. I don't think pay is the main reason people choose to be teachers

-'proper' jobs? seriously?? So if educating kids isn't a 'proper' job then please... what is??

-Training for things such as; child protection How to use new equipment the school has purchased such as school laptops etc so that they can be used properly in lessons and benefit the children Whatever big important new initiative the government has decided schools should adhere to TEAMTEACH (about resolving situations of conflict and how to safely restrain pupils as a last resort for their and others safety) *How to provide effective lessons for SEN pupils.... etc etc.

• Schools do not exist for childcare purposes. Try a childminder, or a nanny (like me), or some other childcare provider for... well... childcare.

If teachers don't need training or continued professional development, OP, I'm assuming you're happy for any old untrained person to babysit educate your kids?

Usually training related to government initiatives such as over the years: National Literacy Strategy, Numeracy Strategy, Primary frameworks, phonics, managing behaviour, ICT, creative curriculum, every child matters and most recently a lot of input on safeguarding. Just for the record I HATE inservice days.

Okay. I know three teachers. I can categorically state that none of them does any work in the 6 week hols. So answer me that yeh???

Oooh, I'm a TeamTeach trainer, Jody

I don't know how teachers stay so sane

They dont - the average career span of an NQT is 6 years - then they change professions. Some people realise their life is too short to deal with shit all day and there is better money to be made else where these days.

oh, FFS. When will whingers like the OP get it into their skulls that the INSET days were taken off teachers' holidays and children's days in school are the same as they always have been? It's pointed out repeatedly on here and the thickies just don't get it.

I asked first, mholdall.

Everyone will get their turn.

You do it then.
I am a teacher and I earn every bloody day of my holiday.
Could you teach 15 year old children who have been excluded from school? Could you get them to pass a Level 2 qualification in 1 year whilst managing their 'challenging' behavior with no management or pastoral support? Could you teach young adults who have learning difficulties, psychical and emotional needs who come to college because there is nothing else for them and in some cases no one else who actually cares?
If you think it's all so easy why don't you do it?

mholdall - three is not a statistically significant sample size. Somebody failed to teach you that, obviously.

Didn't know that Trois what a shame.

Okay. I know three teachers. I can categorically state that none of them does any work in the 6 week hols. So answer me that yeh???

I dont believe that atall. Specifications change constantly as do schemes of work.So unless you are in a house share with all 3 teachers you wouldnt have scooby what they are doing (BTW - Summer holidays are usually 5 weeks 2 days)

they do it to piss you off personally

"training for what, exactly? Seriously for what????" a genius line I think

"And how am I, as a parent, supposed to factor childcare in here" oh the shock and the agony - my heart is bleeding for you

Step away from the thread never.

Oh too late.....

Last year I became seriously ill with stress. My marriage and my children suffered. I didn't take a day off because I was worried about the effect it would have on my class (yes, I am an idiot). I am a teacher.

I currently work part time.

There are 5 training days a year. They are taken out of the holidays. The children have to be at school 190 days a year but teachers have to be there 195 days. Last training day I had we devised a new curriculum for our school, prior to that we had training in safe guarding (a legal requirement) and we have also had first aid training.

Prior to last year I was willing to accept that the teacher's life wasn't as hard as some teachers say but I also knew it wasn't the barrel of laughs some people think. I have changed my opinion.

Oh, and school is not childcare.

Hides thread

Yawn.

Don't you have anything better to do, OP?

Actually, I think I just trod on your point, mholdall.

Did you have your hand up?