To ask for a list of jobs that mean that teachers have never had it so good and should stop complaining?

[chicaguapa]

I thought I'd try and equal the number of threads about the Philpots with ones about teaching?

Why oh why does everyone have to have an opinion on teaching? Why is it ok to say 'well if you don't like it, get another job?' Don't people want teachers to teach their children or is everyone planning on home edding?

One argument is that there are other jobs out there that are just as shit. Maybe we could just list the jobs that have all of the following:

A similar level of unrelenting pressure
National expectation & judgement of results
Responsibility for future success of the next generation
Constant derision from service users ie parents/ public
Systematic devaluing of the profession by their employer ie government
Similar annual hours
Same post-graduate qualification level
Same salary

Then all the teachers can say yes, they are shit jobs too. And all the other people can be pleased that the teachers have acknowledged they don't have the only shit job in the world and theirs is just one of them.

Jobs have to fit all of the above criteria or they don't count.

[ReallyTired]

A PGCE doesn't have the same level of academic rigor as a masters degree. Its not a second degree, its job training.

The clue being that PGCE stands for postgraduate certificate. Most PGCEs are on the job training and there is no dissertation or research component and the course is nine months long at most.

[chicaguapa]

Dramaqueen living up to her nn then!

I'm not a teacher. My OP still stands. Teachers go "yep, being a social worker/ nurse is hard too". And everyone else sits happy knowing the teachers don't think they have the worst job in the world.

[INeedSomeSun]

I read the other thread about capping teachers hours to 4 a day and found it really informative. I had no idea so much planning and admin was required and think it is awful. I want teachers to teach my kids effectively, not doing useless admin in case ofsted visits or keeping records that no one actually even reads.

A serious question - why do you do all those things if they make you so overworked and don't add anything of value? Why don't you all get together and try to change things? If all teachers said we are no longer doing xyz, what would happen? You couldn't all get fired and the govt would have to listen

You are getting treated like shit because you are allowing it to happen.The policies are brought in with a good intention, I'm sure, but the govt needs to know that all the papetwork is hindering instead of enabling progress, which ultimately affects our children

[Viviennemary]

Teachers are totally natural moaners. Nearly every teacher's favourite hobby is complaining. About Ofsted, the children, the headteacher, the meetings, the children, the marking, the paperwork, parents evenings, the pension scheme. I expect I've missed a few. But I don't think it's an easy job nowadays.

[Simontowers1]

I can name plenty of jobs with similar pressures OP, however, it is impossible to do a proper comparison as these jobs don't have 13 weeks holiday. (Although, obviously, these aren't really holidays - teachers spend about 12 of these weeks marking, catching up, blah blah, etc etc)

[nokidshere]

Surely everyone chooses their,profession? If you don't like it then don't do it...and that goes for all jobs.

[GrumpyCrossPatch]

A&E doctor. This week I have mainly been yelled at, vomited on, had my head staved in, watched several people die, been apparently responsible for the massive overcrowding in the department and barely seen my kids awake.

[FreyaSnow]

I think people should respect the transferable skills of teachers more, so that the ones who don't like their job can find employment elsewhere.

[GrumpyCrossPatch]

Still love my job - there are moments everyday that make all that pain worthwhile

[Felicitywasonholiday]

Because when teachers worked to rule the govt. minister in charge tells heads to cut our wages and tells the national press we are lazy.

Because the unions are trying but aren't powerful enough. And Gove CAN sack huge swathes of teachers and replace with less qualified staff. Because public opinion is so anti teachers striking and because teachers keep working for the love of the kids and the love of paying their own rent .


Because we are so poorly educated ourselves we routinely start sentences with And and Because. Our grammar is shocking too

[Shelly32]

I didn't think the OP was moaning..

[Shelly32]

Simontowers1 You have a real problem.

[Squarepebbles]

IT tech team leader ticks all those boxes and then some.

Dp is paid less than the education equivalent,doesn't get a fab pension,is higher qualified (Masters and professional qualifications which have to be kept up to date),crap holidays,no assistant,no security(if you screw up you're out and are escorted of the premises pdq),has to go in overnight then work the next day when it's project release,huge stress(millions riding on his code and projects if they go tits up),constant changing of the goal posts and project dates,no union fighting his corner......

I'll stop now.He's sitting opposite and has got plenty to add but he'll rant all night.

[chicaguapa]

it is impossible to do a proper comparison as these jobs don't have 13 weeks holiday

Which is why I put annual hours, not weekly or monthly. I've always felt that over a year teachers probably do the same amount of work as other high-pressured jobs, but it's squashed into shorter 6-8 week periods.

[FreyaSnow]

What makes you think that teachers work longer hours each day than people in comparable jobs?

[NorthernLurker]

For future success read 'health' and you've a job description there for a NHS manager. The job I would like would pay around £30,000 and I've 10 years experience.

[chicaguapa]

Ok. I'll add IT tech team leader to the list. It sounds awful.

squarepebbles Has anyone asked your DH why he doesn't just get another job if the one he has is so bad? Or does he not moan about it?

[Snugglepiggy]

My daughter is a teacher.Loves her job.Finds it demanding and tiring but manageable but compared to her partners hours ( unrelenting) in Retail Management.Granted her partner doesn't have a post grad but loads of other jobs / professions are tough,tough ,tough.
I was a Midwife.That's no walk in the park these days.My DH has sweated for years running his own business through difficult times worrying about keeping things going for us and all his employees.
Maybe that's why my daughter doesn't moan,and gets annoyed with the colleagues that do.

[ThePinkOcelot]

There's loads of worse jobs than teachers I would have thought. GP receptionist/secretaries. Supermarket workers, cleaners, paramedics, bus drivers, to name but a few.
I would have thought the atmosphere working in a school leading up to xmas or easter would be fun, with activities etc.

[YouBrokeMySmoulder]

I think that sometimes some teachers are completely unaware of what a normal working day is now in a multinational london office. I work an 8 hour day with email for hours either side and more sometimes in the evening for less money than a newlyish qualified teacher and I am in a senior role.

Anyone who works in the media would say the same. And theres no pension, no long holidays and a culture whe there are always young things coming up behind you willing to work all hours for peanuts.

Lots of jobs can be hard. [shrugs] especially when you think about the fact that you are tethered to london in a lot of careers without the same job security etc.

[Squarepebbles]

He likes it and is good at it.

To be honest my sister works for a big charity and it's no better. The hours and travelling she does,the responsibility etc.

However she too loves it and is good at it.

It's just the lot of most people in the private sector but they don't have unions to fight,advertise and promote their corner ie they just get on with it.

I was a teacher.

[ubik]

The ambulance service is paid terribly, vicious rota system, nights/weekends. Huge responsibility.

I've an acquaintance who is a child protection social worker who doesn't sleep at night as her caseload is so overwhelming, is frequently sent alone to houses where the inhabitants are known to be violent and who can easily still be at work at 9pm if a child requires emergency accommodation.

Is this a kinda top trumps game?

My friend spent a summer opening rancid cans of catfood and disposing of the tin. I'd rather teach.

[chicaguapa]

I think that sometimes some teachers are completely unaware of what a normal working day is

I would agree, but I do think it goes both ways. I don't think most teachers try to claim they work the longest days of anyone, but they do have to counter public perception that their day consists of contact time only.

[INeedSomeSun]

I didn't say strike. Just don't do the unecessary admin. Of course head teachers & the unions need to agree with this and it needs to be decided what IS and is not necessary. But if you all worked together, maybe you could make a change?
Not saying it will be easy of course.
But either you try to change things, put up....or find another job!

[TotemPole]

Do all teachers really work much longer hours?

I've seen people talk about preparing lessons, marking and paper work etc. But once you'd done the preparation for a lesson you can reuse for a number of years until the syllabus changes.