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.

[ithaka]

My husband absolutely loves being a teacher and finds it far lower pressure and more job satisfaction from his previous roles (mid life career change).

He can't get a full time permanent contract however - which makes long term teachers whinges especially galling.

[Bunfags]

I think most people have a lot of pressure in their jobs. Perhaps OP would feel better if she thought about what's going on in the private sector? People working longer hours with no extra pay, pay cuts in some cases and with shitty employers that won't pay pension or sick pay etc. 25 days holiday a year. Employers can take the piss, because so many people are out there looking for work.

[Arisbottle]

Everyone has a view on teaching as we all went to school and most of us have children who also go to school. I also think that there appears to be no great mystery to teaching, there is no body of knowledge like Medicine so people think "I teach my children every day , that is all they are doing but with 30" I am not saying there is no body of knowledge just that is how it appears.

I object to the moaning teacher stereotype, you will very rarely hear me moan - no more than anyone else about their job. I may say the hours that I do, but I am making a statement not moaning. I chose to go into teaching , I chose a job with certain hours . If I felt the need to incessantly moan I would do something else.

I do not think that teaching is the hardest job in the world, why would someone choose to do the hardest job in the world? I am all for as easy a life as possible and one that gives me a sense of satisfaction but time with my children - teaching does that .

My hours in term time are long, but can usually be planned around my family. My job allows me to enjoy a rich social life, I go out midweek every week and most weekends . My job gives me the time and financial resources to do that. If I want to leave at 4pm, I can do so at least three days I week. Working with young people is great , they may have their hormonal moments but they are interesting and it is very rare they just refuse to do as they are told - but they might moan. I get paid to blather on all day about a subject that I find interesting - and I get paid for it. I have a great pension , great holidays , job security and I work with varied people .

I am like a pig in muck . IMO most jobs have it tougher than teaching .

[Arisbottle]

Ilovechips I switch off most weekday evenings between 6:15 and 9pm, every Saturday and every holiday. My job is great but it is not the dominating theme of my life

[Arisbottle]

Chicaguapa, half terms are holiday times. If my school expected me to work over my holiday I would be out of the door.

I agree with the person who asked why teachers do things that just serve to make them tired but make no difference . I am renowned for saying no to things and it had never held me back. Before doing anything, I ask will this make a difference and do I have time ? If it is no to either I don't do it.

[Arisbottle]

Again chica, we go away ever easter for ten days and I never take work with me. People see teachers going away in their holidays so it is counter productive to say that we are all working through the holidays .

[dizzyhoneybee]

I am getting so fed up with teachers who are moaning about the job. I work in education, I love my job and when I have a bad day (which we all have from time to time regardless of what job we do) I remind myself of the reason I chose to do the job - the children.
If you hate it that much then leave.

[Arisbottle]

Lexie I worked out on the other thread that if you converted my hours to someone with an average of 5 weeks holiday I work 68 hours a week . ( I work about 80 over 40 weeks)

So yes my hours are condensed into a shorter time period .

[SoupDragon]

I'm fed up with people whinging about being fed up about people whinging.

[ilovechips]

I never said people shouldn't switch off, just that I don't know anyone who instantly switches off the second they leave work - regardless of what their job is!

[Arisbottle]

Ilovechips I wasn't really disagreeing with you . I was making the point that as a teacher I do switch off and almost immediately as I walk out of the door.

[Mummyoftheyear]

Whetearemysocka - my sentiments, exactly.
I'm a teacher. I love what I do. There are also bits I don't enjoy. 'Tis life.
Let's all get on with it! Lol

[ilovechips]

Arisbottle - that's good to hear, it's sad that work is all consuming too often!

[chicaguapa]

Perhaps OP would feel better if she thought about what's going on in the private sector?

OP works in the private sector. I've said it twice now.

[crashdoll]

"Of course other jobs are just as tiring etc etc but they are not getting the bashing that teachers get."

Nurses get a massive bashing, as do social workers.

[Oodsigma]

tethers think a suit of armour would be more use than £5 ( after all public sector workers get £1m a day for no work and lumps of gold for a pension )

[ubik]

In the recession, DP's self employed income halved due to a business closing down - many of his colleagues were made redundant, many work 400 miles away from their families.

Teaching is tough just like other public sector jobs. But there are many benefits too. It is a good job, with far better pay and conditions than many folk have to endure, even those with degrees and post grad qualifications.

I'm no fan of Gove, I think it is scandalous what he is doing to education, but he is playing the unions - headlines about teachers only wanting to teach 4 hrs a day really do not help teachers even though that headline obviously isn't the whole story.

[Tigglette]

Arisbottle, so you're working an average of a 13 hour day for 6 days out of 7? I know I have a number of friends who are teachers who without a doubt work hard but nowhere near those hours.

As a social worker I average a 50 hour week with 7 weeks holiday - I'm part of am on call system where I need to be available 24 hours a day for 4 days in the month. The oncall isn't included in my 50 hour week. I chose the job and I love what I do, any profession should place demands on workers, its what I trained for and am paid to do.

[Arisbottle]

Tiglette I work from 7am until 6pm and then usually from 9pm until around midnight, mon to Thursday. Friday I take it easy and do 7am until 6pm. Sunday I do about five hours .

I work similar hours to most of my department and I seem to do much less than most other MN teachers . I do nothing on a Saturday and nothing in the holidays .

[Arisbottle]

I want to repeat, I am not moaning . I chose those hours .

[Shelly32]

Arisbottle Previously you said as soon as you're out of the door, you switch off. How can you if you then work in the evenings and at weekends. That isn't switching off. Don't get me wrong, as a teacher, I do those kinds of hours too but I don't see that as walking out of the door and switching off.
Maybe I'm a bit odd but Sunday nights are killers. I can't sleep due to ideas/worries running around my head about work. I work a lot of the one week holidays and quite a bit during the two week ones. I can't emotionally switch off as I find myself worrying about the kids, their progress, their lack of care about their own progress (not all of them obviously), and their other issues asides from educational ones. Teenagers are humorous, witty, amusing and generally a great bunch but they come with a great deal of baggage. I can't just put that to one side when I go home. Maybe I need to.

[Arisbottle]

I do switch off until 9pm when I start again. On a Saturday I completely switch off . In the holidays I switch off.

[Shelly32]

So between 6pm and 9pm you think of NOTHING work related...I just can't do that. My whole day is spent consumed on the days I work and even on the days I don't. Not that it really matters or makes a difference , but do you teach primary or secondary and can I ask which subject? Just being nosey really!

[Arisbottle]

I teach secondary. I am responsible for behaviour and child protection as well as my subject / history . I have to be able to switch off . Although my school is a relatively easy one to teach in I still deal with quite harrowing things on a daily basis.

I have four children , a stepson , horses , chickens, cats dogs and other animals - they all help me switch off .

[Want2bSupermum]

There are many jobs out there are far worse than teaching. Audit is one of them (long hours, no overtime, hostile working environment at most clients, lots of travel which means driving all the time and huge pressure to deliver).

Anyway, I think the NUT conference had some great ideas. I would like to see the smaller class sizes implemented. At the private school I attended we rarely had more than 16 in a class. When we did I noticed a difference in the amount I learnt. This was in part because the class had more variance in ability but also it was harder for a teacher to control us.

I do think teachers have an awful time with discipline. My DD is at daycare and I like to think I am working with them all the time to iron out any misbehaviour. When she starts school it will be the same and the teacher will be backed up at home. Sadly this isn't the case and I often see some threads on here and just feel so sorry for the teacher.