To be sick of the current public slating off teachers!

[Belle15]

Just feel teachers are criticised from all angles at the moment and we work damn hard for very little financial gain or thanks!! Would like to see any of the people moaning about us actuallu spend a day in our shoes.Needed a rant!

Of not off! Embarrassing

some teachers work hard, some coast and some are dire. as a parent if 4 and a TA I have known all 3 types.

however that's the same with any career/job isn't it? nurses, doctors etc.

think social workers get far worse press.

Think yourself lucky you're not a banker.
Look how much shit they get.

I haven't noticed the criticising Belle.

sorry Belle but YABU

I'm a teacher and feel that I work very hard (as do most other adults) for plenty of financial gain (way above average salary) and more thanks than most people would get in their jobs (cards and presents from grateful 'customers')

Many people would hate to do a teacher's job but I would hate to do many of their jobs too. Horses for courses.

You are probably right, I wouldn't like to be a teacher, in fact I would hate it.

Having said that, we do see substantially more moaning from teachers than from other professions who are probably equally stressed, overworked, underpaid, etc, both on here and in the general news. Maybe it is like charity fatigue and this is a backlash

IME of teachers there are far, far more good than bad.

If it helps my 11 year old DS sobbed all the way home from school yesterday as he was leaving his Year 6 teacher who he idolised. I wanted to cry myself-he is a brilliant teacher.

We are constantly told we don't do enough, should work longer, be paid less etc. The government are raging a war against teachers and using the media to justify it.
You are right though many other professions are being treated just as badly. Just feel that the public support the nurses etc far more. Don't get me wrong nurses do an amazing job and deserve the full support of the public; they are overworked and underpaid. Just wish teachers were appreciated more for what we do. Most teachers I know work themselves to the bone often at cost of their own families/children

You'll find well deserved and undeserved criticism of all professions OP

Not sure why you're getting your knickers in a knot?

I'm going to stick my neck out here and say that although there are of course teachers at both ends of the competence scale, there are a hell of a lot of mediocre teachers sitting nicely at the top of the pay scale, trotting out the same old planning every year, hostile to change or innovation, not really contributing an awful lot.
Who knows though - if they get the results, maybe that's ok?

I am a teacher and I really do think it is the unions which give us a bad name. I've lost count of the number of times I have read about a grievance teachers supposedly have despite never having thought about it or heard anyone else discussing it. Closing schools when it hits 26 degrees being one such 'issue'.

I would argue most teachers earn far less than people in other professions with the same skills set and responsibilities. Especially as they are now cutting pay scales. Effectively a new teacher could remain on 21k indefinitely whilst the average national salary is 26k!

What Worra says.

My DCs have had some amazing teachers over the years, some fairly good ones and a couple of crap ones who deserve all the criticism levelled at them - same as anyone.

Maybe I'm just too hormonal today! Who knows! Lol

As it teacher it really pees me off. The lack of respect for teachers trickels down to the kids. People then wonder why groups of teenagers can be unteachable, which makes teaching harder and teachers look less effective. A whole downward spiral.

Everyone has an opinion on being a parent because they were once a child and then quickly revises their opinion on actually having a child themselves. It is exactly the same with teaching. I think just because you once went to school, doesn't mean that you understand what teaching is like as a job. Only people who have stood in front of a class week in week out can fully understand.

Also kids can be dreadful judges of teachers. Some childrens' perception of what goes on in a classroom can be a million miles from reality. (Also teachers who give out sweets are generally the most popular.)

GetStuffezd - yes there are and I don't think it matters. The school where I work is fairly evenly divided into the 'live to work-ers' and the 'work to live-ers'. I live to work but I don't think that necessarily makes me right. I may give everything to my job but others give everything to their families whereas mine suffers from benign neglect! And others give everything to enjoying their lives and hey, as long as they are doing their job, why the hell not, you only live once!

Oh I know OP it's demoralising but it's not exclusive to teachers.

I'm a nurse and have felt quite down at times about the bashing we seem to get so I feel your pain

Fair point well made, manic!

Especially as they are now cutting pay scales. Effectively a new teacher could remain on 21k indefinitely whilst the average national salary is 26k!

The way I understand it, teachers remaining on a lower scale will be the ones doing the least?

In other words, they're no longer guaranteed a wage rise while putting in very little effort?

I think this is fair because some teachers never seem to stop working. They're taking before school clubs, lunchtime clubs and after school clubs etc...yet the teachers who just do the basic amount, are moving up the pays scale alongside them.

Belle
If a new teacher remains on 21k indefinitely I suspect it'll be because they're performing particularly badly - and I doubt this will be a regular occurrence.

What do you teach? Please tell me its not grammar, "lol".

But those clubs are voluntary, Worra. Should teachers be remunerated for voluntary activities or perhaps on results/classroom performance?

For me it's all the teachers on my facebook being like "thank god it's summer holidays now!" And then "only 5 weeks til half term" and they are working 12 hour days, I get that, but it looks lazy to someone who works 11 hour days 48 weeks a year. It just looks like they never want to be at work.