Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

To think teachers are actually better off than those in the private sector

488 replies

coco44 · 30/09/2013 19:53

(Mumsnet Bosses
Please may I rephrase the debate in a more measured way)

OP posts:
echt · 30/09/2013 22:46

Which makes your crowing all the more inexplicable.

ParkerTheThief · 30/09/2013 22:49

I'd love to see the OP teaching.

I know I couldn't stick my hand up a cow's arse in an efficient and effective manner, but of course every bugger's an expert on teaching

BoffinMum · 30/09/2013 22:55

I used to wear my coat in class, it was so cold, and gloves too sometimes. In fact one year I ended up in hospital with a nasty infection due to being horrendously run down and cold all the time (no heating in my teaching block at all for the entire winter, just a little fan heater I had bought myself). Outdoors I used to have to supervise children for hours at a time in the freezing cold as well, every Thursday, being periodically pelted with footballs and so on.

On more than one occasion, colleagues were attacked by disturbed pupils. One year there were several arson attacks on the school. Once the school IT system electrocuted me and I was flung across the room.

Sometimes it was impossible to take a loo break for 8-9 hours, the job was so demanding. It was also difficult to have a coffee or tea or even a glass of water during the day, on occasion. Lunch was not always possible either.

In return parents used to moan and shout at me. Once I got a five page letter written in purple ink to the head teacher about my alleged inadequacies as a teacher, despite the fact that the child concerned had scored really well in her exam thanks to me coaching her for free in my lunch hour. FFS.

Guess what? I fucked off and stopped teaching thanks to all this crap. £18k a year I was earning after 7 years in the job. Even then there was no way you could live in London properly on £18k.

Working in the private sector as a journalist, and prior to that a temp, I experienced better hours, better perks, better money and a lot more breaks.

So do fuck off, all you teacher bashers. It is a hard job and you should be fucking grateful someone takes the trouble to teach your kids at all given how they are treated. If you don't like it, try doing it at home yourselves.

Retropear · 30/09/2013 22:55

Ooo thanks Faire.Are there courses you need to do first?

soul2000 · 30/09/2013 22:55

echt. I am not crowing, its just humour.

The stories i have heard from some of my teacher friends about how they would bully, their teachers are hilarious.

Fairenuff · 30/09/2013 23:01

I had to attend a training course which was run by the college prior to being accepted as a volunteer. The qualified tutors lead the groups and I was just supporting.

Teaching adults is obviously very different to teaching children, for many reasons. It was fascinating, actually, and I learned a lot.

echt · 30/09/2013 23:01

soul2000 when I saw your name as the last poster, I knew you'd say it was humorous.

Behave unpleasantly. Called on it. Oh, it was joke.

Hmm
soul2000 · 30/09/2013 23:10

I have a close friend who is a head of primary school another who is a
senior french /german teacher and another one who is head of politics at a well regarded 6th form college.

I know how difficullt the job is , i know gove is a "Dickhead" i know if i had my friends as teachers 25 years ago i would not have ended up with
4 Es and 1 D at Gcse in 1988.

However 1 ex friend of mine who was a P.E teacher actually got away with teaching without actually passing GCSE Maths . I am not Joking he
just lied about it and got away with it for 9 years. He was a joke of a teacher, thankfully he is not in teaching now. However he managed to wrangle a £ 20k settlement for unfair dismissal.

mirry2 · 30/09/2013 23:15

soul2000 how important is it for a PE teacher to have GCSE maths?

soul2000 · 30/09/2013 23:16

Its a legal requirement, surely?

ravenAK · 30/09/2013 23:18

Doubt it.

I'm an English teacher & I don't have an English degree, for example.

Actually, I've only got one GCSE, thinking about it. In Ancient Greek as it happens.

mirry2 · 30/09/2013 23:24

I know maths GCSE or equivalent is a basic requirement now for undergrad degrees and PGCE but I don't think it was always the case. Do you need a graduate teaching qualification to teach PE? Surely there are lots of other PE/Games related qualifications you could have instead?

PurpleGirly · 30/09/2013 23:27

Raven what teaching qualification do you have then?

Mirry you need a PGCE to TEACH PE but can coach with coaching qualifications.

ravenAK · 30/09/2013 23:28

You need a PGCE or equivalent to teach, & to get on it you need English & Maths GCSE or equivalent, subject-specific qualifications, & a decent first degree (precise requirements vary).

Unless you're wanting to teach in an Academy of course, when you don't need to be qualified.

PurpleGirly · 30/09/2013 23:28

And yes it is a legal requirement to have a maths a GCSE to be a teacher (and English).

PurpleGirly · 30/09/2013 23:29

Or Raven are you old like me and have O Levels!

ravenAK · 30/09/2013 23:32

I have a PGCE in English, with History as my second subject, PurpleGirly.

First degree's in Classics - Latin, Greek, that sort of thing. Blagged my way onto my PGCE; they wouldn't accept me if I applied now, 15 years later.

I have lots of O Levels & A Levels.

But I've taught, for example, Geography & Drama...neither of which I studied past the age of 14. It's quite common practice to teach outside your subject specialism.

soul2000 · 30/09/2013 23:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ravenAK · 30/09/2013 23:43

Did he tell you all about his unfair dismissal payoff?

PurpleGirly · 30/09/2013 23:50

I know a raven, I am an English teacher who has taught Drama, RE, History and ICT as well as a English.

soul2000 · 30/09/2013 23:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

soul2000 · 30/09/2013 23:55

I am sorry but this is the truth. The other teachers i know are great but not him.

ravenAK · 01/10/2013 00:01

So this dodgy chap told you he got £40k as an unfair dismissal payoff after being sacked for what would clearly be gross misconduct, but you know he was lying & you know he actually got £20k?

I believe you on the boozing & the bullshit, though...

fcukpsector · 01/10/2013 00:20

I think most of those working in the public sector don't realise how well off they really are. Would love to see how far they got striking in the private sector. I have no sympathies with any of them. If you don't like your pay, terms conditions etc go work somewhere else instead of moaning all the bloody while.

soul2000 · 01/10/2013 00:24

Raven. I am not on the booze and the bull shit. The other teachers i know. know all about him and think he was a "Disgrace to Teaching"

Because things look like they are Shit does not mean they are. I could even name him but i wont.

Swipe left for the next trending thread