Teachers gave the best job in the world. Fact.

[Oakmaiden]

I mean, don't do it if you are afraid of hard work, or want to be rich. But absolutely the best job.

I honestly didn't realise the difference in teaching in Scotland and the rest of the UK. We are on a pay scale with increments and you clearly know what your contractual status is.

I've been on maximum pay scale for yonks now but haven't had a pay rise for the last few years.

However compared to what I'm reading on here, I think we're pretty well off up here.

Babymummy remember no pay rise for 3 years while inflation goes up, is a pay cut in real terms!

In terms of planning and marking...do all teachers get time set aside for this?

Ds1's year 1 teacher is away every other Thursday (I'm not sure if she's in school or not but the class don't see her at all that day). I think they call it a 'planning and preparation' day, and another teacher covers the class that day.

Is that sonething that's common? I was surprised when we heared about it, I didn't think that happened but as far as I know all the teachers in our school are away one day a fortnight.

My DH is a teacher & he LOVES his job, really loves it.

It probably makes a difference that he walked out from a soul crushing job in industry he had done for years to retrain as a teacher. The joy he gets from his work is wonderful - he never got thank working for a big firm. It is great having him around in the holidays too.

I would add that DH is very mentally & physically tough from his years in a really hard, competitive, uncaring environment, so the demands of teaching are easy for him. I can see that someone who went into it straight from Uni might perceive it as a tough job.

Our school has quite a nice intake and for our type of school ( part comprehensive / part secondary modern) we have it quite easy. Even then we have three staff off with stress.

Itsigginning You're right of course that in real terms it's a pay cut especially with everyday stuff like fuel bills, petrol and food going up in price so much.

Even when we do finally get an increase I believe it's going to be a massive 1%!

Still, as I say, better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

Chat PPA is 10% of time for everyone.

I agree with everyone who has said that the actual teaching is the best job in the world. The hours prepping and planning make it happen. It's the endless 'input this data into that spreadsheet, then input the same data into another format, then write an essay detailing exactly why little Jimmy hasn't make 73 points of progress yet and can we have your books in for another marking scrutiny and that wall display is a bit wonky and you're on duty at the PTA disco tonight...'

I genuinely enjoy all aspects of teaching. Even the boring data bits. (And i love coming up with interesting ways of learning) I just wish there was time to do it all properly. Everything's a rush-job.

10% isn't enough. I'll happily have less holiday if it means I can have fewer classes, but with more and better time to really dedicate to them.

Baby mummy, I've heard a poke in the eye with a sharp stick is under consideration

On duty at the PTA disco - seriously? I thought that's what parents were for. Do teachers still have to do playground duty at schools in England too?

Apart from the Curriculum for Excrement, I think we have it a lot easier up in Scotland as I don't have to input much data and I certainly never have to write essays about how many points of progress a child has made.

As other posters have said from September 2013 the Pay and Conditions changed completely. Salary is no longer portable to a job in a different school either.

I notice that sonlypuppyfat couldn't pass up the chance to get in a bit of snide teacher bashing.

Merry Christmas ilovesooty.

BabyMummy29
"Do teachers still have to do playground duty at schools in England too?"

Yes we do and if gove has his way we will be back to doing lunch time duties as well.

That's awful- another advantage to teaching in Scotland. Never had to do playground duty and dinner duty died out in the 70s.

Boney - our place is asking some to do lunch duties already. Only a matter of time till it's all of us.

Yep - a rota for the end of term discos (we get one each).
Once a week break duty.
No lunch time duty, however we have a 'chill zone' for which supervision is required fortnightly for part of lunch time. We are also all 'strongly encouraged' to lead a weekly lunchtime club.

regaining

We have a separate contract for lunchtime duties, so its a similar thing. but as you say it won't be long.

Love teaching, love planning as it gets me geared up for what I am about to do BUT I hate the constant observations we are all under, work scrutiny (which is actual mark scrutiny), the lack of trust by all - SMT, LEA, government, OFSTED, parents, changes, different ways of assessing learning yet the criteria of each method doesn't seem to match and the constant questions as to why that is the case , public perception of a 9am-3pm job (apparently we click our fingers and hey presto, lessons researched, planned, resourced, marked and assessed by magic), SOME parents who think our entire lives, 24/7 revolve aroud 'their' DC and of course the perception by all that we actually get 13 weeks holiday a year. Er, no, we don't and if the people who believe we actually do, actually did the job, they'd realise that it is a complete myth. Children get 13 weeks a year, we don't. We need the time to catch up with the jobs we can't possibly do during term time.

like cleaning my house

Junkfood most people get four weeks a year!!

I think the signage round here needs updating

But most people's jobs consist of all the stuff you have to fit in around the actual teaching.

I say that as a teacher who has left the classroom. I realised that all the stuff that you do in your 'time off' is what other people call 'work'

At certain times of the year, it feels like the actual teaching gets in the way of what you need to do. It wasn't always like this and it makes me that I waste so much time on stuff that doesn't actually benefit the children I teach.

First day of the holidays today and apart from a 7 am dash to the supermarket I've been making a SOW all day because Gove thinks that GCSE, Key Stage 3 and A Level should all change at the same time. I have to be creative and try to sneak in some actual skills amongst the rote learning.