Warning: teachers and striking. AIBU to think that some of you may want to watch this?

[Iffy2014]

Apologies, as teaching and striking are continually done to death on here, and this may have already been posted. I've just been sent this video of slam poetry and thought some folks here may appreciate it.

I reckon this is a pretty clear explanation of how a lot of secondary teachers are feeling at the moment, and why there is copious moaning and striking.

Educated accent? Some of her diction was so poor you could hardly understand it, although the four letter profanity came over clearly enough unfortunately.

It just seems a bit ridiculous to me. Why say 1265 hours when its more?

Because that's what our contracts say - and because we don't get paid for the holidays, so why suggest we should lie and say we do? And people in 'regular' jobs have 5.6 weeks off, not 4.

Posh accent? Did you actually listen to the thing? Posh might be, for example, pronouncing the "T" in "paracetamol", don't you think?

Not meaning to denigrate the woman, who is clearly very passionate and thoughtful, and I happen to agree with what she's saying, but her accent is... well, it's kind of Sarf London innit? Not in a bad way. Just not at all posh. She's quite young too, nose rings are a generational thing, so I'd let her off that. Earrings are kind of weird too when you think about it.

'Four letter profanity'? Are you Hyacinth Bouquet? Why not just say 'fuck' - if you can manage it through your cat's bum mouth, that is.

If teachers are paid for 1265 hours a year, on a starting salary of £21,804 (outside of London), they are making £17.24 an hour. Now I know they do work outside of their contracted hours but so do many other people. That is still a very decent amount of money in today's economy when many people are working for 1/3 of that. I know teaching is a hard job, and it's not something I would do in a million years, but I really don't think teachers do themselves any favours with their constant complaining.

Sorry for the x-post grimbletart - and I'd let her off the four letter words too, as long as she doesn't use them in class. M Gove Esq is enough to induce anyone to swear. (Unless "Gove" is the four-letter word you meant?)

If teachers are paid for 1265 hours a year, on a starting salary of £21,804 (outside of London), they are making £17.24 an hour

No, they're not, because they work far in excess of those hours.

I think the video will go down well with teachers and people who already support teachers. But it won't do a thing to change anyones mind.

Because 1265 hours is the maximum they can be required to attend for class contact, parents' evenings, meetings etc. The job doesn't stop there of course and planning/marking requirements vary.Surely that's not difficult to understand?

She's a poet who does workshops in school, not a teacher as far as I know.

I really like what she is saying in this.

fayrae I know teaching is a hard job no, it's a hard profession. Though, with comments like yours, it's easy to see how we get undervalued.

Think it might be, Ilovesooty

Teachers are hardly the only people who work outside of their contracted hours. Like I say it's a hard job, but they are paid well for it. I don't see the need for the constant whinging and threats to strike.

It's interesting how many people think she's a teacher. She's not, she's a poet who is giving her views on teaching and Gove.

Again, faerae it's a hard profession. I direct you to my above comment.

Knew that was coming - who said we were?

Them's the t&c, fayrae.

we have 1265 hours 'directed time', & then we have to do whatever else is needful. Those hours are teaching, or stuff like meetings. In addition, we have to do silly hours marking & planning in the evenings/at weekends/during the holidays.

Somewhere back in the mists of time someone decided it'd be easier if the pay for those 1265 hours in school in termtime was actually paid in 12 monthly chunks. I believe in some states in the US, teachers do actually just get paid for the weeks worked, in any given month, & then budget for the unpaid holidays.

I think most of us prefer our system, but it's not something we get to choose or control, so if you think it's a daft way of doing things, fair enough, but I can't see how it actually affects you. I don't care how or when you get paid!

As for 'you'd need to have an awful lot of cognitive dissonance going on to combine teaching & right-wing opinions' - yes, actually you're right, I did phrase that badly & there's no reason why one couldn't hold opinions slightly to the right of Norman Tebbit & still teach just as effectively.

I should have said 'you'd need to have an awful lot of cognitive dissonance going on to combine being a teacher in the UK atm & right-wing opinions'.

And people in 'regular' jobs have 5.6 weeks off, not 4

Exactly. I'm getting rather tired of this "most people get 4 weeks' holiday" shite being trotted out on here.

We have to be educated to a post-graduate level to teach. Although, that is slowly being diminished by lots of non-qualified staff being permitted to teach. That is one of the reasons for the strikes. It's not just about pay.

Gosh, fayrae, just seen you posting on a thread in praise of Chubby Brown, and here you are again denouncing leftie teachers. What are the odds, eh?

Oh dear Feenie OK.

Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck etc.

or how about arse arse arse arse arse arse arse arse arse arse etc.

or shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shirt etc.

or maybe you prefer cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt and so on…...

I can (and do) swear with the best of them. But I'm a bit old fashioned I suppose in thinking that teachers just might have higher aspirations and standards, given that they place such an important role in our children's futures.

Hoiks bosom, adjust pearls, puts on tweed coat and lace ups and heads off to the Ladies Circle.

Oh and do fuck off Feenie luv

And I speak as a former teacher who now gets paid a lot less, works outside contracted hours when necessary and has far fewer holidays than I used to.

I've not forgotten what teaching is like and get annoyed at the ill informed teacher bashing that goes on.

I admire teachers I really do... but when some of them moan about not being paid for holidays and the hours they do they immediately lose my support.

I worked in a high pressured role until my dc were born, around 22 year at 65 plus hours per week, around 3000 hours a year. I was on a good salary, but when you boiled it down my hourly rate was crap.

There are plenty of people that work long hours for the same salary as a Teacher.

5.6 weeks is still a lot less than 13 weeks that teachers have off.

Teachers would have more respect if they didn't have lefty poets coming out with stuff like this. It just preaches to the converted while getting the backs up of the non-converted. I'd be a lot more impressed if it was a (small c) conservative, down-to-earth teacher coming out and making valid criticisms.

Maybe too many teachers are idealists who find it difficult to be pragmatic and cope with the reality of working within a system? I know it's a massive cliche but I really do think we need more teachers who have worked in the private sector rather than just doing the whole school-university-school route.

Praising Chubby Brown? I am fairly sure I said I wasn't a fan. Not that that has anything to do with teachers anyway.

Fayrae, how many professionals do you know that work for £9 an hour as you seem to be saying? I've never bothered to work out how much teachers earn an hour, and I'm shocked by how little it is tbh, given how many more hours every teacher works more than directed time. Even the skiveiest of shite teachers works more than directed time.

Next time somebody asks for an after school revision session I know how much to charge them at least.

And if you don't like teachers moaning, don't read the threads.