To be getting fed up with this hatred of schools and teachers.

[Pipbin]

In another thread (this is not really a thread about a thread) about schools some posters have made it very clear that they hate schools, see teachers as jumped up nazis and feel that everyone is feeling superior and looking down on them.

Am I alone is feeling upset and insulted by this?

I am a teacher and surely we both want the same thing, the best for your child?
We are not the enemy. We are on the same side.

I totally agree - this is true of every school that I have had dealings with. I would add that I have been a Governor and PTA committee member in the past so am not unsupportive of schools at all. However, any time I have had to raise a totally valid concern or complaint they have taken it way too personally and have treated me as if I was something on the bottom of their shoe.

The fact that you say every encounter has involved defensiveness suggests that you think think this is a trait of most if not all teachers.

If I caused a defensive reaction from a number of schools and teachers I might ask myself what I was doing to cause that.

Careful philo, sounds like you're getting defensive

I actually didn't say that every encounter has involved defensiveness, just those where there were legitimate concerns.

Well if you were ph

Well if you were phoning to offer praise I doubt that would create a situation that could be seen as defensive.

I signed up to say I was a hopeless teacher, and to show my respect for all teachers who do a thankless job.

I was TEFL and utterly rubbish at it. TEFL is like entry level teaching. You normally get classes of students who want to learn what you are teaching. I still couldn't keep control of my classes even though I could speak/understand several of their languages (you are only supposed to speak English). I nearly failed the practical but because I was excellent in theory, got the CELTA. I have never used it, because if I learnt one thing, it was that I cannot teach.

People who are actually teaching real classes have my utmost respect. Posters who haven't can't even begin to understand what it is like. If you hate doing presentations at work, imagine that was your whole life, for ever. With attendees shouting out cheek in various languages, fighting, arguing with each other.

Teachers are brave. They have skills we don't know about. Non-teachers think they could walk into a class and within seconds they would all be peacefully working. Not so.

Do you really routinely arrive at work at 7am and then not leave your place of work until 10pm without having had a break or eaten. If so I take my hat off to you
I can confirm that this is 'normal' for many teachers, and was for me too until I found I could not work any more.

Teachers are brave
I am not sure that teaching a group of teenagers - who have to listen - about Elizabethan England is that brave tbh! [ grin]