to post a friendly reminder about school residential trips?

[ErmNoNoNo]

Seems as good a time as any: lots of school posts (as always in AIBU), the wine is flowing (Friday) and the summer term is coming up (come on weather please)...

It seems every year that there are many parents that are genuinely shocked to find out that teacher and TAs who accompany the class on residential school visits do not get paid a single penny more than their normal wage.

Yes, we volunteer. Yes, we deal with all the tears. Yes, we are on duty 24 hours and sometimes get VERY little sleep. Yes, we deal with the vomit. Yes, we encourage and make sure they get the absolute best out of their time there. Yes, we deal with all medical issues even though, surprisingly we are not qualified. Yes, when its mid-week, we also have to go back into work the next day.

Yes... we would really, really appreciate it if you just say 'thank you', when you pick your child up at he end of it.

(all you REASONABLE parents, I know you do - but honestly, the amount of parents who think we get paid for this would shock you)

Erm I think the cards and a thank you note is on the right track then.

I agree with Fighting, I'm not a natural with kids, love my own, like most others, but there is not a wage you could pay me to do stuff like this. So I'm very grateful that not everyone feels as I do.

I also thank other people who do things such a check out staff fwiw.

It's nice to be nice.

The staff at outdoor education centres who run activities for children on holiday, and often pretty poorly paid. As are the workers for charities that organise holidays for children who are disabled or disadvantaged in some way.

Janethegirl are you kidding!!??

And while we're thinking of 'volunteers' who should be thanked, what about food bank workers, youth group leaders, brownie/scout leaders, search and rescue volunteers, lifeboat volunteers?

These are all real volunteers whose time is given freely, some of whom their lives are often at risk, and it has no impact whatsoever on their chosen careers?

Again that's not to say we shouldn't say thank you to teachers who go on school trips, but really asking for praise on an internet forum kind of sticks in the throat when you consider people who volunteer selflessly on a daily/nightly basis and do put their lives at risk.

But you do get paid, you are salaried not paid per hour. I know technically you could refuse but really it is part of the job.

Even if they did get paid extra which I am fully aware they don't .. they should still be thanked! I thank a hairdresser for cutting my hair.. they are paid of these.. they aren't simply doing it to make me happy out the goodness of their heart!

volvox it's expensive because, even though the accommodation is basic, all food is included and there are the centre staff who actually 'do' the activities, as well as all the equipment etc to be paid for. So it all adds up.

Oh and transport. Wtf with how much coaches cost these days?

I agree itosh but I've yet to see a hairdresser posting on MN and asking for thanks.

Teachers, nurses, midwives and the occasional police officer however....well I've seen shit loads over the last few years.

Ha - sorry, just can't help laughing at my genuinely heart felt passing on of info to parents who think teachers get over time (and why wouldn't they automatically assume that, if that was their experience of work)... with the response from Worral that shelf stackers also do the same...?

Now, no disrespect to shelf stackers (if it helps, I've been one) but I really don't think that they work UNPAID overtime just for the experiences that we can bring to the children.

WarraLibery - please read my OP: I am not saying I don't enjoy these trip, I often do. I am not even saying I should get paid more (I don't think I should, I've never even considered it). All I am saying is that many parents this summer term will pick up their children from a 3, 4, 5 night residential and ASSUME that the teacher/TA/ other adult will be getting paid more for being on call 24/7, and I am simply passing on the message that they won't.

Worra I think the thing is it's teachers and midwives and to a lesser extent the police and nurses who take a battering on here.

Never, ever have I seen a thread about 'fucking useless train cleaners' or 'AIBU to be raging that the beans in my local Tesco were not stacked neatly?'.

How many threads are there moaning about teachers and midwives? Loads and loads and loads and loads and loads. It's no wonder they feel the need to point out what they do and for what reward.

I've read your OP, what makes you think I haven't?

As I've said, whilst of course anyone with an inch of politeness should thank anyone who has cared for their children on a trip...to describe yourself as a 'volunteer' and to ask for thanks on a public internet forum, kind of sticks in the throat when you think of real volunteers, whose selfless volunteering has no impact whatsoever on their chosen careers.

Aarghh, why did you start this thread?!? I could understand you stepping in to defend us if someone had already complained about a trip or commented about a free holiday but to start it yourself .... you come across as a martyr and open the whole profession up to criticism and ridicule.

We are professionals and therefore get a salary not an hourly rate. As does every other profession. When other people travel away for business they aren't getting paid by the hour are they!!

The only time not being paid for a residential has crossed my mind is the last one I went on because the other two staff were peripatetic games coaches and thereforedid get paid and I was doing the exact same job but didn't get paid. That stung a bit. But it was irrational of me, we don't have the same job.

And I've been to some great places for free by being a teacher. Yeah, ok, having the children along mean it isn't exactly a free holiday but to be honest it's not that far off. I've done Rome/Amalfi Coast, London, Netherlands, Harry Potter World, Alton Towers, Peak District, West End Shows - and not paid a penny! Can't complain about not getting paid too!

Ok will do if i can see staff in the squash

One year, after a Year 6 trip, one of the mothers approached me after the trip to tell me her son had not changed his pants for the whole 5 days. Apparently he told her that I had not told him to change his pants and so he hadn't. Thankfully she had enough sense to laugh and tell me the story as she thought I would find it funny.

Checking pants is definitely beyond my remit.

OutragedFromLeeds how many threads have you seen about supermarket cashiers who apparently 'sneered', had the audacity to make small talk, commented on something a customer bought, 'fired the items through the scanner too fast', didn't ask if the customer needed help with packing/did ask if the customer needed help with packing, or smiled sympathetically when a child was having a tantrum?

Because I've actually lost count.

Hmm. I have professional friends who get TOIL time when they've been at a weekend conference etc. Not my experience that they get nothing back.
Actually I am paid for a certain number of hours here in Scotland - 35 a week - which I exceed every single week through ordinary work. The additional hours involved in planning and going on a trip puts that through the roof.

And manicinsomniac puts it well I think.

Again, it's not that I'm ungrateful as a parent but I really think describing yourself as a volunteer, does you no favours at all and kind of shits all over what real volunteers selflessly do all the time.

manic in fairness others who travel don't have to be on duty 24 hours a day. they get to snooze on their travelodge without worrying about the movements of 30 others entrusted to their care

Worra - trips don't help with promotion ime. That's just not the kind of thing that gets you on. I've never been for a single interview where I could reference a trip in response to the questions, for example.

I can see your point OP and I'd always say thank you and make dc do so too.

However, my husband has just been abroad for 3 weeks with his work - no overtime for him either. That's pretty normal isn't it for salaried workers?

I do think cubs / brownie leaders and the like are absolute saints tbh.

Incidentally our school 'works to rule' as a matter of course. No attendance by staff at fundraising events, no residential trips, no parents evenings at night etc so believe me I see what it could be, and is, like.

Our school also shows no gratitude towards volunteers within the school, be they helping in class or raising funds etc. It's awful. I worked in a volunteer management role (not in education) and a major part of my role was making people feel valued. That said, like I mentioned, you aren't strictly speaking volunteering because you are a salaried worker.

Worra None. I'm obviously reading the wrong threads.

I do remember 'Cunting Sainsbury's', but that wasn't about a specific member of staff iirc.

Thanks from me.

However, it's not all work work work. I remember my English teacher and Maths teacher were reportedly at it like knives over the ski break which I didn't go to because my parents were cheap and/or skint and both came back with cold sores. They ended up married so all well that ends well.

manicinsomniac - I think we come from very very different world if you have been in sole charge of children with medical, social, emotional and behavioural needs when visiting these places and still thought of it as a 'holiday'.

As I say, still laughing at the people getting wound up by this post. I've been on MN for a number of years and have seen parents genuine pleased to find out these facts as they had no idea, and just thought it was a good time to pass on the message again this year. I think that if it winds you up that teachers would appreciate a 'thank you' (bare in mind I've not suggested at all that I expect extra pay) for volunteering their time (and I've also not said that other volunteers are any less important in our society) then it says more about you than me (us).

Worra - trips don't help with promotion ime. That's just not the kind of thing that gets you on. I've never been for a single interview where I could reference a trip in response to the questions, for example.

I didn't say they helped with promotion.

I said they are taken into consideration (amongst other things) when deciding whether a teacher should be moved up the pay scale.

At one time, teachers would automatically progress but that's not the case any more and extra curricular work/trips/other things are quite rightly taken into consideration now.