To expect a "thank you?"

[Penygirl]

I'm a teacher and I've just returned from a three night residential trip with pupils from my school. I enjoyed the trip and the children had a fantastic time doing the various activities. They were well behaved and settled to sleep well, although one group were wide awake just after 5.45 one morning! As arranged, I dispensed medication to two pupils, and comforted a few who became homesick on the first night. However, when we returned on the bus today not one parent uttered the words "Thank you" to me or my colleagues. Is it just expected that teachers should give up time with their own families to care for other peoples' children or is it just my school?

It is awful, I'm a Beaver Leader and so few parents say thank you. Mum was a teacher and it used to infuriate her how few parents would ever say thank you after residentials. My DC aren't old enough yet but can't imagine not thanking the teacher.

But isn't that part of your job?! Parents don't thank you every day they pick their kids up do they?

That is the attitude ^^

I bought expensive chocolates for our teachers to take on our schools residential .

Actually regina residentials are not 'part of the job'. It's not in the job description and no one can be 'made' to go or penalised if they don't. As discussed, the pay is exactly the same whether a (full time) teacher goes on a residential or not- part time teachers may be paid for the extra days they work but that's at standard day rate, not for the evening and night too.

Teachers do them on a voluntary basis for the kids' sake. And then wonder why they bother when parents are so ungrateful!

(Teachers and teaching assistants I mean! In fact, teaching assistants probably get an even worse deal, being lower paid than the teachers)

Absolutely Crohn. But it isn't just the money either. It is the time away from your own families and the impact on them that so many people don't seem to appreciate.
As many have said, it should be a case of simple good manners.

zzzz, but most people who travel for work aren't 100% responsible for a bunch of other people.

24/7.

Kind of thing.

YANBU. Hopefully it's because they were so pleased to see their kids after a trip away it slipped their minds and you'll get thank you gifts or cards today.
Speaking as a parent and a teacher I make my kids thank the adults on the trip as they leave. I also do thank you cards for parent helpers on my class trips, basic manners IMO.

Your's isn't the only profession not to get thanks for work over and above the norm.
I've worked for the same company for 10 years now and have never been thanked for anything!

I've done that. Not so much now they're not primary, but when they were little I'd be so anxious Excited to see them it was bit overwhelming and I just wanted to whisk them away. I make a special point of finding and thanking and emailing now.

Yanbu

I take brownies and guides away regularly (and using up anual leave from work to do so) and we get thank yous from most parents, and most also remind their daughters to say thank you too. Not gifts, which I would never exoect, but just a verbal acknowledgement is plenty and really just good manners.

This is not at all the same as going above and beyond in a different job! I can't believe people think it's acceptable not to say thank you to people who have looked after your children for three days!

That's really sad. I hope that when my DD starts going on residentials that I remember to thank the staff when I pick her up, and that DD remembers to say thank you too.

Not all school trips are in term time. I've done weekend trips and trips in the school holidays, so that is with no pay at all. Still very few pupils/parents said 'thank you'. One boy made a point of shaking each teacher's hand, looking them in the eye and saying 'thank you'. I haven't taught for many years now, but he is the one I remember and hope my DDs can be like.

I'm not a teacher but I would have thought you should expect a thank you.

Going on residential trips is not part of a teacher's job;it is entirely voluntary (if you can resist the pressure from on high).
If the trips are over the weekend there is no time off in lieu, so staff work a 12 day week. Staff are with the children from 7am until they are asleep, usually around 10pm, not counting night-time dramas, and including all meal-times. There is no break at all.
To be fair to parents, some genuinely believe that the staff escort the children to the residential centre, hand them over to waiting staff, and have the rest of the time to themselves.
We used to count the parents who thanked us, and it was generally three out of thirty; more were likely to complain that' he was so tired when he got home, what did you do with him?'
I would thank play-school volunteers, cub and guide leaders, music, swimming and ballet teachers when I collected my children; it is just courtesy.

But surely they are expected? These trips aren't a new thing so signing up to be a teacher you know what's expected. It's like bus drivers some people say thanks some don't, I do but still think you're getting paid its your job, you haven't gone out of your way to help me why am I saying thanks! It's just a polite thing in that case. So yes I suppose you could thank teachers to be polite but it's not essential and not a big thing if you don't.

I forgot to say earlier that I did send the dc to say thank you. I'm not sure that the teachers would have been thrilled to have 80 adults line up to say thanks, chat about trip etc, I would have thought they want to get home to their own families as quickly as possible.

My children are not at residential trip ages but it wouldn't of crossed my mind if I'm honest, we say thanks to the teachers at the end of the school year with gifts/cards. Must remember this.

But, Regina, we have gone out of our way. We have left our OWN children to supervise your children. We are in A&E with the ones with severe panic attacks, organising a temporary wheelchair for the one with a sprained ankle, taking phone calls at midnight about dead cats. We are ensuring they have inhalers and are wearing suitable shoes, dealing with squabbles and complaints about the food, solving room allocation problems and contacting providers about issues.

We signed up to stand at the front of a class and teach. We VOLUNTEER because we value the things such trips do for pupils. These are your children and we are caring for them. Surely you want to say thanks after we have given them an experience and made their school days a bit more exciting?

Rose I think you have explained that so well.
Quick update - one email and one thank you card today. Perhaps they were from mumsnetters, haha!