To be mildly irritated by most tiring job ever?

[brasty]

A friend who is a teacher has been saying how exhausted she is, and that only other teachers would understand. She is not joking. AIBU to be mildly irritated by this? Yes teachers do a hard job, but there are other jobs that are also exhausting.

Agreed, Noble.
I don't think anyone can have a monopoly on exhaustion.
Teaching wasn't my first job and it's a different kind of tiredness. In previous jobs, my day started later by 1.5 hours and I could have a break and zone out a bit sometimes. My normal day, now, is without a break and I can go for eight hours without having the time to pop quickly to the loo which can't be good .
DP also exhausted, not in a teaching job. Does work longer hours but has more breaks and interactions with adults of course.

Of course no one can categorically say that their job is the most exhausting unless they have literally tried all the other jobs first, but I do think a role where you're wrangling 30+ kids for 6 hours a day is hugely demanding. Any job which involves constant dealings with clients/the general public is similarly tiring.

I'm a GP who spent several years in hospital medicine before going into general practice, and I can honestly say that despite much longer hours and much more physically demanding work, the hospital jobs were never as mentally draining as sitting behind a desk as person after person comes in with a problem for you to solve. (Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful job, but the lack of mental headspace during your workday is difficult. The subsequent admin work that has to be done is usually a welcome relief.)

Gawd. I reckon it's up there. My absolute nightmare job would be working with kids. I really think it's a vocation. I'm tired just thinking about it...

Yes Cel I agree, the factory job was the toughest physically (working with metal, very hot working environment, stuffy, heavy lifting) but yes even retail was more draining as constantly switching according to the type of customer you're dealing with. Much lesser degree than nursing but I was elderly care so mostly long term care and got to know them so you've not got to do a new assessment of personality every 5 minutes.

YABU unless you have done the job you can't empathize. There are a number of people on MN who claim to be tired out in the school hols entertaining a couple of kids for the 6 weeks hols. So keeping 30 of them all sat down and focused for a whole day, marking, keeping parents happy, emails etc.. is actually really tiring. Also making sure every single one makes progress, is happy in their friendships is quite full on.
Why not try it out and see?
I try not to say to people I am tired as they get so fed up of teachers commenting on it.
There are of course jobs that are very stressful and tiring - however they probably attract a better salary.

Them 6 weeks summer holidays must be a right pain

Do you work 9-5?ish I've never yet met a teacher who does (friends and family are teachers) taking marking home and thus working until mid to late evening most days plus some weekends

Plus INSET / teacher training days are tacked on to holidays. Classes are larger than they used to be, Parents are of the opinion that their Little Jane/Johnny is perfect so do not EVER dare criticise any pupil/

And of course, then the teachers are informed about he poor kids who have issues and are told "do not try and stop them if they do a runner as they will belt you"... how many office jobs are in fear of being beaten up?

If you think teaching is such an easy job I suggest you try it for a term or two

I work in the NHS and that is hard work enough, but being a teacher? No thanks

brasty just out of interest what job do you do?

Holidaysaregreat nurses are on much the same salary as teachers.

Yawn, yawn
Sick And tired of hearing how hard teachers have it
If you don't like it go and get a real job

No denying teaching is a thankless tiring job. But teachers only have to pace themselves for 6-7 weeks before they know they will get a break. Even if holiday time is spent 'preparing' it is a break. Just sayin'

If you don't like it go and get a real job

Yes, they are. That's why there's a massive recruitment and retention crisis and kids are being taught GCSE maths by anyone with a pulse.

Nurses must get tired too. Also social workers, people working with old people. I don't think the salary is the main issue with teaching. It's constant criticism and lack of understanding from people on how tiring it is! There are constantly threads on here with people moaning about all manner of things that teachers have done/not done. Unachievable targets etc..

To be fair drs, nurses, social workers, retail workers, hospitality workers etc get criticism too

What I find odd is if it's so difficult and horrendous and the hardest most exhausting job in the world with shit pay, why have none of them gone back to their old jobs in PR, recruitment, HR etc with 23 days off a year 8.30-6 office hours and 2-3 hours a day commuting into central London

Interesting. Nearly all of the people i know who complained about teaching being hideous and exhausting have left and found another job-be it a new job or in the line of work that they used to do.

It just makes me mad. I get its stressful, but it's the Same every year, it's only the pupils that change
Just sick to the back teeth of whingeing teachers

I'm a civil servant and I distribute paper clips. One of my colleagues is on long term sock and I now have to distribute staplers as welll. I find it not only exhausting but very stressful that I have to do a job I am not trained for.

Do I win?

Former teacher here, yes it's exhausting compared to other jobs I've done (accountant, care worker, retail), not least because in the wrong school it combines the hours of investment banking with the emotional demands of nursing.

Hoping said that, what your friend said is nonsensical. After all, there are some jobs I have no idea about, and I have no personal experience of rage vast majority. I'd imagine SAS ops could be pretty demanding, for a start! How rude to bang on about being knackered but dismiss friends' complaints of tiredness

A bit like the chap who visited me when I was in hospital having collapsed from exhaustion, and told me I couldn't possibly understand true tiredness until I'd had a baby

YANBU.

--Yawn, yawn Sick And tired of hearing how hard teachers have it If you don't like it go and get a real job

Yes-I have!

So have most of my ex-colleagues. We have all left a school which is currently being staffed by unqualified teachers and daily supplies.

Good luck with that one!

It's funny because on Facebook I'm friends with doctors, nurses, teachers, barristers, bankers & accountants, but the only ones that really moan about their job are teachers!!
For days they moan about every ofsted or parents evening!
Teachers always think they have the hardest job in the world, but I think the majority couldn't hack the real world.

Social workers have a thankless task and lots of criticism in the press. they deal with lots of challenging situations and can't win. I have never seen a thread on here with people criticizing their Dr or someone in a shop or their hairdresser. Might have missed those threads.
Lots of people on here comment about how exhausted the kids are - especially this time of year.
In RL I never comment as it winds people up.
Lots of teachers are leaving.

Paperclip distribution is a real job

Erm, single parent to disabled child. Trumped in all degrees, you do not know the definition of exhaustion

TBF, your friend didn't say teaching was the most exhausting job, she said only other teachers would understand how exhausting it is, and from the looks of some posts on this thread, she was right.

I once stayed up all night. That was exhausting.