...to think it's rude of teachers at end of term declaring that they've earned their holiday/deserve a large glass of wine etc.....?

[Semisonic]

Does it not imply that they think everyone's kids are little horrors and that it's such a hard job and we're not worthy?
Maybe all the kids are little horrors, maybe it is a hard job but they're getting paid for it. It was their choice! My job's hard too but I won't bang on about It.
I think it's quite insulting to the parents of the children. No? [hmmm]

Well hooray for this thread! I’m a teacher who has left the profession after 20yrs. I was expecting the usual teacher bashing but what a lovely thread of people acknowledging the slog that is teaching. I actually think the constant bashing and complaining about teachers also had an impact on my decision to leave. To be in a profession and be constantly attacked, by the government by parents, even by others in your profession was exhausting and so demoralising. Thanks or acknowledgement was so scant as to be virtually non-existent despite always going the extra mile - in Tesco last year at 7am bumped into another teaching colleague, both of us buying resources for our classes, no doubt not claiming them back.

Anyway, thanks for this thread and the acknowledgement that it’s ok for teachers to say they have earned their break (because usually no-one else will!).

Oh and obviously none of my post was directed at the churlish OP and her child’s tiiiiiiny classes which the teacher should be grateful to teach...

I would Day this. Not because of the kiddies. They’re the good part of the job. But the workload. I’m absolutely snowed at the moment (funny, as my classroom is like an oven too ) 200 reports still trying to finish. Then mock exams to mark. Then more reports. Get me to the holidays!

The smallest class I ever had was 14 in a nice independent girl's school. It was one of the hardest classes I ever had (and I have taught in inner London schools). Why? 12 leaders and 2 followers, children who would say"my parents are paying so you should do what we say" and parents who were beyond pushy......

''Where I work, in an area of great deprivation''

Even in schools where the families are middle class and have money the behaviour, problems and issues are still just as bad often. It's a myth that the toughest schools are in the middle of a council estate or have to be in inner city. Go to many middle class secondary schools in the nice suburbs with white middle class parents- behaviour and work ethic can be outright dreadful.

Dealing with 30 kids, reduced TA support, they deserve a fkn medal let alone a bottle of wine.

Yabu op.

The word earned in this case is very literally true.

In the case of teachers, no matter how easy their job is in the loveliest school in the country, they have a contract to work 37 weeks of the year and are paid pro-rata less than equivalent professions that are all-year around. The pay is divided up into 12 equal monthly payments because everyone has monthly expenses and it is more convenient that way.

On the last day of summer term any teacher will therefore have completed their 37 weeks of work but will only so far have been paid for about 31 of them - they have quite literally earned 6 weeks off as that is the mathematical way to allow the amount they are paid to catch up with the work they have done.

DF is a retired teacher. Towards the end of his career he chose to teach the children with behavioral issues and actually enjoyed it. But he still looked forward to the summer holidays. His wife's a deputy head and I bet she can't wait!

''It was one of the hardest classes I ever had (and I have taught in inner London schools).''

just because a school is inner London does not qualify it as being the toughest, tough schools exist all over the country. I have worked all over London over the past 2 decades and in areas far from central London, you can get very very bad out in the country also... it's everywhere not just inner city.

YABVU
I want to thank all teachers (well apart from my Sue Sylvester style PE teacher from 1984) for doing a great job.

As a parent, I'm so grateful to you for all that you do. I thank the teachers who've been there for me, my kids and who've gone above and beyond.

I also work with teachers and see what they do, hear about what they do at home on top of that and hear the reasons why - for your kids OP - to give them the best start.

everyone I know gets excited about their holidays, not just teachers!

I agree planetpiffle. I'm a teacher and when I read the op my blood began to (understandably) boil. However, all of the supportive responses have made me smile. People who judge teachers haven't a clue and base their assumptions on what they remember from school. I love my working with the children but I'm getting out. Sod doing this till I'm 80!

I’m very much of the belief that teachers are overworked, underpaid and unappreciated.

Many teachers went into the profession at an early age mainly for idealistic reasons only to find the reality quite different which is why many leave within 5 years of qualifying.

Most kids are good natured and with a little encouragement can succeed. Sadly they are dragged down by a sizeable minority of out of control little shits who’s obnoxious disruptive behaviour has the full support of their even bigger shits of parents.

They deserve more then a glass of wine at the end of term.

The children I teach have done nothing but ask me how long it is til the holidays since September AIBU to be offended that they don't want to spend every waking moment with me OP?

I don't know about you OP, but Teaching is one of the most noble professions and they carry the burden of education a whole new generation of students. With that comes a lot of work and stress of a kind that you and I will not understand. They work long, hard and go above and beyond what's asked of them to make sure that your kids are educated to a good standard. And they are stuck in a classroom with 20 children who are not theirs. If they ask for a glass of wine, buy them a bottle. They deserve it.

DS1 just left primary school and I can’t speak highly enough of his class teacher. He’s autistic, in a small class in a unit attached to a mainstream and the head was worse than useless, inclusion appeared to be an alien concept and her attitude stunk. All the kids felt excluded and sidelined, BUT DS1s class teacher managed to combat all that, build confidence, help the kids to excel in their own areas of talent and helped to support them to fulfil their potential.

There aren’t words for how much that means, she was fighting against senior management who didn’t give a shit, underfunding, lack of resources, ignorance and in some cases deliberate exclusion of her class.

But she did it, and she did it all with a smile on her face and our kids left primary school equipped with the confidence and excitement for learning which will stay with them through high school.

He’s had 2 absolutely inspirational, not just good but bloody wonderful teachers in his primary career, one awful and the rest good.

It’s a thankless task, and while I’m quick to speak up if there is a genuine issue (not snowflake issue!!) I’m also quick to show gratitude when someone does their job well and I want them to know they’re appreciated.

Which is why I sent a letter to the education department detailing why she is so incredible and what an asset she is to the school.

Oh and discovered that vodka and prosecco are her favourite drinks so sent a bottle of each to her on the last day!

YABVU, yes.
Regardless of circumstance (class size etc.) - they are looking after multiple children to whom they have no biological connection, and who may or may not have behavioural issues with each other and with authority. They may also have been brought up as spoilt brats, thanks to their parents' attitudes.
None of this is the teachers' fault, but they still have to cope with the fall-out.
But you don't seem to think they should be at all tired out by any of this, and should just accept it as their just deserts, because they chose that job?
I'd like to see you do it for a term and then see how you feel.

There's 12 children in my daughter's class. 12 kids who all speak English as a first language, only 1 with any SEN (ADHD). Their teacher deserves BUCKETS of wine for getting them through the year. they are hard work. Not because there's hordes of them and they're super-difficult, but because they are 12 strong personalities, 12 tweens teetering on the edge of puberty with hormones racing around and still a good deal of small-child stroppiness thrown in.

I wouldn't cope with a week of 'em. Their 25 year old teacher has done a full year and they adore her. I'm buying her champagne as an end of year present. She deserves to drink it in one go through a straw while dancing on the tables screeching "I'm free! I'm free!"

I'm a midwife. At the end of a long shift we often say we deserve a big glass of wine. It's not saying that all the mums and babies we've been looking after that day are utter bastards. We ruddy love them, it's the best part of the job. but the JOB is exhausting and frustrating and makes you dream of a nice cold glass of something lovely at the end of the day.

Chill out, OP. THe teachers aren't demeaning or insulting your precious darlings at all.

OP totally disagree with you. Teaching is a vocation for many in the profession and they genuinely want to and love teaching. Half the problem these days is so many kids don’t want to be taught or learn as it’s too much effort. How demoralising must that be when you want to help them learn. Behaviour is shocking in many schools, not just deprived areas- in fact I’d hazard a guess based on some previous comments that kids in deprived areas find school a sanctuary and probably behave better. There’s a school in my area that is not in the best place and certainly not one that local middle class parents would choose and it’s just won a TES award. I think teachers are fantastic- it appears that in this day and age they are not valued enough.

This has to be the most pathetic attempt to start a teacher-bashing thread I’ve ever read. It’s heartening to read the responses though.

In my dc's school there are class sizes of 12-15 at the most so possibly vastly different to the majority of the country.

You think?

I am a secondary teacher and I definitely feel like I have earned my holidays and wine (when they come in 3 weeks time)

I love my job but I work my socks off for the kids I teach (as do my colleagues). This term in particular with the exams is very stressful and very busy.

That said, my parents are in other jobs and still say they will have earnt their holiday and of course they will have! All jobs have stressful points, hectic periods etc. And people work hard whatever they do so if course they deserve their holidays!

Teaching is more than a job it’s a way of life. Both my parents were teachers so I know!

The reason it feels like a mass sigh of relief, cheering for the holidays is because they are all of at the same time! If everyone in an office finished at once for their main holiday it would seem the same then?! YABU because you’re failing to keep a perspective on it and for thinking that teachers should somehow be slaves to the job and not actually want to have time with their own families or be allowed to say so!