Good point:
The children can be sweet, funny and interesting. A well-behaved class, who listen to you and learn from you can make you feel very satisfied. I teach Reception and feel so proud to see them come with no phonics, unable to write, and within a few months they are writing stories - it's amazing to see.
Bad point:
Naughty, rude, out of control children spoil this. If you are unlucky enough to have several in one class the year can feel never ending, the pressure to make sure they learn when they refuse to is immense, and your mental health can seriously suffer. Seriously, just because they are 5 does not mean they can't seriously affect you. I've been kicked and hit, sworn at. (PS - these kids are NEVER absent)
Good point:
Parents words of thanks and respect.
Bad point:
Most don't respect you. They make impossible demands on you, like having to keep track of their little angel's every un-named jumper and water bottle. How dare you not know where they are? In reference to the bad point above, the parents of these naughty children are often the worst, and then the decent parents have a go at you for not controlling the naughty ones as their child suffers. Argh! Sometimes you want to tell them to f off, but of course, you have to be understanding and helpful.
Good point:
The holidays
Bad point:
The exhaustion leading up to them.
Good point:
Let's be honest, it's a decent salary compared to a lot of jobs.
Bad point:
It doesn't reflect rising cost of living, and given the state of school budgets, you end up spending a lot of it on your class, or feeling guilty that they can't have playdough as there's no budget for resources.
Bad point:
The paper work, meetings and all the crap talked about in them.
Bad point:
Inclusion. Sorry - it DOES NOT serve certain children best. I for example have a severely autistic child in my class, no one-to-one, as there is no money to supply one. I support him, or I support the other 25 children. The pressure is immense and yes, I have a TA, but they have to be outdoors providing the continuous provision.
Bad point:
The constant observations.
Bad point:
Out of touch headteachers/SLT who are office based and wouldn't know what to do in a classroom.
Bad point:
The above bad points are only getting worse. In 11 years, I have seen a depressing deterioration in the conditions, the levels of respect for teachers, the behaviour of children. The above poster who says you cannot just concentrate on education any more has nailed it.
Good point:
It's a career for life.
Bad point:
It's a career for life.