...do teachers really work that hard?

[User298895613]

I know the general idea on AIBU is that teachers work load is ridiculous, that they work extra hard and that they never never stop to the point that they r all seemingly leaving the profession.

But, AIBU to wonder if they are any different to anyone else? and actually might have it a bit easier? I mean, I also work myself into the ground, am exhausted, never stop etc... But I don't have summer holidays off to look after my kids, and I often work well into the small hours at night.

I'm not saying teachers don't work hard, but sometimes on munsnet I just feel like some teachers kind of spend a lot of time complaining about the workload, when maybe it's just the same as everyone elses, but with a nice long summer holiday?

(Sorry, I appreciate this will really inflame some posters, but it just had been annoying me lately)

So, if people disagree with you Greatorb that means they have never experienced the “real world” - and if they agree with you then presumably they have? If you’d listened in school you might have learned what’s wrong with that sort of logic.

@cantbeb0thered

Lots of teachers do work weekends and evenings though. Yes we get good holidays but we also put up with alot. I was called a ginger bitch today.

And a lot of posters who are bizarrely convinced that school must be exactly like it was when they were at school 35 years ago.

Morning all. Just dropping by to say thanks for the reports about this one. And yes, it's a bit of a goady OP but we can see it's been robustly challenged. We'll keep it up for now, but please give us a nudge if the Talk guidelines get too bent out of shape.

Nudge, @MichaelMumsnet.

I'd argue that most teachers have a far better idea of this "real world" the goady fuckers keep referring to than those who are cossetted in a cozy office, chatting about Strictly around the water cooler most of the day. You know, the world where we counsel kids who come to school hungry, or tired, with dirty or ill-fitting uniform, or whose parents have just split up, or who have witnessed DV, or whose older sibling has been arrested for drug offences.

Teaching is hard, but so are many jobs - rather than some competition for who has the hardest life I would say that jobs are different therefore they have different stresses and advantages. I have many teacher friends and once they got through the first couple of years I would say they have it ok - working 8-6 approx in term time (neither of the people I'm thinking of take work home) and have the full holidays minus a handful of days doing prep (they teach secondary). My primary school teacher friend is always marking at 10pm but she leaves school at 3.20 with her daughter most days.

Quite ohdear
A school I worked in had a breakfast fund paid for by teachers to give kids a meal as many were hungry coming in.
Teachers would replace kit etc from their own pocket too.
How is this not the 'real' world.
I can see why some kids have no respect for the profession; they learn that at home.

@Rainuntilseptember Not sure whether to give you a D for trolling or an E for reading comprehension.

@OhDearGodLookAtThisMess
Now who's being a goady fucker?

@vinegarqueen please don't approach the forbidden tomb of glue sticks! Absolute nightmare in our department! In prison, you have cigarettes for currency, at school we have glue sticks!

Not surprised by the reactions on here tbh. There's obviously a lot of people posting who have never left the education system bubble

Even if it were true, and i 's not, as PPs have posted about other work they've done, who gives a fuck?

Would you complain a nurse has worked in a hospital bubble, a police officer/social worker/doctor?

It's not i's. Got the Ali Gs: o

About. Aaargh.

In prison, you have cigarettes for currency, at school we have glue sticks!

I posted recently about glue sticks. My school has glue sticks (pritt no less)

Other teachers were jealous. I suppose that shows how bad things are in education now, grown adults jealous over a glue stick.

It would be laughable if it wasn't so bloody depressing.

Yes. Why do you ask? 🙂

@echt
Would you complain a nurse has worked in a hospital bubble, a police officer/social worker/doctor?

None of those are as easy as a teachers job, so not sure of your point tbh. Did you just want a reason to swear on the internet?

Teaching is hard, but so are many jobs - rather than some competition for who has the hardest life I would say that jobs are different therefore they have different stresses and advantages

I have never read a thread/letter/opinion piece by a teacher that claims teachers have the hardest job. Teachers do not compete with other workers. What happens instead is that some GF like the OP posts an inflammatory statement about teachers' jobs being no harder than theirs/ their mum's/rocket scientists, yada yada. and most pile in to correct their numbskull view.

None of those are as easy as a teachers job

And you would know this because you've done all those jobs right... because otherwise your opinion would just be speculation using anecdotal evidence.

@greatorb

What gives u the impression being a teacher is easy?

Greaterorb, unless you're a teacher (which I doubt) how would you know whether a teacher's job is easy or not? smh

Greatorb I think you’d need a mirror dear if you’re wanting to see a troll.
Great call leaving this up MNHQ by the way

*Could you handle a class of 30 five year olds? Pre-pubescent kids? Teenagers?

I couldn't. Teachers work hard and deserve recognition for that.*

That goes for any job that requires lots of years of study and training. They couldn’t walk in and do mine either.

That said I do think teachers work very hard and it’s not a job I would want to do for many reasons. I work myself into the ground as well but it’s not a competition or a race as to has the shittest work life balance. Fair play to them trying to get what they think they’re due. If anyone wants to criticise they’re free to go and train as a teacher.

My mum and sister are teachers there is no way I would ever be. Both love working with kids but the amount of work that goes with it to do the job well is ridiculous. They both want to leave and change careers.

@echt Would you complain a nurse has worked in a hospital bubble, a police officer/social worker/doctor?

You made the point that Pps on this thread were those who had worked solely the world of education so limited, their opinions implicitly invalidated. I gave you a list of other workers who could easily have stayed in the one field all their working lives and invited you to consider whether they too were limited. Doctors, nurses, police officers and social workers could all work in the one job, but no-one is queuing up to deride them, call their world unreal (fatuous claim as that is).

@KHTeach
@RabbityMcRabbit

Not sure where you get the impression from that I think a teachers job is easy

@greatorb

You would be a nightmare parent for me so glad I don't teach your child.

Teaching was the hardest thing I've ever done. That was after being in a job that had a reputation for being very hard work (that paid 3x as much).

It's like having customer meetings and presentations for 5 hours a day, every day. All your analysis and preparation has to be done in the evenings and weekends.