...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)

No one is debating if it’s hard, it obviously is. I think some are questioning if teachers are just a bit whiny, which in my experience they can be.

Well said. It is a great position to be in. There aren’t many people who have the opportunity to make a difference to little people! A good teacher can make so much of a difference to a child’s life. It comes with time off in the summer and some bloody hilarious stories sometimes from school! My husband works in a special needs secondary school and also loves it. The kids are very poorly behaved sometimes which makes it hard work, however lovely kids!

I agree with you! Definitely some martyrdom going on in this thread. As an NQT I worked very long hours but as an experienced teacher I don’t work evenings or weekends and never the holidays.
Despite the changing curriculum I work collaboratively with my departmental colleagues to create new resources that we then share to minimise planning time.

Im a teacher and I just don't understand why you are all working evenings and weekends. Do you not have a working time agreement? We do
Would I be working ridiculous hours for no extra pay? Would I buggery.
I always suspect there's a bit of martyrdom on these posts. Working hundreds of extra hours surely means you are not being efficient and good at your job? 🤔

This depends on context. I do very little in the holidays but I work in the evenings and on a weekend day.

I run a small department and we are in a situation where the whole curriculum has needed replanning. We have just about finished key stage 4 and 5 and are now doing key 3. For very specific reasons I have to do most of that myself - although I have had support from other schools. So there is little I can do within my own school to minimise planning time.

As well as running a department I teach 5 different subjects - that adds to my workload.

I also run the clubs, extra curricular activities and trips for the department. I could refuse but as a parent I think the activities I run are valuable.

I am not kind of teaching superhero but I am certainly good at my job and I am efficient- I get a lot done and I pack my teaching alongside a busy family and personal life and my other commitments. I also do other work linked with education - so the idea that I am inefficient or a martyr is insulting nonsense. I just have a lot to do.

Oh, please take this thread down mumsnet. Teachers know that nurses, doctors, policemen work hard. They aren't arguing that point and nor are they moaning about their lot. Teachers didn't start this stupid thread. A troll did.

This thread wasn't really started in the spirit of us proving how greatful we are.

I think our impassioned posts do show how much this career means to us and it is upsetting to see it beingderided ,demeaned and downright misunderstood.

I also think the defensiveness speaks volumes, if someone started slagging off nurses it wouldn’t bother me at all. I work hard and I know I do, I have decent wage and I make a difference daily. So if someone said we winge I would be like yeah some nurses do, most just crack on with a professional smile.

@joliejoleen

Just off the back of my last post...im not sure I like such bad language from someone who is meant to be teaching kids!

I am not sure that that would happen if there was a nurse bashing thread. Of course we crack on at work!

Maybe we can persuade the charming OP to start such a thread?

The sad thing is that it doesn’t show me at all how much your job means to you. It’s jusy prove. the original post for me.

they mark whilst the kids are getting on with their work

I’d be sacked or on capability if I did this.

Again context matters. I often mark in class. If a student is struggling I choose to mark their work with them so I can talk them through my feedback.

Nicol I too work in an independent school to try to fix work life balance with smaller classes. It didn’t really work. Yes, the classes are small, the parents are supportive and the holidays are longer. The pay, in my case, is significantly lower and the holidays are still unpaid. I work 6 days a week (Saturday school). The basic school day is 8.30-5, ie the kids are there for all that time.
I also work in boarding so often do 7 days a week and work evenings too.
I’m off with stress right now...

My dad was a teacher, recently retired. He didn’t start work at 6am or stay until 7pm. Secondary science. He worked for an hour or so after tea, maybe an hour or two on the weekend but growing up we never saw it. And bollocks did he spend Christmas Day doing work! He used to call other teachers out on that when they said they spent every day of the Christmas 2 weeks working 32hours a day. And holidays he used to spend the first 5 weeks doing nothing, and then maybe the last week.
But saying that he said he wouldn’t go into teaching now, that the meme about people used to blame the kids and now they blame the teachers is correct, he also wants to go back to ore mobile phones.

Hello!

KS2 teacher here. Pretty sure this has been mentioned over the last 22 pages {too tired to read them all} but I work 70+ hours a week (10 per day physically in the school building, plus hours at home for a minimum of 3 days a week and I kiss goodbye to roughly 5 hours every Sunday when I dive into my books and planning).

My paycheque states I work 32.5 hours a week.

Oh, and I know I have next week off for half term. Lovely. I have already put my foot down and set myself a reduced timetable of no work on either weekend, and only working 9-4 each weekday.

I love my job. I really do. I have done all sorts of other roles in hospitality management and nothing touches the fulfilment I have every day after being with my 30 little poppets. But I really really really really hate people who have this ridiculous skewed vision of teachers. As so many have said - if you think it’s so easy, retrain and join us. I hope you do and fall in love with the career, warts and all, like I have. But I challenge you to then decide you don’t need the holidays.

Haven’t posted on MN for years! I normally manage to skim over this Daily Fail inspired nonsense.

Do you know what? I'd be the first to defend a nurse or police or firefighter or social worker. It's a shame your perceived moral high ground sees you want to stick the boot in to a fellow public sector employee.

Haven 't RTWT but I've thought on many occasions how ironic it is that all these busy teachers find time to come on Mumsnet and moan about how busy they are.

@Colly1616

100% agree. There are so many jobs that are heavy workload, stressful and testing....but the people that moan about it alot give the bad names to the other people in that role too. If you are going to constantly moan about your job or have to justify how hard you work...to me that means you are not working hard enough or not good enough at their job so would rather moan. If it makes you that miserable then leave!?

People like you who do just give the professional smiles are the ones who are doing their job properly!! 👍🏼

I would like to know if you have been a teacher? If you haven’t please don’t make statements which you have no idea are correct. I’ve taught since 1985 and the job has got harder and harder. We get daily abuse from students, their parents and carers many of whom think threatening to physically assault you or actually happens regularly. We still have to do huge amounts of marking and prep in our own time, pay for things out of our own pockets, can’t think of any other job where you pay for stuff to teach, reward etc out of your own pocket can you?

And that is precisely why teachers' justifiable complaints get nowhere. The put up or shut up mentality. The idea that a complaint is just a moaning Minnie who should be working harder.

I think they do but lots of people do these days. Doctors, dentists, nurses, other health professionals work easily as hard for example. Basically all public sector workers are overworked and underpaid these days with mountains of paperwork and often unappreciated by the general public.
Teachers seem to work hard in term time but get nice holidays so it all averages out.

Lou plenty are leaving. Don't wish an even bigger retention crisis on future generations! Careful what you wish for...

I agree teachers have it tough. I work extremely hard too but get paid twice as much as many teachers so I don’t mind so much. Plus I’m based from home so it’s flexible around the kids. I know my teacher friends are exhausted and it’s hard to be flexible etc. They have to be on best form most of the time in front of their classes and often don’t get proper breaks or lunch. They deal with issues with kids in class, parents. social services at times, teacher politics and funding issues. On top of marking and all the other admin that comes with it. I wouldn’t want to do it but I’m glad for my kids so many talented people do. Completely undervalued and underpaid profession. Hats off to you all and thank you.

Cardibach I am sorry to hear that. I have heard that boarding schools can be very full on, with a lot of extra responsibility and longer hours with evenings and Saturday school. I don’t know how you manage it I am surprised to hear they do not pay more, seems very unfair... Especially since you are working so much longer hours in boarding etc. I work as a head of department and year 7 in a Prep day school and they are very good in terms of the workload for teachers. 8.00-4pm Monday- Friday and paid on holidays. Prehaps something to consider if you like the smaller class sizes? Hopefully you get some rest over the half term. Stress can be a massive thing in teaching and definitely have been there too, I do hope you feel better!

Add to that many teachers go out shopping for classroom supplies and pay for it themselves. Then add the expense they have to pay out for for visiting places before they take a class full of children to carry out risk assessments and all the paperwork associated with it.
Now imagine your boss tells you how to do your job, which you do and then your boss says “I’ve changed my mind, let’s do it a completely different way and by the way you can take the blame”. That’s basically what the Government does. It tell the teachers to follow this plan or that plan and then change something and everyone goes back to square one. It’s not the schools who decide the curriculum, it’s the Government, so next time you hear how the teachers keep on changing things, they aren’t and they like many other professions work under Chatham House Rules.
All those glossy adverts promoting teaching as a profession mean diddly squat when teachers are under so much pressure to get children to hit targets whose base level requirements are not being met due to health, home, lack of parental interest in their own children, abuse etc. Have you noticed schools are built on the worst land and golf courses on the best? Add to that a daily risk of nits, scabies, worms, any number of illnesses and threat of violence. Teaching is a noble profession, it’s just such a pity teachers aren’t treated as such.

that’s your example of a stressful day

No, Colly, that’s just Friday. It was just to be compared with a room full of nursing students, which I suspect is a far calmer affair.