...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)

If teaching is really bad (I'm not saying it's not) then why do people teach?

OP what do you want from this thread?

Why are you pursuing this?

I genuinely have lost track. Thought you called me arrogant, but reading back, that may not have been aimed at me.

You do important work; I do important work. Peace and Love. As a lazy socialist might say.

Wow lou how rude [shock}

I'm a primary school teacher. I don't think we work harder than some other professions. I think the hard part about what we do is that we're not trusted to do our jobs without a million bits of paper.

Imagine if a surgeon had to write an operation plan before operating, in a given format, detailing all the tools needed, how all the staff were going to be used etc. Then, during the operation, hospital bigwigs could come in at any time and question the other staff on how the surgeon was doing. Then, after the operation, the surgeon had to provide written feedback to each staff member, telling them something they'd done well and something to improve on for next time, which each staff member had to respond to before the next operation could begin. And they had to do this for every operation each day. Then they had to tidy the operating theatre at the end of each day and every six weeks had to change displays that covered the walls of the theatre. And they had just two hours a week of paid time to do all this paperwork in.

They'd soon run out of time to actually perform the surgery they should be performing.

The difference is, they're trusted to do their jobs on a daily basis. Teachers are too scrutinised and that makes them feel pressured. I do a 45-hour week and feel that's not enough time to do my job well enough for the system.

@OP well isn't it obvious? For the money and the holidays of course!

I can't speak for others but I loved my job for 25 years. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with young children. But it is becoming more and more difficult. The pressures are huge and the expectations impossible. Pupil behaviour is a growing problem. No gun is being held at my head, so I've made the decision to leave teaching in the next two years.

Given that there are teachers who have been murdered whilst doing thier jobs, I actually find the gun comment really really in poor taste.

I know you weren't the originator of that LJ

Oh look, the op managed to crawl out from under their rock. And they found a goady-shite friend as well, hi Lou12124!

@piggywaspushed i wasn’t saying you were agressive. If you read my message again I was talking about the other person called “stop making a fool out of me”. I wasn’t offended at all you corrected my spelling. What I typed was wrong, why would I be offended about that. And I never corrected anyone. I think you have misinterpreted my messages. I thought the swearing was a bit much from “stop making a fool” and they were a bit arrogant assuming they are more intelligent than me when they don’t know anything about me.

their jobs sorry.

Why do people teach?

“We teach them literature, and mathematics, and art, and science, and a dozen other taxonomic milestones, because they are valuable; because they are important. Because without their acquisition, this generation is dislocated from the last one and every one prior to that, and every cultural and scientific asset is lost.”

And because of the holidays, natch.

I tend to agree colly but I think tempers are frayed and some posters on here are stoking the fire.

@IWantChocolates you forgotten to add that every time the surgeon was finished at the end of the day all of the patients parents/carers would call in to “see how they got on” what went wrong? What went right? Did they have the patients jumper/hat etc? And some may even tell them how to operate better tomorrow? And while they are at it tell them the food in the canteen is shit! And the car park is not big enough and could the operation not go on a little longer because they can’t actually get out of work!! 🙄

Some weeks I work ridiculously hard. I deal with complex and upsetting things and am held responsible when things out of my control go wrong.

Some weeks I work a normal working week. 40 hours. Fine.

I work some of my holidays but not all. I work most evenings but not all.

These things vary from individual to individual and from school to school.

Even when my job is hard I really like doing it. I am lucky. I can’t imagine doing anything else

Other people might do it because the training was something they fell into after their degree.
They have kids to feed
They have mortgages
They like it a lot of the time but not always
They have done it for so long they don’t know what else to do
They are scared of leaving the relative security

Is it really that difficult to imagine why someone might do a job they aren’t 100% keen on?

Teachers, like all occupations, are not a lumpen, homogenous group. I know many who are wonderful, committed and inspirational. I know many who are usually great and maybe sometimes a bit middley (me!) and I know some who are sometimes good and sometimes not great at all.

Just like all jobs.

Because people were annoyed I'd started a thread and not come back. I've had a few things going on so haven't been able to check the thread til now - hence why I hadn't posted. Anyway, now I've checked the thread I thought I'd join in to prevent people having a go for me not joining in! Plus I've got a headache and feel like death and it's been a rubbish few days so I feel like ranting ! Plus although I love teachers for the most part (had a couple of really inspiring great teachers myself (and a couple of crap ones, but mainly lovely ones) I'm a bit pissed off with my DS teachers right now, so maybe that's impacted this thread (sorry), and also, I'm exhaaaausted and miss my kids (because my work takes over my life), so feeling envious of summer holidays off (although I get not all teachers take their summer holiday) ...

@User298895613 oh really now. I have a question for you - did you join MN to make this thread, or name changed?

I think the hard part about what we do is that we're not trusted to do our jobs without a million bits of paper.

Yeah, I’d find that soul destroying. I’m not a teacher btw.

I think if they could just trust teachers to get on with the job, that would make all the difference in the world.

Looking back at the people who taught me (80s/90s) the very best, who really awakened a love of learning in me, were often quite unorthodox in their methods and certainly didn’t stick rigidly to any curriculum.

I find it very sad that this kind of teaching has probably been stamped out.

Sorry, it was indeed a tasteless comment and I shouldn't have repeated it. I'm going to abandon this thread now before annoyance at the OP and his/her pal causes me to spontaneously combust.

@iwantchocolates
To be fair that is actually a pretty good description of health care right now. We are plagued by paperwork too. They say if we don’t document it, it didn’t happen. So I think other professions do appreciate what it’s like.

Why do teachers teach?

I suspect many of us ask ourselves that question daily. Personally, because it pays my bills. And because I can work like a Trojan during termtime and spend holidays with my children,

@Colly1616

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

@Piggywaspushed

Its your job to TEACH not point out errors

It's simple OP : it's your fault, you can't possibly work as hard as you say, other people work hard, don't you know,and maybe you just need some time management training.

Ah, but, no you aren't a teacher so your complaints are fully valid.

Out of interest, do you ever feel 'really pissed off' at other people who work for your family's benefit, to the extent that you feel the need to start a thread about their whole profession?

Yes piggy was pushed did a typo 😂👍. Just teasing x