...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)

Teachers have to put up with other peoples' (often undisciplined) children, and their parents - that pretty much makes them saints in my book. Can you actually have a nervous breakdown & recover in 6-7 weeks?

Just left teaching for all the reasons outlined above. Why not try it op....they do have excellent holidays after all.
Mwhahahahaha!

Last term, I volunteered to help on a school trip for DS's Y1 class. I had to look after a group of 4 children and basically get them from A to B safely. I was utterly exhausted at the end of the day and was in awe of the teachers' energy and commitment.

Regardless of the teaching, marking, lesson-planning, I have no idea how the cope with the noise alone!

I can only compare with my own job (I'm a lawyer and manage a large team) and I was definitely pleased to return to the office the following day.

I have been a teacher and worked in an office. Hard work in both. The main difference is that in an office if a knotty problem comes up I can push back from my desk and take a minute to consider what to do - I might even go to the toilet. As a teacher with a child in front of me I had to get it right first time, every time. Failure to do so put me at risk of upset children, angry parents and vilification from management and on social media.

I'm sceptical on this and I reckon it's probably a bit of a divide overall on some being dedicated and hardworking whereas other turn up and do the bare minimum.

Both collect the same salary.

I know lots of childminders who have teachers as clients.

Drop off is 8.20/8.30 and collection is between 4pm/4.30pm.

That's an 8 hour day, including an hours lunch break and a 15 minutes tea break is within that. Then there's the 12 weeks of holidays where the children don't go to childcare...

This aspect seems to allude to the fact that many are just collecting the wage and doing the minimum.

My dh is not a teacher. He works from 7.30 til 5pm every day, no tea breaks and grabs lunch only if he can. In fact if he doesn't leave the building he simply doesn't get a lunch break. He has demands on him from all departments and is working on projects out with his working hours towards a grade rise.

I think for teachers,they're living in a bit of a bubble. The grass is not always greener.

First day of half term goady thread.

Er CallMe, you do know that many teachers work in the evenings after they’ve picked their kids up from the childminders and so drop-off and pick-up times are no indication of actual hours worked?

In a fit of enthusiasm I tried to do a PGCE.

I lasted less than 2 weeks. My initial school placement was just terrible. The school struggled to get more than 60% of the kids to attend; got 20% good GCSE. There was no way I was going to spend the rest of my working days there.

I watched class after class where the critical 'is learning taking place' was utterly missed.

Just crowd control, keeping some kids off the streets.

The teachers were working against a 'don't want to learn / don't want to be here' attitude that must have been totally defeating.

Anyone who has the strength to work in secondary education has my admiration.

My dh is not a teacher. He works from 7.30 til 5pm every day, no tea breaks and grabs lunch only if he can. In fact if he doesn't leave the building he simply doesn't get a lunch break. He has demands on him from all departments and is working on projects out with his working hours towards a grade rise.

You are assuming that teachers get lunch breaks and tea breaks there.

Are you confusing them with the school children?

‘Breaktimes’ for me are playground duty, staff meetings, lesson prep, marking work.

What a bloody rude and goady thread.

Why don't you try it? I bet you couldn't do it. I went into teaching after running two companies and teaching is far harder than ANYTHING I've ever done before.

If you can handle working from 7:30am to 11pm every week day, with minimal breaks, all of Sunday too and maybe even some of Saturday and barely scraping the surface of all the planning, marking, tracking, paperwork, resource making, differentiation, pupil records, moderation, other tasks that come with different roles and feeling like you'll never, ever finish, you're welcome to try.

Oh and that's before you even consider what you have to deal with in the classroom, with classes of up to 35 children, no support for up to half the class who have SEN then the children with emotional and behavioural issues, then the children who are less able or more able. Attending multi agency meetings because there are disabled children, children in care, abused children, hungry children, children suffering loss, etc etc.

Then there are inspections, observations, National Testing, report writing, parents' evenings, after school clubs, fundraising events, Christmas concerts, summer concerts, leaver's celebrations, three school trips a year, residential trips, topic starter trips, staff meeeting, inset days, training days, course days, system training.

And all that is before you teach anything. Sometimes it's impossible to teach anything. But try it. Go for it. We have it SO easy, it would be a doddle, surely OP?

Callme - you think we get breaks? 😂

We do duty, we mark, we set up the next lesson, we photocopy, we make resources, we work with children who need a bit extra, we are very lucky if we can inhale some food while doing all these things.

CallMeRachel are you that obtuse? Teachers pick up their DC at 4.30 perhaps, do family stuff til the DC is asleep and then start working again until midnight or later.

Drop off at 8:20?
We, briefing starts at 8:25 in most schools so no clue where this childminder thinks her clients work unless they're part time and do shorter hours.

I'm in school by 7:30am

I have worked in one of the worst schools in the country. It was Bedlam and anyone working there deserved ten times the pay. I can imagine it is also quite stressful to work in a very high achieving school with expectations and pushy parents on your back the whole time.

Otoh I went to a superselective girls' grammar school in the 80s and boy, were there some lazy so-and-sos there. Quite a few teachers never set any homework, rolled up late to lessons, droned out of their ancient notes, and year after year got dreadful exam results because no one monitored them and they couldn't be sacked. One teacher's entire A Level class failed because they hadn't taught the new syllabus and it only came to light when the exam paper was handed out. No parents ever complained back then. It was just too bad.

I really think that teacher effort and workload has increased - and this (sorry, current teachers!) is a good thing .

Oh and I have developed awesome tea skills. I can inhale one, almost fresh out the kettle in five minutes.

Teaching gives you an asbestos mouth, and after a few years, the immune system of an ox.

Er CallMe, you do know that many teachers work in the evenings after they’ve picked their kids up from the childminders and so drop-off and pick-up times are no indication of actual hours worked?*
*
Yes I'd imagine many do some work in the evening. I wouldn't count this in with working hours though as with many jobs, additional work from home is required just to stay on top of emails and workflow. *

You are assuming that teachers get lunch breaks and tea breaks there. *
*
Are you confusing them with the school children?

‘Breaktimes’ for me are playground duty, staff meetings, lesson prep, marking work.*

I find it very hard to believe that teachers are spending every break and lunch working. In my area the staff room is well used and well stocked with tea, coffee and biscuits!

What a horrible post, OP.

I have never ever seen a post started by a teacher saying how hard they work or that they work harder than anyone else. It is always in retaliation against ignorant posters who say things like teachers o my work...
9-3.30
Have it easy
Don’t know what hard work is
Back in the real world

Etc etc

And the teacher interjects with, ‘actually, that’s not fair...!’

Nobody comes on here and makes pops at those ‘lazy’ nurses for only working 3 shifts a week-they are always hard working angels (I do not for a second think nurses are lazy btw). It always seems to be teachers.

What’s your job OP? Why don’t you become a teacher if it’s so easy?

Callme you wouldn’t count hours spent working as working hours?

How bizarre.

MissMarplesKnitting perhaps the childminder is based in the school foyer :o

OK, education for rachael : my lunch break is not an hour. It is 35 minutes. Just long enough to eat enough to get indigestion and to deal with noisy, recalcitrant students, get very stressed, pop to the loo, and the begin again. Hardly any teachers leave site at lunch : in fact I am always envious of any job where this is the norm, or at least not frowned upon. This is what people can't seem to grasp :those '8 hours' are relentlessly 'on'.

I think they deserve every penny they get and they should be paid way more than they do!

How do you know what the staffroom is like and how used it is??

I love the idea that we also should have no tea entitlement...

I'd imagine many do some work in the evening. I wouldn't count this in with working hours though

So the work I do from when I get home at 6-7pm, til 11-12 isn't work? 6 ish hours of work? How is that the case, then? Would it still be work if I stayed in school to do it? As sometimes we do that.

I find it very hard to believe that teachers are spending every break and lunch working. In my area the staff room is well used and well stocked with tea, coffee and biscuits

Why? I spend every break and lunch working or on duty. I can count on one hand the number of times I've used the staffroom. The staffroom in my school is generally used by visitors, the TAs, students or supply teachers.

are you that obtuse

Wow @blueskiesovertheforest I guess you're one of those.

Of course I know some teachers do work in the evening, my point is it's not exclusive to teaching!!! My husband was working til 2am doing project stuff the other night.

Most professional people I know do a full day at work ie til at least 5pm, pick up kids then do work in the evenings.

Do you want a medal??

You also don't seem to know that lunch time is unpaid.