To feel the rage with “teacher tired” posts

[Rainbowsandglitterbullshit]

The season of teachers posting SM messages “no one knows tired like an end of term teacher/TA/dinner lady” is almost upon us.

I want to scream, what about the fuckers who work stupid hours all week and don’t get 6 weeks off in the summer, half term, two weeks Easter, two weeks at Christmas.

I wouldn’t be a teacher for all the tea in China but these people chose their career.

Grrr, actually don’t care if I’m BU.

People are allowed to express that they're tired. It's not a competition.

I’m a teacher and I teach because I bloody love it. I’ve worked just as hard in another profession for more money....but I quit because I was bored out of my skull sitting on my arse staring at spreadsheets all day.

I don’t really like the SM memes, but it’s just teachers seeking a bit of camaraderie from one another. Live and let live.

No you don’t have to be a genius to be a teacher, but then you don’t seem to need to be much of a genius to do jobs like being an investment banker or President of the US either. Having said that, many of us are highly educated and are doing Masters qualifications in our spare time to improve our practice.

No one is saying teachers work harder than everyone else, but FFS, we do work hard in a highly pressurised workplace, with worsening conditions, increasingly difficult children....and actually, the parents are by far the hardest part of our job. I’ve always been incredibly lucky to have supportive and appreciative parents, but some of my colleagues are being absolutely bullied and tormented (and unjustly so) by parents.

We have to be on top form at all times, regardless of how tired we are or what is going on in our personal lives.

Also, just a little note, I worked out that I spend approximately £4-500 of my own money each academic year to improve lessons and the classroom environment. I don’t have to do this, but we do because we give a shit about other people’s children. I also ‘steal’ from our house and spend time begging and collecting things from companies like tyres for the playground. There are not many other professions that do this.

I really don’t need others to validate what I do, I get immense job satisfaction in my profession. I just sent my little class off on their summer holidays yesterday and I was so proud of each and every single one of them for what they have all achieved in their own way.

And actually, if you’re jealous of our holidays, there are plenty of jobs going....join us!

Anyway.....must go.....I have six weeks holiday to enjoy.

and actually, the parents are by far the hardest part of our job.

Time for Heads to step up and prevent this being the case.

Some jobs are harder than teaching, some jobs are easier. I became a teacher later in life and can honestly say it’s the most exhausting work I have ever done. But I suspect it would be even harder to be a police officer or a nurse. It’s not a competition. I’d say that if anyone is in a role where the exhaustion is so bad you’re not enjoying it any more, get out. (I’m not in that position at all. My job is physically and mentally exhausting but I still bloody love it!)

Seriously? You’re just egging for an argument

I’d say that if anyone is in a role where the exhaustion is so bad you’re not enjoying it any more, get out. (I’m not in that position at all. My job is physically and mentally exhausting but I still bloody love it!)

But the problem is, when people take your advice we’re left - as a society - with a teacher shortage. We also have a shortage of nurses. No shortage of people wanting to join the police. I worry about who will teach my child when all the enthusiastic, clever people I met in teaching have been worn down into leaving the profession. Robots?

I wish, I just wish, people could have a bit of empathy for each other instead of screaming “whataboutme”.

Which is, effectively, what the OP is about.

Why not say, “I hear you and me too”.

My understanding is that teachers don’t get paid for their “holidays” and it’s incredible draining.

I work in a stressful profession and only get 5 weeks holiday.

I really really want to be a teacher but the lack of support, flexibility and respect is just appalling.

There’s something seriously wrong with our society.

We spend so much time being angry towards others be it teachers (long holidays), doctors (over paid), refugees.....

Yet we fail time and time again to turn that anger toward those who’ve kept us in this position. The rich and the powerful!

Getting angry at teachers won’t make your life better OP. It’ll remain tiring and shit.

I’d say that if anyone is in a role where the exhaustion is so bad you’re not enjoying it any more, get out
Yes I would have to agree, people spend so much time at work these days, you shouldn't be in a role you hate and feel bitter towards

I don't really think it's about parents (in the real world) teacher just spout that on here due to the amount of heated disagreements On here

The government should look at why we are loosing so many. Surely they should allow teachers to go beck to actually teaching rather than paperwork, audits and kids doing too many exams from such a young age.

First time posting. I hope this appears where I intended..
Firstly, teachers' pay is spread evenly throughout the year, but they are not paid for the holidays. I don't think many people outside the profession know this. No one is getting paid for 12 weeks off!
Secondly, it is very full time. I worked six days a week because of Saturday sport which often lasted most of the day. I had very long days during the week, and was available to parents and children before and after school. In the UK this may be less so. We were expected to do 200 hours over and above classroom time each year, not including the extra time some children needed and received before and after school.

Most teachers keep their children in their minds all the time, thinking up ways to encourage them, to help them, to make learning meaningful and enjoyable. It's important work that can influence a child for better or for worse. I've had some parents tell me that school is a haven for their children for many varied reasons.

Teaching was very fulfilling for me. I felt I made a difference. However, I think I retired at the right time as league tables and constant assessment, rather than plenty of time to allow teaching and learning, has eroded the joy badly, for students and children alike. As for the conveyor belt style schools in the UK now, with touches of prison- style discipline and punishment... i could not work like that and it is no longer a safe place from turmoil at home.

Fortunately, in Australia, my grandchildren are enjoying school , with lovely teachers, and with no school anxiety. One child has blossomed since starting Prep (Reception). Another child has skipped a grade successfully and is receiving extension daily within the classroom. A third child , born two days before the cut off, will be able to start a year later, if needed.

I hope all you teachers are enjoying your rest and catching up with your own children. Happy holidays.

Yes I would have to agree, people spend so much time at work these days, you shouldn't be in a role you hate and feel bitter towards

What would the logical conclusion of that be though?

I do think with holidays as grumpymug said there's an element of staggering to the finish line - especially I imagine for teachers who have gone through the whole academic year.

As my holiday approaches I always feel like I couldn't go on much longer and am desperate for it to arrive, but I wonder if it wasn't there in front of me if I'd just get my head down and keep trudging on.

@RETIREDandHAPPY I literally asked about this on another thread about teachers annual leave and was told teachers are paid for their annual leave rather than being able to chose when they take it- so they are being paid for 30 odd working days of the school holidays (I think the poster said 30 days was the annual leave allocation)

Sorry I don’t have much to add to the tiredness argument- I mean anyone who posts memes on SM is pretty annoying

No way would I want to be a teacher! Just the thought of teaching a class of 30 makes me feel tired!

Yes - I know, how are you gonna teach the kids if they're not there? Dunno - maybe they'll have you doing more prep or something for the upcoming year?

So you mean like teachers are already doing in their holidays?
Maybe try treating the children's holidays as teachers being able to work from home flexitime. With some time in the school itself anyway. And yes, they're already doing the prep, admin and planning for the terms ahead.
But hey, if you want teachers in school full time in those weeks fine - where's the money coming from to is teachers the extra hours (currently not all holidays are paid) and to pay for the utilities, etc of having the building open all holidays?
Don't you think that's going to cost more than teachers doing the work at home in their own unpaid time?

The holidays are a perk of the job just like most jobs have a least one perk. Decent pay, low stress, respect from the public, bonus pay, staff discount, job satisfaction etc etc yanbu to dislike whinging on fb but teachers probably are bloody exhausted at least. I see lots of whinging by eejits who do bugger all.

I haven't rtft, because the arguments are always the same, but here's my 2 pence:

I have done the job for 15+ years.

I'm in my 30s and one of the oldest staff in my school; in my department of 11 there are only 2 that work full-time and have children of school age or younger, because doing so is nigh on impossible these days. I see my own kids for 1 hour (little one) or 2 hours (big one) each day.

Unlike my younger colleagues, I now refuse to buy equipment (glue, pens, paper(!)) for my school - I used to, but it only made the issues worse.

Unlike my younger colleagues, I refuse to work in school during the holidays - no extra revision classes, no matter what is generally the norm. I do offer after-school revision and lunchtime revision during term-time, but in most cases it was so poorly attended that I didn't see why I should cut down on even more time with my own children during the holidays when most students would just see it as something to do during the holidays, parents would use it for childcare and it would make zero difference to those who should really have attended anyway.

I refuse to work more than 9 hours a day most days, but will occasionally put in an extra 2 hours or so during the weekend to do extra marking - what doesn't get done in that time just doesn't get done.

I have ignored any paperwork I deemed pointless this year. Like 3 different versions of proving I was actually planning my lessons.

My results are in line with the rest of the department. I follow the research on what is effective, and funnily enough, most of the work we are required to do isn't. After-lesson marking, detentions, TAs (and subsequent liaising with them) make zero difference to outcomes. In-lesson marking, practising exam questions, making full use of parents' evenings, lots of praise, building relationships with students and using mark schemes and meaningful homework do make a difference - that is where the energy goes.

My PM this year will not be brilliant and it won't be dreadful. But neither can the school afford to lose me, because I'm bloody good at what I am doing and the kids know that. Experience helps.

But there is a reason I have managed to stay in the job that long. It is doing all of the above.

Am I tired? You bloody bet I am. Because despite trying to achieve a work-life balance, I am performing in front of an often disinterested audience 6 hours a day, trying to force non-academic students through an unsuitable curriculum, keeping them motivated even if they can't achieve their impossibly high target grades while they struggle to spell their own names or my subject.

I am tired, because I got up 3 nights in a row to clean up sick from various family members in the middle of the night and then still perform at the same energy levels the next day. I have also sorted out a psych appointment for an especially struggling student this week, taking hours off my evening to get over the various hurdles put in my way to do so. They hugged me yesterday.

I am tired, because I am ill for at least 1 week every holiday - it's what happens when the body and mind relax after non-stop (ab)use for many weeks at a time. So I moan, occasionally, like everyone else. It's not that difficult to fathom, surely?

Having looked after and taught 30 primary kids with hardly any thanks and moaning mums I am entitled to say I am tired.

Btw I am tired but only 18 days to go.

I think words like ‘moan’ can be overused. Teaching is a high profile public sector job which comes under a lot of public scrutiny - people are entitled to raise concerns about workload, health risks, pay etc (as in any field), and sometimes this will happen on a public forum. It’s not whining or moaning to raise genuine concerns - there are loads of issues in the way education is managed. The length of holidays isn’t particularly relevant to this- the hols are great (I am a teacher and thoroghly unapologetic about loving them), but people don’t have to ‘put up and shut up’ just because of that perk.
In the general day to day, complaining about tiredness is can be a bit irritating, whoever does it, esp when the implication is ‘I have a right to be tired, you don’t’. I don’t know if this is a particular ‘teacher’ thing though? I’d probably just raise an eyebrow or ignore someone who started going on like that.

It is very stressful, and yes we get holidays but spend them planning and marking usually.

How many can say they went from 6.30 to 4pm without a wee? I did yesterday

I do love teaching though

I gave up teaching five years ago. The first year or two I spent curled up in a ball. I had therapy until Dec 2018. I am not tired now, but it has taken years to get to this state.

Well done to the teachers who strictly limit their working hours. I always advised it but never did it.

tessalectus your post is spot on. I've been teaching for 23 years and it is impossible to do everything to the standards wanted.

Good god!!
OP And lots of other PP’s you would hate us Irish teachers! It is pretty much as you think over here, car parks are empty by 4.
We don’t take marking home as we do it in school time, planning gets done for a little bit Afterschool but we are not required to do it to the same degree/length as teachers in the uk. We get our breaks!! And I go to the toilet whenever I please! I have never spent my own money on class supplies.We moved classrooms last week IN school time! There is NO WAY we would come In over the holidays to do displays or plan! Any of my single colleagues are already gone to Asia, Australia and L.A and are not due back until the week before we go back to school. We will officially go back the day before the children to plan and sort out some things. And it’s quite funny we still manage to give the children a very good education.

All of the extra work/planning and pressure that uk teachers have and feel is ridiculously unnecessary and it needs to be stopped!! No wonder they are leaving in droves!!

@Youngandfree

Really? I am jealous

I'm not a teacher but spent my life working with children. I have worked in a school years ago. I don't think teachers think they have the hardest job , it's not a competition but they are entitled to look forward to their break as anyone else is. They aren't amazingly paid and work more hours than people give them credit.
Working with children is very rewarding and kids can be amazing but they are full on so it does tire you out. At the end of the day they are educating the next generation.

All those that bash teachers should spend a week in a classroom, then maybe they would understand why teachers are tired!

I suppose people dislike teachers because their lives were made hell by them as kids. My life was and I was a good student who went to a top uni. School was an ordeal. I don’t think my teachers actually liked kids!