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.

Just because it's not the most difficult job in the world it doesn't mean it's not knackering. It's not a bloody competition. I'm grateful to my kids' teachers because they work their arses off and rarely go home before 5, when they take their work home with them. Most are parents too. I'm also bloody grateful to my junior doctor friend who works incredibly hard and is a mum of two, and to my cousin's wife, who's an awesome nurse as well as being a mum of two, both of whom help people on a daily basis. Teaching, like any vocation done well, is a lifestyle choice not just a career. Teachers are allowed to share stuff about being tired on FB, because this is the time of the year that's the most knackering. Let them.

Why? So the lazy sods teachers can see it. You know, to maximise goadiness!

WRT only having 5 weeks off: at least those can be taken at your discretion. Teachers can't take a break outside the holidays and any emergency leave is therefore unpaid.

Teacher resentment right before the summer holidays starts. What a surprise! This same basic thread is on here every year.
Then a few weeks into the holidays the same posters can't wait for the holidays to end because looking after +- just 2 kids all day is "such hard work."

I don't think that teaching is the hardest job in the world. Not physically, not intellectually. I do think that I could not wrangle 30+ of my kids, let alone teach them, let alone those with special needs or special parents, without disappearing even further into a bottle of sav' blanc than I do. They have my utmost respect.

Funnily enough, I can also have respect for junior doctors (which my eldest hopes to be, one day), lawyers, IT professionals (DH is doing a 48 hour stint starting at 0100 tomorrow morning), the dudes that do the bins (thank you so much, they make me barf), the nurses (I don't know how you manage to wrangle the doctors as well as the patients, but you do), and everyone else. . .

Teach not reach!

YABU. I think it’s fine for teachers to race towards a long break with arms open ! It’s not a competition, and you couldn’t pay me double what teachers earn to do their job even with the hols they get.

The survival rate of teachers after retirement is not low FGS .

They are in above average socio economic group and on average have 18 years of life after retiring at the age of 65. (from office of national statistics)

If that's not an example of teacher martyrdom I don't know what is.

I'm counting down the days until the summer holidays. I do love all the I can't wait for my kid to go back to school posts.

Ah, ok @RiddleyW Misunderstanding.
@ferretface I wouldn't presume that they are more tired than someone in a different job but with a challenging living situation , SN kids, twins etc. Or insomnia you realise teachers can also be these people? Teachers have SN kids, insomnia, challenging situations...they are actual people.

@Notbeingrobbed what makes you think teachers only work Mon-Fri? And not in the holidays?

As for the fuckwit who thinks it's the same lessons every year: no fucking way, no one would pass their PMR if they did that!

You’re right, it isn’t a competition.... and I see plenty of other people complaining about their jobs on FB too! That said, I’m a teacher and I get annoyed by all the posts complaining about fines for taking their kids to Disneyland, or complaining about the fact that the school is taking their DC to London and it’s too dangerous (yes, really!)

I had a totally different career before becoming a teacher and can tell you that end of term stress/ tiredness is a particular kind of exhaustion that I had never experienced before!

But I freely admit the holidays are awesome I’d never go back to trying to juggle childcare in the summer and really feel for those who have to.

Must admit. I have not seen such posts.

And being a teacher is not an easy job.

Many other jobs are hard too though, so it's unfair for anyone to say they are more tired. As has been said, they don't know everyone else's personal circumstances.

I guess it's like the posts/comments where parents say 'people without children have no clue what being tired is!' Patronising and presumptuous.

As I said though, I have never seen any teacher say this. Where did you see such comments? @Rainbowsandglitterbullshit

As a pp said, secreenshot them and show us.

Quell your rage, OP

• Teachers don't get paid for the holidays they have. Their wages are spread out throughout the year, but only paid for working weeks.

• No teachers I know regurgitate the same lessons every year. All have to be differentiated for various SEND, EAL students etc etc. Plus, the curriculum requirements and exams change so often it would be impossible to teach the same thing.

• I have never, not have any other teachers I know, suggested that teaching is the best job ever. The reason it is so tiring is that we have been hammered with GCSEs and a-levels for months. Or SATS in primary. And honestly, you try teaching 30 teenagers in a roasting hot classroom in the summer. You'll learn a lot about "human rights"

-Retention in teaching is dire. It is a very undervalued profession. Most teachers leave after 5 years. Must be all those stressful holidays.

-many teachers are expected to do unpaid work. For example, extra curricular activities, taking kids on overnight trips or abroad etc etc. None of these are paid (certainly not in my school) but teachers do them to enrich your kids lives. I don't even have kids and I've done 4 overnight trips this year. Got paid for none of those btw

But yeah. Don't worry about it, 6 weeks coming up, perhaps you should train to teach then you could enjoy 6 weeks of freedom too not that I will spend 5 out of 6 weeks planning next year's curriculum

As a teacher I really hate your attitude.
I may have chosen my career but its changed and workload is a huge issue now. I have been a teacher for 15 years plus and the job is now beyond recognition so when you moan about the holidays think of this:

1. A job where what you do is never good enough.
2. Its always your fault [ accountability is great]
3. Always having to put your own money out for resources. I swear I have funded my local authority with the amount I have paid out on glue sticks, white board pens and I totally refuse to pay out for pencils.

4.Having to mark 30 plus jotters most evenings. Not just mark but write comments on.

1. Have little support as the needs increase in the class. You could have a child that is deaf, blind, a different language and ADHD and huge expectations for you teaching them regardless without any support and being left to deal with it because of the policy on inclusion. [INobody cares that inclusion means that other children get excluded or time is diminished to teach them because of the needs in your class]
2. Having to take the time off when holidays are the most expensive.
3. Not having any flexibility to take leave if needed and being told no when you have some family responsibility because there is no one to cover the class.

6 weeks off? Its a drop in the ocean. Get off your high horse.

Sorry but teaching in the summer term is like being at a drunk, angry wedding at the end of the night with the heating on full blast. You try to give a speech but no-ones listening as they're too busy fighting. You want to go home but instead you need to stand there for 8 weeks....

I had a wee today at 3.20. First chance I had due to lessons and dealing with students issues. I've done many jobs in my life and worked very long hours, but teaching is different because you can't be 'off' during your day. I can't decide to make a cup of tea when I want, or maybe have a bit of an easy day, or postpone something until tomorrow because I'm not at my best. Every day I stand in front of 150+ different kids and need to know what I'm doing and keep those kids safe. There are lots of exhausting jobs, many that have stresses much harder than teaching (hopefully no one dies if I make a mistake !). But I am tired. I work 7.30-6 most days and mark/plan later on some evenings. And we don't get 13 weeks holiday as we use a vast amount of that to plan new curriculum stuff and ensure all the pastoral side is seen to. A lot of us externally mark exams too - if we didn't no one kids would get GCSEs or A levels.
We do our best. But we are human. At this time of the year the kids start to get demob happy and want to be anywhere but school. We still have to teach them.

We break up in 4 weeks time and I will spend the first 3 days running a summer school for in coming students. The next 2 weeks I'm going to do sod all. Then it's exam results fortnight so will be in school analysing and preparing for the kids who haven't made their grades for Uni so can support. And then it's back to planning for my new classes. So 2 weeks break, maybe the odd day more. But hey I like this job and it's the most rewarding thing I've done. Pay is crap (I used to work in industry & earned way more for much less energy).
Teachers are leaving in droves. It gets worse every year and with funding cuts its not looking good. It is a tough job and not made easier by being told we are singing lazy gits.

Although I am currently sat in the sun drinking a v large Rose. Cheers.

"@Notbeingrobbed what makes you think teachers only work Mon-Fri? And not in the holidays?"

Only the spectacularly stupid think this. One of my friends left teaching because it was taking over her life. I have the utmost respect for teachers (good teachers anyway)

La la la - here we go again. Why do no other professions get the whinging that teachers do? Oh yes, because teachers get 6 weeks summer holiday to prepare for the following year, recharge and SHOCK HORROR see their own children for more than 10 minutes a day.

Try spending 30 hours a week with 30 of someone else's children plus another 20-30 hours on top, then say you are tireder than a teacher at the end of term.
AIBU for getting the rage at people getting the rage at teachers?

(Disclaimer-I never moan on social media and do find it irritating when people do. However, having worked long hours in other jobs prior to teaching there is nothing quite like the mental exhaustion of the end of term where no matter how lovely your class have been, you have simply had enough of them.)

and also this

what makes you think teachers only work Mon-Fri? And not in the holidays?

Totally true.

😂 I'm a teacher and very very pregnant with a toddler, I'm more tired than anyone - I WIN 😂

Loads of people have harder jobs, loads of people have easier jobs it's not a competition.

MN is a very teacher friendly site.

No it fucking isn’t.

Define the most difficult job in the world.

Your difficult job is someone else’s dream job. My dream job might be your nightmare. How are we comparing? Hours worked, work taken home, stress levels? Who knows?

We all know that there are people in all types of jobs who work hard. There are equally people who post on here saying they’re bored at work with nothing to do, or that they’re on social media instead of working. The difference is that people don’t bash doctors, lawyers, security guards, librarians, bus drivers for saying they’re tired and looking forward to a holiday.

Clearly meant hardest job ever.

YANBU this is stupid to complain about what you have chosen deliberately. Go and change your job if you don't like. There are far more stressful work environments than a job with a bunch of children