Okay, about teachers...

[KitKat1985]

Okay I'm being brave here. I know a few people who happen to be teachers. Whenever they talk about their jobs, there's a real 'no other profession has to work as hard as us' vibe to their speech. I am fully aware and in agreement that it's a stressful job with long hours and ridiculous amount of pressure if you don't count the long holidays but it's hardly the only profession that has these issues. I myself am a nurse, and 14 hour shifts on an under-staffed ward with no breaks and several severely ill / abusive patient to look after are hardly a picnic either. But whenever I discuss work with teacher friends there's a definite 'if you want to talk about stress you should try being a teacher' element to the conversation, and it's starting to really get on my nerves. Lots of jobs are stressful, teaching isn't the only one! And it's only teachers I know that seem to have this general attitude about their profession. AIBU? Is it really more stressful than any other profession out there?

Right - this is what I think - there is prob the same stress and same overall hours but condensed into terms so during term time the hours are very long and the stress levels are high. In August the stress levels are low. Which does not make for healthy working - high stress and long hours means that teachers often get burnt out or ill but even if you need a break, you can’t take one.

Nurses are at least appreciated

Lmao indeed. I've lost count of the amount of times I've been assaulted (including broken bones and losing consciousness) that have been reported to be told by police "it's part of the job isn't it?"

I think the Unionised nature of teaching helps feed the ‘chip on the shoulder’ of teachers. It’s a tough job, but so are many, and that’s without the huge holiday entitlement. I get 28 days a year in my job, and would hazard a guess that I spend at least 10 of those working in some capacity. I am paid a salary for 35 hours a week but regularly work 50. But I have teacher friends and family who constantly play the “overworked and underpaid” card.

Nurses deal with life and death every day for appalling levels of pay and a messed up body clock. They really do have it tough.

That said, I have respect for both professions, but in my experience teachers moan a hell of a lot more than nurses.

I think the Unionised nature of teaching helps feed the ‘chip on the shoulder’ of teachers

Teaching and nursing need to be much more unionised. Neither profession has enough protection from increasing demands and lessening funding.

Please stop talking about “teachers” as though we are all the same. I have no chip on my shoulder.

Who dies when teachers get it wrong?

If you saw and experienced the wide range of children that teachers see daily, some of which come from such horrific backgrounds you would be disgusted/speechless and teachers have become the frontline support for these children because of mass budget cuts elsewhere, as well as being their educators. If they get it wrong, yes children sadly can die

Why would anything change in public services when women are so busy fighting each other? Social work, nursing, teaching...all heading over the edge and into the void and everyone squabbling with their peers. All that energy and power to change things just wasted.
So yes, your children will be the experimental rats trying to learn from non-specialists who don’t stay more than a year or two, and you will be cared for by exhausted nurses in understaffed, ill-equipped buildings.
Unless you can pay for private.

Genuine question - how many 14 hour shifts does a full time nurse do per week.

My son and girlfriend usually do 4 long shifts a week because they're young and saving for a house. Last week DS2's girlfriend went on a night shift to find herself the only qualified nurse on duty. Shes been qualified a year and had to beg for an agency nurse.

DS2 works in A&E. The tokens of appreciation he's had are being called a cunt, being spat at, being threatened, being screamed and shouted out, being abused for keeping people "too long" 5 minutes after a baby has died.

All public sector workers are under paid, atm. There is a recruitment and retention crisis right across the board. It's probably one of the most stressful times to be at work, wherever you work, private or public sector right now. No on has the monopoly on that.

And to answer something up thread, the armed forces don't tend to bring work home (although DH does and was contacted on holiday last week) because they're away half, or sometimes more, of the year.

Stopped reading at ‘long holidays’

Ffsake how many times has it been pointed out that teachers actually work most of them and we are paid a salary not ‘paid holidays’

So many people with a chip on their shoulder. If it’s that easy become one.

Lmao indeed. I've lost count of the amount of times I've been assaulted (including broken bones and losing consciousness) that have been reported to be told by police "it's part of the job isn't it?"

Same with teachers. My left arm still can’t reach as high as my right arm, after being dislocated after I was attacked by a student. Had to be back at work two days later as Ofsted were in. Kid just got 5 days internal exclusion and I was denied compensation. We all have anecdotes to tell and public sector, frontline jobs are all stressful and poorly paid. It does us a complete disservice to argue amongst each other. You, as a nurse do a fantastic job. Thank you. Even the arsehole ones. Same as teachers. We also both have perks, albeit different ones and can equally quit and do another job if you choose to.

OP, although you have disappeared as all goady posters do I really hope you are still reading this and at least a little bit ashamed of contributing extra stress all round, when there didn’t need to be.

IT'S NOT A COMPETITION !!!!

Genuine question - how many 14 hour shifts does a full time nurse do per week.

I do 3. Many of my colleagues do 4 or 5 but I can't do more than 3 due to childcare commitments.

Anyway, I do feel my words have been twisted by some on this thread. My original point, was that I feel a lot of teachers really de-value the stress other professions go through as well. My words have been twisted somewhat to I'm saying teaching isn't stressful or that I think it's 'easy', even though I've clarified repeatedly that I don't believe that nor have I ever said it. For what it's worth, I think my teacher friends do a great job and work very hard, but I'm just tired of how defensive they get about their workload and how they always seem to have to go to lengths to tell me how much worse their jobs are than mine (or anyone elses) if ever the subject of work comes up. Anyway, for what it's worth: teachers - you work hard and do a good job. I'm bowing out now.

I think alot of the responses on this thread actually proved the OP point.

I dont find MN anti teachers. In fact I think it's the opposite. You cant express any negativity towards teachers without an absolute pile on of posts.

I find thread after thread on here does tend to have a vibe of "we have it the worst in the world".

Lots of professional jobs carry expectation of hours of work out side of working hours with less benefits and pay. Others will have the expectation and higher pay. They will also all carry differing responsibilities and consequences if not done.

If anything a wider debate is needed on employers expectation that employees will facilitate this level of work out side of contracted hours in all professions.

Burn out doesnt just impact teachers in today's society and stress specifically work related is having an awful impact on lots of different groups of employees. The WHO now actually recognise burnout related to employment. That's is crazy.

I'm bowing out now having stirred the pot one more time

Fixed it for you.

@ChloeDecker I didn't 'disappear'. I had to take the kids out this afternoon and then get them dinner and to bed.

For what it's worth, I think my teacher friends do a great job and work very hard, but I'm just tired of how defensive they get about their workload and how they always seem to have to go to lengths to tell me how much worse their jobs are than mine (or anyone elses) if ever the subject of work comes up.
Yet you couldn't save your frustrations for your friends, you had to do yet another generalise about a profession thread that's been done to death a million times.
Anyway, for what it's worth: teachers - you work hard and do a good job. I'm bowing out now
Aka I've chucked a grenade, knew what sort of thread it would be and now I'm going to disappear.

You good? How is term 1?

That always happens!
One person says "Teachers work hard", posters then pile in to say "What do you mean, no one else works hard" Another says "Nurses work hard too" posters have a chorus of" Nobody said they didn't" A teacher says " well, I work hard" Cue an avalanche of posters saying " all those holidays, how can you say you work harder than anyone else" Some one says " no one said that" and then everyone piles in!
Teachers work hard and get stressed.
Nurses work hard and get stressed
Accountants work hard and get stressed!
It's not something we as a country should be proud of!

@Dorsetdays I’m not a teacher either I just respect the people who teach my children and don’t see the need to bash people on the internet.

That’s great your happy in your job!

You’re*

Okay I'm being brave here.

I think you may have confused being brave with being a shit stirrer.

SmileEachDay
Waves back!
Wonderful thank you. Yourself?

Agree with pp that this is yet another goady teacher thread! In RL I don’t moan about how hard my job is and neither do I gloat about my 17 weeks holiday, but the reality is I work bloody hard and stupidly long hours (senior role) and absolutely LOVE the holidays!

Some teachers do moan!! But NOT all do!!

I think the defensiveness comes because the media and a lot of the public devalue what we do and the hours and money we put in, we always have to justify what we do.

I don't work harder than other professions BUT I do feel criticised constantly by other people who aren't in the profession, it's other peoples assumptions about teaching which makes teachers feel they have to justify their hours.

Everyone has an opinion about how to teach just because they have been to school.

Instead of knocking each other, whatever our jobs, shouldn't we be praising each other profession, no matter what job we do or hours we work.

Wonderful thank you. Yourself?

Fab! New school so a zillion things to learn but it’s a positive move.
Several new schemes of work though and we all know what that means in terms of hours!!

My original point, was that I feel a lot of teachers really de-value the stress other professions go through as well.

I agree that your original point has been missed by many here as you never said teachers don’t work hard - but that doesn’t change the fact that your original point was plain bullshit too. A couple of your friends who are teachers (be honest - is it just one?) have had a moan, and you equate that to all teachers moaning and acting as though their job is harder than others. That’s just nonsense. ‘A lot’ of teachers don’t devalue other people’s stress - just a few (probably just the one) you happen to know have done. By all means speak to them and tell them how you feel about it - all the teachers on mumsnet who have never done this don’t need telling. You’ve created a mountain out of a molehill here - what you’re talking about, ‘a lot of teachers devaluing the stress others go through’ isn’t a thing. A massive non-issue if there ever was one...