Why is there so much hostility against teachers on MN?

[Bulb1976]

Is it jealousy? The daily teacher bashing threads on here are ridiculous.

Do you blame us for schools closing?

"It’s my DH’s birthday and we are going to have a nice dinner and bottle of wine 🍷"

Ah you blew it there op. Couldn't possibly be a teacher if you have time for dinner and a bottle of wine, surely you're lesson planning for February 2023.

It is a very hard job. But..there are far harder jobs--NHS front line, social workers, fire fighters, police.. What is weird though is people thinking they know so much about the job either based on their own experiences of school, or based on what little their kids tell them. I'm a teacher. Most parents are lovely, just doing the best they can and probably failing sometimes, like most teachers. A few parents are delusional, others entitled, some are dangerous. And I dare say a few teachers are too. I think there sees to be a knee jerk dislike of teachers because it's convenient for parents to blame kids' flaws or issues on school (I've found myself doing it) when the truth is kids that get themselves in stupid situations because..they're kids

Pomegranatepompom
You're right.
I'd like to think most of the time most people don't judge a whole profession based on them.
It's rather annoying that some seem to think because they had a teacher they didn't like at school or didn't like school themselves that that qualifies them to make ridiculous generalisations about what teachers do/don't do, our pay, conditions, professionalism and so on. For some it seems to be a long lasting chip that they can't shift.

Tbh I don’t think this thread has helped. There are some people not suited to their jobs everywhere. Hopefully people are mainly fair and base their opinion on an individual basis.
My DC have had mainly good teachers, 2 fantastic and 1 imo not suited.
There does seem to be more griping maybe that’s Mumsnet (and my SIL at times), the teacher threads always turn into a battle.

The home learning provided for my DC has been pretty minimal too. DH is determined to move DD up a book band!

Some teachers are excellent, DS's teacher has been commenting (written comments but also little videos which are lovely) on all his work. And very realistic about the challenges we are all facing at the moment. Some are shit, DD1's maths teacher is not covering himself in glory at the moment and DD2 had a dreadful long term supply teacher in Y1 who set her back academically (luckily the next year she had probably the best teacher in the whole school who loved kids and was really good at seeing them and getting the best out of them).

Our beloved OP Bulb is clearly someone with a massive attitude problem, who has made a front line HCP cry and repeatedly insulted the parent on a disabled child on this thread alone. The answer to her original question 'why does MN have a problem with teachers?' is, em, because of teachers like you Bulb who are repeatedly rude to people who point out that not all teachers are wonderful at their job, and they don't do the hardest job (ICT nurses and doctors caring for patients with a new disease we have no cure for and that the HCP has a high chance of catching and dying from themselves vs teacher providing childcare for that nurse's kids, there is no contest really is there).

I’m just reporting personal attacks right now and I shan’t be responding.

And yet the only comments being deleted due to personal attacks is you OP

Keep going OP your absolutely doing sterling job representing teachers

DD finally got an email from his teacher. Detailing what a wonderful time she was having educating her son at home. She talked through their whole day of abusy timetable together. It left me fuming. I have to do my normal job and somehow teach my son with no support and minimal contact..

@Bbang I have similar experience to you to the point that as a group we rarely go out as the conversation is dominated by this individual. They have never had any other job - not even in uni - so have no idea of life outside of teaching.......and thinks their partner has an easy time at work.........

Seeitsortit
They have never had any other job

Strangely you only ever see this generalisation with teachers.
yet there are so many other people that have only worked in one profession.

FrippEnos

It's a really stupid comment used when people want to dismiss teachers discussing the challenges of their job, up there with "in the real world" (because schools exist and operate separate from all know universes) and "but nurses..." (because no jobs could have different difficult challenges).

It feels like some posters are being a bit dismissive, yes all jobs can difficult. The most difficult job at the moment is in critical care. It’s right that we support those people and don’t continue with the ‘my job is stressful’ competition.

@LolaSmiles maybe she shouldn’t tell me that my job isn’t anywhere near as stressful as hers then, then I might just have a bit more sympathy. It’s the dismal of anyone else’s work as minor compared to hers that irritates. Other people have stressful jobs, we just don’t say about all the time

I really can’t think of another adult under 70 I know who has only ever worked in one profession - barring the teachers I know. The ones I know went from school to uni to teaching and never left it. It may not be common among them, but it’s common amongst the ones I know/

I really can’t think of another adult under 70 I know who has only ever worked in one profession - barring the teachers I know. The ones I know went from school to uni to teaching and never left it. It may not be common among them, but it’s common amongst the ones I know

1. So what?
2. I can think of loads: lawyers, publishing, IT, banking.

Ritascornershop

I know many people that have only ever been in one profession.

I did three different jobs before teaching.
I have letters after my name to prove it too.

I have been in what is so glibly termed "the real world" working in the City.

I know many people that have only ever been in one profession
Same.
It's really not that unusual, especially in professions that require specific training programmes.

You lot may well know people in other professions, I’m just saying that in my circle I don’t know anyone who has only worked in one profession. Of my close friends and their spouses, most are paid in some way by the government. I have a friendly acquaintance who is a lawyer (barrister), I shall check in with him. My friend who is a doctor did not begin his post-BSc till he was in his late 20’s and had many jobs before deciding on medicine (he’s a specialist). Anyone I know in IT also did other jobs. It’s anecdotal, I’m just saying the teachers I know versus other people I know. My parents’ generation it was common to just have one job for life, but even my dad (long dead) had 3 distinct job sectors after serving in the war.

@Seeitsortit @LolaSmiles out of a teaching staff of 60 I reckon about a third have had other careers e.g. Media, electronic engineering, solicitor, recruitment, translator, marketing, programming, even a tv presenter. I include myself in that list. I would not say that we are better teachers. The young teachers who have come through in recent years have paid for PGCE i.e.taken out extra loans. The old job for life thing does not exist we are managed out if results are bad irrelevant of the cohort ability and increasingly on competency issues. Headteachers are keen to keep salary costs down and recruiting NQTs as opposed to experience staff is one way and the second way is to get rid of long servers.

Ritascornershop

It’s anecdotal,

It is a generalisation and BS, and just another way to try and bring teachers down.

I will hold my hands up and admit I had a very jaded view of teachers after my son was put through a horrendous experience at primary school by the actual headteacher. The head refused point blank to entertain the idea that there maybe anything " wrong" with my son and basically just thought he was an out of control child and I was a shitty single parent. Made our lives hell for two years and eventually permanently excluded my son. Since then my son has been diagnosed with ASD, adhd, ad, high anxiety and bilateral deafness and now has an EHCP and is in a SEN school. The teachers at his new school have completely changed my view on the teaching profession, they are amazing, dedicated human beings who give their absolute all to their jobs and the kids they work with. The same with my daughters teachers, always trying to help and always doing their absolute best.

It is odd, the ‘teachers have never had another job’ brigade. Most of my university friends went straight into what they’re still doing (mostly law, but also medicine and city banking). On the other hand, I, a teacher, did not and nor did a reasonable number of my colleagues. I would guess that the figures on this are pretty similar across most professions really.

I have huge respect for teachers. They do alot more than teaching.