To just make a point about how hard teachers work.

[Poppadumpony]

Just inspired by comments on another thread.

I know I am not being unreasonable but I just want to say it!

Teachers keep 30 children with diverse needs safe, happy, occupied and learning from 9-3pm.

Teachers typically plan and prepare for 5 lessons a day. This involves finding, adapting or creating the resources for each lesson. (Average KS2 lesson might need: introductory powerpoint, items for practical demonstration, 3x sets of worksheets and a game). This prep all happens after 3pm.

Teachers need to mark and provide feedback on all the work that said 30 diverse children produce during the 6 hours they are in school (30x5= 150) every day. This also happens after 3pm.

Teachers attend staff meetings, discuss children with parents and create educational displays in the classroom. This happens after 3pm.

At any one time, a teacher is also likely to be doing one of the following: planning a class trip, preparing an assembly, preparing a school concert, running a club, writing a scheme of work. This all happens after 3pm.

Teachers work incredibly long, hard hours. Yes, they get the holidays. Yes other professions do overtime.

I am just pointing out that really only a third of a teacher’s work happens between 9-3 (high-energy work) and there is a huge amount of additional work to be done every single day, in preperation for the next. The pace is phenomenal, and there is zero flexibility in terms of hours.

Teaching is a very hard job. It’s why I left after 6 years, I just couldn’t hack it. I’ve done a PhD so I am not afraid of hard work.

Teaching is not for the faint hearted.
Those who manage to do it well and achieve a family life at the same time should be running this country, and I’m not even joking.

I taught...now nhs even!

May day as an ex teacher :
6am get up.
7am commute.
8am go to staffroom , print out lesson materials.
8.20. Go to classroom set up tutor/ lesson materials. Check emails.
9- 11- teach( or try crowd control at least.) 11- break in theory but prob more likely detaining naughty students.
Teach till lunch...lunch eat but also detain students,/ set up lessons.
2- 3.30pm teach.
3.30- detention / plan/ mark/ call parents/ extra curricular activities..
5pm- commute home.
7- 10.30/ 11pm...plan /mark/ emails.
10.30/ 11pm.....sleep.

Ronse andcrepeat every fricking day..

Rinse and repeat

Yes everyone works hard, but good teachers work harder than most

1. Not everyone works hard.

1. Good teachers working harder than most? Doesn't even make sense. Do you think poor teachers don't work hard?

MissBunnyRabbit, your post has pissed me off more than I can say. Now I can't say that no teacher ever has posted on MN to say teachers work harder than other people. Utterly ridiculous, and you have let the side down.

I'm ashamed that a teacher, even one so new as you can post something so untrue, unthinking and unreasonable.

Other people work equally as hard its just that teachers seem to be put on a pedestal for it

No they don't, the teachers that is.

I lost respect for the teachers at my dcs during lockdown, they did the bare minimum, certainly no marking - wouldn’t know working hard if it slapped them in the face.

Some people work hard - including teachers.
Some people are just outright lazy at work - including teachers.

Working hard is the norm for most people. Only teachers seem to need to post about it all the time.

Only teachers seem to need to post about it all the time

I've never seen a thread started by a teacher (outside teacher boards) that does this at all. Never mind all the time.

You need to overhaul your critical thinking skills before posting.

I blame the teachers.

@SmellsLikeFeet

I don't think anyone disputes that What other thread? Shop keepers work hard, hairdressers work hard, volunteers in charity shops work hard I'm struggling to think of anyone who doesn't work hard TBH

I dont work all that hard for the money I make. I'm in an advisory/consultancy role so I basically tell others the best way to do things, they go and do the doing, not I.

I don't work as hard as a teacher, but I decided not to teach (did think about it once) for this very reason.

No one is forcing people to become teachers.

Oh come on. Try no harder than thousands of other jobs (try working in law for example!) and I think the holidays more than make up for it.

You know what you’re getting when you sign up, don’t like the hours, don’t do it!

Teaching is hard work but so are many jobs, jobs paid worse with a lot less holidays etc.

It's not top trumps on who has the hardest job though care workers are the unsung heroes in my book

@Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies

Exactly what my friends say

My DH is a teacher and works incredibly hard. However, one of us was working from 5am-7am and 7:30pm-9pm yesterday on top of the 8:30am-5pm working day and it wasn’t him. Teachers are indeed undervalued and it’s not a job I would ever want to do (which is why I didn’t do it). However they really don’t have the monopoly on hard work or unpaid overtime.

Oh, and he earns more than me too.

@malificent7 a lot of lawyers working on Sundays earn a lot less then teachers and with no benefits (no sick pay or pension). Criminal and family barristers on legal aid rates regularly work below minimum wage.

@malificent7 a lot of lawyers working on Sundays earn a lot less then teachers and with no benefits (no sick pay or pension). Criminal and family barristers on legal aid rates regularly work below minimum wage

They need to get a better union.

However they really don’t have the monopoly on hard work or unpaid overtime

Not the point the OP made.

Lots of people work hard without going on about it. There is a curious victim mentality amongst some teachers. One of my FB teacher friends goes on about so much about how hard her life is that I’m pretty sure she has chosen the wrong career. I wonder if the occupation is attracting the right sort of people. Regardless, there are other careers out there and if teaching doesn’t suit, change jobs.

Maybe teachers feel the need to post on MN about how hard they work because of all the millions of threads telling them how insert any derogatory word here they are.

[quote SmileEachDay]@year5teacher how is your first week going?[/quote]
I am dead on my feet to be honest! The marking takes so long because I’m not used to it and we’ve lost half our lunch break so it’s just a bit of a whirlwind. I think I’m enjoying it though! Thank you for asking

One way to look at this is the heightened moments of stress.You know that feeling, high alert, a hundred tabs open in your head.
While teaching that's high alert, all the time.
I've worked in a variety of equal pay jobs but nothing else compared to what I've experienced in teaching.
Holidays don't matter in this discussion as you cannot get those high octave stress days back.

I've got to the point where I only have conversations about teaching with people who've worked in the job.

One way to look at this is the heightened moments of stress.You know that feeling, high alert, a hundred tabs open in your head.
While teaching that's high alert, all the time.
I've worked in a variety of equal pay jobs but nothing else compared to what I've experienced in teaching

But lots of jobs are like this. I'm a university academic has have used those exact words to describe my job. I know others in different professions who feel the same.
The holidays do matter though ....that down time is needed when you work in a stressful job. At least as a teacher you're 'forced' to take it. I've had no down time and term is about to start - I'm ill and burnt out already.

I have a huge respect for the teaching profession - I know teachers and I work very closely with schools. Most teachers work very hard but so do lots of other people in other professions.

Yes I agree. But I'm now in academia delivering an MA programme and it doesn't IN MY EXPERIENCE compare to teaching because whilst the frantic nature of paper work is still there I am not dealing with behavioral issues. So as I said IRL I only talk to people who've taught in schools about this.

Not all teachers have to deal with serious behavioural issues ( but classroom management is part of the job so it's to be expected to some extent. ) but some academics have to deal with behaviour ( some fist year UG still think they're in school) despite it not being part of the job.

I've worked in schools, I work with schools, I've been a school governor for years - I have a lot of respect for teachers as it's not an easy job. However, there are lots of jobs that fall into that category and there are many jobs which are far more stressful ( and often don't have the benefits attached)
Becoming a teacher and staying working as a teacher is a choice though......

Oh FFS not another one! 🥱 your obviously a teacher fishing for validation. You chose this profession. Many many people work equally on the same level. If you are so overworked and stressed like so many others complain, find another job/career path.

@Readandwalk

It is, as you say, the heightened stress, whilst dealing with a huge amount of different, developing personalities, throughout the day. That to me, is the uniqueness of the job - the fact that you are dealing with children during that period of stress and have to put their needs before your own.