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'm a teacher. I wouldn't claim teachers work harder than everyone else, or are more underpaid than everyone else, or even are more undervalued than everyone else. But I think that having to spend one day trying to control and educate groups of 30+ teenagers or small children, followed by an evening of planning and marking would be quite an enlightening experience for anyone who scoffs at teachers' jobs being hard. Many parents seem to have trouble managing their own 1, 2 or 3 children.

Posted today by a teacher friend

Just self-flagellate already!

It’s definitely very hard. Trying to remember everything you need to do in a lesson and also differentiating appropriately AND having high expectations for all AND using formative assessment AND managing behaviour AND making time to wash hands whilst making sure everyone produces a high quality piece of work and meets the learning intention isn’t easy.

^

AKA having a job?!

This is what everyone else does too! Managing priorities and deadlines. Which includes behaviour!

@managedmis

Posted today by a teacher friend

Just self-flagellate already!

As PP said these threads don't help teachers.

These type of 'poor me' posts are just cringe.

I work in an industry where long hours, often 7-7, are expected if the project requires it.

I have worked today as I have a submission due on Tuesday.

I don't get paid overtime, don't have 6 week holidays, often I have to leave my phone on during holidays in case something comes up.

I'm paid ok for what I do. I chose this job. I don't really know that many people who work their proper hours, everyone works more than they are official paid to. I also work in a high risk industry which stayed open during lockdown. We got on with it.

I know teachers as friends and they all said they have basically been on 5 months part time as their schools were completely inept at adapting to the current situation, and blocked any suggestions from the teachers.

noble thanks for including some of my observations about my highly vulnerable foster children in your oh-so-hilarious bingo.

Well done. Good work.

These type of 'poor me' posts are just cringe.

Except most of the posts are having a go at teachers. But don't let the truth get in the way of your whine.

This is what everyone else does too! Managing priorities and deadlines

Exactly. It's all part of having a job. You'd think no one else had targets and deadlines to meet or priorities to manage, tasks to organise etc... Often with not enough time in the day.

I may start my own thread 'to just make a point about how hard lawyers work' just to tell you all about my day. Then maybe everyone else can join in and start one about their job and we can all compete for who has it hardest. Yawn.

By saying teachers work hard and long hours doesn’t mean they think other professions don’t. It’s like by saying black lives matter doesn’t mean that others don’t. This thread was about teachers and not comparing them to others.

YABU as lots of proffessions work hard. Does not take away from the fact teachers do but come on, how many teacher threads will there be.

@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.

An awful lot of people work intensely from 8-6 but without the nine extra weeks’ added holidays.

@lazylinguist

I'm a teacher. I wouldn't claim teachers work harder than everyone else, or are more underpaid than everyone else, or even are more undervalued than everyone else. But I think that having to spend one day trying to control and educate groups of 30+ teenagers or small children, followed by an evening of planning and marking would be quite an enlightening experience for anyone who scoffs at teachers' jobs being hard. Many parents seem to have trouble managing their own 1, 2 or 3 children.

🙄 most professions have their own equivalent of this.

A lot of teachers have done nothing since the beginning of lockdown.

Your choice, HelloMissus, to use your individual experience to have a pop at teachers in general. Not my list, but that’s why it was on there if I recall correctly.

I agree that teachers work hard and it is a v difficult job.
However - there are several teachers in my extended family and my mum, all my aunties and uncles constantly go on and on about how hard it is for them.
Both my husband and I work / have worked v long hours in v stressful and difficult jobs but no one in my family ever mentions or recognises this. There is definitely something about teaching that make people turn teachers into martyrs

My sisters a teacher in primary school and she doesn't work harder than anyone else 😂love her so I'm not moaning she's admitted it herself. She did basically fuck all for most of lockdown compared to what she would in school. Upper schools probably a whole different ballgame.

noble I made my comment about my foster children’s specific circumstances and it was scooped up to be mocked despite the fact that it was about children in care and my individual experience over lock down.

The fact that you choose to keep peddling it shows what you think of such children ie you don’t give a shit as long as you’re having a good old laugh.

Yep, you work really hard, I think most people recognise that.

When you say you think teachers don’t get the recognition they deserve, what do you mean exactly? What recognition do you want and from whom? Money? Clapping on a Thursday? Praise on Mumsnet?

@SmellsLikeFeet

May I just say thank you for thinking about such an unappreciated job. You probably made their month! I remember every thank you I got, kept the cards and still fondly remember a cake and a box of chocolates (which ee all shared of course). I also know exactly who gave them, a decade later.

Yes every profession works hard but honestly no one harps on about it as much as teachers

This covers my thoughts on the OP. Agree with the PPs who commented that teachers who have had previous careers have a more realistic view of how privileged they are.

Yes I know teachers work hard, especially considering we've been told on here all through lockdown how difficult teaching is. I'm sure it is but most people work as hard and surely most people don't actually believe teachers finish at 3pm.
I don't agree they keep children safe though. My daughter has been bullied for pretty much the last 4 years and isn't safe at school.
I couldn't be a teacher but have been a nursery nurse and that is hard work but never ever recognised. As I said I can't critise teachers totally because I know they do a job I couldn't but my daughter's experience has left me feeling let down by her school. Unfortunately we can only judge teachers on our experience and ours hasn't been good recently. I know there are good ones though as her KS1 teachers were fantastic.

I do know quite a few people who went into teaching expecting it to be an easy ride, a quick route to a professional qualification, with job security and lots of holidays - when anyone with half a brain can see it clearly isn’t an easy option. They left pretty quickly citing the unreasonable pressure and blaming the government when clearly they were surprised to find out it’s a demanding, high pressured profession - funny that.

So I can definitely see that some people have a perception of teaching as being easy.

@OverTheRainbow88

By saying teachers work hard and long hours doesn’t mean they think other professions don’t. It’s like by saying black lives matter doesn’t mean that others don’t. This thread was about teachers and not comparing them to others.

But what is the point? We get it. Teachers are in the same boat as lots of other jobs. Shall we all start making threads saying how hard we work and listing everything we do in a day?

Well that went well OP.

The OP isn’t a teacher I don’t think. So all the “why are teachers always demanding adulation” comments get a cross.

The OP didn’t say teachers are the only hardworking professionals so all the ones saying “teachers aren’t the only ones” also get a cross.

That’s reduced my marking load by about 98%.

hope you’ve had a lovely first week back!