To think that teachers are responsible for the school year

[Babymeanswashing]

Obviously, no other country has long school holidays in the summer. Five and a half weeks is obviously a lot, and given that non teaching spouses and non school age children get to take advantage of nice cheap holidays, I really think teachers need taking to task for this.

OK, there was obviously a heavy dose of sarcasm there in case it goes over anybody’s head, because I’ve been flamed for having the tenacity to teach and am ‘lucky’ because of the holidays.

I’m not fucking ‘lucky’! DP is paid over 80k a year, PLUS a car, PLUS a phone, PLUS gift cards for places like Argos on a regular basis for ‘loyal service.’ And while he has slightly less holiday than I do, he also has a lot more flexibility not only in the year but in his working day.

AIBU to say - go and train as a teacher if you think we are lucky. And I bloody love teaching BTW!

Knackeredneon

But what I do see is constant moaning and acting like they are so exceptional in a way I simply do not see with other professionals.

You see constantly moaning.

I see constantly defending themselves against people that have little or no knowledge of the profession.

Various governments, media and groups have tried very hard to give teachers a bad name.

It is a shame that so many people are so stupid that they actually believe it.

@Babymeanswashing - well said OP. @ChainJane - you think teachers work 9 -3 36 weeks a year. I don't really know how to respond without being really rude. Disclaimer, I'm not a teacher.

@Wimpund21 - I have family members & friends who are teachers. Primary, Secondary, State, Private. They all do ridiculously long hours.

The teacher". Not "all teachers". Can you not see the difference between your examples of people seeking advice on specific issues in their own life and your claim that it is "teacher bashing"

And yet it is fine, apparently to make the generalisation that 'teachers' (plural, general) constantly moan and say they have the only hard job.

Of course parents can talk about problems they have with specific teachers. I have agreed with parents on threads where they are perfectly justified in criticising a particular teacher. It's not as if I think there aren't any bad teachers. It's the sheer amount of threads criticising teachers.

And those threads (sometimes justified, but often not, imo) started by a parent about one teacher often turn into a barrage of teacher-bashing from other posters. And many of the OPs themselves, though they might be based on the example a specific teacher, make it very clear that the poster has nothing but contempt for teachers and the job they do.

@FrippEnos

Knackeredneon

But what I do see is constant moaning and acting like they are so exceptional in a way I simply do not see with other professionals.

You see constantly moaning.

I see constantly defending themselves against people that have little or no knowledge of the profession.

Various governments, media and groups have tried very hard to give teachers a bad name.

It is a shame that so many people are so stupid that they actually believe it.

I also often see threads started by teachers, complaining about how misunderstood their profession is and how hard it is, therefore inviting more negative opinions and 'bashing'.

My job is often spoken about very negatively. I don't start threads defending it because I don't want to read pages of posts about how shit we are. I may defend it if I come across something that is not factual, but I don't understand being pissed off with negativity then starting a thread to invite more.

DH is a teacher (deputy head). Is in his office by 730 every morning and doesn't leave until 530 every night. This view that teachers do 9-3:30 is nonsense. Also having to deal with so many nightmare parents is terrible. I couldn't do it.

yanb the slightest bit u.

I worked at a primary school for a while, I had a childcare qualification and wanted to be a teacher so I went in with the teachers and left with the teachers. I was in at 8am latest and left the school at 7pm earliest. I also went in during the holidays with the rest of the teachers - yes the holidays that they apparently never worked during!

That lasted a couple of years and I am now working in the technology industry! I've got so much respect for teachers, I didn't have the energy for it.

YANBU. And anyone who ever complains about the length of UK school summer holidays should be directed to the Phineas and Ferb theme song for a comparison to put them into perspective - "There's 104 days of summer vacation..."! That's nearly fifteen weeks, FFS!!

@Greenmarmalade

Most people recognise that. But it's only really teachers who bleat about how they are misunderstood and how difficult their job is.

I think teachers ‘bleat’ because they are underpaid for these hours, and definitely undervalued in society.

Tell me another job with similar workload expectations outside of normal working hours, and which is vilified in the media and by governments.

Nursing?

In seriousness its not a competition, teaching sounds shit though, i wouldn't for £100k so thanks all of you who do, I'd back pay rises and a week holiday to take during term time anytime.

Teaching is fucking exhausting. I’m at work for 9-10 hours a day which is not really abnormal but the thing I find hard is I LITERALLY DO NOT THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE 90% of the time. I find it so bloody hard to switch off. I wake up and the first thing I think about is work, and then I lie in bed at night thinking about the current children who are falling out/need pastoral support/aren’t meeting expectations/should have had an intervention but there wasn’t an available slot… this is not unique to teaching and it’s a total me problem in that I need to learn to switch off, but I find it far, far more exhausting than the hours physically worked.

The starting salary is also wank.

It’s also 100% the best job in the world. I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t.

And ALSO.. (last thing) I absolutely think that despite the workload, the long work hours and then taking more work home, I still teaching is easier than retail, hospitality and factory work to name just a few.

As a CP social worker I am in awe of my teaching colleagues. Since March last year so many services have stopped home visits and we have relied on school staff more than ever before to be the ones who keep track of our vulnerable children. Absoultley every child on my case load has continued to have a place in school, and the workload for school staff has practically doubled. Teachers and support staff have continued to offer face to face lessons for keyworker's children and children at risk whilst also delivering long arm lessons. They have also had to check in with children not in school, deliver food and also the track and trace expected alongside policing bubbles and with staff isolating. School staff do far more than just teach and seem to be expected to implement more and more around child protection and child welfare.

• Tell me another job with similar workload expectations outside of normal working hours, and which is vilified in the media and by governments. Nursing?*

What do nurses do from home? Genuine question.
I don’t think they get vilified in the press.

Holidays are a perk to teaching. But, teachers still work in the holidays, don't people realise that!!? When I was full time teaching before children, I'd go in every week of the summer hols. I had to move classrooms every summer (which isn't unlike moving house, huge job! And did loads of preparation work for September.

@Greenmarmalade

Most people recognise that. But it's only really teachers who bleat about how they are misunderstood and how difficult their job is.

I think teachers ‘bleat’ because they are underpaid for these hours, and definitely undervalued in society.

Tell me another job with similar workload expectations outside of normal working hours, and which is vilified in the media and by governments.

Try being a social worker...

@Greenmarmalade

I don’t however like the narrative that they are the only profession that works long hours though. This is fundamentally untrue. My sister in law (teacher - I am related to many) posted something the other day about how teaching is the only job where you have to do work to prepare to come to work and to be honest that’s just crap.

The workload is actually impossible, if you were to do everything you were meant to/asked to do. Literally impossible.

I can’t think of any other job that compares in terms of hours worked after/before work and at weekends. I don’t know anyone apart from teachers who do 2-3 hours in the evening after working 8-5 (briefings, meetings, after school cpd, detentions, clubs) and 4 hours at weekends. And it can be much more.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

I mean - you can’t be serious?

This describes everyone I know. They’re all doctors and lawyers. No teachers.

Doesn’t come close to describing what, say, dairy farmers do. Or plenty of small business owners.

It’s actually staggering that you believe this. What a very sheltered life you’ve led.

It's a hard, stressful job but no harder than many other professions and the hours, holidays and even pay is better than comparable jobs such as nursing. I was married to a teacher, I worked far longer hours in a public sector role for half the holidays. No one is saying it's easy but I really don't get the mindset a few teachers have that they are so hard done by.

I don’t know any teachers that work longer than say 8-5. I work maybe 8-6 on average and only have 25 days holiday plus bank holidays. The teachers get what, 12 weeks ish? So if you pro rated teacher pay up to if you worked 48 weeks of the year I wonder if the pay would be as bad?

I also often see threads started by teachers, complaining about how misunderstood their profession is and how hard it is, therefore inviting more negative opinions and 'bashing'

Point me at some.

I don’t know any teachers that work longer than say 8-5

I don't know any who don't.

Tell me another job with similar workload expectations outside of normal working hours, and which is vilified in the media and by governments

I read three newspapers each day and have yet to see any article vilifying social workers.

@showerbeer

And ALSO.. (last thing) I absolutely think that despite the workload, the long work hours and then taking more work home, I still teaching is easier than retail, hospitality and factory work to name just a few.

Apples, oranges.

OP, do you not know by now? You could literally have come on here to start a thread about how misunderstood you are in your career as a serial killer and you would have got a warmer reception. MNetters despise teachers.

YABU for starting yet another thread about how hard done by teachers are. I respect the profession and the work undertaken by teachers but why are you so special that you need to whine about your hours, holidays and how your DP gets argos gift vouchers?? Try talking to social workers, prison officers, foster carers, nurses and many other challenging professions and realise that other people do difficult jobs too.