Wondering why there's so much hate for teachers?

[Nannyogg134]

I've just been reading some responses to another thread concerning teachers and working over summer and there's a real mix of thoughts. I know that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but I'm always very taken back by the amount of negative comments regarding teachers (especially regarding workload and school holidays.)

I've taught in a state secondary school for almost 13 years and I came to the job after working in a care home for a few years. There are pros and cons; the school holidays are great (and yes, they are unpaid- teachers are paid per day of their contract, this is term time only, the wage is delivered over 12 monthly payments for ease of life.) However, there is no flexibility, so I rarely see my own children in sport's day, nativities, or even on parent's evening (if it clashes with something at my school.) Overall, I feel very passionately about giving my best to my students and extra time I spend on them feels mostly worthwhile.

However, whenever there is chat about teaching, the general feeling seems to be very negative. I'm just wondering where this seems to come from? Is it the classic 'horrible teacher' stereotype we see on TV etc.? Or is it a leftover from some of our own school days?

I suppose it's not really AIBU, more of a wondering where this issue comes from and if public view can ever be shifted?

Are these primary schools?

Most secondary schools have a contact list for all teachers on the website.

The curriculum was suspended for two weeks. After the Easter break a national online school was set up so that teachers could run the in-school provision as well as doing all the other lockdown-specific work we had to do including providing child care outside of term time.
However, as far as I am aware, every school went beyond Oakwood Academy and provided online teaching or at least resources for their pupils.
The whole situation was shocking and a panic-driven response but it was not the fault of teachers. The unions and the lockdown fans were bonkers though, I agree with that. But none of these circumstances are an excuse for teacher-hating and teacher-bashing.
There is plenty of catch-up provision. We have Saturday schools which very few pupils attend. This is not the teachers’ fault.

some teachers did fantastically others were atrocious.

my DC son got a 15 min morning catchup and given a worksheet that took at most an hour to do (worksheet was from an external company and not what the teacher had put together) and that was supposed to last then all day.

I understand some bits would be hard or difficult to do, but it rankles that as public sector workers they took the Pisa while nurses were putting their health on the line

Because someone has actively trained to become a teacher and knows the pay is shit and the stress is high .
Then they spend the next 30 years just moaning about it!
Should of done something else then!

user1477391263

You answer your own post in that in Japan it was treated like a holiday.
In England we (most of us) were rewriting schemes of work to fit online provision.

Its like the many threads saying Finland etc. didn't shut their schools but ignoring that they had reduced class sizes and rota'd classes and year groups.

How many posters on MN complained about how teachers were expecting parents to spend hours teaching their children with the work provided by the school, how many complained that schools were expecting their children to log in to live lessons, complaining about the hours of screen time the children were having, how they can’t do maths so how could they be expected to help their child. How many complained on here when teachers contacted them to ask how they were doing, not just academically but from a welfare point of view.

How many posters said they had given up with homeschooling, they weren’t going to bother etc.

How many said they were going to enjoy the time with their kids, weren’t going to force them to do writing, maths etc and the teachers would have to sort it when they were back in school

@toomuchlaundry

I dont have a direct contact for any teacher. Never have.

I cant even speak to a class teacher outside of parents night.

Yes my DC are both in primary.

Beyond? I got a bunch of print outs from twinkle and a wave goodbye. Unless you are talking about secondary?

@FrippEnos

Yes, I've said it varied from school to school.

Ours was shit as were many others.

Parents were justified in complaining about that.

And yes, the govt were responsible for decision makings but individual LA, schools and teachers also have to take accountability for their own practice.

If a nurse kills a patient through incompetence they can argue external impacts but ultimately have to accept their own failings

If a nurse kills a patient through incompetence they can argue external impacts but ultimately have to accept their own failings

The strawman has arrived.

If the teachers that you are talking about are working within the framework provided by the school then the school should take responsibility.

@FrippEnos I've just checked the local secondary school websites for my closest 3 schools, not a single one has individual teacher contact information. I live in a large town near two major cities, these aren't small schools.

@FrippEnos

Really?

So there are no shit teachers? Just shit schools?

No. I dont believe that .

I dont blame my kids individual teachers for the poor provision.

I blame the school, the la and the govt.

Do I think individual teachers absolutely took advantage of that shitness to have an extended holiday?

Yup.

In my defence I did say most not all.
Some are hidden away.
and some need to realise that its no longer the century of the fruitbat

I also recognise that some don't do it due to the abuse that the teachers would get.

@JubileeTrifle Oakwood academy was available for primary.

Posters moaning about teachers complaining about their working conditions and then also moaning about their kid having crap teachers or inadequate provision really should engage their brains and figure out the link between the two.

The education system is falling apart. There aren’t enough teachers to go around. The government is horrendously failing to meet its recruitment targets. And yet each class needs a warm body in front of it, so of course there will be classes with unsuitable teachers, strings of supply teachers, or unqualified teachers teaching classes.

If teachers are leaving or not joining the profession because of the working conditions, which is certainly the case, then these complaints need listening to and addressing or the situation will only get worse.

I posted during first lockdown when there was all the outrage about differing education provision between schools, some of which was terrible. People complaining that private schools were doing more and had better provision. YES. I said to not think for a minute that the situation would be any better when schools reopened and it wasn’t so obviously in their living room anymore.

But for some people it seems to be a case of out of sight, out of mind.

Education provision is patchy and IME getting worse, due to the inability to staff schools appropriately. This is not just teachers, but support staff and teaching assistants.

This will get even worse in September. Teacher cost of living pay rises recently announced (which are mostly well below inflation) have not been matched by increased government funding to pay for them. If teachers are to get the pay rise (and some schools won’t pay it) then this will mean redundancies in staff and other cost cutting measures. This will mean less provision for SEN children (already cut to the bone), larger class sizes, and fewer subjects on offer.

@FrippEnos Well, I've never known it to be the case that they do it as standard, and as all of the schools locally to me don't I'm not sure most do. I don't have any contact details for any of my kid's teachers, just the school contact details, which are only checked during school opening hours.

My job though - right now I'm fielding text messages from and to four different colleagues about work; none of us work on Sundays, but as tomorrow is Monday and we need to know the info before then, needs must!

Topgub

I have no idea why you think that there are no "shit" teachers.
I have said that in the case of teaching provision during covid the schools will have set policies in place that the teachers have to follow.

I blame the school, the la and the govt.

Then we are at least partially on the same page.

Do I think individual teachers absolutely took advantage of that shitness to have an extended holiday?
Yup.

I suspect that some did, in the same way that many other workers did. There would be very few jobs where workers didn't.

Sorry haven't read the full thread but am quite amused at the poster who said schools knew they were closing ages before they did!!

GeekyThings
Well, I've never known it to be the case that they do it as standard, and as all of the schools locally to me don't I'm not sure most do. I don't have any contact details for any of my kid's teachers, just the school contact details, which are only checked during school opening hours.

I can only go by my experience and those that I have worked with, It could be an area thing

My job though - right now I'm fielding text messages from and to four different colleagues about work; none of us work on Sundays, but as tomorrow is Monday and we need to know the info before then, needs must!

I believe that the MN response is so do many jobs :)

@FrippEnos Exactly - so it wouldn't be unusual if teachers' contact details were used by colleagues or parents, as many professions have that with colleagues and clients anyway; meaning it isn't really some kind of exceptional work circumstance only had by teachers, and a reason why they somehow have it harder than anyone else.

It just makes bringing it up seem a little pointless.

You may get a list of teacher emails when you are a parent at the school. Schools I am a governor for and the school my DC go to, all have a standard format for teacher emails, so once you know the format and the name of the teacher you will know what their school email address is. At all these schools parents know they can contact the teachers.

I am assuming where schools don't have teacher emails open for parents, is because they have been abused by parents. Abusive parents are one of the reasons teachers leave the profession.

Do you get abusive emails from clients @GeekyThings? Do you get emails demanding an immediate response otherwise you will reported to your CEO, regulatory body, MP, even the Prime Minister!

@toomuchlaundry

I get abusive everything.

Punched, kicked spat at. Abuse on the phone. Abuse in person.

Reported to senior management etc

You cant seriously think this is unique to teachers

We aren't even allowed to speak to class teachers we must speak to a deputy head with any problems that we have

sounds bizarre, does the deputy have nothing else to do? They must be swamped.

@toomuchlaundry Yeah, those are work email addresses, everyone has them, so not really personal contact details, are they?

At my job now it isn't too bad, but sure, I've had abusive emails/phonecalls/letters/direct contact etc etc. in some of my jobs. One time there was a guy with an axe saying he'd kill us if we cut off his TV, people get angry about all sorts!