I am not sure I agree that Teachers have absolutely exhausting jobs - much more so than most jobs - as said by man on r4 this morning

[RevolutionHere]

i am not sure what my dh, former welder would make of this statement

this is an argument regarding long summer holidays,

She expected what she got and is no doubt revelling in it. I think it's a shame that people are actually engaging with her.

I've never been a welder, but I have been a teacher and done several other jobs in quite a few different industries and none of them have come close to teaching in how exhausting they were. I also know welders and they get paid a damn sight better, work fewer hours, and actually get paid for the hours they work. YABU.

But teachers don’t get paid for their holidays!

I would recommend you just pause, just stop typing @RevolutionHere . I would guess you’re feeling hard done by for some reason (which is fine) and you were looking (maybe without realising!) for somewhere to project that feeling. “Ah ha! Teachers! They’re an easy target.” We all do this. I do this, when I’m pissed off at work I often start bitching about someone and it’s probably not their fault either. It’s so much wider than all of us.
But please don’t bash teachers of all people! They’ve just been working their asses off working really hard with our kids - and (the vast majority) have done it with warmth and humour and developed some fab relationships with kids (who might not have these relationships at home). They’ve finally got to the end of term and deserve gratitude (not having someone else’s envy or job dissatisfaction dumped on them)!

Thank you!!
#TeamRhysand

The teachers I know generally don’t think they have it harder than anyone else. They don’t claim to have the only profession that is exhausting or tiring.

But they are sick of constantly having to defend their jobs. It never ends. Constantly people who have no idea what the job is actually like, making comments about their holidays, they need to toughen up, etc etc etc. No other job seems to get bashed as much as teachers do, and it makes them defensive.

Uded to trach. Gave it up adno power to docipline kids nowadays. I do miss the holifays but not everuthing else. I can come home and not plan till 11pm every night..

School term dates are determined by tradition and by the needs of children, not teachers. That said, there is something uniquely existing about being in charge of large numbers of children or adolescents all day and having to juggle behaviour management, learning, assessment or progress and the development of independent learning skills for each and every individual child. It’s physically and psychologically demanding. After about 6 weeks the kids start to climb the walls, learning sbd productivity reduce and it’s clear they need a break.

i think GPs do. Police officers. Paramedics. But also as someone said above there are lots of really really tough jobs that the general public couldn’t care less about and therefore give no consideration at all to- prison officer, social worker. I’m not sure what’s worse!

Ah this is true. I will rise to the bait no longer!

Effectively for this conversation it means that if school holidays were to be made shorter the government would have to spend billions more to fund the extra teaching hours.
I think a lot of people bring it up because they think we’re paid for our holidays when we don’t. We’re effectively paid for 5 weeks (what most jobs offer) and then the rest of the time is unpaid and inflexible.

Teachers don't claim it is the ONLY exhausting or the MOST exhausting job. They respond fairly when someone talks about their "short days" or "getting paid for 12 weeks of holidays."
I find it a absolutely redundant talking to some people about the realities of teaching. Doesn't matter how much experience you have of the actual job.

Data alone proves it is a difficult job. A third of newly qualified teachers leave the career in 5 years. Despite the holidays and the "short days" there is a significant recruitment and retention crisis in the role that is only getting worse.

I’ve been a TA and HLTA for 14 years and am now in another profession entirely. Teaching is a hugely exhausting job, but the frequent holidays do help with the exhaustion - you’re never that far from the next one. I can see why teachers would want to retire by 55 though. HLTA pay is an absolute joke for the amount of work and responsibility - I loved it, but was not sorry to swop it for a better paid job.

I've taught in further education (14yr olds upwards)
Same as standard teaching but WITHOUT all the paid holidays; now that was an exhausting job! Loved it though but absolutely hated the bureaucracy.
Honestly though, yes it was exhausting but not as much as other jobs that I've done.
I would still choose to go back into it again if my personal circumstances allowed. I really do love teaching even though prepping into the early hours or at weekends is the norm, students can be utterly vile, those still under 18 often get their parents involved that can be equally as vile, oh and then there's OFSTED.... just when you thought you were doing a fantastic job, they come in and tell you how shite you are even though youve implemented everything and more from the last report...
I do personally feel though that teachers who get the full quota of annual leave that have never done a different job, really don't appreciate how generous their leave really is and that it really does help make the job far more bearable!

Actually, it is. You have no idea until you've don't it.

They do have absolutely exhausting jobs.

Not qualified to comment on whether they are much more so than other jobs. I am sure there are lots of exhausting jobs.

Old friend, in his 50's now, trained in economics and worked in the City in a BIG job. Mega bucks.

Retrained in his mid 30's due to burnout, as a Maths/Economics teacher. Said it was a total skive and laughed at his colleagues going on about how hard it was. Said that compared to school and Uni, yes it is hard. But compared to the real world, no it aint.

I have no horse in this race as I have never been a teacher but I am preparedt o take his word for it!

Schools that have done this have added an extra week to the October half term. No way can they afford to a week to the school year.

Op’s responses on this thread are very odd. Blank, short sentences and chippy sentiments but no depth. I’m a teacher - have done it for 30 years. I think it is a particular type of tiring that’s hard to explain. I think medicine must be much more stressful though. I have 18 weeks holiday a year and do very little work during that time - it’s a huge bonus. As the current crisis shows though it’s a difficult job and you have to be resilient and thick skinned.

Oh this utter gem again, goodie 🙄

I’m sure many jobs are exhausting. Teaching is absolutely one of them. The workload (yes we work and plan in our holidays too), oh my goodness, the constant “being on” you have to do, all day, is utterly draining. It’s a performance, teaching, engaging, managing behaviour. It’s hard. Which isn’t to say other jobs aren’t also hard. But please stop shitting on teachers and starting goady threads about how easy it is and how jammy the holidays are. If it’s so easy, go and bloody try teaching in a high school. See how easy it is ffs’

In my family is a police officer (he says he could never be a teacher, it would kill him, he’s retiring asap, I want to carry on teaching til I drop, I love the dynamic of a classroom), an oil rig worker, a social worker, a pharmacist, an A&E doctor. I think many jobs are exhausting, mentally draining, depressing, downright shit. I don’t think being a teacher is MORE exhausting than the other jobs I’ve mentioned, but I don’t see the need to start goady threads (yes, it is, don’t fake innocence) about other professions where standards are high and people are in the spotlight.

Unless you’ve been a teacher so can authentically compare with other jobs, I think your post is invalid. I’ve been a bar maid, au pair, worked in IT, waitressed. My worst job was probably in a cafe. I used to walk home, having been on my feet for 12 hours and sit in the shower and cry because my feet hurt so much. I would rather teach. It’s less exhausting!

It depends if they’re increasing teaching/ directed time hours as that will increase staffing costs which seems to be what parents have an issue with. Even if a couple of weeks are moved from summer to somewhere else parents will still have to find childcare for those weeks instead?
Our college added a week onto students’ half term at October but staff are still expected to work in the extra week - we only get one week off even though the students have two.

Why does this matter to you?

and what would convince you otherwise?

My worst job was probably in a cafe. I used to walk home, having been on my feet for 12 hours and sit in the shower and cry because my feet hurt so much. I would rather teach. It’s less exhausting!

I waitressed during university with an events company to earn some extra money and it was the least money I've earned for the most physically tiring work. Babysitting, tuition and library work were a joy compared to waitressing.

Are there many supermarkets that will allow you to work 0830 - 1530 Monday to Friday and Term time only?

Also, my local supermarket paid no more than I earned as a TA, that might vary on where you live though. And I had the hours I wanted to do. I’m now a Student Manager so earning significantly more but I don’t regret my time as a TA, but I do agree it is under paid,