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,

Did the person on the radio ask it was more exhausting than ALL jobs?

It'll be something super exhausting like bomb disposal, oil rig maintenance in the north sea, customer complaints handler for when the McDonald's milkshake machine is broken.
Edit: Apologies, I'm ratty because on Friday I took 200 students to Blackpool Pleasure Beach and someone was travel sick on the back of my neck on the coach ride there.

I am not a teacher but I fully believe that teaching is exhausting.

And I have worked in a high pressure job, at times 98 hour weeks, on my feet a lot. That was exhausting too.

I'd still not manage teaching.

Do you have any experience in education? There’s a recruitment and retention crisis, please come and join us.
What is your job op ? It’s very telling that you won’t answer

I have a friend who is a Head of Year and a relative who was also a Head of Year until recent retirement. Both have always told me that it really is no harder than any other job especially when you’re organised. Neither have ever had any time for teachers who complain about the hours or workload.

People can always change jobs if they're unhappy.

Did he say there weren't other jobs that are more exhausting? Because your thread title says more than most jobs.

how can it not be informed?

I don’t think it’s a productive discussion. Everyone has different levels they can cope with- what’s exhausting to one person is a normal day for others. Group think is important too- some roles - teaching being one- have felt “hard done by” throughout time so you do wonder how much that is just woven into the attitude and emotion of the job.

finally, schools are pretty well known to be terrible employers and very strange environments to work in- quite often teachers haven't worked anywhere else to compare it to, but I think we would all be unhappy working for a poor employer.

i told you, you chose to argue the point, it is simply not relevant. i am not talking about me

You mean what's it for if it isn't for posting inflammatory stuff with every intention to goad? I'll leave it there as this isn't worth debating.

No, you’re talking about me, so I’d like to know what experience you have that makes you think you can comment on a job you clearly don’t do

I don’t think I’d even last a term as a teacher - I think it looks like an exhausting and stressful job. I honestly don’t know how they do it!

my dad was a teacher for 30 years and retired early on medical grounds after a breakdown.

I was a teacher for years. Absolutely exhausting. My biggest regret in life is going into teaching. Before that, I did various office based jobs, and now I work in a bar. Terrible pay, long hours on your feet, sometimes rude, drunk customers, but at least I'm not teaching. I love it!

It’s not a competition to see whose job is the most exhausting? As a nation we work long hours and we’re not that productive. There’s a debate to be had on that. Instead feel your take is intent on setting one group against another.

I am a teacher, and don’t comment on the exhaustion of other jobs because I have no experience in them. I think you should do the same, OP.

I worked in two different industries before retraining to become a teacher - both corporate type jobs so not physical/manual labour but I found both challenging and tiring. But in my experience, nothing compares to teacher tired. It’s massively overstimulating teaching 30 kids at once and you’re never done. Yes, the holidays are a huge perk but I don’t think it’s sustainable to work in that environment without solid breaks in between. If there are other people who feel exhausted by their work, they should be calling for more time off or better working conditions rather than slating a job they’ve never tried.

ds works in a supermarket. People are vile to him. And it’s dirty and gross.

@Sasssquatch in what way is it dirty and gross, if you don’t mind me asking? Interested!

This is a good point.

The OP refuses to post their job, and I assume that's because they feel it's less exhausting than the role of a teacher. So the OP actually agrees with the statement made by the man on the radio.

He didn’t say there weren’t. You understand that ‘more exhausting than most jobs’ means that some other jobs are more exhausting, surely?

How many years have you worked as a teacher or in an education setting where you understand the day to day job of a teacher?

You would think after how much many parents struggle with just their own kids over covid, they would have a little more idea.

I agree there's something to this- I was fortunate enough to work in another industry for a few years before re-training as a teacher. Schools are a very strange microclimate to work in; in my previous role, if I was ill, I would text/ring/email my direct superior and explain I was too ill to work, I would ask if someone could reschedule meetings with my apologies. However, last time I called in sick at school, I was up at 3am (between vomits) writing cover lesson plans genuinely contemplating whether it would be easier to just go into school and press play on a documentary (hoping I don't get a learning walk).

I think a bit of time in another industry helps you understand your rights as a worker, and gives you confidence to deal with adults and superiors. I worry a lot about young teachers who have gone from A-Levels, to University, to Teaching, they generally allow themselves to be treated very badly and struggle more with resilience.

And despite everything that has been said time and time again, there are still people who obviously think that teachers walk away from school at the end of term in July and don't let school cross their minds until the first week in September. With an OH who worked in schools for many years the truth is that we squeezed in a weeks holiday in August otherwise they were either in school or working at home three of four days of every week. Sorry it wasn't full time, but perhaps we can be excused that for the 7am to 7pm days actually on the premises during every term day (and often longer)?

Given you refuse to say what you do OP and only reference your husband’s job we can only assume you don’t have one. I’d further speculate that is due to a poor education meaning you’d only get a job you’d consider “beneath you” and resent your former teachers and their wider profession for this.