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,

This! Teaching in different countries is a different experience. I've taught in many countries around the world. In one, I was told that they love hiring teachers from England because we are used to working so much harder than the teachers in that particular country! It was the cushiest job I've ever had! 😅

Which types of Lawyer would you like it compared too?
As with the OP which type of welder is important.

This may be true and fair enough teachers aren’t making life changing decisions every day, but I imagine that your salary is significantly higher than the average teacher, who also does lots of work outside of hours.

Their PAY is only for the teaching days (plus inset days). It's paid over a 12 month period, but the holidays are unpaid.

You should give teaching a go. You clearly think it's a cake walk. Go for it! The extra unpaid 25 hours a week will be water off a ducks back. Easy

Yep! That's what I keep saying. If teaching is such a great career choice as some people keep claiming, why don't they do it and get the holiday perk?

@surreygirl1987

I can well believe it’s far easier in other countries. We seem hell bent on making teaching the most arduous, difficult and faffy thing possible with an unbelievable amount of barriers, bureaucracy, paperwork - and unnecessary tasks.

Our kids schools don’t 🤷🏼‍♀️

Typically one of them has them after the summer break, Christmas, Oct & Feb half terms and the other after summer break, a random Friday in November, Thursday in May, last one may well be in the holidays.

Always a bit of a struggle to cover the odd days

I also think if we removed teachers constantly on computers at schools - it would equal better outcomes.

Agree! A good 40% of a teachers work is pointless report writing, data entry, planning (OK, not pointless!), writing up lesson plans, preparing PPTs.

Being present in front of the students is what is important. Not all the other stuff that doesn't benefit the kids.

I think the poster means that 5 days were added to teachers' directed time for INSET, while keeping the number of days for pupils the same. Baker days, we called them back then!

Haha yeah, one of my lad mates always seemed to enjoy winding me up about my job, completely
unprovoked, goading me, saying I’m a “part timer” being a teacher, telling me my job must be so easy, how lucky I am to have all the holidays, how wrong it is when teachers strike as we have it “so easy”. Anyway…I used to get so wound up and defensive over it, then one day instead of allowing him to rile me, I just passively said “ah yeah it’s amazing, so easy, I’m so fortunate to have such an easy job, honestly you should train up and join us, it’s a piece of piss.” I only had to do this a few more times, and I’ve realised he’s not mentioned my easy job now for at least 5 years. Best way to shut them up.

I also think all teachers love a bit of non contact time, but the amount of ‘shirking’ I see going on is pretty gobsmacking - e.g. ‘I’ll just nip to the loo while some other mug will sort out 30 small kids with coats etc and ignore ratios’.

I just don’t get why people can’t just say there are lots of crappy things about teaching but the quantity of holidays is one of the good bits. I presume at least some of the kids is also a good bit for most people.

My job has some rubbish bits too but if someone pointed out my pension is pretty amazing and getting to fly business class long haul is pretty nice I’d just acknowledge yes those things are great but on the flip side working 18 hour days for stretches and being on call the rest of the time for a couple of weeks at a stretch whenever we do big project cutovers is limited fun.

There is a subset of teachers who seem hell bent on insisting that it’s a lie they get a lot of holidays or this thing about the holidays being unpaid which may be technically true but in substance isn’t really relevant now it’s a salaried job. Why not just say yes that’s a plus and on the flip side there are things about teaching that can be soul destroying and it would be helpful if people noticed and acknowledged both. I know people hone in on the holidays a lot but that’s likely only because it is a nice thing to have and when you are at the start of the school holidays and contemplating the jenga game of childcare and play date swaps it will look super appealing.

I simultaneously think teaching is a very challenging profession with a lot of unnecessary bureaucracy & that it provides a very good level of holiday & a decent pension. My general impression from all my teacher friends is that their main issues are with their term time working conditions rather than their pay, pensions or holidays and that addressing the stress of OFSTED, lack of support staff and limited funding for facilities and materials would make a tremendous difference to their overall job satisfaction. Lots of people will simultaneously admire and be supportive of teachers while still believing 13 weeks of holiday a year is a fantastic benefit.

They were taken out of holidays. Students do 190 days. We do 195. They might be tacked on to a holiday but they're taken out of the holiday, not out of term time.

I think the recruitment rate speaks for itself!

If it's so easy - by all means join us!!!

Not like we are absolutely desperate or anything....!

It's been explained why you're mistaken.

I started answering by saying, ‘Come and join us. It’s not a private club’. That tended to shut them up too.

For those teachers out there unhappy about their lot I would say you should have tried harder at school. Then you could have got a better job, like a welder!
Seriously, you are intelligent and educated. Why martyr yourself?

Teachers should swap jobs for a day with Doctors to see who has it harder.

Obviously embarrassed and ashamed of the job you do, hence why you are reluctant!

No it’s not satire, NHS hospital work varies massively depending on what ward you’re on. It’s not all intense and chaotic, just long shifts and being on your feet day. You’re thinking of A+E or trauma. I worked on wards for 3 years in my first job, some of them can be quiet. It’s not the same environment as state schools are now with lots of SEN kids and so little staff.

If your DH is doing the hrs that you say that he is doing he is in breach of the driving regulations for HGVs.

I am surprised that he has managed to get away with this for so long and even more surprised that he or his employer hasn't been fined or had their "O" licence suspended.

Which (witch lol) doctors would you like teachers to swap with?
Junior doctors (known to have a shit time)?
A & E doctors, (mostly rushed off their feet)?
The Local GP? regular breaks, hour for lunch (my local GP) coffee on tap, 9-5 hrs?
Surgeon? consultant? Private consultant?

Sarcasm?

And both should swap jobs for a day with dementia carers to see who has it harder.