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Teachers/Homework....the truth

76 replies

hmb · 16/09/2004 20:06

OK, time to come clean.

We only set it because we are nasty, fetishistic old bags who love nothing more than to make people?s lives a misery.

We set it knowing that it hinders you child?s learning, and we do it in a way that creates the maximum amount of disruption and misery to your lives. We even make it difficult to understand.

In lessons we constantly put kids down, we try as hard as we can to make their lives more difficult. We make a conscious effort to hold back the bright and able and over stress those finding things hard.

We step in too often except when we step in too late. We do too many things outside of school with kids, except when we do too few. We are over strict except when we are too lenient.

We do this because deep down we are all just bad people.

We were also the unknown gunmen behind the grassy knoll; we shot JR, take places in M & T parking spaces and never pay for our grapes.

Basically we are the scum of the earth.

There, now I feel better!

Seriously, I have had the worst day in school. I have been sworn at, had to step in to sort out a fight and run after a child to stop her leaving school. I have just finished my prep work for tomorrow and read that I should also be running homework clubs. It seems that I can get 30 kids in a room to work, when parents say they can't get them to work at home.

I'm not a saint ladies, I am just a regular woman who is getting tired of the kicking my profession is getting on Mumsnet. Sure, some teachers are crap. I know this. And I understand that you all want the very best for your kids, so do I. But we are not all the spawn of Satan, just reasonable people trying to do their best.

I have no problems with people complaining about the actions of some, but can we lay of some of the ruder generalisations, If for no other reason that other peoples kids have given me a shitty day today.

OP posts:
pixiefish · 16/09/2004 21:01

You stand firm hula- there's a real shortage of teachers in my region and the smt have started to listen to us as the staff were leaving in droves. Also got 2 new deputies this year which helps... Surely your head knows that he's got to keep his staff fairly sweet to hang on to them... good luck

hmb · 16/09/2004 21:02

Don't you have a duty HOY? That is our life line (and the school I work in is far easier than yours)

OP posts:
pixiefish · 16/09/2004 21:02

Should be one bloody chance FFS

Hulababy · 16/09/2004 21:05

Almost a third of the teaching staff (old and new, including teachers who had never would anywhere else in the whole career) left last year Half the new staff are NQTs. A few long term supply in too. And unflled posts, like the ICT HoD.

Our HoY seem to never be around. Anyone else find that? Ours seem to have two jobs - HoY and HoD or whatever.

Hulababy · 16/09/2004 21:06

I only give my 2yo DD 2 chances!

LOL, you've gotta laugh

hmb · 16/09/2004 21:07

Hope you have a better day tomorrow sweetie!

I'm off to bed. Sleep tight

OP posts:
pixiefish · 16/09/2004 21:08

Me too- exhausted just thinking of all this...hope tomorrow's better... will try to sort that out monday...

Hulababy · 16/09/2004 21:08

You too hmb - good luck with that obs.

I definitely will - I'm at home again DD and I have play date plans and shopping to do.

Hulababy · 16/09/2004 21:09

Night pixiefish.

Sorry. Didn't realise quite how bad I felt about ti all. Sorry to have taken up all your 'down' time on here. But thanks to you all.

pixiefish · 16/09/2004 21:10

That's what I do too when it's getting on top of me... I'm doing this so that my dd can have more... I work 2 days and am home for 5. I get 13 weeks holidays a year... The money I get for working two days is probably the average salary for office work in this region...

pixiefish · 16/09/2004 21:11

Don't apologise... we'll support you even if your school don't. anytime...

twogorgeousboys · 16/09/2004 21:11

hmb - you have ALL my sympathies, I think teaching is a REALLY tough job, rewarding yes, but bl**dy hard, exhausting work.

I think teachers are brilliant. Sure, there are some bad'uns, but the vast majority are working their ar*es off to do the best for the children in their care.

I went into teaching in my early thirties as I wanted new challenge, having had a really successful career in a completely different area.

People thought I was bonkers, giving up a large salary and company car etc etc, and some said, "Oh well, I suppose it will be less pressure and you get all those holidays".

I knew full well that it wasn't an easy option, as I had friends who were teachers and were honest with me about the job and what it entails.

Compared to teaching, my previous supposedly "high pressure, fast moving" job was a walk in the park! And as for "all those holidays" I realised it really was true - TEACHERS SPEND A LOT OF THEM WORKING or being ill because they are so shattered and run down.

And bear in mind, I didn't have kids at this time - if you do it AND you have a family to take care of, you are a SAINT.

I'm thinking long and hard about whether to go back in to teaching because it demands so much time and energy. Everyone I have spoken to (none of them teachers interestingly), have said,"But it's the perfect job if you've got a young family, school holidays, blah, blah, blah".

Well no actually, it's one of the toughest jobs around, and unless you've done it, you really don't know what you're talking about!

Here endeth my rant for this evening.

Hulababy · 16/09/2004 21:11

Exactly what I was talking to Popsy about earlier. That's one of the reason's I'm not leavng the profession.

Hulababy · 16/09/2004 21:12

Not the only reason though. Also that look in a child's face when they "get it"

Rowlers · 16/09/2004 21:15

Not been around for the last hour or so, been baking a cake. Just skimmed. (The thread I mean). Interesting that this thread only has 4 or 5 MNers on, all of whom are teachers. Wonder why that is??!?! I think we are all fabulous, darling, pass me a G + T...

Hulababy · 16/09/2004 21:20

LOL! I think I just needed a whinging session TBH and took over a bit...

... some one else's turn!

Hulababy · 16/09/2004 21:21

Oh, and I am more than happy for other Mnetters, non teachers, to come and give me genuine advice if they wish.

Rowlers · 16/09/2004 21:25

Hulababy (soz but I always want to call you hula hula for some reason) - in a nutshell, teaching's hard, most kids are great, some suck (soz again for not being PC), rewards are great when you can get them. Being a (very) new muj, I do find it interesting to read a parent's perspective on educational issues, but I have found the proffesion gets a bit of a bashing. I think we all react a bit too quickly sometimes without seeing the other side of the coin. It would be nice if we could chill out a bit on here. It's got a bit too heated for my liking! Interesting though...

Rowlers · 16/09/2004 21:26

What's a muj? think I meant to type mum but I kinda lke muj now I see it.

Hulababy · 16/09/2004 21:31

I guess that's the way it goes sometimes with education threads (seen it loads already on MN). But my posts weren't really aimed at anyone in particular, and certainly not MNetters. I had a bad week (well lesson really) and it knocked me for sic, and then some. Having someone to discuss it with and get all my fustrations out is good. I don't really have many teacher friends to do that with. And Dh tries but it is hard sometimes for him to understand the same way. I do sometimes find it hard as a teacher to do the whingingin public. Unlike other jobs, people just expect teachers to be on the ball and doing a fab job all the time. Which, as I spectaculrly proved this week, they don't always get it right. I'm human. I make mistkes. I sometimes need to gather advice and support. Which thanks to MN I got

luckymum · 16/09/2004 22:41

I can't even begin to imagine a day like that Hula.

My ds1 is barely 16 and has just left school with creditable GCSE results (2B's, 5C's a D and an F)He seriously struggled in primary and it was only thanks to the dedication and downright bloody-mindedness of his y6 teacher that he achieved his SATs at level 4. I am so very grateful to the teachers who persevered with him through secondary too. I couldn't do your job - respect to anyone who can.

Hope you all have a better day tomorrow.

tigermoth · 17/09/2004 07:38

hmb and hula - hope you have a better day today. Hope your own children were angels when you saw them after work.

Hulababy · 17/09/2004 08:20

Cheers; can't believe how much I got off my chest last night. LOL!!!

DD is only 2 so seeing her after work is always a pleasure anyway

And I am lucky enough to not be at work today - one of my days off. So we only have fun plans!

pixiefish · 17/09/2004 09:45

Glad you're feeling better hulababy- just read bits of this that were written after i hit the land of nod and not sure what Rowlers means. All hmb and myself were doing was trying to offer some advice on a particular class- don't know where Rowlers got the idea from that things got 'heated'... can't see that myself...

Rowlers · 17/09/2004 09:49

I meant the other thread, pixiefish. Soz - didn't make that clear.

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