Teacher bashing - why? Just curious.

[mag2305]

I'm fairly new to mumsnet and a few times I've mentioned that I'm a teacher. I've then regretted it because it's become apparent that some people dislike teachers for whatever reason and their judgements/comments have been led and overshadowed by their preconceived ideas. Historically, I know the teaching unions got a bad press but that would have been decades ago. Even my dad (self employed businessman), used to say 'those who can do, those who can't, teach". He wasn't being mean to me, just said that could be the perception of teachers out there.
So why do some people not like the teaching profession? Just curious.

I don't know, bad experience with teacher in real life? But I think most teacher bashing threads are on AIBU etc, teachers are mostly appreciated by parents on the education board.

Sometimes it could be that they were a pain at school and didn't like being pulled up on it? Sometimes it might be that they read news sites/social media stuff that deflect blame from the government for failings in education by blaming teachers? If they voted for the government themselves even more reason to blame teachers rather than who they helped vote in

Everyone has had experiences of teachers, both as a pupil, and many here have experienced them as parents too. Obviously, you'll have met many teachers over the course of your lifetime, and it's inevitable that you'll have met at least one that you didn't like, for whatever reason. On a site for parents, it is likely that many people have current grievances with teachers, just because of the nature of the beast. However, many professions are viewed unfavourably by the general public. Try being a solicitor, or in the police, or the NHS. What does it matter? I often see posts on here where people are complaining about members of my profession, sometimes with good cause and sometimes because they just don't understand the job. Ditto unfair perceptions by family and friends. Water off a duck's back - don't take it personally.

I hadn't really thought much about people having bad school experiences themselves which could taint their views but that's a good point.
I think teachers having school holidays can rile some people.
Oh well!

It's a bit odd, I suppose though, often the most vocal are those with a reason to be (in their opinion anyway), so the people with more positive/neutral viewpoints don't feel the need to post. Sort of like trustpilot feedback, the majority don't bother as they're happy, those who aren't for whatever reason feel the need to vent.

Enjoy your summer break (the bits which don't involve lesson planning).

I'm a teacher so normally on the other side but tonight after recieving notification of my son's new class in middle school. I want to know what makes a teacher/teachers choose which child has the advantage of starting a new school and class with their best friend/friends and the one that starts a new class and school with an no real friends in fact joining a class where the two boys he knows are best mates. I know I'm probably unreasonable but on the other hand I also know that my child is going to have a harder start to middle school than some of his current class mates who are joining a class with their best friends. At this moment I hate the power teachers have.

My issue is when there were loads of threads about how stressful being a teacher was implying it was way harder than any other job. Sure its tough esp during covid, but so are hundred of other jobs.

I think my kids teachers are great fwiw, but the constant moaning from some teachers about stress when other people with far higher stress jobs and virtually no holiday, working till 2am and weekends that don't Complain gets my goat.

Teachers spend a huge amount of time with our children which parents don't see and in some cases don't understand. So if a teacher does/says something which might be wrong or just slightly 'off' then it's easy to paint a picture of them being like that 24/7, even when reality is that they're lovely people but had a 5 second brain fart. Mix in people who don't value education because of their own experiences /culture /beliefs or those who had horrendous times in school, then it's easy to see why people gain a poor impression that's not deserved.

Also, we naturally remember bad experiences because they stick with us. So you may not remember every word of letters, emails, school reports etc, but you'll remember the one note home saying Jane hasn't behaved well today, or the 1 that contains a spelling mistake

I feel like there's a lot of very pro-teacher sentiment on here too though. A lot of the teacher bashing happens because parents feel quite alienated from the school. They feel like school are unapproachable and always right and therefore don't discuss small concerns. That inevitably leads to the small concerns growing until the parent is absolutely furious with the school or the teacher.
Also in the pandemic the media has repeatedly spun school closures as being the fault of the teachers and unions who are lazy and don't want to work. So frustrated and stressed parents have naturally taken that stress out on teachers who they perceive are having a lovely time off.

Some ridiculous posts by teachers in the last 12 months, often quite hysterical sounding.

DH is an ITU consultant. I was really worried about him putting tubes down the throats of covid patients without adequate PPE at the beginning of the pandemic. Some teacher came on here and insisted that she was equally at risk having to even consider having kids back in school.

I agree with @Malteser71 I got quite frustrated with a small minority of teachers doing a lot of complaining particularly this time last year. The thing is though, all of my colleagues and school staff I know in real life have moaned like this at all. In real life most people I know have just got on with it. Our SLT were incredibly supportive and understanding and would have let people stay off longer than they needed to but nobody took them up on it.
But a vocal minority on here have made all teachers look whiny, which is a shame.

I also agree with @Malteser71

I think teachers, on the whole, are great. My kids have had some lovely teachers. But I don't think their jobs are harder than everybody else's and the evidence re: Covid was that they were at less risk than many workers. But still a small minority wanted them to be a higher priority for jabs than the shop workers and chefs that were much more at risk.

Yes and the unions didn’t help.

Teachers came off looking quite bad. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.

There are some - a minority - of teachers who are bullies. But if you say so on Mumsnet then you get piled on and told it is your child's fault and your bad parenting.

All too often it seems that teachers close ranks and excuse the inexcusable.

I was a teacher and took the early retirement deal so now very happy !...i think too much is expected now...you need to be a parent, social worker, change nappies etc....far too many things other than teach and parents not happy if the above not catered for.

There are some - a minority - of teachers who are bullies

I mean, surely there are bullies, unpleasant people and people who are crap at their jobs in every profession though. That's not a reason to start a teacher bashing thread?

There were a lot of really siily hysterical posts when children were being taught at home. Thankfully havent seen any for ages.

I have noticed some people enjoy a moan about their children's school. Can't do right for doing wrong.

I couldnt be a teacher, and think it seems an incredibly stressful job with a lot of responsibility. I've been really impressed with the online provision that my DS received over lockdown, and one teacher especially went above and beyond to help him with stuff he was struggling with at home, and offered to do some 1-1 zooms outside of her teaching time. (We didnt take her upon this but I was v grateful that she offered) They were very responsive to any email queries and gave feedback for almost every piece of work submitted. I emailed the individual teacher to thank them and gave positive feedback to the headteacher at how impressed I was with the online learning (I am aware how lucky we were as lots of schools didnt have this)

I have several friends who are teachers, most I know through a sports club. We do sports and socialise together and most of them seem to enjoy their jobs.
All the teachers I know in RL bear no resemblance to the MN teacher who works 23 hours a day (down to 15 in holidays) has no time for anything apart from work and going on MN , and as such, when you work it out, is actually working for 58p an hour. (Although MN teachers in Ireland seem a lot happier and better paid!)
I've seen (pre covid) teachers state that is is the most stressful job.
And I cant be dealing with the fb memes "ain't no tired like end of term teacher tired"
...as if no one else works long hours or has busy periods of the year.

Through my own time in school, and in my kids time in school, I witnessed some terrible teachers who somehow kept their job and took the tax payers money. I’m not aware of seeing so many in other professions.
Perhaps that’s why. But I generally have the upmost respect for most teachers as I see from my job what they have to put up with from kids and parents.

Teaching bashing is a weird mumsnet myth. I've been on here years and never ever seen a teacher bashing thread. Yes sometimes you get an op unhappy with her kids school or teacher, but that's not the same as teacher bashing.

So I must admit the use of the phrase teacher bashing and victim hood around it sets my teeth. You can't say anything on here without being told teachers are sent my god and working hundreds of hours a week and it's the hardest job in the world, with no thought that other jobs are just as hard (and yes just as underpaid!). Also weirdly, I know a lot of teachers in real life who don't agree with this view of the profession and don't work mad hours!

All of which erodes my existing feeling that most teachers do do a wonderful job and should be paid a lot more.

The whole ‘teaching is the most stressful job’ ot not comes up all the time here. I’ve had to travel around a fair bit so have worked in a fair few schools. Some schools the staff have quite a lovely time, are well supported, reasonable requests are made of their time and the children are well behaved in the whole. Other schools, particularly in ‘deprived areas’ are different beasts all together. Staff are abused and bullied by pupils and senior leadership, tyrannical headteachers, ridiculous workloads, unmanageable marking policies, constant scrutiny by both internal and external inspection, poor working relationships with other staff because of unfair comparisons... I’ve seen a single mother brought to tears because she couldn’t stay until 9pm for an open evening whilst other single, childless staff were happy to.
It really depends where you work

When I was working 50 hours a week in an intense minimum wage role and couldn’t even afford to pay for childcare in the holidays, my teacher friend told me how she worked harder than any other profession and that her £40k salary was a joke, teachers have the most stress etc - I was briefly of the impression teachers are deluded if they believe this.
However, she is one person and I know plenty of normal teachers who realise that they are not the only people who work hard and feel they don’t get paid enough.
If I just knew her, I’d probably feel similar.

I guess when teachers are working with our precious children people sometimes do expect to much. Teacher is trying to do best job for 30 children, parent wants gold/impossible standard for their own child.

Also many parents can't believe their child would misbehave or not be a genius and think that must be the teacher's fault.

Thanks to all the teachers, I could not get 30 children to watch a movie never mind engage in learning.

Try being a university academic!! The posts about us have been horrendous too!

I've come to the conclusion that part of MN aren't very nice abs people seem to forget that there are real people behind the posts.