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.

To be fair @qwertygirly, I think experiences differ vastly on that point. I know that our school did no 'live' learning, and on our weeks out of school, bar checking emails and getting stuff ready for the next week (all of which we would normally have been doing around working anyway) we certainly weren't working.

[quote QwertyGirly]@AbsoluteMadness you do know that teachers were working from home right? And that kids who were learning from home were being thought by... teachers? So it wasn't open for 'the select few'. It was open for all pupils.[/quote]
My children weren’t allowed in the school building. To them, school was closed. As in their physical school was closed. Yes they received some worksheets at home, I’m just explaining what I mean when I say ‘school was closed’ . I don’t say it because the ‘right wing media’ are telling me school was closed. I’m saying it because my children couldn’t go to school.

[quote Ihopeyourcakeisshit]@Feenie erm but it did.[/quote]
Find the thread then. I note you're only citing one anyway.

Even if it exists, one single thread would be a phenomenally dickhead reason to bash a whole profession.

I think teaching is a very isolated industry and vulnerable to 'group think'.

We have to listen to Fil (retired in 2000 PE teacher) assuming we have lots of holidays and how Sil (private secondary school teacher) has to answer emails from parents and that they want a response in 24 hours. Sil 's cpd is very, very poor and the smug way she quotes 'new' resources that our DCs have been state school accessing for years is really annoying.

However I think some of our state school teachers are doing an amazing job and it must be hard reading stories about your profession. I think the Government has a bigger problem than schools with misuse of mobile phones, our local schools tied down usage policies years ago and shouldn't be expected to solve all of society's evil.

I’m just pointing out that parents were living the experience too... we know some kids were at school. We know what we were being provided with in terms of home learning. We didn’t just read the Telegraph and say ‘oh they say schools are closed so they must be’. We’re not stupid. Surely that’s classed as ‘parent bashing’?

To be honest I think a lot of it is just typical contrary MN.

You start a thread as a teacher ‘was I being unreasonable to shout at this nine year old boy’ and you’d be flamed, lots of MNetters remember teachers like you, they hope you aren’t teaching their child, have you no other effective behaviour management tools.

Start the same thread as a parent ‘AIBU to be angry the teacher shouted at nine year old ds’ and you’ll get flamed, your child is badly behaved, your child is the reason their child didn’t enjoy year 5, the poor teacher is probably stressed and you should buy her a spa voucher, you are That Parent.

Some posters just like giving other posters a hard time!

Oh Feenie give over.
I'm not providing a mountain of evidence in order to justify a comment that's offended your sensibilities.
It was sarcasm, get over it.

@cornflowersandpoppies I think you're spot on. That's what led me to do this thread. I put something about me struggling with my own child on a different thread, also mentioned I was a teacher (wish I hadn't) which them provoked some mean comments. So what I've learnt is to separate things out. If I need support with my toddler's tantrums in future, I won't be saying anything about me teaching.
As you said, it's all about the wording and the type of thread it is.

[quote roguetomato]@Yaykyay, but it's still not fair to turn the thread into teacher bashing. One teacher posting about having difficulty for whatever reason shouldn't turn into general teacher bashing.
And one parent complaining about one teacher shouldn't turn into teacher bashing either.[/quote]
Very true.

[quote roguetomato]@Yaykyay, but it's still not fair to turn the thread into teacher bashing. One teacher posting about having difficulty for whatever reason shouldn't turn into general teacher bashing.
And one parent complaining about one teacher shouldn't turn into teacher bashing either.[/quote]
I don't really understand your comment. What I'm saying is I don't see this as teacher bashing. Why are teachers so special that one thread about a specific situation would apply to all teachers? Seems a bit self involved to me.

A op said something which is massively true in my experience and I work with teachers at times. It's quite an isolated profession, teachers work with other teachers. So they are massively prone to group think. Which is often prone to seeing themselves as hard done by.

I think the power differential between students and teachers is also problematic. Particularly for teachers with no other real work experience. As they are used to being the authority and having to be in charge. I just don't think we can pretend this won't effect a teachers outlook.

I don't dislike teachers; like most professions there are good and there are bad and a lot in between! However, the perceived teacher bashing and irritation I feel is that a large majority of teacher posts (or have over the past year with Covid) where teachers always have to imply or outright say that they are so hard done by and that their job is the most stressful in the world.... there are many professions and I don't see others coming on here with that constant message.

@Ihopeyourcakeisshit

Oh Feenie give over. I'm not providing a mountain of evidence in order to justify a comment that's offended your sensibilities. It was sarcasm, get over it.

I'm not offended, I just thought your comment was idiotic, even as sarcasm.

I was thinking something similar earlier. Alot of people bash teachers because imho they had the same interactions at school e.g hair cut too short, wrong coloured socks and we know in our mind if they just left us alone we would crack on.
These days it wouldnt be a quick word it will be isolation and when you get suspended for your pen running out I can understand why parents get frustrated and bash teachers.
I'm not saying it's right, it was just part of my general thinking.
I think teachers are stuck between a rock and a hard and I think they do need more authority over who they have in their class but that's a different discussion. The way most teachers have performed this past year has been amazing and I cant thank them enough for helping my dc through it.

I think sometimes, teachers want to reasonably point out that they don't have a life of overpaid luxury, working just work 9-3 with 13 weeks holiday a year and then go a bit too far in the opposite direction saying teaching is the hardest job in the world. Other people with hard jobs like nursing, lawyers or sewage workers then pile on to say their job is harder and they get paid even less like the 4 Yorkshire men sketch.

There must be loads of teachers so I suppose lumping them all together in terms of what they're like is similar to lumping all 'mums' together, or all Mumsnetters. I do think (and I say this cautiously because it hate getting told off still at 45) that teachers sometimes have a job switching between speaking to their pupils and speaking to adults, especially parents of their students. In school of course a teacher's authority should be more or less absolute but I sometimes think people forget that doesn't extend into the real world. It can get your back up a bit. (I also personally hate the 'imagine doing that for 30 children' that is reeled out whenever anyone wonders if their kid will get help with their coat zip or whatever at school. It's a bit like 'remember your child is just a number once they start school').

Some teacher not all teachers think they have a uniquely hard and poorly paid job.

Fortunately all my lovely friends and family who are teachers, TAs and heads are much more level headed.

It also rankles if someone fails to recognise the privileged position of the holidays and shorter days compared to many corporate, care or manual jobs or justify it by pretending they work all the time (which just isn't true for many).

I don't doubt many teachers find their jobs stressful, as do many non teachers.

Think what you like, I couldn't give a shit about your opinion.

My DS has had the most amazing teachers this year. I will be going all out to make sure they know that I know that and so does DS.

They are both utterly brilliant and the profession would be poorer without them. I like to ask DS which is his favourite of the two. I get a head tilt and "which is your favourite child?"

God I wish I knew how to convey to them just how important they have been during a difficult time. I know there will be thousands of such teachers. Bloody heroes as far as I am concerned.

I agree MN is very contrary.

I've made complaints about 2 teachers at DS2's school this term. I'm sure if I posted the incidents on AIBU I'd get ripped to shreds!

@mag2305

I saw your review of a typical day and whilst as a parent, I'm not aware of the exact minutiae of any teachers day, I would take an educated guess that as a primary teacher (along with TAs and EY practioners) you would have to deal with small children's bodily fluids as well as actual teaching, class preparation, planning, meetings and enquiries from parents etc.
But the point is, as a parent I dont exactly know how stressful or busy a teachers day is, probably any more than you have an insight to the daily routine and stresses of all the parents jobs.

@Yaykyay, but teachers are hard done by, that's the truth. I don't think they are comparing themselves to other professions, simply stating their current situation.

@Ihopeyourcakeisshit

Think what you like, I couldn't give a shit about your opinion.

Then why post?! Not sure you quite understand how it works.

What a charmer!

I'm not the one using terms like dickhead/idiotic so it's a bit rich using the term charmer.
I've obviously hit a nerve, so quite amused but you're boring me now and not doing anything to improve my view of some teachers.
I'll not engage further with you.

1. Misplaced jealousy. I want to spend all day with my kids and then get every school holiday off.

1. Some teachers are in fact horrible and shouldnt be working with any member of the public let alone kids. And we always talk more about our bad experiences. Im not a teacher but do some of my work in schools. There is definitely an entrenched culture still at play in some schools where behaviour control is designed to humiliate and belittle children.

1. Misogyny. Primary school teachers are predominantly women. Society doesn't really like it when bunches of women are together in the same place so we bring them down a peg or two by talking about how bitchy and annoying and cliquey they are.

1. Poor training and entry requirements. Some of my children's teachers would consistently make basic maths or spelling errors. Also many primary teachers go into the profession straight from school and can be immature. This can lead to poor decision making.

1. The very nature of mumsnet is that it is frequented predominantly by mums and schooling/education is a huge part of our lives.

[quote roguetomato]@Yaykyay, but teachers are hard done by, that's the truth. I don't think they are comparing themselves to other professions, simply stating their current situation.[/quote]
Right OK then ....

Are you a teacher then? Or married to one?

Teaching is a hard job like mny others. I don't think they're particularly hard done by. Also given the qualifications needed to teach, teachers have other options if the don't like it.