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Original poster

Stand and deliver the NC (you try it!) - teacher bashing in the UK

85 replies

bb99 · 15/02/2008 12:30

Hello all, after rambling on and seeing several other threads I've got interested in the whole teacher bashing concept.

I'm a teacher in Primary schools (a very lovely one) and have been spoken to rudely and unpleasantly by people (not from the school) who know I'm a teacher because it seems to be OK to be rude and denigrating to me as 'I should know that' or the 'don't you know - you're a teacher?' attitude takes over.

Lots of threads on here talk about crap teachers or people who disagree with teachers state that they should 'rethink their career' and it seems to be OK to just be unpleasant to and about teachers and schools and constantly judge them and their actions, even outside the classroom. This happens to the point of rudeness and could, in a classroom, be seen as bullying...

Why is it OK to be so unpleasant about and to people who do an amazing and challenging, underpaid job, with little or no support from the government?

OP posts:
Scramble · 15/02/2008 16:13

I love my kids teachers they have all been great, only 1 wasn't so good who had traouble dealing with one boy and let him rule the class, ie whole clas would go out so he could be dealt with, wheras any other teacher would have dragged him out and told him whats what, some seem so worried about upsetting kids or getting into trouble for touching them, it is made difficult for them.

Anyway love them all .

Original poster
bb99 · 15/02/2008 16:21

ROFL - you have all cheered me up!

Feeling the bitterness receding!

posieflump, I used to have an office job with only 20 days holiday, you can join us you know, as martianbishop said! Apparently there are adverts and everything at the moment, and you could even get paid to train!

OrmIrian - my brother does IT, but gosh he's scathing about the mere mortals who use the system and regularly mess it up!

School IT personnel, now that's a thought (poor souls)

OP posts:
posieflump · 15/02/2008 16:24

ok I honestly don't get it! I'm really sorry if I'm being thick and I honestly don't mean to sound offensive but
on the one hand you say it is super handy for the school holidays for childcare and on the other hand you say you don't get the holidays off

ScienceTeacher · 15/02/2008 16:26

I get paid the same now as a teacher as I got when I last worked in industry 14 years ago. If I had stayed in that job I would be earning around £80k by now.

But I wouldn't trade it, or my 19 weeks holiday a year

girlfrommars · 15/02/2008 16:29

Posie my mother was a teacher,so she was at home when I was. At home with a pile of marking/paperwork. Just because classes finish at 3:30 doesn't mean the work does.

TheFallenMadonna · 15/02/2008 16:30

I've not said I don't get holidays off. Yes, I worked in the holidays. But not for the whole of them, and not always in school. And arranging a week's childcare is easier than organising 6 weeks for sure.

posieflump · 15/02/2008 16:31

fair enough.. although ST does enjoy her 19 weeks of holiday a year by the sound of it

pointydog · 15/02/2008 16:31

Develop hide of a rhino.

ScienceTeacher · 15/02/2008 16:34

I do - I love it. It gives me a double life - WOHM and SAHM.

Blandmum · 15/02/2008 16:59

The reason I don't look for a better paid job, is that I actually love the job that I have.

I've had a number of different jobs in my time, and this is one of the best, intellectually stimulating, socially useful (dare I say it) and highly rewarding. Of all of my jobs it is the one I love the most, and it is the poorest paid.

Just about the only thing that I don't like, is everyone telling me what a doss it is! Because it isn't.

People think that teachers work from 9 to 3 with 2 hours of breaks. What they forget is all of the planning and marking.

I work a 65% time table, and during term time I work around 50 hours a week! I do take most of the holidays as holidays, but that is because I do my planning etc during term time.

I do work over the holidays. This holiday I've done about 8 hours of sixth form coursework marking, horrid stuff, but it has to be done, because the kids need the feed back on the first day back in school. So, while I haven't gone into work as in the school over half term, I have done school work.

Over the week end I will also do around another 5 hours of marking and planning.

alfiesbabe · 15/02/2008 17:31

Well said MB. I also could be earning a lot more if I'd stayed in my first choice of career. I agree that teaching is intellectually stimulating, it can be a lot of fun, and you shouldnt apologise for the 'socially useful' element. Teaching is probably one of the most worthwhile jobs you can do..... every child deserves a good education.
Oh btw don't anyone think 19 weeks holiday is the norm - the vast majority of teachers get nothing like that. That's nearly half the year FGS!!!

ScienceTeacher · 15/02/2008 17:32

I work full time and am in school for around 50 hours a week. I don't take marking home, but do a fair bit of time-consuming planning (eg pottering around the internet looking for resources).

My work day in industry was less, and I could switch off the moment I left. The only time I worked longer was if I was travelling.

The earliest I can finish school is 4.15pm, so can dash to the shops or doctors or whatever if I need to. I pretty much have to schedule routine dental appointments etc. during the holidays though. In my industrial job, I would have just popped out on the company's time.

Christie · 15/02/2008 17:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheFallenMadonna · 15/02/2008 17:54

Oh yes, I've done the same. And in a mainstream school. Not on a regular basis for me, but more than once. You can't "drag them out" really.

smartiejake · 15/02/2008 18:08

19 weeks holiday? Do you work in a private school science teacher?

6 weeks summer
2 weeks easter
2 weeks christmas
3 half term weeks
=13 for us slumming it in the state sector!

coggy · 15/02/2008 18:28

Amen to everything that bb99 says.

And MB....you're pretty good too I have to say!!

I don't know why I read this thread really because I learnt a long time ago to avoid 'teacher threads' on MN as I got wound up by them very quickly.

People are very quick to judge, to continue saying the same things re: pay, holidays, moaning....and don't ever bother listening to, or finding out, the truth....probably because it wouldn't be as much fun for them...there'd be less to moan about I guess!!

There!
Shan't read any more now.

Oh, and BTW...if I have made any spelling errors that people want to pick up on (as that seems to be another favourite)...they're typos....ok??!!!!

ScienceTeacher · 15/02/2008 18:37

Yes, private...

2 week October half term
3 weeks Christmas
1 week February
3 weeks Easter (and really Easter holidays)
1 week May
9 weeks Summer

Original poster
bb99 · 15/02/2008 19:11

ST - can I come and work in your school??

DH and self have been looking into the private sector, having spent good many years in public service, haven't made the move yet - DH did 2 years and then came back to council work...different challenges out of the public sector IYKWIM.

But wouldn't change from teaching now unless I could work out how to break even as a WAHM without being a childminder (local area is swimming with them...) even with the frequent misunderstood nature of the profession.

NHS professionals and fire service etc are (I think) the silent heroes of public work - I've seen some real nastiness at A&E places from very well groomed individuals towards the staff and having just given birth last year, one or 2 of the mums were SO rude and nasty to the ward m/wives because they hadn't been discharged quick enough and you should have seen the paperwork these m/wives had to do. Plus they were tied to the consultant schedule and if a premie arrived, that meant the docs were needed elsewhere so led to others waiting. NHS and Fire services do amazing job - I feel so bad that some people think it's OK to assault them and just be pig ignorant...

OP posts:
Elkat · 15/02/2008 19:15

I'm a teacher and I love my job. Even though there's the rubbish bits, I wouldn't change it for the world. But the naivety of some people regarding teachers does astound me sometimes!

Why do people assume that if teachers are not in school, then they're not working? Do people in other jobs not take work home with them? Its half term now, and so I've got my week off - and whilst I won't go into work for a week, I will spend the evenings (and by that I mean a good 4 hours a night) marking. This holiday I have got 60 'A' level essays to mark, 30 tests and a whole load of planning for next term. Plus my ordinary admin that I need to catch up on. Because I can do this in the evenings, I do get to spend the days with my children, but I will work every evening.

So whilst holidays are technically 13 weeks, they never are that!

ScienceTeacher · 15/02/2008 20:34

BB, I bided my time and waited for a good private job. I did supply and contract for a couple of years (after an 8-year maternity leave). I enjoy going into school and I never dread any of my classes. I am also able to mark all my books each week, and I actually know all my pupils (all 90 of them), and quite a few that I don't teach also.

Original poster
bb99 · 16/02/2008 09:33

sage advice ST! Good idea about the supply.

OP posts:
Blandmum · 16/02/2008 09:37

supply work is getting harder to find now that most schools are employing cover supervisors. Short term supply is dead round us, with longer term supply still being a possibility, but there is a fair bit of competition.

alfiesbabe · 16/02/2008 09:56

I'm fairly rural and there still seems to be a reasonable flow of supply, though I guess with Cover supervisors and HLTAs taking classes it'll probably decline.
No way would I do supply myself, I admire those who put up with it but cant see where the job satisfaction is myself. Though I guess if you've been out of the job for a while it's perhaps the only way back in for some.

alfiesbabe · 16/02/2008 09:56

I'm fairly rural and there still seems to be a reasonable flow of supply, though I guess with Cover supervisors and HLTAs taking classes it'll probably decline.
No way would I do supply myself, I admire those who put up with it but cant see where the job satisfaction is myself. Though I guess if you've been out of the job for a while it's perhaps the only way back in for some.

alfiesbabe · 16/02/2008 09:57

Oooooh happy half term btw!!!!