Workload unfairness

[Roseformeplease]

Anyone else get pissed off at the difference in workload and hours between apparently "equal" teachers in terms of status and pay?

I teach English in a tiny school. There are 1.4 English teachers and 1.8 Maths teachers. Every other Dept has 1 teacher. I am in Scotland, if that matters.

I teach about 100 pupils a week: marking, preparing etc. A colleague, at the other end of the scale, has 14 pupils. Her subject is optional, and niche. Mine is compulsory and mainstream. Even other main subjects, say Biology, will have maybe 60 pupils tops. My classes are not huge by the standard of many schools (max 25) but I recently wrote 35 reports (Senior School) while a colleague in an unpopular subject wrote 4. I have parents' evenings coming up and will see 35 sets of parents. My colleague was rejoicing today - she has to see 3 sets, assuming they all turn up. That means she has to be in for 30 minutes; I will do 6 hours over 2 nights.

Not sure that much can be done. My classes are not maxed out and I am efficient and experienced, so I can cope.

Anyone else?

I learnt a long time ago not to compare.
FWIW I am a supply teacher have often pondered this.

• English is massively heavy in marking.
• Music and Drama have less marking but more classes/reports/performance overhead.
• Science has the luxury of technicians for photocopying and resource prep - but have to cover sciences they are not expert in.
• MFL are supposed to be entertainers and cover MFLs that they are not proficient in, and need to speak that MFL throughout- marked down on obs if they do not. Carousel subjects (Drama/DT/Food Science) see massive numbers that think (or parents think) is a doss and do not take seriously. Art - ditto as above Hist/Geog/RE - massively more classes than Eng/Maths so more reports, lots of writing and have to compete to get pupil numbers for GCSE. So.. IMHO - the winner (leaving aside A level subjects only , like Economics/Sociology is Maths. Parents take it seriously, minimal marking. If you want the easiest life- teach Maths...

If you want the easiest life- teach Maths...

You have got to be kidding me. It's a headline subject so major pressure and scrutiny of results. Not an option so we have to get everyone through GCSE. Very popular at A-level so massive classes.

And I seem to spend all my bloody time marking.

I teach History and seem to spend my life marking essays.

This year I have 5 exam classes (2 GCSE, 3 A Level) which doesn't help. (and I'm in N Ireland where we still have Controlled Assessment so I have to mark that too grrr)

Our numbers are always higher than practical subjects (because we don't have an insurance cap) and we are still expected to do lots of extra curricular- trips/ clubs/ community events etc.

Its as well I love my subject because our workload is horrific

It's nice that we are not getting stuck into each other on this thread. Most teachers respect what other specialists can do and there are pros and cons of every subject obviously. And a lot of it is down to individual personality not the subject area, anyhow. I admit library classes look cushy, except for controlling reluctant teens who chat and snigger - I would rather have them at their desks! But even library is changing- we now have to record and assess all their reading ages, do quizzes, reviews etc in library. No respite even there anymore!

Ha you've just reminded me that in my last school I had to teach D&T to year 10
In the library once a week. It was an absolute nightmare and there was often a fight behind a book shelf that I had to break up!

I really do think all subjects have their easy and hard bits and that it does even out. Eg would you want to be in charge of a group of yr 11 boys who don't want to be in school armed with saws and chisels in a library?! Marking essays would send me to sleep. Marking just the long answer questions for d&t GCSE and as/a2 bores me to death!

Minimal marking maths..!

You should try it! Marking exam papers, books, homework, 2 hours per class for exam papers alone.

A teacher I work with swapped from business / economics to maths. She can't believe the increase in workload.

I used to work in a school where, if you did an extra-curricular club, or activity, you could have an extra free lesson a week to allow for that (max 1) and where English teachers got a full day together once a year to moderate GCSE coursework. A very long time ago......

Those were the days.....

If you want the easiest life- teach Maths...

Or you could use your maths degree to become an actuary. No marking at all.

English have appalling marking loads. But lessons are easier to prepare and you can hook in almost everyone. Plus you have the advantage of being the "most important" subject in the eyes of pupils and parents normally.

MFL - the marking is simple and even mock exams (till now really just reading and listening box ticking) is incredibly quick. But preparing takes a really long time, cuing the listening activities, trying to get them to understand and respond to you in the target language. It's such a turn off for many students which makes it exhausting.

On balance English is nicer IMO.

Art teachers I have always been most jealous of.

• no outdoors necessary like PE
• everyone can produce something (no endless notes like PE or dance with parents lying about their child being too ill to take part)
• chilled lessons - radio on often
• awful work isn't painful like music or drama.
• marking .... Not time-consuming.

My only thing would be the fact that assessing has such a subjective side to it that assessors/examiners might disagree with your grading.

Art? Sounds well thought out. Now to try to overcome my total lack of ability there.

Dubai anyone?????

Dubai? Sister lives there - not a teacher. Why? Do they give you tiny classes and an easy time?

You're all moaning years too late

This is what should have been taken into account when you chose your subject

My poor bastard DH teaches RE, English, Geography, A Level philosophy - totally ridiculous marking workload

Teacher brain drain report today- loads a dosh, no discipline probs,, sun, minimal marking, no of sted, no work to take home.. All awaiting us in the middle/Far East. 18000 Brit teachers gone there - what are we waiting for? Just those sexist rich Arabs to deal with! (Ready for 'racist' enslaught)

If you compare planning and marking across subjects then I am an absolute slacker. I teach music from nursery to year 11 in a school that goes right through. However I am responsible for the following:
Carol service - 1000+ people?
Speech day - 1000+ people?
All concerts
4 school productions per year
Harvest festival
all extra curricular musical activities
Oversee and manage all the peripatetic staff
Organise all music for all assemblies and any school events-open days/summer fetes/Christmas fairs etc
I teach everyone. That's over 300 reports to write.

Without making it a competition, what I'm trying to say is that it might not be that obvious what people do. For example in my school the prep and senior parts of the school don't really know what each other is doing, so they would only see what I do in their own section iykwim.

However I am content with my lot. I would never in a million years choose to be an English or history teacher (all that marking) or maths (terrifying accountability) science (teaching an A level that you're not a specialist in-no thanks) art or dt (getting them through all their coursework) a MFL teacher (differentiation)
So it's horses for courses I think.