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Original poster

Teacher bashing getting me down

55 replies

Blue2309 · 10/08/2020 06:51

Hi everyone,

I am sure there have been lots of threads about this during the pandemic but I've largely kept off social media (including MN) during lockdown.

Anyway, I am beginning to get really down about all of the hatred towards teachers that is out there at the moment. I found teaching last term really hard - as I know the vast majority of teachers did. The Daily Mail and Telegraph have both had stories recently with really misleading headlines - today's DT headline states that schools are planning to be one week on one week off - whereas the actuality is of course that this is a back up plan for year groups if there is a spike and teachers certainly won't be having any time off.

The comments underneath were vile - really vile. Teachers are lazy, have had a six month holiday, don't deserve key worker status etc etc...

I KNOW I shouldn't read them but I do, and I just feel so sad and upset. I've really enjoyed my teaching career so far but recently I've wondered if I should try something else. I feel I am not allowed to be proud of my job anymore.

Any advice - or just a shake?

OP posts:
monkeytennis97 · 11/08/2020 17:51

@drivinmecrazy

Not a teacher but have been literally bought to tears by some of the threads I've read recently. I for one have never had so much respect for your profession. Particularly difficult to read are the posters saying that schools must open because they cannot cope with their own children at home , or the need to get their DC back to school due to lack of childcare. It reflects a basic divide in our society among those who think we just have to get on with it regardless and those of us that recognise that things cannot and will not go back to any kind of normality any time soon. I have made it clear to the staff at DDs school how wonderfully in awe I am at the collective and individual efforts they have made in exceptions times. I do not know of many professions where they have had to relearn how to fulfil their roles. Not just a case of doing the same job but at home instead of an office. It makes me so sad and angry in equal measure that my child's education is disrupted but not once have I laid the blame at her teachers door. I would hazard a guess that more people have a better understanding and appreciation of the job that you do then you think!!
Thank youThanks
BlessYourCottonSocks · 11/08/2020 18:54

@Piggywaspushed

I agree. Sadly, I am not sure MNHQ is taking this seriously enough. Much of it is actually bullying.
Absolutely agree, Piggy.

I've repeatedly told MNHQ this - and pointed out that they would never allow this level of prejudice and vitriol against any other group of people. Any thread that talked about 'All travellers...' or 'All black people..' etc would be shut down. But apparently it's ok to state that all teachers are lazy - or have had 6 months off.

MrsHamlet · 11/08/2020 21:09

Most adults would be much less obnoxious if they were in front of you, as would most teenagers. Even my most utterly appalling year 11 boy wouldn't dare to speak to me in the way that some posters do - it's a simple question of respect.
I wish I knew why some people had such disrespect for the profession. I maintain we're seen as an easy target because everyone knows about schools, and we've probably all had a bad teacher, but I think it's also because it suits the rhetoric to have someone else to blame for all social ills. If it's not the teachers at fault, then it must be the parents ... and which parent really wants to admit that their child is dreadfully behaved and they can't control it?

StaffAssociationRepresentative · 12/08/2020 00:51

I can’t remember which Republic it was but MN was threatening to shut us down!

echt · 12/08/2020 05:11

An amusing aspect of all this is the pre-Covid 19 near- total lack of interest in what is actually going on in schools on MN boards, unless snotty Johnny was told to wear uniform in which case DEF CON 1 was needed.

Do they get enraged about lack of funding for schools? No.

SN -related threads/posts were an exception.

This why I'm still convinced that so many posts attacking teachers are made by those who simply don't like their own children under their feet all day, every day. They want a childminding service. Nothing more. The same ones who whine (lightheartedly Hmm) about what to do with their children over the summer holiday/can't wait for term to start.

FrippEnos · 12/08/2020 11:27

echt

It would be interesting to know where all of these banging on about their children's mental health were when

School budgets were being slashed
SEND descriptors were being changed to remove funding
When Camhs funding was being cut
When Gove was removing the cap of children in the classroom.

I could go on. but I suspect that all of their care for children's mental health will disappear when their child leaves school.

echt · 12/08/2020 11:55

Quite.

In the short time my senior groups were in school I could see they were happier being with their friends and, I hope, teachers, so all good for mental health in the broadest sense.

On the MN thread it's as if the parents children had all turned into teapots under the stress of it all.

monkeytennis97 · 12/08/2020 12:10

@FrippEnos

echt

It would be interesting to know where all of these banging on about their children's mental health were when

School budgets were being slashed
SEND descriptors were being changed to remove funding
When Camhs funding was being cut
When Gove was removing the cap of children in the classroom.

I could go on. but I suspect that all of their care for children's mental health will disappear when their child leaves school.

Also the mental health of year 11 and 13 with Gav's latest 11pm uturn.
monkeytennis97 · 12/08/2020 12:12

@echt

An amusing aspect of all this is the pre-Covid 19 near- total lack of interest in what is actually going on in schools on MN boards, unless snotty Johnny was told to wear uniform in which case DEF CON 1 was needed.

Do they get enraged about lack of funding for schools? No.

SN -related threads/posts were an exception.

This why I'm still convinced that so many posts attacking teachers are made by those who simply don't like their own children under their feet all day, every day. They want a childminding service. Nothing more. The same ones who whine (lightheartedly Hmm) about what to do with their children over the summer holiday/can't wait for term to start.

I agree about the child minding serviceGrin
Kidneybingo · 13/08/2020 22:01

I am using the bashing to keep me strong in my vow to strengthen my boundaries between work and home, and to stop me spending my money on school!

Myothercarisalsoshit · 13/08/2020 22:34

@Kidneybingo

I am using the bashing to keep me strong in my vow to strengthen my boundaries between work and home, and to stop me spending my money on school!
Absolutely. It's so hard not to though because contrary to popular belief we do actually care about the children.
WhenSheWasBad · 14/08/2020 08:12

This why I'm still convinced that so many posts attacking teachers are made by those who simply don't like their own children under their feet all day, every day. They want a childminding service. Nothing more. The same ones who whine (lightheartedly hmm) about what to do with their children over the summer holiday/can't wait for term to start

I think I’m a bit odd as a teacher because I can see where they are coming from. Society is set up to need both parents working and like it or not school does function as education and childcare for a lot of families.

Mine included, if my kids can’t go to primary school I can’t work. That one of the many reasons I’m really nice to my kids teachers - that and the fact that they are awesome.

Considering how much people need teachers for society to function. It’s quite surprising they are so shitty to us.

Kidneybingo · 14/08/2020 08:14

If school, and therefore we, are so important, we should be treasured and coddled! 😁

Kidneybingo · 14/08/2020 08:17

They have had over 25 years of me putting my job and the children first. From now on, I'll do my best, but with clear limits and boundaries.

FlySheMust · 14/08/2020 08:29

There are some absolute cunts on mumsnet and HQ lets them get away with their venom. I'm sure most just post to goad.

In the real world people appreciate teachers.

StaffAssociationRepresentative · 14/08/2020 17:50

And there are some who are worried that we have greater influence and control over their child than they do Smile

monkeytennis97 · 14/08/2020 18:13

@Kidneybingo

They have had over 25 years of me putting my job and the children first. From now on, I'll do my best, but with clear limits and boundaries.
Same here
CallmeAngelina · 14/08/2020 20:29

If you want to see some cuntish behaviour, take a look at the "Schools will fail" thread. Enough to make you resign on the spot.
There will be some names you recognise.

Kidneybingo · 14/08/2020 21:09

What completely astounds me, is that people who say they are going back into an office two days a week, with SD, but they are worried, seem to get sympathy!

monkeytennis97 · 14/08/2020 22:08

@CallmeAngelina

If you want to see some cuntish behaviour, take a look at the "Schools will fail" thread. Enough to make you resign on the spot. There will be some names you recognise.
I know. Have tried to pipe up on that one but not feeling mentally strong enough for it tonight.
echt · 14/08/2020 22:31

I've just lobbed in a hand grenade on that thread. My God there are some dense posters.

Can't read, won't read.

FrippEnos · 14/08/2020 22:42

The police person on that thread got pissy when I pulled her up on her lying.

year5teacher · 15/08/2020 07:59

It’s hugely depressing.
It really pisses me off as well when so many people try and tell you how to do your job on here. I don’t go into threads about doctors and say “well have you tried this...?” People seem to think that because they went to school themselves and may have DC in school that they magically are all-knowing. And then if you say, no, actually, having 30 buckets of water in the classroom for children to wash their hands (serious suggestion) isn’t going to work, you get berated for being inflexible and refusing to work.

Honestly, you’d think we’d walked out and were now all on strike despite the government wanting to keep schools open the whole time.

We are work shy lefties who only do it for the holiday, whilst simultaneously being so obsessed with our jobs and spending so much time marking that we neglect our families. It’s amazing.

echt · 15/08/2020 09:27

It really pisses me off as well when so many people try and tell you how to do your job on here. I don’t go into threads about doctors and say “well have you tried this...?” People seem to think that because they went to school themselves and may have DC in school that they magically are all-knowing. And then if you say, no, actually, having 30 buckets of water in the classroom for children to wash their hands (serious suggestion) isn’t going to work, you get berated for being inflexible and refusing to work

This ^^^^

It absolutely typifies the attitudes of so many of the numpties who infest education-related topics. They treat it like it's a thread on nappy rash solutions or how best use Zoflora.

Thank you for giving me an inspired new username for when I need one. I'll bet you can guess which one it is. :o

year5teacher · 15/08/2020 10:02

@echt exactly, and just in general they do it. Not even just about Covid. I actually really appreciate parents’ input but it gets very wearing having people crop up saying “well that method wouldn’t work for MY child so what are you going to do about it?”

I had this discussion about ability groupings on another thread and people couldn’t really get that just because they had had a certain experience at school, or that their DC had, that actually that is not the only thing teachers consider when they make these decisions.

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