Who here is a teacher?

I wonder how many years experience all these teachers cited so far have, the ones that are constantly working? I ask because I'd expect teachers in the early part of their career would have to work a lot harder than those with say 10 or 20 years experience. As a newly qualified teacher you'll have to put more effort in to plan lessons and make sure you learn your subject and the curriculum. Experienced teachers will have the benefit of that experience and a lot of whay young teachers have to work at will come as second nature.

My mother was a secondary teacher for 35 years, retiring a few years ago. Her day was pretty much 8-5 (about the same as mine now) and yes, she'd do some marking in the evenings and report writing, parents evenings, etc. But aside from a few days 'housekeeping' prior to the start of a new term there's be no mountains of additional work. Because she had many years experience it was easier and she didn't have to spend as much time getting prepared or on the papwerwork as other less expeienced members of staff.
 
My ex is a teacher and has pretty much the same role as your other half. I have to echo what others have said though - why care what some DM reader thinks?

She used to get comments about teaching when we were out sometimes and just always responded 'If teaching is so easy why don't you become a teacher then?' Seemed to shut them up fairly quickly.
 
My wife is a teacher in a secondary school, plus I work in a school as an IT Technician, so I see first hand some of the crap teachers have to put up with. Yes, they are pretty well paid, and yes they get a lot of time off each year (roughly 3 months a year), but they also have to put up with so much from the kids. Some of the kids are lovely, but some are so horrible I really don't know how teachers don't lose their rags and put them through a window. It's certainly not a profession I think I could do, as I don't think I have the patience for it.
 
I am in two camps here.

There are many very difficult jobs out there - most of which require more skill, have more responsibility and recoup far less money, and less holiday within the UK. Police, Paramedics, Nurses, Firemen, even down to the likes of staff whom support those that I mentioned.

I know kids are hell, but that is why I didn't choose that profession. Instead I opted for a role better suited to my analytical mind within law enforcement.

The only teacher I know of:

Woman 1 flunked University, weaseled her way in to a school through religious ties and even, dare I say, sexual favours (sadly this is proven). She is a diva and the kids either worship her, fancy her, or are in awe of her; she is a very poor role model as she spends all her cash on clothes and shoes and goes out clubbing every single night, drives when under the influence and is a miracle she still has a job and is alive.

Her level of English (she teaches this subject) is very poor, and often writes in '1337 speak' even on the blackboard or on homework. She has been known to write 'LOL' on homework which has seen parents complain, and nothing done about it by the Headmaster.

Seeing the calibre of students she is kicking out, her standard of English, her inability and all the perks she gets (more money than me, yet my job is arguably of greater responsibility) I am frankly ashamed of the education system.

I accept that she is a just a small sample of the overall picture, but this has tarred my respect for the profession.
 
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Hyburnate said:
I disagree, a family friend is going through this currently with their child. I've seen it with my own eyes, when a child is flagged as 'bad' then they immediately get shot down for everything! I'm not saying all teachers do it, however teachers most definitely have their favourites and the ones they follow the rules to the dot with.
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I've seen and know the ones they generally don't like, and that is with good reason - i'd be tempted to just give them the work and shove them in a cupboard. The ones they like are usually the ones that do everything to the dot, but they aren't going to spoil anyone elses education. I just did neither, and fit straight in the middle. Get the work done and get what you want from school, you can't do it a second time.

Where as a lecturer role.. :)
 
I seriously looked into (secondary) but there put a few hoops in my way that I couldn't fit around other things. I still lecture though as I really enjoy teaching. Later on when family life quietens down a bit I will teach secondary for certain.
 
A good friend of mine has been a secondary school advanced maths teacher for nigh on 20 years now i think.
He's had plenty of time off with stress due to the disrepsect of some students.
He's a very highly graded martial arts practitioner and i bet he'd love to take his kendo shinai in to class and use it on some of them.
He's had kids hit him and he can't do much about it. Said 'child' (year 10 think) was sent home and my friend was 'advised' by the headteacher to drop the subject as he didn't want the kid excluded from school.... for attacking a teacher!!! wtf????
He subsequently went off work with stress.....i'd be fuming i think.

Yep, hats off to teachers, they don't deserve half the crap they get from the disrespectful generation of oiks today.
 
I still think primary is a joke, I know people who do it. The fact they come in early and leave late is their choice, they don't have to do it, their choice to give extra. And I know people who don't give the extra, who do it as a job, not because they love kids but because they got a degree in the arts or something and had no other viable career option.

Secondary school up, a lot of respect for that though, thats where the real hard work comes in, the mandatory late hours.
 
pitchfork said:
I still think primary is a joke, I know people who do it. The fact they come in early and leave late is their choice, they don't have to do it, their choice to give extra. And I know people who don't give the extra, who do it as a job, not because they love kids but because they got a degree in the arts or something and had no other viable career option.

Secondary school up, a lot of respect for that though, thats where the real hard work comes in, the mandatory late hours.
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Pmsl. Ok so you expect paperwork to be done when they are teaching eh? Get real
 
The_Abyss said:
I believe that good teaching is phenomenally difficult. The few that manage it (fortunately a couple teach my 13 year old) are incredible. They engage with the pupils, catalyse the need to learn, and inspire.

However, I do think that this level is the exception, and as a result the profession is undervalued because the performance of the majority of teachers falls below what our next generations need.
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Teachers have been demonised for about 20 years now and the public perception has been coloured by that wave of hatred. Remember it is politicians that decide what teachers teach and in some cases how they teach. In England this is enforced by OFSTED, in Scotland by the GTCS.

There will always be teachers that do not come up to expectations. In Scotland they can and have been removed from the Register which means they cannot teach in schools. In England Cameron got rid of the GTC when he removed a few Quangos so removing a mechanism for removing poor teachers.

Some teachers will succeed with a lot of kids but will have difficult relationships with others. It does not mean they will stop trying to engage with the pupil or refining their approach. Education is a two way process and parents forget that the teacher does not pour knowledge into a pupil, the pupil has to make an effort too.

Teachers 'favourites' is usually the perception of the pupil who does not try. Teachers, in my own experience, always encourage pupils and praise them for effort and achievement. If a pupil is not trying then they can hardly be praised for effort or achievement although they can be encouraged to try.
 
Teaching like every profession has those who are excellent with little effort, those who are only good when they put the time and effort in and those who will never and have never been good teachers.

I think it's unfair to brand them all with any brush, it's a mixed bag and you'll always get some who simply do it for the holiday and salary. I hate to point it out but teachers on the whole are reasonably well paid.

It's the ones who genuinely want to make a different but are stuck with poor management I feel sorry for, in my time working in schools as an IT chap I met some brilliant teachers who were completely fed up with headteachers who simply gave them no backing or funding to do activities that would have helped, the money went to the Headteachers favourites only..
 
Not quite a teacher however am a Tutor/Trainer/Assessor who teaching 16-19. Qualified at L4 but Mrs is a Teacher.

Most of the comments here are reflective of society and its point of view. Some teachers are great, some OK and a small few (ime) are poor and have a low standard of classroom control.

Working where i do i know a lot of qualified teachers who have worked at a range of backgrounds eg, primary, secondary, colleges etc. We mostly think that teaching is dependent on a few main things:

- Grasp of literacy and numeracy while at primary level (before starting high school)
- Parents supporting their children with their homework (Education between home and school should be 50/50)
- Boundaries set in class that are stuck to and respect is 2 ways
- Children wanting to learn

There are always exceptions though, some classes with children who have EBD issues is often just crowd control, teaching to some classes is almost impossible.

My sister thinks teachers are overpaid and underworked, her husband quit work as a high school teacher because of being underpaid and overworked :rolleyes:.

I think i saw someone mentioned someone they knew being assaulted, its a common occurrence unfortunately. TL;DR - fof assaulted by student (furniture used), said fof managed get student out door. Went and proceeded to inform reception to contact Police regarding attack. This passed on to HM who refused to contemplate it because of schools reputation and poor policies. FOF went to bring about own case, HM contacted she made threats of job being on the line if he continued. Continued, big who-hah and kept job. Student given warning. Said student continued gloating nothing got done and "will do it again one day"... some kids are just total wasters, a waste of life and matter and looking at their parents who have no ambition, drive or care its easy to see who.

Teachers of course make up pretty much the most powerful element of society as anyone who has done A level Govt. and Pol will know

*dons flame proof jacket*
 
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