Are teachers worth their pay?

[anotheoldgit]

I heard today that in some areas of the country, because Easter was early this year, the children begin their Easter holidays today.

Does this mean that they will be getting the usual 2 weeks off?

Since they must have also had Good Friday and Easter Monday off, plus they will most likely have an inset day (teacher's training day) tagged on. Making this holday almost 3 weeks long.

All very nice for these teachers who are considering striking for more pay, but not very good for the children's education.

[Ric.ror]

I hate to say it but I have yet to meet a teacher that gave a fig for a childs education. I have meet teachers that complain they are not allowed to take their holidays when they want (I think during off season low prices). I have meet teachers that have left their own children home alone. I have meet teachers who complain about the amount of work they have to do - never heard one say they are in a well paid job with long hours but lots of holidays to catch up.

[dundurn]

The holidays have been staggered all over the country. Some schools had Easter tagged on the front of their spring break, for others there have been two separate breaks. Teachers don't get 'extra' holidays or 'extra' inset days as a result of these differences but in some cases it does mean that this term will be a very long one in some schools. To some extent this is a problem society has made for itself. The old system of local holidays was a nuisance for national employers but made sense in each local area. Now, with parents commuting to work, taking (or expecting) nationally agreed holidays and in some cases placing their children in out-of-catchment-area schools, it's the schools who are attracting the criticism, largely through no fault of their own.

[ludwig]

In answer to the question I'd say yes they are. If you think it's such a cushy number why don't/didn't you go and do it yourself?

[Doc Spock]

I know lots of teachers, all lazy sods. They like the long holidays.

Free or cheap holidays accompaninng the kids. To55ers the lot of them.

[youngmafbog]

Ric, do whjat I do and pay for your kids education. They still do care passionatley.

ludwig, doubt I would last 5 mins amongst all those lefties so its out for me !

[LoftyLottie]

Having worked with them over a long period of time I would say that some are worth their money but the majority are wingers and moaners about how hard they supposedly work. They live in a different world and would do well to experience 'real life' . In fact, I would suggest that it ought to be compulsory for teachers to have worked in the competitive world of work before being allowed to teach. They would hopefully then know how the rest of us live, and this added experience would vastly benefit them and our children.

I stress again that there are some good teachers about who well deserve their pay, but they are few and far between.

[pingping]

as the daughter of two teachers, I can attest to how hard teachers work. Every night after school was spent with them both preparing work for the next day/week/month/term of lessons. Every Sunday was spent preparing work, and at least one week of every holiday was spent doing the same.

I can honestly say that when I get home from work, I leave work behind. I have never worked on a Sunday and don't intend to start now. If my evenings and weekends were spent in this manner, then I would certainly expect the compensation of more time off during Easter, Christmas and summer.

Also, some of the stories I hear from them and other teachers would make your hair stand on end with some of the cr@p that they have to put up with children and their parents. I made a decision early in life that I wouldn't be a teacher, but I wish lots of luck to anyone who chooses this unthanked career path.

[SARAHAD]

What a load of tripe are these negative comments about teachers.If these people fancy doing the job let them try after going through the training.They could'nt stand the amount of work involved--try it and see

[mrs_overall]

One of my nephews is an art teacher in a KS4 (14-16yrs) school. Talk about a cushy number! He only actually teaches about 4 hours a day, and the rest of the time he is either on "planning & preparation time" or departmental meetings. He has been off the last 2 weeks for Easter and moaned that he had to do some marking at home. How difficult can it be to mark artwork?
I love him dearly but when it comes to his job he's a moaning whinger.

[LoftyLottie]

What teachers do not appear to understand is that the rest of us are under pressure too, and failure to achieve results in not having a job! I have witnessed how difficult it is for schools to get rid of dreadful teachers. And I certainly don't agree that they work harder than others. Loads of people work long hard hours and bring their work home with them. So many teachers are totally out of touch and most of them have only ever been students before going into teaching and have no worldly experience.

[SARAHAD]

To correct you it is not difficult these days to get rid of teachers on the grounds of competency--I have seen it happen 2x in one school within a short time span

[tigersam258]

everyone is different but the ones that I know do work hard especially in the evenings preparing lessons, marking work etc. they dont just have a free ride through the summer either as this is the time that they put together their term plans and having seen the work that goes into it, they generally only have a couple of weeks to themselves so in my opinion they work as hard any anyone else and deserve whatever they get.

[Twenty20]

I don't know what it is about them but teacher's do seem to like to tell everyone how hard they work, as if the rest of us don't work as hard. We know probably 5 teachers and theyre all the same on that, nice people, but they do go on about how difficult it is, the long hours etc etc. The poor loves!

[LoftyLottie]

Sarahad, well to be honest I have known it take far too long and involved incredibly long winded proceedures before teachers can be 'fired' and those that have have enjoyed quite good severance packages. To be honest working within education for a long period (not as a teacher!) has opened my eyes wide and I have lost respect for the teaching profession (although, as I said before, there are some excellent teachers about).

And they certainly do whinge and complain about their lot. I often wonder why they stay in the profession if it is so terrible.

[Supernick]

I'm friends with teachers, and my mother is a teacher. The bottom line is that they get paid pretty well, and receive some very nice holiday perks for a job that is on the whole more stressful, more dangerous (and more important) than 90% of private sector jobs.

They do moan on, but then look at everyone else moaning on these boards, about how everyone else has it better than them. Everyone should quit their whinging. If you think you have what it takes to teach, and if it's so brilliant, do it.

[scoobydooby]

More stressful and more dangerous than 90% of private sector jobs? Maybe, may be not, but we're not really talking about private sector here are we? The majority of teaching staff work for the public sector and their jobs are nowhere near as dangerous as other jobs in the public sector!

[LoftyLottie]

Sorry, I can't see that teaching is more stressful and dangerous than loads of other jobs - private or public. I think teachers should get out there and see for themselves just how stressful other jobs really are and what long hours people in this country have to work these days.

[dundurn]

I appreciate how annoying it must be to see jobsworth layabouts who've never done a day's work ouside the education system moaning on about their horrible job and being difficult to remove them from the school system - they do exist and it does happen. The real problem, however, is that it's absolutely impossible to get rid of parents. There is no training course or statement of responsibilities. Frequently what they deliver to school at age 5 is the result of a drunken night of unprotected passion and unfortunately it shows! The offspring of their loins have few if any redeeming features; no manners, no social skills, no willingness to sit still never mind learn anything and usually no pencil. If 'Einstein' goes home and complains that teacher has commented on his/ her behaviour the frequent response of the parent is to arrive in school breathing fire and brimstone with a view to 'sorting out' anyone who does not fully appreciate the emotional harm being done to their sensitive little hothouse flower.

We tend to get the public servants we deserve or are willing to pay for. If you don't like the finished product at age 18, worry less about the process and concentrate more on the raw materials.