Teaching - an elite profession

ruggedtoast

snozberry wrote: »

I have been a teacher for 13 years now and I would just love, LOVE, a six hour day with a 90 minute break and 13 weeks holidays. I'm not going to get my violin out and whinge about the truths behind my job because I know that this forum is full of the judgemental, narrow-minded teacher bashers who, quite frankly, bore me to tears. There is nothing more interesting to a scary proportion on this forum than hiding behind their laptops/computers/whatever they use to access the 'net to whinge and complain about something they know s0d all about. It's become nothing more than a glorified soapbox.

Yes, there might be some who do take the p1ss but you get that in most professions.

I have friends and family who are teachers. I have a lot of respect for people who can do it and actually manage to impart any kind of knowledge. In general it seems like a sh 1 t job with very long hours, comparatively low pay, lots of stress due to constant assessment and limited career development.

And I dont mean that disrespectfully, teaching should be a good job, but it just seems like governments hate teachers.

poet123

Teachers get so much flack on here, but if those who give it had to cope with even the pastoral needs of 30 kids every day, let alone the academic issues, they would know every penny is earned and then some.

Loughton_Monkey

poet123 wrote: »

Teachers get so much flack on here, but if those who give it had to cope with even the pastoral needs of 30 kids every day, let alone the academic issues, they would know every penny is earned and then some.

I think the word is 'flak', but that's not as important as teaching the right thing. Rather than teach them all to be shepherds, I would have thought a bit of English or Maths would be rather more constructive.

poet123

Loughton_Monkey wrote: »

I think the word is 'flak', but that's not as important as teaching the right thing. Rather than teach them all to be shepherds, I would have thought a bit of English or Maths would be rather more constructive.

Teach them all to be shepherds? Teach who to be shepherds?

As well as (obviously, I would have thought) looking to fulfill their academic obligations, teachers now have to deal with a myriad of social issues. If those are not addressed learning is hampered, or even ceases completely.

Only last week, my son, who teaches a core subject, but who also has a year seven tutor group, was faced with a young girl talking of nooses, asking for photos of a dead relative who committed suicide, and being identified as being bullied by others in his form. When faced with that, core subject issues seem secondary for that pupil, and indeed for the teachers who have to cope with it, and hopefully, avert a tragedy.

BobQ

When I graduated university I seriously thought about becoming a teacher. I think its true that during my lifetime the status of teaching as a profession has gone down so anything that improves it would be a good idea.

What shocks me (I must be getting old) is that when I went to university it was an entry requirement that you had to have O-level English Language and Mathematics. When I left university it was a requirement of all the employers I applied to join that you had O level English and Mathematics whatever your degree was in. It was certainly a requirement of all civil service jobs and of several private sector firms I applied to join.

What amazes me is that now this is a novel idea! What happened?

poet123

BobQ wrote: »

When I graduated university I seriously thought about becoming a teacher. I think its true that during my lifetime the status of teaching as a profession has gone down so anything that improves it would be a good idea.

What shocks me (I must be getting old) is that when I went to university it was an entry requirement that you had to have O-level English Language and Mathematics. When I left university it was a requirement of all the employers I applied to join that you had O level English and Mathematics whatever your degree was in. It was certainly a requirement of all civil service jobs and of several private sector firms I applied to join.

What amazes me is that now this is a novel idea! What happened?

Most degrees require a minimum of a C grade in English and Maths (granted that is not a high grade but the requirement is there)

For teaching, prior to completion of the PGCE trainees have to undergo competency tests in English, Maths and ICT at a level equivalent to GCSE grade C as a minimum.

ILW

poet123 wrote: »

Teach them all to be shepherds? Teach who to be shepherds?

As well as (obviously, I would have thought) looking to fulfill their academic obligations, teachers now have to deal with a myriad of social issues. If those are not addressed learning is hampered, or even ceases completely.

Only last week, my son, who teaches a core subject, but who also has a year seven tutor group, was faced with a young girl talking of nooses, asking for photos of a dead relative who committed suicide, and being identified as being bullied by others in his form. When faced with that, core subject issues seem secondary for that pupil, and indeed for the teachers who have to cope with it, and hopefully, avert a tragedy.

Just chuck that one at social services and let them deal with it. The teacher is there to teach.

Davesnave

ILW wrote: »

Just chuck that one at social services and let them deal with it. The teacher is there to teach.

Ah yes, "Not my problem, son!"

Isn't that the school motto of St Jobsworths?

ILW

Davesnave wrote: »

Ah yes, "Not my problem, son!"

Isn't that the school motto of St Jobsworths?

A teacher is not trained in mental health issues and is just as likely to cause more harm. Meanwhile another 30 children are being ignored. If said teacher is a qualified psychiatrist, fair enough. If not hand the problem to someone who knows what they are doing.

ShAnE

DaddyBear wrote: »

I wouldn't mind. Imagine a job where your working day is 6 hours, which includes three breaks totalling 90mins, and you get 13 weeks annual leave per year spread out so that you never have to work more than 7 weeks without a holiday.

I'll take my cushy 8-4 job over a teaching job any day. Working 18 hours a day for 39 weeks of the year, while using half the 13 weeks annual leave on school related tasks, leaving 6.5 weeks too enjoy holidays during the most expensive times of the year.

FYI: Most teachers have just done an 8 week stint, longer than i've worked without a holiday.