Teachers on Strike

lazer

gregg1 wrote: »

Exactly.

Also, good holidays? yes, uninhibited mobility of those holidays? No. Unlike the private sector!

A lot the the private sector have inflexible holidays too.

Factories - staff have to take shutdown periods (Which are usually Christmas, Easter and 2 weeks in the summer - so even less flexibility)

Accountants - Can't take month end, quarter end, year end, Tax year end etc.

Retail - generally can't take any time at Christmas or during peak sale periods

Hotels/Leisure - generally can't take much holiday during peak tourist times

So it's not just teachers that don't have the flaxibility - many of the private sector workers don't either and they don't get as many holidays as teachers so have even less time to find affordable holidays.

gregg1

poet123 wrote: »

It is subject dependent. Maths is a subject which requires a different style of marking to essay based subjects, so basing your assessment of the amount and level of marking required by a maths teacher is not helpful. Additionally, even in good schools there are those members of staff who are "carried" by others or whose marking regime would fall foul of Ofsted/the SMT if scrutinised. Your friend may well fall into this category.

I agree. Also, with mathematics there is a right or wrong answer (although the workings out have to be correct obviously). I imagine marking essays to be much harder.

gregg1

lazer wrote: »

A lot the the private sector have inflexible holidays too.

Factories - staff have to take shutdown periods (Which are usually Christmas, Easter and 2 weeks in the summer - so even less flexibility)

Accountants - Can't take month end, quarter end, year end, Tax year end etc.

Retail - generally can't take any time at Christmas or during peak sale periods

Hotels/Leisure - generally can't take much holiday during peak tourist times

So it's not just teachers that don't have the flaxibility - many of the private sector workers don't either and they don't get as many holidays as teachers so have even less time to find affordable holidays.

I understand that, but outside of those restrictions, they have a choice with some or most of their holiday which was the point I was making.

bylromarha

JReacher1 wrote: »

You're getting confused with a laid back attitude and being competent at the job. He appears laid back because he is competent and doesn't find it stressful.

Your wife obviously struggles which is why she has to do so much work outside of school hours. Alot of very good teachers organise their time better and don't struggle as much as she does.

I suspect your opinion is clouded because obviously its your wife and she tells you how hard it is so you think all teachers find it as hard. In reality they don't!

Oh bless you - what a lovely rose tinted world you live in. Can I join you there in a place where Mr Gove is a horrid nightmare.

I suggest you go talk to some teachers in other places.

Your friend wouldn't last 5 minutes teaching another subject or teaching in a primary school. :rotfl:

globetraveller

If teaching is such an easy job why are their severe problems filling posts? This is certainly the case in Scotland. Aberdeen offered a handout of £5000 for any taking up one of 50+ vacancies and they still have not filled them all.

lazer

gregg1 wrote: »

I understand that, but outside of those restrictions, they have a choice with some or most of their holiday which was the point I was making.

And so do teachers - they have at least 6 weeks in the summer to pick when they want to go away.

I will tell you my holidays

28 days total:

8 days at Christmas 23rd Dec - 1st Jan
5 days at Easter
10 day in summer -(2 weeks in August)
4 other public holidays
1 day that we can take when we want.

Here is the term dates I have taken from a school website
Autumn Term 2013
Term Starts - Wednesday 4th September 2013 (Teacher Training Days Monday 2nd & Wednesday 3rd)
Half Term - Monday 28th October to Friday 1st November 2013
Term Ends - Friday 20th December 2013
Spring Term 2014
Term Starts - Tuesday 7th January 2014
Half Term - Monday 17th February to Friday 21st February 2014
Term Ends - Friday 11th April 2014
Summer Term 2014
Term Starts - Monday 28th April 2014
Half Term - Monday 26th May to Friday 30th May 2014
Term Ends - Friday 18th July 2014

So teachers cn choose when they want a holiday out of the following dates when they are off work
Summer - 19th July to 1st Sept (6 weeks)
Half Term - 28th Oct - 1st Nov (1 week)
Christmas - 21st December - 6th Jan (2 weeks)
Half Term - 17th to 21st of Feb (1 week)
Easter - 12th April - 27th April (2 weeks)
Half Term - 26th May to 30th May (1 week)

Total holidays - 13 weeks (65 days - over double the minimum statutory holidays that many people have) - therefore they have a quarter of the year of work - and can go on holiday at any point during these 13 weeks.

If teachers should know one thing - it is don't use the inflexibility of holidays in arguements when your holidays are the envy of most other workers.
Even when I had flexible holidays I would have traded it for double the amount of holidays as I am sure most people would.

JReacher1

globetraveller wrote: »

If teaching is such an easy job why are their severe problems filling posts? This is certainly the case in Scotland. Aberdeen offered a handout of £5000 for any taking up one of 50+ vacancies and they still have not filled them all.

Its because its a deadend job. Its a good first career when you leave uni as the starting salary is good, the benefits are good and the work is easy.

The problem you have is that there isn't the career advancement you get in other careers as their is only a limited number of senior teaching positions.

Its a difficult subject to discuss teaching as people get very sensative about it on this board. The belief mentioned by some of the "sensative" posters on this board is that those teachers who find teaching easy are "bad teachers" and those teachers that struggle with their workload as they are not very good at organising their time are "good teachers".

Its sadly not that simplistic.

Alot of people posting about how hard it is aren't in fact teachers so only post what they've been "told".

A couple of actual teachers have posted and it doesn't sound like they have a bad life at all!

ILW

The main problem with teachers, is they still have an old fashioned public sector attitude to work.

gregg1

lazer wrote: »

Even when I had flexible holidays I would have traded it for double the amount of holidays as I am sure most people would.

Well what was stopping you then?!!!!

gregg1

JReacher1 wrote: »

Its because its a deadend job. Its a good first career when you leave uni as the starting salary is good, the benefits are good and the work is easy.

The problem you have is that there isn't the career advancement you get in other careers as their is only a limited number of senior teaching positions.

Its a difficult subject to discuss teaching as people get very sensative about it on this board. The belief mentioned by some of the "sensative" posters on this board is that those teachers who find teaching easy are "bad teachers" and those teachers that struggle with their workload as they are not very good at organising their time are "good teachers".

Its sadly not that simplistic.

Alot of people posting about how hard it is aren't in fact teachers so only post what they've been "told".

A couple of actual teachers have posted and it doesn't sound like they have a bad life at all!

You do have a nasty habit of making sweeping assumptions. You have no idea what my career has entailed or, indeed, that of many other posters on this thread.

You are beginning to sound suspiciously like another poster who was recently threatened with being PPR'd and who also has an aggressive manner when posting!!