Teachers' Strike: Is your kids' school on strike today?

FBaby

balletshoes wrote: »

we'll have to agree to disagree - i think teachers, especially these days, do have it harder than others.

Then maybe they should spend a day in a busy hospital, with all the politics that goes with it. They might be grateful that at least they always get to count the weeks until their next break to recharge.

ViolaLass

nw_mum wrote: »

I totally agree with you, two family members are teachers. Why do they feel they are the only ones that go beyond contract hours of work, in this economy a lot of people do including myself 9-5 sometimes runs into 9-7, weekend paperwork and I'm not a teacher but kids need clothes. I was given three days notice of strike

Sometimes is key - these things are routine for most teachers.

I knew about the strike weeks ago (it didn't involve me) - it's been in the paper apart from anything else.

ViolaLass

FBaby wrote: »

Then maybe they should spend a day in a busy hospital, with all the politics that goes with it. They might be grateful that at least they always get to count the weeks until their next break to recharge.

I don't buy the idea that people shouldn't try to get better working conditions just because others might have it worse.

CruisingSaver

My DD is in Y9 and was in school today. In fact only the Year 7 and 8 children were off.


I work for the NHS and I'm fully supportive of the teachers' action. As someone else said this is not a race to the bottom!


Roll on May 2015!

jap200

FBaby wrote: »

What makes me laugh is the claim that teachers work 10 hours days. I pass my DR'S school the times a week at 7:45 and the car park and adjoining roads are deserted bur for a few cars. Same after school, DS does activities at that school twice a week at 5pm and the car park is pretty empty and that's a very good school. I think there is a bit of confusion between what might happen once a week and every working day!

Oh my goodness - I can't believe you are judging how hard teachers work based on whether their cars are in the car park!

My husband is a 48-year old newly qualified secondary science teacher. He has just come home from work utterly exhausted as usual having been in at 7am and worked solidly through until the school locks it's doors at 5.30. It is a half hour drive (his respite) before getting in the house and carrying on with marking and THEN starting to plan the 5+ hour-long lessons for the next day. It is a rare evening indeed when he finishes this (or gives up in exhuastion) before 11pm. He is also expected to keep on top of this when there is a parents' evening or open evening and when there are reports to write.

He ALSO works 8+ hour every weekend marking and lesson planning.

And as for the holidays - so far he has spent many hours of every holiday working.

Not only that but he found out today that the school has Offsted in for the next two days so the stress level is now doubled.

So why does he carry on like this? He was made redundant from a senior university position and was unable to find another job so decided to retrain as a teacher. However, almost 2 years in (1 year of training + 1 year NQT) he is absolutely sick and tired of having to cope with this crazy workload, complete lack of respect, every changing goalposts and truely dreadful pay (1/3 of his previous salary) - not to mention not having time for his own children. So right this minute he is thinking of quitting - after all the hard work he has put into it. And I must say that I will be glad.

And yes, he did go in to work today.

Person_one

FBaby wrote: »

I agree totally, but it's no different to NHS workers, police officers, and many other stressful jobs dealing with difficult people, which service is judged based on targets.

That's the thing that annoy me, not that the claim that teachers have a hard job, they do, but that they think they have it harder than others. My colleague gets to work shortly after 7am every morning and rarely leaves after 5pm. I personally manage the same workload on 8 hours a day. We work at different pace.

As said before the three teachers I am friends with (1 in primary school, two in secondary) don't do these 10 hours a day claim. They sometimes go in a bit earlier, they sometimes go a bit later, they sometimes work at home, but they are never obliged to work from 7:30 to 5pm every day plus more at home to do their job well. I suppose it depends on the person, the school, the kids etc..., but again, that is no different to other professions.

My teacher friends work themselves to exhaustion. I'm no couch potato and am used to working 14 hour shifts, being on my feet for 13 or more of those hours and still being late to leave, but there's no way in hell I could teach.

I suppose the nature of the extra work is such that the more committed and conscientious the teacher is, the more they'll do and the more time they'll devote outside of school hours. Its not one of those jobs where there's a task to perform and when its done its done.

I wouldn't have thought that the teachers doing the minimum they can get away with are getting outstanding ofsted observations or inspiring and engaging their pupils in the way an excellent teacher can.

Person_one

FBaby wrote: »

Then maybe they should spend a day in a busy hospital, with all the politics that goes with it. They might be grateful that at least they always get to count the weeks until their next break to recharge.

There's just as much, if not more, politicking to deal with in education!

NHS staff don't do too bad for holidays, and we generally get to treat them as holidays rather than having to spend a substantial proportion of them still working just in our own homes.

daisiegg

ViolaLass wrote: »

I don't buy the idea that people shouldn't try to get better working conditions just because others might have it worse.

Well said!

ellesbellesxxx

pjcox2005 wrote: »

Not bashing, just interested in teachers views as to whether comments quoted re hours of work are correct as an average week. "primary school teachers working 60-hour weeks and secondary school teachers working 56 hours."

From what I've seen I'd expect teachers to be in at around 8/8.30 and leave at four. Potentially having to take break times at some point.

So assuming no breaks at all, and those times 5 days a week that would be 40hrs. Do primary school teachers really do 4 hrs a night of homework. Assuming commute, dinner etc, that's basically 6-10pm on a nightly basis.

That seems very high. What's the bit that takes the most time and what would you look to change in order for it to be more manageable? Also, I would have expected secondary school teachers to work longer hours or is it because they may specialise in a subject and therefore not teach for the full day?

Hi
I am a Primary School Teacher and currently now do 3 days a week, as I do consultancy and freelance rest of week now.


I get there at 8 where I ensure all resources ready to go for day, plus catch up with anyone I need to see/admin. I teach 9-11 then we have breaktime where I usually start marking. 11.15-12.15 I teach again then we get an hour for lunch - where I chuck lunch down my neck as I mark.
1.15-3.15 I teach again. One day a week I do a club until 4, then start marking again - usually a total of 4/5 hours a day (Primary children, 30 books in class marking Literacy/Maths/Guided reading/any other subject such as Topic/RE so 120 books a night) Literacy and Maths obv have to be marked in details.
Then I annotate the planning as I hand back to the next teacher, based on those lessons. Assessments too, informal notes to inform next steps.
So that's what I do each of days I work so even if some of it at home, looking at 8- 7.15/8.
When I am not in on those 3 days, I have to plan for my 3 days, write reports, keep up to date with my Subject leadership (2 subjects) and organise trips etc.


So... I spend best part of 4 days in total working for a 3 day job.
Don't get me wrong, I love it. But I appreciate that you have said it does seem high - I agree. I would find it VERY hard to do full time again! For 3 days I can do it


I didn't strike myself as I didn't want to disrupt things for children/parents...I DO agree with those who went on strike.

mum2one

SailorSam wrote: »

If you're a Parent that has had a fine 'cos you've kept your kids off school to take them on holiday, do you think today is the day the local education authority should pay a fine 'cos they've interupted your kids schooling.

Never a truer word said - our school is also closed for voting day, and "pupil development day" - which has translated to parents evening but in school time...

So between March and May - thats 3 days education being lost, but penny to a £1 if I asked for 3 days off I'd be fined x