Why Are Teachers So Resentful?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It used to be that teaching was one of the best jobs around — decent pay, good work–life balance, and a fulfilling career with three months of paid vacation. Yet when I talk to current teachers, they don’t seem to feel that way anymore in any of these areas.

What exactly has changed in recent years that turned teaching from a dream job into such a difficult one? Do you think teachers now see students, administrators, and parents as ungrateful?

Easy. They moved sped into and kept the crazies in general ed. Parents can't even take the time to teach their one or two kids how to sit still, be quiet, and learn. How is it that people expect teachers to do that with 25 kids (probably with a knowledge range of 5 grade levels) when they're not even allowed to punish them?

On the other hand, I do blame teachers a lot because they don't open their mouths and complain loudly, or make their union leaders do it for them. I know many parents that would have defended these teachers and their complaints, because we were making these complaints for them while talking to principals and administrators.

We open our mouths all the time. Seriously: all the time. We are often told to stop complaining and to “remember our why.” And opening our mouths often means having admin come down on us. We do it anyway.

Or, in the case of expressing ourselves on this site, we are reminded how easy we have it with our 3 month summer vacations, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It used to be that teaching was one of the best jobs around — decent pay, good work–life balance, and a fulfilling career with three months of paid vacation. Yet when I talk to current teachers, they don’t seem to feel that way anymore in any of these areas.

What exactly has changed in recent years that turned teaching from a dream job into such a difficult one? Do you think teachers now see students, administrators, and parents as ungrateful?

Easy. They moved sped into and kept the crazies in general ed. Parents can't even take the time to teach their one or two kids how to sit still, be quiet, and learn. How is it that people expect teachers to do that with 25 kids (probably with a knowledge range of 5 grade levels) when they're not even allowed to punish them?

On the other hand, I do blame teachers a lot because they don't open their mouths and complain loudly, or make their union leaders do it for them. I know many parents that would have defended these teachers and their complaints, because we were making these complaints for them while talking to principals and administrators.

We open our mouths all the time. Seriously: all the time. We are often told to stop complaining and to “remember our why.” And opening our mouths often means having admin come down on us. We do it anyway.

Or, in the case of expressing ourselves on this site, we are reminded how easy we have it with our 3 month summer vacations, etc.

I'm not questioning whether teachers complain or that most parents are bottom feeders who blame teachers that their kids don't meet expectation. However, I meant teachers and unions don't complain loudly—at PTA and school board meetings; during elections; during contract negotiations; and when bad admin fail up through promotions. The only teachers that usually have anything to say out loud are the ones who rant as they're quitting the profession. Things such as pushing sped into gen ed, getting rid of punishment in school, not failing kids, etc., are common sense things with obvious outcomes.

Parents absolutely need to be blamed more and bad kids need to learn personal responsibility. Rare is the teacher that told us that the other kids in the class were even part of the problem when our kids got in trouble for asking for more difficult work (there is none) or for mimicking the poor behaviors of "protected" sped kids (who face no discipline) because they were bored, had nothing to do for hours in class, and had the unreasonable expectation to be treated the same as the bad kids. Not that the latter was a normal occurrence. But seriously, what has the world become when the worst kids don't get in trouble for terrible things but good kids get in trouble for trivial things?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It used to be that teaching was one of the best jobs around — decent pay, good work–life balance, and a fulfilling career with three months of paid vacation. Yet when I talk to current teachers, they don’t seem to feel that way anymore in any of these areas.

What exactly has changed in recent years that turned teaching from a dream job into such a difficult one? Do you think teachers now see students, administrators, and parents as ungrateful?

Easy. They moved sped into and kept the crazies in general ed. Parents can't even take the time to teach their one or two kids how to sit still, be quiet, and learn. How is it that people expect teachers to do that with 25 kids (probably with a knowledge range of 5 grade levels) when they're not even allowed to punish them?

On the other hand, I do blame teachers a lot because they don't open their mouths and complain loudly, or make their union leaders do it for them. I know many parents that would have defended these teachers and their complaints, because we were making these complaints for them while talking to principals and administrators.

We open our mouths all the time. Seriously: all the time. We are often told to stop complaining and to “remember our why.” And opening our mouths often means having admin come down on us. We do it anyway.

Or, in the case of expressing ourselves on this site, we are reminded how easy we have it with our 3 month summer vacations, etc.

I'm not questioning whether teachers complain or that most parents are bottom feeders who blame teachers that their kids don't meet expectation. However, I meant teachers and unions don't complain loudly—at PTA and school board meetings; during elections; during contract negotiations; and when bad admin fail up through promotions. The only teachers that usually have anything to say out loud are the ones who rant as they're quitting the profession. Things such as pushing sped into gen ed, getting rid of punishment in school, not failing kids, etc., are common sense things with obvious outcomes.

Parents absolutely need to be blamed more and bad kids need to learn personal responsibility. Rare is the teacher that told us that the other kids in the class were even part of the problem when our kids got in trouble for asking for more difficult work (there is none) or for mimicking the poor behaviors of "protected" sped kids (who face no discipline) because they were bored, had nothing to do for hours in class, and had the unreasonable expectation to be treated the same as the bad kids. Not that the latter was a normal occurrence. But seriously, what has the world become when the worst kids don't get in trouble for terrible things but good kids get in trouble for trivial things?

You wrote that your kid behaved poorly. Shouldn’t they have gotten in trouble, then? Why blame it on the other kids, claiming all your kid did was mimic others? Perhaps your kids need to take ownership for their own actions.

From a teacher’s perspective, I hear you excusing away your children’s behavior while dismissing reasons other children may misbehave (like the students with disabilities that you insult above).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It used to be that teaching was one of the best jobs around — decent pay, good work–life balance, and a fulfilling career with three months of paid vacation. Yet when I talk to current teachers, they don’t seem to feel that way anymore in any of these areas.

What exactly has changed in recent years that turned teaching from a dream job into such a difficult one? Do you think teachers now see students, administrators, and parents as ungrateful?

Easy. They moved sped into and kept the crazies in general ed. Parents can't even take the time to teach their one or two kids how to sit still, be quiet, and learn. How is it that people expect teachers to do that with 25 kids (probably with a knowledge range of 5 grade levels) when they're not even allowed to punish them?

On the other hand, I do blame teachers a lot because they don't open their mouths and complain loudly, or make their union leaders do it for them. I know many parents that would have defended these teachers and their complaints, because we were making these complaints for them while talking to principals and administrators.

We open our mouths all the time. Seriously: all the time. We are often told to stop complaining and to “remember our why.” And opening our mouths often means having admin come down on us. We do it anyway.

Or, in the case of expressing ourselves on this site, we are reminded how easy we have it with our 3 month summer vacations, etc.

I'm not questioning whether teachers complain or that most parents are bottom feeders who blame teachers that their kids don't meet expectation. However, I meant teachers and unions don't complain loudly—at PTA and school board meetings; during elections; during contract negotiations; and when bad admin fail up through promotions. The only teachers that usually have anything to say out loud are the ones who rant as they're quitting the profession. Things such as pushing sped into gen ed, getting rid of punishment in school, not failing kids, etc., are common sense things with obvious outcomes.

Parents absolutely need to be blamed more and bad kids need to learn personal responsibility. Rare is the teacher that told us that the other kids in the class were even part of the problem when our kids got in trouble for asking for more difficult work (there is none) or for mimicking the poor behaviors of "protected" sped kids (who face no discipline) because they were bored, had nothing to do for hours in class, and had the unreasonable expectation to be treated the same as the bad kids. Not that the latter was a normal occurrence. But seriously, what has the world become when the worst kids don't get in trouble for terrible things but good kids get in trouble for trivial things?

You wrote that your kid behaved poorly. Shouldn’t they have gotten in trouble, then? Why blame it on the other kids, claiming all your kid did was mimic others? Perhaps your kids need to take ownership for their own actions.

From a teacher’s perspective, I hear you excusing away your children’s behavior while dismissing reasons other children may misbehave (like the students with disabilities that you insult above).

Are you purposefully being obtuse to troll or is your cognitive ability lacking?

What exactly is the insult to sped kids in a gen ed classroom? Go back and reread s-l-o-w-l-y the last line that was written.

• Bad kids never get in trouble for doing the most horrible things. Would you like me to list the crazy sh!t I directly know of?
• Good kids get in trouble for doing trivial things. Would you like me to make a list of these, too?

Do you not understand the hypocrisy? In the likely case you didn't understand, either punish every kid equally according to severity or don't punish anyone. No cannon fodder. No collateral damage. Stop being a white knight.

[Anonymous]

I have even teaching 20 years and I still like my job. Admin and the bureaucracy are frustrating but the kids are generally fun. I do not understand all these teachers working 60 plus hours a week. Stand up for yourselves! If you have that much grading then as a team you need to meet with admin and tell them it’s unsustainable and you need support. Collective voices have more influence. By taking hours of work home you are enabling the county to pile more and more work on you because it’s getting done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It used to be that teaching was one of the best jobs around — decent pay, good work–life balance, and a fulfilling career with three months of paid vacation. Yet when I talk to current teachers, they don’t seem to feel that way anymore in any of these areas.

What exactly has changed in recent years that turned teaching from a dream job into such a difficult one? Do you think teachers now see students, administrators, and parents as ungrateful?

Easy. They moved sped into and kept the crazies in general ed. Parents can't even take the time to teach their one or two kids how to sit still, be quiet, and learn. How is it that people expect teachers to do that with 25 kids (probably with a knowledge range of 5 grade levels) when they're not even allowed to punish them?

On the other hand, I do blame teachers a lot because they don't open their mouths and complain loudly, or make their union leaders do it for them. I know many parents that would have defended these teachers and their complaints, because we were making these complaints for them while talking to principals and administrators.

We open our mouths all the time. Seriously: all the time. We are often told to stop complaining and to “remember our why.” And opening our mouths often means having admin come down on us. We do it anyway.

Or, in the case of expressing ourselves on this site, we are reminded how easy we have it with our 3 month summer vacations, etc.

I'm not questioning whether teachers complain or that most parents are bottom feeders who blame teachers that their kids don't meet expectation. However, I meant teachers and unions don't complain loudly—at PTA and school board meetings; during elections; during contract negotiations; and when bad admin fail up through promotions. The only teachers that usually have anything to say out loud are the ones who rant as they're quitting the profession. Things such as pushing sped into gen ed, getting rid of punishment in school, not failing kids, etc., are common sense things with obvious outcomes.

Parents absolutely need to be blamed more and bad kids need to learn personal responsibility. Rare is the teacher that told us that the other kids in the class were even part of the problem when our kids got in trouble for asking for more difficult work (there is none) or for mimicking the poor behaviors of "protected" sped kids (who face no discipline) because they were bored, had nothing to do for hours in class, and had the unreasonable expectation to be treated the same as the bad kids. Not that the latter was a normal occurrence. But seriously, what has the world become when the worst kids don't get in trouble for terrible things but good kids get in trouble for trivial things?

You wrote that your kid behaved poorly. Shouldn’t they have gotten in trouble, then? Why blame it on the other kids, claiming all your kid did was mimic others? Perhaps your kids need to take ownership for their own actions.

From a teacher’s perspective, I hear you excusing away your children’s behavior while dismissing reasons other children may misbehave (like the students with disabilities that you insult above).

Are you purposefully being obtuse to troll or is your cognitive ability lacking?

What exactly is the insult to sped kids in a gen ed classroom? Go back and reread s-l-o-w-l-y the last line that was written.

• Bad kids never get in trouble for doing the most horrible things. Would you like me to list the crazy sh!t I directly know of?
• Good kids get in trouble for doing trivial things. Would you like me to make a list of these, too?

Do you not understand the hypocrisy? In the likely case you didn't understand, either punish every kid equally according to severity or don't punish anyone. No cannon fodder. No collateral damage. Stop being a white knight.

You’re simply digging your hole deeper, drawing lines between good kids and bad kids. You write above that your kids were in trouble for “mimicking the poor behaviors of protected sped kids.” You admitted yourself that your children exhibited poor behavior.

You can’t control the behaviors of others, but you can react to the behaviors your own children decided to exhibit.

So I read s-l-o-w-l-y for you and came to the same conclusion: you need to worry about your own house instead of insulting others. (Oh, and calling kids with special needs “bad” kids is an insult. Just own it.)

[Anonymous]

Teachers are people and people complain.

There are very few other options if you want to work 200 days per year and be paid a professional salary.

Right now I think we’re still seeing a COVID correction. Early weeks oF COVID was everyone saying teachers were heroes and shaming parents for wanting school. Teachers who absorber that attitude are finding it hard right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are people and people complain.

There are very few other options if you want to work 200 days per year and be paid a professional salary.

Right now I think we’re still seeing a COVID correction. Early weeks oF COVID was everyone saying teachers were heroes and shaming parents for wanting school. Teachers who absorber that attitude are finding it hard right now.

I didn’t go into this profession thinking I only wanted to work 200 days a year. That’s a TERRIBLE reason to pick education, especially since you’ll work weekends and summer anyway… simply to prepare for those 200 days.

We need teachers who want to teach for the sake of teaching, not because they erroneously think it’s an easy field with tons of free time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are people and people complain.

There are very few other options if you want to work 200 days per year and be paid a professional salary.

Right now I think we’re still seeing a COVID correction. Early weeks oF COVID was everyone saying teachers were heroes and shaming parents for wanting school. Teachers who absorber that attitude are finding it hard right now.

I didn’t go into this profession thinking I only wanted to work 200 days a year. That’s a TERRIBLE reason to pick education, especially since you’ll work weekends and summer anyway… simply to prepare for those 200 days.

We need teachers who want to teach for the sake of teaching, not because they erroneously think it’s an easy field with tons of free time.

That’s good for you? Plenty of teachers go into the field because it’s a profession that will let them spend summers with their kids. There’s nothing wrong with that. But it’s also why teachers complain more than you would expect: there isn’t another job out there for most teachers that will give them that schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are people and people complain.

There are very few other options if you want to work 200 days per year and be paid a professional salary.

Right now I think we’re still seeing a COVID correction. Early weeks oF COVID was everyone saying teachers were heroes and shaming parents for wanting school. Teachers who absorber that attitude are finding it hard right now.

I didn’t go into this profession thinking I only wanted to work 200 days a year. That’s a TERRIBLE reason to pick education, especially since you’ll work weekends and summer anyway… simply to prepare for those 200 days.

We need teachers who want to teach for the sake of teaching, not because they erroneously think it’s an easy field with tons of free time.

That’s good for you? Plenty of teachers go into the field because it’s a profession that will let them spend summers with their kids. There’s nothing wrong with that. But it’s also why teachers complain more than you would expect: there isn’t another job out there for most teachers that will give them that schedule.

As someone who has been in the profession for over 25 years, I don’t see it as the family-friendly field that many think it is.

My afternoons are spent running clubs while I pay for childcare for my own kids. My nights are spent grading. My weekends are spent grading. My summers are spent prepping for the next year, attending recertification courses, and attending conferences/trainings to keep my extra credentials. My kids are growing up watching me work around the clock.

And yet I hear how family-friendly this field is, which I’ve never experienced.

I’m sure there are teachers somewhere with better schedules and fewer responsibilities, but I don’t personally know any.

And I’ll do the work without complaint because I signed up for it. I just wish others didn’t assume I have it so, so easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are people and people complain.

There are very few other options if you want to work 200 days per year and be paid a professional salary.

Right now I think we’re still seeing a COVID correction. Early weeks oF COVID was everyone saying teachers were heroes and shaming parents for wanting school. Teachers who absorber that attitude are finding it hard right now.

I didn’t go into this profession thinking I only wanted to work 200 days a year. That’s a TERRIBLE reason to pick education, especially since you’ll work weekends and summer anyway… simply to prepare for those 200 days.

We need teachers who want to teach for the sake of teaching, not because they erroneously think it’s an easy field with tons of free time.

That’s good for you? Plenty of teachers go into the field because it’s a profession that will let them spend summers with their kids. There’s nothing wrong with that. But it’s also why teachers complain more than you would expect: there isn’t another job out there for most teachers that will give them that schedule.

As someone who has been in the profession for over 25 years, I don’t see it as the family-friendly field that many think it is.

My afternoons are spent running clubs while I pay for childcare for my own kids. My nights are spent grading. My weekends are spent grading. My summers are spent prepping for the next year, attending recertification courses, and attending conferences/trainings to keep my extra credentials. My kids are growing up watching me work around the clock.

And yet I hear how family-friendly this field is, which I’ve never experienced.

I’m sure there are teachers somewhere with better schedules and fewer responsibilities, but I don’t personally know any.

And I’ll do the work without complaint because I signed up for it. I just wish others didn’t assume I have it so, so easy.

What would you call the three proceeding paragraphs and the final sentence….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are people and people complain.

There are very few other options if you want to work 200 days per year and be paid a professional salary.

Right now I think we’re still seeing a COVID correction. Early weeks oF COVID was everyone saying teachers were heroes and shaming parents for wanting school. Teachers who absorber that attitude are finding it hard right now.

I didn’t go into this profession thinking I only wanted to work 200 days a year. That’s a TERRIBLE reason to pick education, especially since you’ll work weekends and summer anyway… simply to prepare for those 200 days.

We need teachers who want to teach for the sake of teaching, not because they erroneously think it’s an easy field with tons of free time.

That’s good for you? Plenty of teachers go into the field because it’s a profession that will let them spend summers with their kids. There’s nothing wrong with that. But it’s also why teachers complain more than you would expect: there isn’t another job out there for most teachers that will give them that schedule.

As someone who has been in the profession for over 25 years, I don’t see it as the family-friendly field that many think it is.

My afternoons are spent running clubs while I pay for childcare for my own kids. My nights are spent grading. My weekends are spent grading. My summers are spent prepping for the next year, attending recertification courses, and attending conferences/trainings to keep my extra credentials. My kids are growing up watching me work around the clock.

And yet I hear how family-friendly this field is, which I’ve never experienced.

I’m sure there are teachers somewhere with better schedules and fewer responsibilities, but I don’t personally know any.

And I’ll do the work without complaint because I signed up for it. I just wish others didn’t assume I have it so, so easy.

What would you call the three proceeding paragraphs and the final sentence….

That isn’t complaining.

I guess when you deal with children all day you know what complaining actually sounds like.

Somebody expressing an opinion and/or explaining a situation isn’t a complaint to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are people and people complain.

There are very few other options if you want to work 200 days per year and be paid a professional salary.

Right now I think we’re still seeing a COVID correction. Early weeks oF COVID was everyone saying teachers were heroes and shaming parents for wanting school. Teachers who absorber that attitude are finding it hard right now.

I didn’t go into this profession thinking I only wanted to work 200 days a year. That’s a TERRIBLE reason to pick education, especially since you’ll work weekends and summer anyway… simply to prepare for those 200 days.

We need teachers who want to teach for the sake of teaching, not because they erroneously think it’s an easy field with tons of free time.

That’s good for you? Plenty of teachers go into the field because it’s a profession that will let them spend summers with their kids. There’s nothing wrong with that. But it’s also why teachers complain more than you would expect: there isn’t another job out there for most teachers that will give them that schedule.

As someone who has been in the profession for over 25 years, I don’t see it as the family-friendly field that many think it is.

My afternoons are spent running clubs while I pay for childcare for my own kids. My nights are spent grading. My weekends are spent grading. My summers are spent prepping for the next year, attending recertification courses, and attending conferences/trainings to keep my extra credentials. My kids are growing up watching me work around the clock.

And yet I hear how family-friendly this field is, which I’ve never experienced.

I’m sure there are teachers somewhere with better schedules and fewer responsibilities, but I don’t personally know any.

And I’ll do the work without complaint because I signed up for it. I just wish others didn’t assume I have it so, so easy.

What would you call the three proceeding paragraphs and the final sentence….

That isn’t complaining.

I guess when you deal with children all day you know what complaining actually sounds like.

Somebody expressing an opinion and/or explaining a situation isn’t a complaint to me.

DP

You definitely sound like you are complaining - which is your right - and seem to think other jobs don't require families to use child care. You also sound kind of miserable. Are you sure this is how you want your kids to remember you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are people and people complain.

There are very few other options if you want to work 200 days per year and be paid a professional salary.

Right now I think we’re still seeing a COVID correction. Early weeks oF COVID was everyone saying teachers were heroes and shaming parents for wanting school. Teachers who absorber that attitude are finding it hard right now.

I didn’t go into this profession thinking I only wanted to work 200 days a year. That’s a TERRIBLE reason to pick education, especially since you’ll work weekends and summer anyway… simply to prepare for those 200 days.

We need teachers who want to teach for the sake of teaching, not because they erroneously think it’s an easy field with tons of free time.

That’s good for you? Plenty of teachers go into the field because it’s a profession that will let them spend summers with their kids. There’s nothing wrong with that. But it’s also why teachers complain more than you would expect: there isn’t another job out there for most teachers that will give them that schedule.

As someone who has been in the profession for over 25 years, I don’t see it as the family-friendly field that many think it is.

My afternoons are spent running clubs while I pay for childcare for my own kids. My nights are spent grading. My weekends are spent grading. My summers are spent prepping for the next year, attending recertification courses, and attending conferences/trainings to keep my extra credentials. My kids are growing up watching me work around the clock.

And yet I hear how family-friendly this field is, which I’ve never experienced.

I’m sure there are teachers somewhere with better schedules and fewer responsibilities, but I don’t personally know any.

And I’ll do the work without complaint because I signed up for it. I just wish others didn’t assume I have it so, so easy.

What would you call the three proceeding paragraphs and the final sentence….

That isn’t complaining.

I guess when you deal with children all day you know what complaining actually sounds like.

Somebody expressing an opinion and/or explaining a situation isn’t a complaint to me.

DP

You definitely sound like you are complaining - which is your right - and seem to think other jobs don't require families to use child care. You also sound kind of miserable. Are you sure this is how you want your kids to remember you?

Nowhere did I compare my job to other jobs. Nowhere. OF COURSE other jobs need childcare. But someone upthread said teachers don't. Guess what? We do.

Yes, it's absolutely acceptable for me to write about my experiences as a teacher on a thread about teaching. This site is notorious for its treatment of teachers and it is filled with tons of misconceptions (teachers have it easy, teachers are overpaid, teachers aren't bright, etc.). It's also notorious for shutting down teachers' voices by saying we are "complaining" any time we simply correct one of these misconceptions.

That's not going to keep me from doing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are people and people complain.

There are very few other options if you want to work 200 days per year and be paid a professional salary.

Right now I think we’re still seeing a COVID correction. Early weeks oF COVID was everyone saying teachers were heroes and shaming parents for wanting school. Teachers who absorber that attitude are finding it hard right now.

I didn’t go into this profession thinking I only wanted to work 200 days a year. That’s a TERRIBLE reason to pick education, especially since you’ll work weekends and summer anyway… simply to prepare for those 200 days.

We need teachers who want to teach for the sake of teaching, not because they erroneously think it’s an easy field with tons of free time.

That’s good for you? Plenty of teachers go into the field because it’s a profession that will let them spend summers with their kids. There’s nothing wrong with that. But it’s also why teachers complain more than you would expect: there isn’t another job out there for most teachers that will give them that schedule.

As someone who has been in the profession for over 25 years, I don’t see it as the family-friendly field that many think it is.

My afternoons are spent running clubs while I pay for childcare for my own kids. My nights are spent grading. My weekends are spent grading. My summers are spent prepping for the next year, attending recertification courses, and attending conferences/trainings to keep my extra credentials. My kids are growing up watching me work around the clock.

And yet I hear how family-friendly this field is, which I’ve never experienced.

I’m sure there are teachers somewhere with better schedules and fewer responsibilities, but I don’t personally know any.

And I’ll do the work without complaint because I signed up for it. I just wish others didn’t assume I have it so, so easy.

What would you call the three proceeding paragraphs and the final sentence….

That isn’t complaining.

I guess when you deal with children all day you know what complaining actually sounds like.

Somebody expressing an opinion and/or explaining a situation isn’t a complaint to me.

DP

You definitely sound like you are complaining - which is your right - and seem to think other jobs don't require families to use child care. You also sound kind of miserable. Are you sure this is how you want your kids to remember you?

Nowhere did I compare my job to other jobs. Nowhere. OF COURSE other jobs need childcare. But someone upthread said teachers don't. Guess what? We do.

Yes, it's absolutely acceptable for me to write about my experiences as a teacher on a thread about teaching. This site is notorious for its treatment of teachers and it is filled with tons of misconceptions (teachers have it easy, teachers are overpaid, teachers aren't bright, etc.). It's also notorious for shutting down teachers' voices by saying we are "complaining" any time we simply correct one of these misconceptions.

That's not going to keep me from doing it.

I don't understand why some miserable parents have to project their feelings all the time. I read what you wrote and all you did was list facts, not complain about them. The fact that this triggers some (most?) parents is the reason why education sucks for normal students nowadays. These parents push this same entitled energy into their kids with the expectation that teachers are going to parent their kids for them, with a skip in their step and a smile.

On another note, I'll stick with my original thesis that your work as a teacher would be so much easier if they moved kids not at grade level to their own class and allowed kids in general to be failed if they can't do the normal work. I find it hard to believe that in "honors" high school English classes, there's an equal option to review a comic book or a book with pictures like Charlotte's Web. Or to make a poster or PowerPoint instead of writing an actual fully developed research paper in history or psych. Yes, these were actual choices with equal grade value.