Tired of teacher friends complaining

[Anonymous]

I could never be a teacher so kudos to those who are

Listening to ANYONE constantly bitch about their job is annoying. When I get together with friends I want to have a good time, not listen to them complain about mundane things like a job. If there is something really drastic going on then I will totally listen but if it;s just the day to day work complaints, keep it to yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think teachers get a bad rap because there is a low bar to becoming a teacher. The excellent teachers are few and far between. Many young college graduates go into teaching because they don’t know what else to do or can’t get another job. They don’t go into it because they love teaching. Then they complain constantly because they really don’t want to work that hard. Lots of weird folk in the teaching profession.

Interesting. I have found that the teachers that love the profession the most are the ones who complain the most. Those who don't care, just check out. Every single teacher I know (with one exception) went into teaching because they love kids and love teaching. Every single one of them works their ass off. I've also experienced that excellent teachers are the norm not the exception. At least at my school.

Regardless, this thread is boring and redundant. UBers don't respect teachers, yet they choose to send their offspring to spend 6-8 hours each day with them. Weird. I would never ever send my own children to be cared for and taught by someone I didn't respect. Lots of weird parents out there I guess.

Right. Weird the state requires an education until a certain age and parents adhere to it so they don’t get arrested and/or lose their children. Lots of weird laws people don’t agree with, but alas adherence to societal norms and constructs is “weird.”

While school is compulsory, there is no law requiring parents send their children to schools where classes are taught by teachers they do not respect. Ever heard of homeschooling?

[Anonymous]

There is also private school.
Seriously, if I disrespected, mistrusted, was annoyed with anyone to the extent folks are on DCUM about teachers, there is NO WAY IN HELL, I'd leave my child with such a person. I'd move heaven and earth to make sure my child was with adults I trusted. Either people on DCUM just enjoy complaining about teachers but don't truly mean what they say or they are very neglectful parents who will leave their child with an adult they truly dislike or don't trust. You can't have it both ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Look, either you work 10 months and then divide your salary over those 10 months, in which case it's higher but you aren't working those two months... OR you work 12 months and divide you salary over those 12 months and make less per month.

The reason we should pay teachers more is to get smarter people competing for the jobs.

Yup, there's a lot to complain about. There are a lot in most jobs especially mission-based jobs that don't have high requirements for entry.

NP (a teacher). So tired of hearing this! I too, had a challenging career before becoming a teacher. I went to a top-flight college, as did many of my teacher colleagues. We ARE smart and can match wits with anyone in the private sector, thank you very much.

But this is the problem with the whole argument. I don't think anybody here has said teachers are adequately paid: you're not. But if you're doing a really difficult job for little money, either it's worth it to you for some reason or you have no better options. If you have options - which I believe is the case for most teachers - then please own the fact you're choosing this despite its drawbacks and quit complaining. That's all people are saying.

When I got my teaching degree in 1996, school was incredibly different, and parents were incredibly different. There was no national or state curriculum and no standards-based grading. Most kids did not have some disorder or another and there weren't endless accommodations for “conditions.” Teachers weren’t threatened with repercussions for saying “ok, boys and girls...” We weren’t expected to buy kids’ supplies and snacks.

Don’t dare blame me for taking issue with how my profession - for which I've spent so much time and momey on education, licensure, training — has changed.

BS. When I got my law degree, you could still make partner by being an affable person who did good legal work. You didn't have to work a million hours or generate business as an associate. But the profession changed for the worse, so I went and did something else. If I had stayed but complained about it, you wouldn't have wanted to hear that either.

I'm the first person the teacher is quoting here (pay more money for higher talent). I've worked in nonprofits all my life, and went to HYP for under and graduate schools (well, 2/3 of them). I could also have likely been paid a ton more had I not gone into the nonprofit sector, just like you did. There are changes in my profession (just like yours, or the lawyer who calls BS) that have made my job incredibly more difficult. Many fields have experienced this.

Please don't think teachers are unique in that they have extremely difficult, mission-driven work. We just don't complain about it to others as frequently, perhaps in part because it's not as easy for the average person to understand the changes and challenges we face (more average people have experience in education or their kids' education).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is also private school.
Seriously, if I disrespected, mistrusted, was annoyed with anyone to the extent folks are on DCUM about teachers, there is NO WAY IN HELL, I'd leave my child with such a person. I'd move heaven and earth to make sure my child was with adults I trusted. Either people on DCUM just enjoy complaining about teachers but don't truly mean what they say or they are very neglectful parents who will leave their child with an adult they truly dislike or don't trust. You can't have it both ways.

I think most DCUMers are annoyed at the extent to which teachers complain, despite similar circumstaces as themselves. And I don't get that much time off (or whatever you want to call it) and don't get paid more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I could never be a teacher so kudos to those who are

Listening to ANYONE constantly bitch about their job is annoying. When I get together with friends I want to have a good time, not listen to them complain about mundane things like a job. If there is something really drastic going on then I will totally listen but if it;s just the day to day work complaints, keep it to yourself.

Same with day to day parenting & marriage complaints...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish people would stop complaining about teachers and actually try to do their job. You’d be out the door after the first angry parent or dealing with 30 wound up kids in a class all day.

PP above. And what is your point? A lot of people would be out the door the first day they tried to do my job -- and it might even take them longer to try to do my job than a teacher's, where there are fewer barriers to entry- but I don't constantly put myself out as a martyr. The point is teachers seem to think they are unique for having difficult working conditions, above and beyond others, and that they are paid inadequately, above and beyond others in nonprofits or government. I'm not saying it's not hard and i"m not saying they shouldnt' be paid more, but it's really, really common in mission-based work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Imagine you had to run a meeting 6-7 hours a day. You had to lead the meeting--agenda, content, presentations, discussions, work output, materials, everything. During that meeting, you can't check email or make a phone call. And in between the 6-7 hour meeting, you have smaller 20-1 hour meetings.

Imagine 25 of the 30 participants do not want to be there and don't have the ability to pay attention or follow directions. And you have to keep them on track.

Imagine you had to give immediate feedback/evaluations from today's meeting to every participant.

Imagine after running that meeting, you have to plan and prepare for tomorrow's 6-7 hour meeting.

Imagine if your participants fail to perform or have substandard work product, you are blamed.

Imagine never having an off day. Never spending a day just dealing with the little things.

Imagine it keeps going, day after day. It's exhausting to have to plan and manage every minute of every day for 30-150 participants.

I used to be a teacher. I miss it every day. But I'd never go back. The daily grind with no support staff to handle things was just too much. If I got a secretary, Id totally go back.

Until you've done it, you just don't understand.

Amen Amen Amen -former teacher

I love teachers, but this is just so dramatic. I understand that talking in such extremes might be effective with your students, but it's less successful when you're talking to fellow adults who also have to pay mortgages and show up every single day to their jobs, etc. etc.

I'm not diminishing your work, I just think y'all need to rework your talking points because these make you look really out of touch with the rest of the workforce. A lot of what you list is comparable to other jobs, especially being held accountable when others drop the ball. It's one of the consequences of leadership.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

I think part of the reason teachers think they are so unique is that most of us don't complain and share as much about the terrible aspects of our jobs as teachers. Maybe it's a professional culture thing, maybe its because it's easier for people to understand what teachers do having been students themselves.

I also suspect, having consulted with some elementary and high schools, but in a field not related to education, that many teachers have never not been in education. Some of course have, but I've posted here before how surprising I find it that across schools I find that the teachers especially (and to a lesser extent, administrators) aren't able to function in a way all my other nonprofit clients are- e.g., stuff that i would call "adult" work skills, such as participating in a meeting productively or working with other adults.

It could be a coincidence, but I've worked with a LOT of nonprofit clients and don't typically experience this impression... and yet almost always experience it with teachers.

It could mean teachers are people who couldn't function in other environments, but could also be that they can't get out once they are in.

Most importantly to my point, it shows that teachers may not have a clue about how other professions function- they think they are really, really unique in the challenges (and pay) when they are in fact in many ways completely the same (and in fact privileged). Maybe not on the specifics, but generally.

I also think they really like to talk about their specifics, but that's more of a personal vs. professional observation.

[Anonymous]

Hey at least teachers have a union. If it's that bad you all can go strike.

[Anonymous]

I've been on this site now for at least 5 years. I'm also a teacher. This is the first time I've ever posted a response to anything at all about teaching.

I generally have a rule. I do not speak to anyone outside of my profession about my work. I don't talk about it to my friends, family members or acquaintances. I don't give advice about the profession or about school or teaching. Ever. I don't ever want to be that person that people disrespect. I don't try to defend the profession. People You will not hear me say one word about the parts of my job that are difficult. I have a wealth of interests outside my job that I enjoy talking about. Politics, art, community issues, and delicious desserts.
I will say, though, that I don't put up with complaining from pretty much anyone. I don't want to hear about your crappy marriage, your roof that needs repair, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think part of the reason teachers think they are so unique is that most of us don't complain and share as much about the terrible aspects of our jobs as teachers. Maybe it's a professional culture thing, maybe its because it's easier for people to understand what teachers do having been students themselves.

I also suspect, having consulted with some elementary and high schools, but in a field not related to education, that many teachers have never not been in education. Some of course have, but I've posted here before how surprising I find it that across schools I find that the teachers especially (and to a lesser extent, administrators) aren't able to function in a way all my other nonprofit clients are- e.g., stuff that i would call "adult" work skills, such as participating in a meeting productively or working with other adults.

It could be a coincidence, but I've worked with a LOT of nonprofit clients and don't typically experience this impression... and yet almost always experience it with teachers.

It could mean teachers are people who couldn't function in other environments, but could also be that they can't get out once they are in.

Most importantly to my point, it shows that teachers may not have a clue about how other professions function- they think they are really, really unique in the challenges (and pay) when they are in fact in many ways completely the same (and in fact privileged). Maybe not on the specifics, but generally.

I also think they really like to talk about their specifics, but that's more of a personal vs. professional observation.

+1 Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been on this site now for at least 5 years. I'm also a teacher. This is the first time I've ever posted a response to anything at all about teaching.

I generally have a rule. I do not speak to anyone outside of my profession about my work. I don't talk about it to my friends, family members or acquaintances. I don't give advice about the profession or about school or teaching. Ever. I don't ever want to be that person that people disrespect. I don't try to defend the profession. People You will not hear me say one word about the parts of my job that are difficult. I have a wealth of interests outside my job that I enjoy talking about. Politics, art, community issues, and delicious desserts.
I will say, though, that I don't put up with complaining from pretty much anyone. I don't want to hear about your crappy marriage, your roof that needs repair, etc.

I like your rule. I work at a cultural institution, where many of the older employees very closely tie their personal self worth to their job. I think it's important to separate myself from my profession (even though I love it). It certainly makes me feel less defensive about criticisms of my field.

Although I do not mind people complaining about personal hardships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think part of the reason teachers think they are so unique is that most of us don't complain and share as much about the terrible aspects of our jobs as teachers. Maybe it's a professional culture thing, maybe its because it's easier for people to understand what teachers do having been students themselves.

I also suspect, having consulted with some elementary and high schools, but in a field not related to education, that many teachers have never not been in education. Some of course have, but I've posted here before how surprising I find it that across schools I find that the teachers especially (and to a lesser extent, administrators) aren't able to function in a way all my other nonprofit clients are- e.g., stuff that i would call "adult" work skills, such as participating in a meeting productively or working with other adults.

It could be a coincidence, but I've worked with a LOT of nonprofit clients and don't typically experience this impression... and yet almost always experience it with teachers.

It could mean teachers are people who couldn't function in other environments, but could also be that they can't get out once they are in.

Most importantly to my point, it shows that teachers may not have a clue about how other professions function- they think they are really, really unique in the challenges (and pay) when they are in fact in many ways completely the same (and in fact privileged). Maybe not on the specifics, but generally.

I also think they really like to talk about their specifics, but that's more of a personal vs. professional observation.

Wow. Your post shows just how ignorant and pompous you are. I find it surprising you've taken your minuscule interactions with people who are not even in education and overgeneralized your experiences to teachers. "Having been students themselves" DOES NOT mean people know what it is like to teach. Being a student and being a teacher are not even comparable. Your ill-informed opinion of teachers you do not even know is appalling. I would rather spend all day, every day with a complaining teacher than with someone like you.

-supporter of teachers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:lol teachers dont "teach" anymore they indoctrinate to produce good little drone trolls to obey the party line. grand style of 1984 developing rapidly and most are totally blind .
very few "graduates" are capable of independent thought so when i hear teachers complain i relegate the complaints where they belong.
Teaching used to be an honored profession and now, teachers are just drones themselves.

+1. Back in the late 70’s and during the 80’s I had excellent teachers who were focused on TEACHING. There were no daily requests for donations, no Google corruption, no daily videos...
They also introduced us to philosophy in 4th and 5th grades