Why does no one acknowledge how overworked teachers are?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a former teacher. My perspective is 1) teachers underestimate how overworked everyone else is. They think they’re uniquely working unpaid overtime when just about anyone in a salaried role is feeling the same .

Teacher here, +1.

ok

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont' think the problem is the hours or the days off. For me, the biggest issue is that we as teachers are constantly held responsible for things that are out of our control. COVID and the reaction of schools being the latest thing on that list. Before COVID it was poverty, children who don't speak English expected to perform at the same levels as children whose parents constantly seek outside tutoring.

We are held responsible for behaviors from children that are insane, curriculum issues etc etc. We are the ones held responsible for all these factors when we have no control over them.
It has to stop. We get little support for these things and are typically told we are to blame and to be more reflective in our teaching to get better results.
It is a trauma bond at a certain level and that is what is causing the burn out.

Our school’s reaction to Covid was directly controlled and held hostage by our teachers unions. I will always hold them responsible for a significant portion of our kids learning loss. Always. Many in our state only went back into the classroom because the governor mandated it and said virtual learning would not count as learning hours.

Don’t forget the sick-outs. There is some serious re-writing of history around here with respect to the influence teachers had on the length of closures.

Some serious rewriting of the bad of behavior pf parents too....but you know teachers have been dealing with the bs for years. Enjoy the ever growing shortage

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid’s teachers make more money than I do and get better benefits. I very much appreciate them, am always polite, do not try to take their time or make their lives harder. But this idea that I somehow inadequately appreciate teachers is weird to me. Or the idea that I owe them lots of gift cards or gifts. I always make a point of sending thank you cards and, if it is in budget, a target gift card. Beyond that I really don’t think anything else should be expected of me as a parent.

Just how appreciative do I need to be? I am honestly not that appreciated in my job.

+10

Teacher here, who posted above about AP workloads. I don’t need appreciation. I don’t expect it at holidays or at the end of the year. I do appreciate thank you letters when I write college recommendations, but I know not to expect them since they come about 2-5% of the time.

I’d be happy if I can just get some respect. That might look like not calling my job “easy” and telling me to appreciate my summers off. Those 4-5 weeks aren’t much of a trade-off for the grueling 60-70 hour weeks throughout the year.

Nobody does that. No one.

oh please-they do!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid’s teachers make more money than I do and get better benefits. I very much appreciate them, am always polite, do not try to take their time or make their lives harder. But this idea that I somehow inadequately appreciate teachers is weird to me. Or the idea that I owe them lots of gift cards or gifts. I always make a point of sending thank you cards and, if it is in budget, a target gift card. Beyond that I really don’t think anything else should be expected of me as a parent.

Just how appreciative do I need to be? I am honestly not that appreciated in my job.

+10

Teacher here, who posted above about AP workloads. I don’t need appreciation. I don’t expect it at holidays or at the end of the year. I do appreciate thank you letters when I write college recommendations, but I know not to expect them since they come about 2-5% of the time.

I’d be happy if I can just get some respect. That might look like not calling my job “easy” and telling me to appreciate my summers off. Those 4-5 weeks aren’t much of a trade-off for the grueling 60-70 hour weeks throughout the year.

PP here. I've never called a teachers job easy or told anyone to "appreciate" their time off, because I'm not a jerk.

I think one issue is that teachers interact with many kids and parents and I'm sure the ones who are disrespectful and dismissive feel representative but they aren't. I can only think of one, maybe two, other parents who I've ever encountered who actually disrespect teaching as a profession. Most people I know fall all over themselves to respect and praise our teachers. I think when you encounter people like that, you need to write them off because most people don't feel that way. It's just that the people who do are extremely loud and annoying.

If it makes you feel any better, the same people who call teachers' jobs easy usually also think that most female-dominated professions are easy, and also that SAHMs are lazy. Since I know for a fact that teachers deal with moms much more often than dads, this means that the vast majority of the parents you encounter are ALSO disrespected in their profession, by the same people who feel that way about you. We have a lot more in common than you think. Imagine if we just supported each other.

It would be wonderful. I had a woman tell me(I'm a teacher-but she didn't know that) those who can't teach. It stays with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont' think the problem is the hours or the days off. For me, the biggest issue is that we as teachers are constantly held responsible for things that are out of our control. COVID and the reaction of schools being the latest thing on that list. Before COVID it was poverty, children who don't speak English expected to perform at the same levels as children whose parents constantly seek outside tutoring.

We are held responsible for behaviors from children that are insane, curriculum issues etc etc. We are the ones held responsible for all these factors when we have no control over them.
It has to stop. We get little support for these things and are typically told we are to blame and to be more reflective in our teaching to get better results.
It is a trauma bond at a certain level and that is what is causing the burn out.

Our school’s reaction to Covid was directly controlled and held hostage by our teachers unions. I will always hold them responsible for a significant portion of our kids learning loss. Always. Many in our state only went back into the classroom because the governor mandated it and said virtual learning would not count as learning hours.

Don’t forget the sick-outs. There is some serious re-writing of history around here with respect to the influence teachers had on the length of closures.

Some serious rewriting of the bad of behavior pf parents too....but you know teachers have been dealing with the bs for years. Enjoy the ever growing shortage

Enjoy what now? I send my kids to private school, because I lost all faith in public schools. We have no problem attracting teachers who are also sick of the BS. No shortage whatsoever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this video is an important reminder for parents and administrators

https://fb.watch/hcxdi1BUVj/?mibextid=0LFGlp

Largely because people in the private sector work far more hours.

The "extra hours for free" and "unpaid overtime" comments make me roll my eyes. Do teachers realize that other professionals are classified as "exempt" and do not get paid overtime? "Overtime" is a concept for non-exempt employees.

Oh, and summers? MCPS pays teachers for spending time on workshops, etc. Is that not "overtime"?

Back to add, and union protection? Other professionals do not have this.

That's because they don't need it. Only people with crappy jobs need unions.

You are really over the top. You really have no idea how other salaried professionals live and work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid’s teachers make more money than I do and get better benefits. I very much appreciate them, am always polite, do not try to take their time or make their lives harder. But this idea that I somehow inadequately appreciate teachers is weird to me. Or the idea that I owe them lots of gift cards or gifts. I always make a point of sending thank you cards and, if it is in budget, a target gift card. Beyond that I really don’t think anything else should be expected of me as a parent.

Just how appreciative do I need to be? I am honestly not that appreciated in my job.

+10

Teacher here, who posted above about AP workloads. I don’t need appreciation. I don’t expect it at holidays or at the end of the year. I do appreciate thank you letters when I write college recommendations, but I know not to expect them since they come about 2-5% of the time.

I’d be happy if I can just get some respect. That might look like not calling my job “easy” and telling me to appreciate my summers off. Those 4-5 weeks aren’t much of a trade-off for the grueling 60-70 hour weeks throughout the year.

Nobody does that. No one.

oh please-they do!!!

But dii ok you get that the jerks who say teachers jobs are easy or “enjoy your summers off” also put other people down for their jobs. I work in marketing, I make 85k a year, I work long hours for some people who are very full of themselves (lawyers). They all think my job is super easy and that anyone can do it, in part because they don’t understand that like 70% of my job is trying to make them happy which is impossible. I’ve heard any manner of snide comments from not just people I meet but people I actually work with about how my job is easy or is just sitting around resizing photos or something. I also do several client retreats a year and people act like this is done kind of relaxing vacation for me (“enjoy your vacation”) because they don’t understand that while the lawyers are out to dinner with clients I’m sitting in my hotel room until 1am collating handouts and finalizing the power point the partners will claim credit for in the morning. And while I’m on these “trips” my DH is pulling double duty at home and I miss my kids.

Is my job as important or necessary as a teacher’s? No, I realize that. But I work very hard, am not particularly well compensated, get treated not great by a bunch of people who make WAY more than me (and more even than the go consultants who do make dumb curriculum decisions that impact teachers) and regularly feel pretty underappreciated.

But no one ever asks “Why does no one acknowledge how overworked marketing professionals are?” And I wouldn’t ask that either, it’s silly. I chose this dumb profession and this dumb job, and while I fantasize about doing something else, the money isn’t horrible for someone with a BA and I get a good employee match on my 401k.

Work is work. Teachers are not uniquely beleaguered and they are NOT underappreciated. I appreciate my kids teachers everyday. Of course there are people who are going to put it down— the world is full of arrogant jerks who don’t think anyone making less than 500k/yr (and especially anyone in a female-dominated profession) is worthwhile. Welcome to the club.

[Anonymous]

^ sorry for typos, on phone and tired, please don’t yell at me I get criticized by people who argue for a living all day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont' think the problem is the hours or the days off. For me, the biggest issue is that we as teachers are constantly held responsible for things that are out of our control. COVID and the reaction of schools being the latest thing on that list. Before COVID it was poverty, children who don't speak English expected to perform at the same levels as children whose parents constantly seek outside tutoring.

We are held responsible for behaviors from children that are insane, curriculum issues etc etc. We are the ones held responsible for all these factors when we have no control over them.
It has to stop. We get little support for these things and are typically told we are to blame and to be more reflective in our teaching to get better results.
It is a trauma bond at a certain level and that is what is causing the burn out.

Our school’s reaction to Covid was directly controlled and held hostage by our teachers unions. I will always hold them responsible for a significant portion of our kids learning loss. Always. Many in our state only went back into the classroom because the governor mandated it and said virtual learning would not count as learning hours.

Don’t forget the sick-outs. There is some serious re-writing of history around here with respect to the influence teachers had on the length of closures.

Some serious rewriting of the bad of behavior pf parents too....but you know teachers have been dealing with the bs for years. Enjoy the ever growing shortage

Enjoy what now? I send my kids to private school, because I lost all faith in public schools. We have no problem attracting teachers who are also sick of the BS. No shortage whatsoever.

Sure

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid’s teachers make more money than I do and get better benefits. I very much appreciate them, am always polite, do not try to take their time or make their lives harder. But this idea that I somehow inadequately appreciate teachers is weird to me. Or the idea that I owe them lots of gift cards or gifts. I always make a point of sending thank you cards and, if it is in budget, a target gift card. Beyond that I really don’t think anything else should be expected of me as a parent.

Just how appreciative do I need to be? I am honestly not that appreciated in my job.

+10

Teacher here, who posted above about AP workloads. I don’t need appreciation. I don’t expect it at holidays or at the end of the year. I do appreciate thank you letters when I write college recommendations, but I know not to expect them since they come about 2-5% of the time.

I’d be happy if I can just get some respect. That might look like not calling my job “easy” and telling me to appreciate my summers off. Those 4-5 weeks aren’t much of a trade-off for the grueling 60-70 hour weeks throughout the year.

Nobody does that. No one.

oh please-they do!!!

But dii ok you get that the jerks who say teachers jobs are easy or “enjoy your summers off” also put other people down for their jobs. I work in marketing, I make 85k a year, I work long hours for some people who are very full of themselves (lawyers). They all think my job is super easy and that anyone can do it, in part because they don’t understand that like 70% of my job is trying to make them happy which is impossible. I’ve heard any manner of snide comments from not just people I meet but people I actually work with about how my job is easy or is just sitting around resizing photos or something. I also do several client retreats a year and people act like this is done kind of relaxing vacation for me (“enjoy your vacation”) because they don’t understand that while the lawyers are out to dinner with clients I’m sitting in my hotel room until 1am collating handouts and finalizing the power point the partners will claim credit for in the morning. And while I’m on these “trips” my DH is pulling double duty at home and I miss my kids.

Is my job as important or necessary as a teacher’s? No, I realize that. But I work very hard, am not particularly well compensated, get treated not great by a bunch of people who make WAY more than me (and more even than the go consultants who do make dumb curriculum decisions that impact teachers) and regularly feel pretty underappreciated.

But no one ever asks “Why does no one acknowledge how overworked marketing professionals are?” And I wouldn’t ask that either, it’s silly. I chose this dumb profession and this dumb job, and while I fantasize about doing something else, the money isn’t horrible for someone with a BA and I get a good employee match on my 401k.

Work is work. Teachers are not uniquely beleaguered and they are NOT underappreciated. I appreciate my kids teachers everyday. Of course there are people who are going to put it down— the world is full of arrogant jerks who don’t think anyone making less than 500k/yr (and especially anyone in a female-dominated profession) is worthwhile. Welcome to the club.

I’m a long time large law firm lawyer and I just want you to know I have always found the dynamic you (ACCURATELY) describe horrific. Law firms are so poorly managed, and so disrespectful of every non-JD professional. The women in admin keep the firms from falling apart in so many key ways, and I often wonder why they even bother.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid’s teachers make more money than I do and get better benefits. I very much appreciate them, am always polite, do not try to take their time or make their lives harder. But this idea that I somehow inadequately appreciate teachers is weird to me. Or the idea that I owe them lots of gift cards or gifts. I always make a point of sending thank you cards and, if it is in budget, a target gift card. Beyond that I really don’t think anything else should be expected of me as a parent.

Just how appreciative do I need to be? I am honestly not that appreciated in my job.

+10

Teacher here, who posted above about AP workloads. I don’t need appreciation. I don’t expect it at holidays or at the end of the year. I do appreciate thank you letters when I write college recommendations, but I know not to expect them since they come about 2-5% of the time.

I’d be happy if I can just get some respect. That might look like not calling my job “easy” and telling me to appreciate my summers off. Those 4-5 weeks aren’t much of a trade-off for the grueling 60-70 hour weeks throughout the year.

Nobody does that. No one.

oh please-they do!!!

But dii ok you get that the jerks who say teachers jobs are easy or “enjoy your summers off” also put other people down for their jobs. I work in marketing, I make 85k a year, I work long hours for some people who are very full of themselves (lawyers). They all think my job is super easy and that anyone can do it, in part because they don’t understand that like 70% of my job is trying to make them happy which is impossible. I’ve heard any manner of snide comments from not just people I meet but people I actually work with about how my job is easy or is just sitting around resizing photos or something. I also do several client retreats a year and people act like this is done kind of relaxing vacation for me (“enjoy your vacation”) because they don’t understand that while the lawyers are out to dinner with clients I’m sitting in my hotel room until 1am collating handouts and finalizing the power point the partners will claim credit for in the morning. And while I’m on these “trips” my DH is pulling double duty at home and I miss my kids.

Is my job as important or necessary as a teacher’s? No, I realize that. But I work very hard, am not particularly well compensated, get treated not great by a bunch of people who make WAY more than me (and more even than the go consultants who do make dumb curriculum decisions that impact teachers) and regularly feel pretty underappreciated.

But no one ever asks “Why does no one acknowledge how overworked marketing professionals are?” And I wouldn’t ask that either, it’s silly. I chose this dumb profession and this dumb job, and while I fantasize about doing something else, the money isn’t horrible for someone with a BA and I get a good employee match on my 401k.

Work is work. Teachers are not uniquely beleaguered and they are NOT underappreciated. I appreciate my kids teachers everyday. Of course there are people who are going to put it down— the world is full of arrogant jerks who don’t think anyone making less than 500k/yr (and especially anyone in a female-dominated profession) is worthwhile. Welcome to the club.

I’m a long time large law firm lawyer and I just want you to know I have always found the dynamic you (ACCURATELY) describe horrific. Law firms are so poorly managed, and so disrespectful of every non-JD professional. The women in admin keep the firms from falling apart in so many key ways, and I often wonder why they even bother.

It is a freaking caste system it’s so weird. All the non-lawyer staff at my firm are women, POC, and gay men, too. No one ever talks about this.

[Anonymous]

Because most teachers, especially at the elementary level, are women. Why doesn't anyone acknowledge how exhausted nurses and home health aides are? Why doesn't anyone acknowledge how exhausted Moms are?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because most teachers, especially at the elementary level, are women. Why doesn't anyone acknowledge how exhausted nurses and home health aides are? Why doesn't anyone acknowledge how exhausted Moms are?

Good points

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because most teachers, especially at the elementary level, are women. Why doesn't anyone acknowledge how exhausted nurses and home health aides are? Why doesn't anyone acknowledge how exhausted Moms are?

Being a Mom isn't a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid’s teachers make more money than I do and get better benefits. I very much appreciate them, am always polite, do not try to take their time or make their lives harder. But this idea that I somehow inadequately appreciate teachers is weird to me. Or the idea that I owe them lots of gift cards or gifts. I always make a point of sending thank you cards and, if it is in budget, a target gift card. Beyond that I really don’t think anything else should be expected of me as a parent.

Just how appreciative do I need to be? I am honestly not that appreciated in my job.

+10

Teacher here, who posted above about AP workloads. I don’t need appreciation. I don’t expect it at holidays or at the end of the year. I do appreciate thank you letters when I write college recommendations, but I know not to expect them since they come about 2-5% of the time.

I’d be happy if I can just get some respect. That might look like not calling my job “easy” and telling me to appreciate my summers off. Those 4-5 weeks aren’t much of a trade-off for the grueling 60-70 hour weeks throughout the year.

Nobody does that. No one.

oh please-they do!!!

But dii ok you get that the jerks who say teachers jobs are easy or “enjoy your summers off” also put other people down for their jobs. I work in marketing, I make 85k a year, I work long hours for some people who are very full of themselves (lawyers). They all think my job is super easy and that anyone can do it, in part because they don’t understand that like 70% of my job is trying to make them happy which is impossible. I’ve heard any manner of snide comments from not just people I meet but people I actually work with about how my job is easy or is just sitting around resizing photos or something. I also do several client retreats a year and people act like this is done kind of relaxing vacation for me (“enjoy your vacation”) because they don’t understand that while the lawyers are out to dinner with clients I’m sitting in my hotel room until 1am collating handouts and finalizing the power point the partners will claim credit for in the morning. And while I’m on these “trips” my DH is pulling double duty at home and I miss my kids.

Is my job as important or necessary as a teacher’s? No, I realize that. But I work very hard, am not particularly well compensated, get treated not great by a bunch of people who make WAY more than me (and more even than the go consultants who do make dumb curriculum decisions that impact teachers) and regularly feel pretty underappreciated.

But no one ever asks “Why does no one acknowledge how overworked marketing professionals are?” And I wouldn’t ask that either, it’s silly. I chose this dumb profession and this dumb job, and while I fantasize about doing something else, the money isn’t horrible for someone with a BA and I get a good employee match on my 401k.

Work is work. Teachers are not uniquely beleaguered and they are NOT underappreciated. I appreciate my kids teachers everyday. Of course there are people who are going to put it down— the world is full of arrogant jerks who don’t think anyone making less than 500k/yr (and especially anyone in a female-dominated profession) is worthwhile. Welcome to the club.

There is a big difference between you and a teacher - you can move up, get more responsibility, get more prestige. Teachers can't - you live at the bottom of the barrel in the educational system, and it never gets any better no matter how hard you work or how good you get. I'm not suggesting teachers need more appreciation or even more money - they don't, actually. What they need is for people to recognize that the problem with the teacher shortage is not that we need we need better working conditions. We need respect from administration, we need some voice in the system. I found my experience as a teacher demeaning and generally bad for my self-esteem. I left for a job with one half the pay and was much happier.