RANT: Teachers, why are you so whiny?

[Anonymous]

And no, they are not taking papers home to grade. Those days are gone. Kids self grade most of their work. Often it is actually just a completion grade and nobody even grades it.

OP, you do not strike me as being very smart.

Just because the teachers in your school do not take papers home to grade doesn't mean this applies widely to others. Since you claim to be in the education field, you should certainly be aware that there are different types of teachers and teaching environments. Because you go attacking teachers as a group, you might consider this.

I am a secondary school teacher, and I take papers home at least four times a week for grading. I teach 150 students, many of whom speak another language in addition to English. I work extremely hard.

And no, I am not complaining about my job. I am complaining about you, and the fact that you just painted all teachers with the same brush. Next time, do some homework first, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:23:27,

you mean by “full pension” and where in teaching can you get it after only 20 years? Virginia’s pension (VRS) provides about 50% of the highest three years’ average. The only way you could get that with 20 years experience is if you were at least 40 years old when you started.

I love how people make claims such as, “full pension after 20 years” and then don’t or can’t back it up.

[Anonymous]

In most states, to get full pension, teachers generally need to be 55 with 34 full years of teaching. In my state, you can retire at 55 and 20 years of service but you get about 40% of the full pension, which amounts to about what you'd get through Social Security. (teachers in my state don't get social security at all)

I'm retiring with that 40% pension and 20 years at 55. I plan to either sub 1-2 days a week and tutor some after that as long as I'm healthy. Or teach English online. My spouse and I are really frugal and we've been saving to add onto whatever we get from pensions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In most states, to get full pension, teachers generally need to be 55 with 34 full years of teaching. In my state, you can retire at 55 and 20 years of service but you get about 40% of the full pension, which amounts to about what you'd get through Social Security. (teachers in my state don't get social security at all)

I'm retiring with that 40% pension and 20 years at 55. I plan to either sub 1-2 days a week and tutor some after that as long as I'm healthy. Or teach English online. My spouse and I are really frugal and we've been saving to add onto whatever we get from pensions.

Exactly, but people like to throw around things like "retire with full pension at 20 years" and other falsehoods. When questioned about it they can't or won't come back with evidence to support their claims. They just believe what they hear and spew it in return.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:as a former teacher, it really bugs me when folks mention summers off. This is unpaid time, yes most school systems have a plan in place where you can take your pay so as to lessen your monthly take home and spread your 10 month contract out to 12. Some people can afford to only work 10 months out of the year, but many others scramble- you speak like teachers should be working during the unpaid summer months to plan... OP your the worst.

I do not care if it is unpaid or not. What other job gives you the choice of not working at all 1/6 of the year?

BTW, you misspelled "you're" in your last sentence.

LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I completely agree with everything you say!!

Me too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Find me a profession where people *don't* whine. No one's paid enough, no one's appreciated enough, each individual thinks they're awesome. It's just human nature. When I was in labor, my ob/gyn "whined" for hours to me and DH about how hard his profession was. At the same time, he mentioned his upcoming vacation to the south of France.

FWIW, I love teachers. F'ing love teachers. Who taught my kids to read? Not me. Who's teaching my kids algebra? Not me. Who's guiding my son through his HS science classes, nurturing his dream to become an MD? Not me.

If you aren't doing it, no one is. PS. You should have fired the OB/GYN.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amen. No other white collar professional whines like a teacher.

+1000

Low paid feds complain a lot, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think both perspectives are right and I am a teacher. It is incredibly stressful, especially when the kids get phones and attitudes and feel it is their purpose in life to constantly disrupt class. Don’t even get me started about the cheaters and liars.

Almost every parent I know wants those cell phones out of the room. It's your classroom. Just don't let kids have them and stop complaining about them.

I'm not allowed to. I can tell students not bring them, but if they do I have no recourse. I cannot confiscate the phones. (Admin is worried about what will happen if we see something on the phones, they break while in our care, or another student steals it while it's in my desk.) I cannot hold kids for after school detention. I cannot give a grade for active participation. Does anyone have a solution that has worked well at their school? I know we're all fighting this battle.

Wow. Parent new to the system with kids just coming in.

This is unbelievable and 100% on the administration. What's wrong with a blanket ban? Screw the parents' whining. No cell phones across the board, universal confiscation policy, bring-at-your-own-risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I completely agree with everything you say!!

Me too!

I agree actually! I have totally noticed this.

[Anonymous]

I'm a teacher and I am whiny these days because I have to move classrooms. Not a big deal except I am expected to physically move everything including the furniture I am taking with me. Ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher and I am whiny these days because I have to move classrooms. Not a big deal except I am expected to physically move everything including the furniture I am taking with me. Ridiculous.

Really? That is cause for a whine ? Are you moving your desk up six flights of stairs ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher and I am whiny these days because I have to move classrooms. Not a big deal except I am expected to physically move everything including the furniture I am taking with me. Ridiculous.

Really? That is cause for a whine ? Are you moving your desk up six flights of stairs ?

My desk, 3 bookcases, 2 filing cabinets, 30ish student desks, 4 dinosaur desk tops and nearly 30 boxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher and I am whiny these days because I have to move classrooms. Not a big deal except I am expected to physically move everything including the furniture I am taking with me. Ridiculous.

Really? That is cause for a whine ? Are you moving your desk up six flights of stairs ?

My desk, 3 bookcases, 2 filing cabinets, 30ish student desks, 4 dinosaur desk tops and nearly 30 boxes.

How far are you moving them? Using a cart, that won't take much time (or effort).

[Anonymous]

One level down. We have one cart for the entire school and approximately 1/3 of the teachers are moving rooms. This should be fun.