Teachers - How Hard is Your Job, Really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was little evidence my child's teachers were working as hard as some of these descriptions. Some were. Others fled the buidling within 2 minutes of the final bell and couldn't correct work within two weeks.

The leaving early really means nothing. I often would leave right after the students, but do hours of work at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I simply don't understand these threads about how easy/hard teachers' jobs are. What is this about? I don't see similar threads about other professions.

In any profession, aren't there people who work incredibly hard and others who do the bare minimum. What am I missing?

Teachers are very public about wanting raises. That is all. They are constantly talking about how hard their job is and why they need a raise. I agree it is though, but what I've never understood is why they don't fight for better working conditions. It's always about money rather than improved working conditions.

I always said that I didn't want a raise, I wanted a secretary!

Teacher here and I agree with the above. I always get frustrated that the focus tends to be on paying teachers more rather than reducing the work load - possibly by hiring more aides. Would I like to make more money? Of course, who wouldn't? But when I decided to become a teacher I knew very well what I would be making and decided to go into the field anyways. What I truly did not understand was just how time consuming this job is. Sure you could save the problem by paying teacher more to march the work load, but I suspect that wouldn't be satisfactory to most, because you're by and large dealing with people who when making their career decisions, choose what they perceived to be a nice work life balance (however wrongly) over making a higher income.

I'm the poster who didn't understand why teachers didn't fight for better working conditions. Thank you for agreeing with me. I would like to make your job easier, but can't promise the pay will be great. Once the work becomes manageable though, I'm hoping that people will see teachers do a better job and then pay will automatically increase. I think the problem now is that teachers are so overextended that they really aren't doing that great of a job (because they can't do any more) but then it spirals into people not wanting to pay them more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I simply don't understand these threads about how easy/hard teachers' jobs are. What is this about? I don't see similar threads about other professions.

In any profession, aren't there people who work incredibly hard and others who do the bare minimum. What am I missing?

Teachers are very public about wanting raises. That is all. They are constantly talking about how hard their job is and why they need a raise. I agree it is though, but what I've never understood is why they don't fight for better working conditions. It's always about money rather than improved working conditions.

I always said that I didn't want a raise, I wanted a secretary!

Teacher here and I agree with the above. I always get frustrated that the focus tends to be on paying teachers more rather than reducing the work load - possibly by hiring more aides. Would I like to make more money? Of course, who wouldn't? But when I decided to become a teacher I knew very well what I would be making and decided to go into the field anyways. What I truly did not understand was just how time consuming this job is. Sure you could save the problem by paying teacher more to march the work load, but I suspect that wouldn't be satisfactory to most, because you're by and large dealing with people who when making their career decisions, choose what they perceived to be a nice work life balance (however wrongly) over making a higher income.

I'm the poster who didn't understand why teachers didn't fight for better working conditions. Thank you for agreeing with me. I would like to make your job easier, but can't promise the pay will be great. Once the work becomes manageable though, I'm hoping that people will see teachers do a better job and then pay will automatically increase. I think the problem now is that teachers are so overextended that they really aren't doing that great of a job (because they can't do any more) but then it spirals into people not wanting to pay them more.

A secretary would be nice. How about having teachers just teach and not also be first aid responders, IT specialists, social workers, etc. I did all four today and I'll be at school tomorrow setting up for Monday because there was no time to it today due to MAP-R testing. I'm exhausted. I want to spend more quality time with my own biological children. And I want to teach. Not this other stuff that got tacked onto my job description due to budget cuts.

[Anonymous]

One of the hardest parts of my job is that MoCo parents treat each MS assignment like a legal contract and pore over it looking for loophole to excuse the fact that their child either did not do the actual work assigned or did it erroneously. As a joke one year, I had my best friend's DH (a torts lawyer) look over a project packet the week before I assigned it. He returned it with 10 little Post-It flags pointing out places where there was a tiny bit of wiggle room in interpretation if someone was really reaching (or as he put it, "an a-hole"). I fixed those weak spots and parents actually complained that my version was worded differently than the other teacher of the same course!

[Anonymous]

Also, may I add that (annually) as a teacher I am asked t donate to the "school fund." What. Other profession would ask this of their employees? I resent this because I feel Thai I am underpaid for what I do.the school can get quite aggressive about it to. I think this is also inductive of teachers not being respected as s "professional' who is trying to make a living.. Can you imagine if a lawyer, doctor, businessperson was Sked to contribute money to their institution?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, may I add that (annually) as a teacher I am asked t donate to the "school fund." What. Other profession would ask this of their employees? I resent this because I feel Thai I am underpaid for what I do.the school can get quite aggressive about it to. I think this is also inductive of teachers not being respected as s "professional' who is trying to make a living.. Can you imagine if a lawyer, doctor, businessperson was Sked to contribute money to their institution?

Please excuse my typos. I am on phone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, may I add that (annually) as a teacher I am asked t donate to the "school fund." What. Other profession would ask this of their employees? I resent this because I feel Thai I am underpaid for what I do.the school can get quite aggressive about it to. I think this is also inductive of teachers not being respected as s "professional' who is trying to make a living.. Can you imagine if a lawyer, doctor, businessperson was Sked to contribute money to their institution?

I'm not saying you are wrong for being upset, but as a medical person I am constantly being asked to donate $$ to foundations, organizations affiliated with the hospital, awareness groups, doctors that volunteer in the community need $$, research projects, etc. Obviously a different pay scale but similar dynamic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, may I add that (annually) as a teacher I am asked t donate to the "school fund." What. Other profession would ask this of their employees? I resent this because I feel Thai I am underpaid for what I do.the school can get quite aggressive about it to. I think this is also inductive of teachers not being respected as s "professional' who is trying to make a living.. Can you imagine if a lawyer, doctor, businessperson was Sked to contribute money to their institution?

I'm not saying you are wrong for being upset, but as a medical person I am constantly being asked to donate $$ to foundations, organizations affiliated with the hospital, awareness groups, doctors that volunteer in the community need $$, research projects, etc. Obviously a different pay scale but similar dynamic.

Yes, a very different pay scale.

[Anonymous]

Also, may I add that (annually) as a teacher I am asked t donate to the "school fund." What. Other profession would ask this of their employees? I resent this because I feel Thai I am underpaid for what I do.the school can get quite aggressive about it to. I think this is also inductive of teachers not being respected as s "professional' who is trying to make a living.. Can you imagine if a lawyer, doctor, businessperson was Sked to contribute money to their institution?

What school system are you in? This is not the case in Montgomery County and our PTA gives every teacher $250 to spend on classroom supplies on top of dozens of appreciation events.

[Anonymous]

I am not a teacher. I am a parent who is very vested in my child's education.

I find it very frustrating that more and more, teachers are forced not to teach but prepare kids for testing. The least inspiring teachers are actually flourishing in such an enviornment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Also, may I add that (annually) as a teacher I am asked t donate to the "school fund." What. Other profession would ask this of their employees? I resent this because I feel Thai I am underpaid for what I do.the school can get quite aggressive about it to. I think this is also inductive of teachers not being respected as s "professional' who is trying to make a living.. Can you imagine if a lawyer, doctor, businessperson was Sked to contribute money to their institution?

What school system are you in? This is not the case in Montgomery County and our PTA gives every teacher $250 to spend on classroom supplies on top of dozens of appreciation events.

every independent school that I have worked at in Montgomery County over the past 15 years .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, may I add that (annually) as a teacher I am asked t donate to the "school fund." What. Other profession would ask this of their employees? I resent this because I feel Thai I am underpaid for what I do.the school can get quite aggressive about it to. I think this is also inductive of teachers not being respected as s "professional' who is trying to make a living.. Can you imagine if a lawyer, doctor, businessperson was Sked to contribute money to their institution?

I'm not saying you are wrong for being upset, but as a medical person I am constantly being asked to donate $$ to foundations, organizations affiliated with the hospital, awareness groups, doctors that volunteer in the community need $$, research projects, etc. Obviously a different pay scale but similar dynamic.

Yes, a very different pay scale.

i am the teacher who posted about donating money to annual school funds. Yes, different pay scale...AND another difference is 'affiliated' organizations are asking you for money versus the institution that is (poorly) paying you....an being aggressive about it, too.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, may I add that (annually) as a teacher I am asked t donate to the "school fund." What. Other profession would ask this of their employees? I resent this because I feel Thai I am underpaid for what I do.the school can get quite aggressive about it to. I think this is also inductive of teachers not being respected as s "professional' who is trying to make a living.. Can you imagine if a lawyer, doctor, businessperson was Sked to contribute money to their institution?

I'm not saying you are wrong for being upset, but as a medical person I am constantly being asked to donate $$ to foundations, organizations affiliated with the hospital, awareness groups, doctors that volunteer in the community need $$, research projects, etc. Obviously a different pay scale but similar dynamic.

Yes, a very different pay scale.

Different poster, but at my school, teachers were asked to join the PTA by paying dues before we even received our first paycheck in 10 weeks. When teachers complained, the PTA president sent a huffy letter that we got more than our dues back in the form of snacks and other goodies during the year. We asked could we forgo "the goodies" and get our dues waved. She said no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Also, may I add that (annually) as a teacher I am asked t donate to the "school fund." What. Other profession would ask this of their employees? I resent this because I feel Thai I am underpaid for what I do.the school can get quite aggressive about it to. I think this is also inductive of teachers not being respected as s "professional' who is trying to make a living.. Can you imagine if a lawyer, doctor, businessperson was Sked to contribute money to their institution?

What school system are you in? This is not the case in Montgomery County and our PTA gives every teacher $250 to spend on classroom supplies on top of dozens of appreciation events.

every independent school that I have worked at in Montgomery County over the past 15 years .

Please tell me which school so I can look for it during transfer season. My MCPS MS ran out is scotch tape two weeks ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I simply don't understand these threads about how easy/hard teachers' jobs are. What is this about? I don't see similar threads about other professions.

In any profession, aren't there people who work incredibly hard and others who do the bare minimum. What am I missing?

Teachers are very public about wanting raises. That is all. They are constantly talking about how hard their job is and why they need a raise. I agree it is though, but what I've never understood is why they don't fight for better working conditions. It's always about money rather than improved working conditions.

I always said that I didn't want a raise, I wanted a secretary!

Teacher here and I agree with the above. I always get frustrated that the focus tends to be on paying teachers more rather than reducing the work load - possibly by hiring more aides. Would I like to make more money? Of course, who wouldn't? But when I decided to become a teacher I knew very well what I would be making and decided to go into the field anyways. What I truly did not understand was just how time consuming this job is. Sure you could save the problem by paying teacher more to march the work load, but I suspect that wouldn't be satisfactory to most, because you're by and large dealing with people who when making their career decisions, choose what they perceived to be a nice work life balance (however wrongly) over making a higher income.

I'm the poster who didn't understand why teachers didn't fight for better working conditions. Thank you for agreeing with me. I would like to make your job easier, but can't promise the pay will be great. Once the work becomes manageable though, I'm hoping that people will see teachers do a better job and then pay will automatically increase. I think the problem now is that teachers are so overextended that they really aren't doing that great of a job (because they can't do any more) but then it spirals into people not wanting to pay them more.

This is delusional-----there are plenty of lawyers, doctors, businesspeople, etc who do not do a good job, and still get paid well.....And, despite the obstacles that come with teaching, there are still many teachers who do a good job....