Parents, please don’t ask me to stay after school and tutor your child.

[Anonymous]

Is it really your personal time? I don’t think teachers workday is done at the ringing of the last bell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe they aren’t paying attention during class. I get parents asking me to work after school with their kids before tests, because the student hasn’t done the homework, hasn’t used his class time well, goofs off with friends or plays computer games while I am teaching, and then I am asked to re-teach the whole chapter to the kid on my own time.

You tell them to turn off the computer games, do the homework in class or free period or come in before school or ask if they need help when they aren't using their time well. When mine doesn't complete work, they need a bit of support but our teachers aren't approachable so it just does not get done. The teachers make all kids of excuses but when the work is send home, funny thing, it gets done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it really your personal time? I don’t think teachers workday is done at the ringing of the last bell.

Teachers have contract hours. At my school it's 8:30-4. The kids are all gone by 4 and so are most of the teachers, and although some stay longer to finish stuff I'd say more arrive early, before contract hours, but not all do. Some work just the contract hours, some work extra hours without extra pay.

[Anonymous]

Isn’t a math teacher supposed to teach the kids the math? If it’s not happening, why? Is there something wrong with how it’s being taught or the expectations? It’s not true that other professions don’t work extra. I’m an attorney and I’m asked to deliver x product (the equivalent for you would be teaching x concept). I work until it’s done, even if it means working weekends or staying late.

[Anonymous]

Who on earth wouldn’t you charge? Charge or say no: get a backbone.

[Anonymous]

Of course you tell them to stop playing the computer games. You have clearly never spent time in a classroom. I always redirect, shut the games down etc etc. At some point the one child starts ruining the class for the others who want to be there. I can’t spend all of my teaching time policing the one child. I have an obligation to the other students and families. This isn’t a question of not understanding the material or having a hard day, this is the kid who is destroying the class for everyone else in it. This is the kid whose parents make excuses for him over and over again and never hold him responsible for his own success. This is the kid that all parents request not to have in their child’s class.

[Anonymous]

If you aren't available to help your students before or after school, then find out who is available for tutoring and direct the parents to that person/people. Often NHS offers free tutoring after school.

[Anonymous]

My child’s teacher (jr. high) has office hours twice a week where kids can go with specific problem. It’s not time to reteach a concept or work together on homework. They are to go in with specific homework or test questions that they need to review.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t a math teacher supposed to teach the kids the math? If it’s not happening, why? Is there something wrong with how it’s being taught or the expectations? It’s not true that other professions don’t work extra. I’m an attorney and I’m asked to deliver x product (the equivalent for you would be teaching x concept). I work until it’s done, even if it means working weekends or staying late.

Learning cannot occur for many reasons. Many kid sizes don’t pay attention, fall asleep in class, spend ages in the bathroom, don’t come to school. They are robots who produce x when y is inputted. I will help kids after school if they ask for it, show up when they say they will and don’t waste time in class screwing around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t a math teacher supposed to teach the kids the math? If it’s not happening, why? Is there something wrong with how it’s being taught or the expectations? It’s not true that other professions don’t work extra. I’m an attorney and I’m asked to deliver x product (the equivalent for you would be teaching x concept). I work until it’s done, even if it means working weekends or staying late.

Learning cannot occur for many reasons. Many kid sizes don’t pay attention, fall asleep in class, spend ages in the bathroom, don’t come to school. They are robots who produce x when y is inputted. I will help kids after school if they ask for it, show up when they say they will and don’t waste time in class screwing around.

You are responding to me and I think your conditions for helping are perfectly reasonable. Are you the OP? Because I got the impression OP didn’t want to help even the struggling students who were trying hard. The reason why I’m wondering if It’s OP’s teaching that needs help is because she made it sound like it was a constant or big problem, not an occasional goof-off kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see anyone on this thread saying they hate their teaching jobs.

Yet they despise the job enough to holler if it goes 15 minutes past clock-out.[b]

I wish. Try 35 hours a week past clock out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don't you just smile and say "Sure, I charge $30 an hour for private tutoring and am available Tuesday or Thursday."

Or just say "Sorry, I'm currently not accepting any new tutoring clients." And then refer them to someone good who wants the money.

Ha! $30. Try $80-$100

Teachers I know tutor in the $75-$100 per hour range but not for students who are currently their students, that's against school policy. They can tutor kids in other grades and they do often do it after school, but not for free. If a kid in their current class needs a tutor they refer the parent to another teacher who can work with them.

This is how it is at my school (and my kids' schools), too. I'm actually surprised OP's admin allows students to stay after school on an informal basis and request help from their teacher when the teacher doesn't have scheduled office hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it really your personal time? I don’t think teachers workday is done at the ringing of the last bell.

No it’s not, but it should be. Your attitude is part of the problem.

[Anonymous]

I work in biglaw. This kind of attitude would basically be grounds for termination. And non lawyers in law firms aren’t making that much to offset.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it really your personal time? I don’t think teachers workday is done at the ringing of the last bell.

Teachers have contract hours. At my school it's 8:30-4. The kids are all gone by 4 and so are most of the teachers, and although some stay longer to finish stuff I'd say more arrive early, before contract hours, but not all do. Some work just the contract hours, some work extra hours without extra pay.

Even if they are only at school during the contract hours, I’m betting they are spending large amounts of time at home working. I usually leave school soon after the students as well, because I need the change in environment but I am doing another 4 hours of work at home. Not to mention at least a full day of my weekend.