This will be my last year of teaching

[Anonymous]

OP - I took a pay cut to switch school systems but it worked wonders for my mental health. I liked the money of public school but the bureaucracy and decisions that left me head-scratching were too much for my personality. I tried a small private school before settling in a parochial school. It is a tight community of responsive parents and I have a principal who truly, deeply cares for the staff that has been carefully assembled. I enjoy my work now because some of the big burdens have been taken away and I'm more in control of my teaching, the content, and the presentation. Still standards some testing but nothing like what I had.

Please try a new school before you give up entirely. We need you experienced, dedicated teachers out there with the kids!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If this is how you feel, I respect you for walking away, assuming you do it next year if your mindset doesn't change. We had a lot of great teachers at my (well regarded) public school, but also a ton who had stopped caring years before (assuming they ever did) and simply mailed it in year after year.

OP here. I had a good run. This is the beginning of my 10th year. I'm just so weary. Too much giving, giving, giving.

What are you going to do instead?

I don't know. I'm an educated, intelligent person. I have an M.A. and an additional 36 hours. I'll find something. I don't need to make a huge salary... only about 60k.

Sounds like you got used to having a lax schedule and can't handle a real job anymore.

I'm not the OP but go away. Teaching is a hard profession and it is parents like you who make the job insufferable.

+100 The ignorance on here is appalling. As others have said, too many people have no idea how much teachers work, and coach and counsel and be on committees and attend unending meetings, all for a salary that most people on here seem to sniff at.

OP, I applaud you for the 10 years you have given to teaching. I suspect most of the nasty commenters wouldn't last a year. Hope you find something else that is rewarding to you. Life is too short.

Some teachers do all that you mentioned and those people I applaud. But way to any teachers do far less than that and simply coast . We had teachers who would literally pop in a video two or three days a week and just sit (or even nap) in the back of the class and this was at a good school. I am a fed and we have the same issue; lots of really dedicated people and lots of dead weight. But it is very hard to get rid of the latter, especially given the unions efforts to fight to protect the mediocre at best , rather than permitting any form of meritocracy that could attract better people to teaching and or the gov.

Impossible. No admin would ever let this sort of thing happen. Particularly at a school with high performing students. It's all push, push extend extend learning.

It most certainly did happen. This was 10 years ago and not in the dc area. But it was a fairly high achieving school with top of the class going to ivies and most kids going to four year colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much does a GS 13 make PP?

GS 13 starts at 92k

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I would have a very hard time getting back in the swing of things after three months off too. Thankfully it is a minor miracle if I can get even a week off, and usually have to work some when "off," so I never have to get back in the groove after a long break.

OP here. I worked summer school and camp. I worked all summer, barring two weeks off.

Now you're gonna tell me I'm burned out.

But isn't it your choice to work summers?

It is presumably your choice to work too.

Many teachers work in the summer to put bread on the table, pay the mortgage, etc . . .

The job allows a break because it is needed. If you choose to be shortsighted and work through because you can't live within your budget, it is good to accept the consequences, a new career.

Let me first say that teachers often don't get the respect they deserve, but I can't agree that teachers "need a break," at least any more than anyone else. Yes, it can be taxing work, but lots and lots of people have taxing work and get nowhere near the time off teachers do and working over the summer shouldn't leave a teacher so exhausted that he/she can't handle the new school year since virtually every other job requires people to worn year round.

Have you ever taught, PP?

Nope, but do you think that teaching is so uniquely taxing that they need 3 months off to recharge when cops, firefighters, plumbers, doctors, folks working 80 hours per week in Biglaw, pilots, etc manage to work the whole year?

Nothing wrong with teachers enjoying the time off an the salary partly reflects that, but the idea that teachers need the time off to function just doesn't resonate given all the other professions that somehow manage to worn full time.

The OP worked all summer. And no teacher has three months off. Two months at best.

The district I attended in Ohio just started school today. Their graduation date is June 3.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I would have a very hard time getting back in the swing of things after three months off too. Thankfully it is a minor miracle if I can get even a week off, and usually have to work some when "off," so I never have to get back in the groove after a long break.

OP here. I worked summer school and camp. I worked all summer, barring two weeks off.

Now you're gonna tell me I'm burned out.

But isn't it your choice to work summers?

It is presumably your choice to work too.

Many teachers work in the summer to put bread on the table, pay the mortgage, etc . . .

The job allows a break because it is needed. If you choose to be shortsighted and work through because you can't live within your budget, it is good to accept the consequences, a new career.

Let me first say that teachers often don't get the respect they deserve, but I can't agree that teachers "need a break," at least any more than anyone else. Yes, it can be taxing work, but lots and lots of people have taxing work and get nowhere near the time off teachers do and working over the summer shouldn't leave a teacher so exhausted that he/she can't handle the new school year since virtually every other job requires people to worn year round.

Have you ever taught, PP?

Nope, but do you think that teaching is so uniquely taxing that they need 3 months off to recharge when cops, firefighters, plumbers, doctors, folks working 80 hours per week in Biglaw, pilots, etc manage to work the whole year?

Nothing wrong with teachers enjoying the time off an the salary partly reflects that, but the idea that teachers need the time off to function just doesn't resonate given all the other professions that somehow manage to worn full time.

Oh, please! There is no harder job than being a teacher, especially these days when so many teachers are expected to manage ridiculous curriculum demands on top of parents who are so type A about their little ones, I'd like to see any of you be in a room with 25 elementary students every day of the week and not want to rip your hair out at the end of the week. Hell, most of you women on this board get so upset if your nanny is 15 mins late, God forbid you might have to parent full time. Teachers do not get the full Summer off and yes, they do have to supplement their income, because, news flash, teachers don't get paid a lot. Certainly not the kind of money an executive gets and their job is just as if not more stressful. Time off to function? Yes, there is nothing wrong with my child's teacher taken much needed time to have a mental recoup and be refreshed and ready to start the new school year. I am only sorry that budgets don't allow proper compensation so teachers can have the luxury of not working summer teacher and summer camps which, when you think of it, provide no mental break from the actual job of teaching.

We would all love the "luxury" of two months off for a mental health break. We would probably be better workers and almost certainly would be happier. But you know what, we don't get that and yet we manage, even though we work jobs that are as hard or harder than teaching.

I don't begrudge teachers that take all or most of their summer off. All the power to them. But I have little sympathy for those that choose to/have to work over the summer and then complain about how unfair that is and how much of a burden it places on their mental health and their ability to effectively teach come the new school year. Sorry, all us other working stiffs work all summer and manage to survive, so can you.

All of us other "working stiffs" knew what we were getting into when we chose not to go into teaching. And I'm guessing the reason many of us with college degrees chose not to major in education & to go into other fields was, at least in part, because those fields offer certain benefits -- financial or otherwise -- that teaching does not. There's always a trade off involved in any major life decision & it's kind of petty to begrudge others for having something we could have had ourselves had we chosen to, like them, give up other things in its place.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If this is how you feel, I respect you for walking away, assuming you do it next year if your mindset doesn't change. We had a lot of great teachers at my (well regarded) public school, but also a ton who had stopped caring years before (assuming they ever did) and simply mailed it in year after year.

OP here. I had a good run. This is the beginning of my 10th year. I'm just so weary. Too much giving, giving, giving.

What are you going to do instead?

I don't know. I'm an educated, intelligent person. I have an M.A. and an additional 36 hours. I'll find something. I don't need to make a huge salary... only about 60k.

Sounds like you got used to having a lax schedule and can't handle a real job anymore.

NP here. You have absolutely NO IDEA what you're talking about. A lax schedule? Really? You're clueless. Teachers are constantly moving, doing, thinking, talking, helping, smiling, doing, doing, doing. And then there's the work they take home.

Gimme a break.

Spend some time at your kid's school PP. The same cars I see when I drop of my kid before work are there when I pick him up after work. If you think teachers work 6 hours a day 9 months a year you really need to open your eyes.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I would have a very hard time getting back in the swing of things after three months off too. Thankfully it is a minor miracle if I can get even a week off, and usually have to work some when "off," so I never have to get back in the groove after a long break.

OP here. I worked summer school and camp. I worked all summer, barring two weeks off.

Now you're gonna tell me I'm burned out.

But isn't it your choice to work summers?

It is presumably your choice to work too.

Many teachers work in the summer to put bread on the table, pay the mortgage, etc . . .

The job allows a break because it is needed. If you choose to be shortsighted and work through because you can't live within your budget, it is good to accept the consequences, a new career.

Let me first say that teachers often don't get the respect they deserve, but I can't agree that teachers "need a break," at least any more than anyone else. Yes, it can be taxing work, but lots and lots of people have taxing work and get nowhere near the time off teachers do and working over the summer shouldn't leave a teacher so exhausted that he/she can't handle the new school year since virtually every other job requires people to worn year round.

Have you ever taught, PP?

Nope, but do you think that teaching is so uniquely taxing that they need 3 months off to recharge when cops, firefighters, plumbers, doctors, folks working 80 hours per week in Biglaw, pilots, etc manage to work the whole year?

Nothing wrong with teachers enjoying the time off an the salary partly reflects that, but the idea that teachers need the time off to function just doesn't resonate given all the other professions that somehow manage to worn full time.

The OP worked all summer. And no teacher has three months off. Two months at best.

The district I attended in Ohio just started school today. Their graduation date is June 3.

Is the graduation date for seniors the same as the last day of school for other students (I know that in the district my cousins attended in MA, seniors typically graduate in early June but the rest of the students generally aren't out of school until late June)? If so, that's an unusually long summer break for a public school district. Certainly none of the DC area public school students, much less teachers -- who are generally required to work at least a few days after the kids get out & before school re-opens --, are off for that long in the summer!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I would have a very hard time getting back in the swing of things after three months off too. Thankfully it is a minor miracle if I can get even a week off, and usually have to work some when "off," so I never have to get back in the groove after a long break.

OP here. I worked summer school and camp. I worked all summer, barring two weeks off.

Now you're gonna tell me I'm burned out.

But isn't it your choice to work summers?

It is presumably your choice to work too.

Many teachers work in the summer to put bread on the table, pay the mortgage, etc . . .

The job allows a break because it is needed. If you choose to be shortsighted and work through because you can't live within your budget, it is good to accept the consequences, a new career.

Let me first say that teachers often don't get the respect they deserve, but I can't agree that teachers "need a break," at least any more than anyone else. Yes, it can be taxing work, but lots and lots of people have taxing work and get nowhere near the time off teachers do and working over the summer shouldn't leave a teacher so exhausted that he/she can't handle the new school year since virtually every other job requires people to worn year round.

Have you ever taught, PP?

Nope, but do you think that teaching is so uniquely taxing that they need 3 months off to recharge when cops, firefighters, plumbers, doctors, folks working 80 hours per week in Biglaw, pilots, etc manage to work the whole year?

Nothing wrong with teachers enjoying the time off an the salary partly reflects that, but the idea that teachers need the time off to function just doesn't resonate given all the other professions that somehow manage to worn full time.

The OP worked all summer. And no teacher has three months off. Two months at best.

The district I attended in Ohio just started school today. Their graduation date is June 3.

Is the graduation date for seniors the same as the last day of school for other students (I know that in the district my cousins attended in MA, seniors typically graduate in early June but the rest of the students generally aren't out of school until late June)? If so, that's an unusually long summer break for a public school district. Certainly none of the DC area public school students, much less teachers -- who are generally required to work at least a few days after the kids get out & before school re-opens --, are off for that long in the summer!

I posted about the Ohio school district's calendar. I currently teach for Fairfax County.

I just looked at their calendar. They started school September 7. The last student day is an early dismissal on Thursday, June 1. The last teacher workday is Friday June 2. The graduation is June 3. The are 180 student days and the teacher contract is only about 3 or 4 days longer.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I would have a very hard time getting back in the swing of things after three months off too. Thankfully it is a minor miracle if I can get even a week off, and usually have to work some when "off," so I never have to get back in the groove after a long break.

OP here. I worked summer school and camp. I worked all summer, barring two weeks off.

Now you're gonna tell me I'm burned out.

But isn't it your choice to work summers?

It is presumably your choice to work too.

Many teachers work in the summer to put bread on the table, pay the mortgage, etc . . .

The job allows a break because it is needed. If you choose to be shortsighted and work through because you can't live within your budget, it is good to accept the consequences, a new career.

Let me first say that teachers often don't get the respect they deserve, but I can't agree that teachers "need a break," at least any more than anyone else. Yes, it can be taxing work, but lots and lots of people have taxing work and get nowhere near the time off teachers do and working over the summer shouldn't leave a teacher so exhausted that he/she can't handle the new school year since virtually every other job requires people to worn year round.

Have you ever taught, PP?

Nope, but do you think that teaching is so uniquely taxing that they need 3 months off to recharge when cops, firefighters, plumbers, doctors, folks working 80 hours per week in Biglaw, pilots, etc manage to work the whole year?

Nothing wrong with teachers enjoying the time off an the salary partly reflects that, but the idea that teachers need the time off to function just doesn't resonate given all the other professions that somehow manage to worn full time.

The OP worked all summer. And no teacher has three months off. Two months at best.

The district I attended in Ohio just started school today. Their graduation date is June 3.

Is the graduation date for seniors the same as the last day of school for other students (I know that in the district my cousins attended in MA, seniors typically graduate in early June but the rest of the students generally aren't out of school until late June)? If so, that's an unusually long summer break for a public school district. Certainly none of the DC area public school students, much less teachers -- who are generally required to work at least a few days after the kids get out & before school re-opens --, are off for that long in the summer!

I posted about the Ohio school district's calendar. I currently teach for Fairfax County.

I just looked at their calendar. They started school September 7. The last student day is an early dismissal on Thursday, June 1. The last teacher workday is Friday June 2. The graduation is June 3. The are 180 student days and the teacher contract is only about 3 or 4 days longer.

Hearing this kind of stuff about other districts frosts me. FCPS has messed way too much with the calendar -- adding in too many teacher work days and 4 day weekends and a rich people's Christmas holiday that gives kids 2 weeks off (just weeks before they'll be cancelling school in huge chunks for alleged "snow days." ) The end result is that the school year goes practically till July.

There are more interruptions to learning (second quarter has been a mess in terms of focus for my high schoolers for 3 year running now thanks to so many unnecessary days off) than a normal school system should have, but I guess administrators get to claim that there is less backsliding overall because summer is shorter. It really is obscene. I have 2 friends who are teachers who say whenever they're asked to do surveys, that they and all their colleagues overwhelmingly complain about the excessive work days and four day weekends in the Spring, but FCPS ignores them and does what it wants to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would have a very hard time getting back in the swing of things after three months off too. Thankfully it is a minor miracle if I can get even a week off, and usually have to work some when "off," so I never have to get back in the groove after a long break.

The OP wasn't talking about "getting into the swing of things" after summer break. OP was referring to their only break from teaching of the school day, which was consumed by a demoralizing meeting.

[Anonymous]

I have family members who are teachers and none of them work during the summer. They just go around and crash with other family members around the country all summer for Free vacations. It seems like a pretty sweet deal to me.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I would have a very hard time getting back in the swing of things after three months off too. Thankfully it is a minor miracle if I can get even a week off, and usually have to work some when "off," so I never have to get back in the groove after a long break.

OP here. I worked summer school and camp. I worked all summer, barring two weeks off.

Now you're gonna tell me I'm burned out.

But isn't it your choice to work summers?

It is presumably your choice to work too.

Many teachers work in the summer to put bread on the table, pay the mortgage, etc . . .

The job allows a break because it is needed. If you choose to be shortsighted and work through because you can't live within your budget, it is good to accept the consequences, a new career.

Not OP, but if my DH and I (both teachers) lived within a budget of what we earn teaching we could not afford to live in Montgomery Co. with three kids. Two of whom go to state colleges and work part-time. My DH has to coach and teach college courses part-time. I have to tutor and work PT at a small design firm. We've talked about moving to PG County, but the commute to our schools from an affordable area in PG would kill what little family time we have and require us to hire childcare for the youngest child to get to/from school. We're very frugal and live simply, but this area is just too expensive. We both have grad degrees in our subject areas and our friends who are Feds or private sector with the same education are out earning us by almost 1/3. Once our youngest graduates, we are gone.

Assuming you make on the low end working for MCPS $130-150 HHI, then you can comfortably live in MoCo. You get a smaller house for under $350,00 down county or parts of upcounty. It probably will be around 900-1300 square feet, 3 bedroom, 1 bath depending on the house but it can easily be done. That is what most of us do without huge incomes. This area is as expensive as you make it. As teachers, in the state of MD, there is a house buying program. There are also MPDU, employee housing and other programs to help teachers. Teachers make more than social workers and other professionals in the county but teachers get two months off (you can elect to spread your paycheck out over the year), better health insurance and better benefits. If you don't like it, you can change to being a fed or private sector vs. complaining. You choose a lower paying profession that requires education like the rest of us.. you either deal with it and teach or leave the profession.

[Anonymous]

I work as a nanny 70 hours a week and would love 2 months off. But then again being a nanny isn't a real job, we just eat Bon bons and laze around all day.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm a parent with a kid in public school. I am so damn sorry you are feeling so badly, so damn sorry your profession doesn't garner the respect it deserves (illustrated in the thread...which makes the job so much harder to do...), and I want you to know that there are parents out here who really, really appreciate you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love fall but hate going back to school. So much is piled on us that I can't even catch my breath. But every year, I say "f--- it" just a little bit more. I have spend the last 6 days doing paperwork and testing students (I'm an ESOL teacher). I have a few more days of it. None of this has anything to do with kids or teaching at all. It makes me sad to see how much testing this kids have to endure. It has been out of control for years and sadly, it is all my students know.

Yes!

Remember when you were a kid, how if you were lucky you got a great teacher but even if you got a blah teacher, the first weeks of school could be about fun, interesting things? Sure they had to do a little back to school assessing but nothing like it is now.

My kids are in upper grades and the first three weeks back have been nothing but SLO testing after SLO testing. And routines and "themes". No content. No "meat". Nothing worth getting out of bed for. The SLO tests aren't for the kids, and they aren't for the parents because we don't even see the results.