Teachers - How Hard is Your Job, Really?

[Anonymous]

Former Wall Street Attorney who switched careers and became an elementary school teacher. I had all of the same preconceived notions about teachers.... Easy job, short hours, lots of days off. I work 7:30 to 6 most days. I also bring work home and work at night and on weekends. Every year I put in more time as I continually triy to do a better job teaching my students. While my students are in class I can not just decide to go to the bathroom or make a phone call. I don't need the money from teaching but I truly believe that teachers are way underpaid and way under appreciated. Walk in a teacher's shoes before you criticize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I worked with someone who used to be an Asst Dist Attorney for a fairly large county. He said teaching was way more difficult and hard. The reason he said was, there were no ebbs and flows in your work load. Most non-teachers have busy times where things ramp up, you work longer hours, then once that is over, you have periods where it is slower and you have time to answer emails, file papers, take a longer lunch. Not so in teaching. Every day is like you are on 10 for work load, and it never stops--not at 4:30. not weekends, not breaks.

Really, "it never stops"? How about those 10-11 weeks from mid-June to late-August?

Keep in mind that teachers generally don't get paid for these weeks, they just choose to spread their paycheck over 12 months. Most teachers spend the 2-3 weeks before the year starts prepping their rooms. Also used to take grad classes, or tutor.

And it's not 10-11 weeks - 6-8 weeks for us. Most schools teachers start at least a week earlier and finish later then the students do. Last school year teachers worked August 3rd-June 6th. This year the school increased its school year by 2 weeks so they'll finish later.

I use summer break for visiting family and completing professional development requirements. Some teachers work other jobs or tutor during that time.

People like to point fingers over the summer break as a way to say that teachers have an easy job - its really kind of silly.

[Anonymous]

Haven't read the whole thread but in laws are all teachers. The gist I get is that the time off is nice, especially holiday break and summer. That said, the hours are longer than people assume and it's much harder than in a "normal" job to take a sick day etc. you're always "on" in front of a class - no hiding in an office if you don't feel well, have persona issues etc - and you can't just run out for a pedicure or to meet a friend for lunch.

I could never do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Summer School and Tutoring is all optional and is not part of the teaching contract. If your job is hard, I want to hear about your actual teaching job, not how hard it is to fit in some side job. You picked a job with retirement benefits over current pay. That's a trade off that means less pay each year, but coverage over more years.

Right! Because you have done the job before so you know this from experience. Yes! That's it!

many of us do tutoring/summer school because of NEED and not desire...many of us are not paid well...

I'm not paid well either (in fact less than a teacher and with no retirement benefits). Still if someone asked me how hard my job was, I wouldn't include commitments to other jobs. Is that so hard to understand?

Is it so hard to understand that I was explaining WHY I work part of the summer....Not that I ALSO tutor/summer school in summer.. ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll be the voice of dissent here.
A boyfriend that I lived with for 2 years was a teacher.
He never ever brought work home unless he "goofed off" during a planning period, he had 2, in addition to lunch.
He did all his grading during those times, he said lunch hour was more for socializating and he wasn't interested.
It was his 5th year teaching the same grade, and he had perfected his curriculum the first couple years and continues to follow that with some tweaking.
He was home by 4 pm every day.
It was eye opening to say the least!

There's a big part of it right there.

The rest of it? Not the norm.

I'm concerned that your boyfriend believed that he had "perfected" his curriculum and didn't 'need to do more each year than tweak it. He doesn't sound like a very reflective and responsive practitioner of the craft.

I don't see an issue with this.

Exactly! You always have to tweak it because what worked for one class doesn't work for the next.

The point is he did, and was obviously successful because he was voted "teacher of the year" 2 years in a row.

Plus 1

[Anonymous]

Didn't read all the posts, but most teachers I know work from home doing grading, lesson plans, etc. It's not just the hours they are at school that goes into their jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a former elementary teacher - retired now.

While I absolutely LOVED teaching, it is not an occupation for everyone....

Most good teachers spend at least 5-6 hours a day on their feet.
They are lucky if they have a chance to use the bathroom - I suffered from numerous urinary tract infections when I first started teaching. My doctor called it “teacher’s bladder.”
On the rare occasion that I was sick, I still had to prepare substitute plans if I expected the students to learn anything in my absence and not just be kept “busy."
Teachers have to be mentally alert all day. No down time - even during recess.
While they do have some breaks during the day (specials) - they spend this time in meetings or planning or prepping.
There was work to do EVERY evening. If I left school early (4:30), it was a given that I would be working at home that night.
I spent at least 6 hours every Sunday prepping for the week. Then, during the week, I would spend another 1-2 hours revising based on student learning.
Most of the summer was not time off - there were workshops, planning meetings, and training - much of which was not compensated (monetarily).

I am not complaining - I did LOVE teaching. I knew what I was getting into when I decided to become a teacher - it is simply not something that just anyone can do.

I'm curious about this - at our school teachers are off at lunch and recess. Paraprofessionals supervise during that 50 minute block. Also, who is calling meetings while the kids are at specials? Aren't the other teachers in class during that time, since not all teachers have specials at the same time?

Team planning meetings
Grade level CAP meetings
Core CAP meetings
IEP meetings
Articulation meetings

[Anonymous]

Lawyers, doctors, consultants, retailers, etc....How hard do you work at your job...really? Why do teachers need to defend themselves?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Former Wall Street Attorney who switched careers and became an elementary school teacher. I had all of the same preconceived notions about teachers.... Easy job, short hours, lots of days off. I work 7:30 to 6 most days. I also bring work home and work at night and on weekends. Every year I put in more time as I continually triy to do a better job teaching my students. While my students are in class I can not just decide to go to the bathroom or make a phone call. I don't need the money from teaching but I truly believe that teachers are way underpaid and way under appreciated. Walk in a teacher's shoes before you criticize.

What a career switch, that's awesome!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lawyers, doctors, consultants, retailers, etc....How hard do you work at your job...really? Why do teachers need to defend themselves?!

I think the difference is that these folks don't have unions, and no one is telling us lawyers, consultants, folks are underpaid. If a profession has a union demanding more pay and more time off, then I think it's fair to ask what they are putting into it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lawyers, doctors, consultants, retailers, etc....How hard do you work at your job...really? Why do teachers need to defend themselves?!

I think the difference is that these folks don't have unions, and no one is telling us lawyers, consultants, folks are underpaid. If a profession has a union demanding more pay and more time off, then I think it's fair to ask what they are putting into it.

As an independent school teacher, I do NOT have a union....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lawyers, doctors, consultants, retailers, etc....How hard do you work at your job...really? Why do teachers need to defend themselves?!

I think the difference is that these folks don't have unions, and no one is telling us lawyers, consultants, folks are underpaid. If a profession has a union demanding more pay and more time off, then I think it's fair to ask what they are putting into it.

Some states, like VA, do not have unions. They have associations which are marginally effective at some changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll be the voice of dissent here.
A boyfriend that I lived with for 2 years was a teacher.
He never ever brought work home unless he "goofed off" during a planning period, he had 2, in addition to lunch.
He did all his grading during those times, he said lunch hour was more for socializating and he wasn't interested.
It was his 5th year teaching the same grade, and he had perfected his curriculum the first couple years and continues to follow that with some tweaking.
He was home by 4 pm every day.
It was eye opening to say the least!

There's a big part of it right there.

The rest of it? Not the norm.

I'm concerned that your boyfriend believed that he had "perfected" his curriculum and didn't 'need to do more each year than tweak it. He doesn't sound like a very reflective and responsive practitioner of the craft.

I don't see an issue with this.

Exactly! You always have to tweak it because what worked for one class doesn't work for the next.

The point is he did, and was obviously successful because he was voted "teacher of the year" 2 years in a row.

Plus 1

Hmmm, my school had a teacher of the year who the staff all knew was a grade inflater so that doesn't impress me much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll be the voice of dissent here.
A boyfriend that I lived with for 2 years was a teacher.
He never ever brought work home unless he "goofed off" during a planning period, he had 2, in addition to lunch.
He did all his grading during those times, he said lunch hour was more for socializating and he wasn't interested.
It was his 5th year teaching the same grade, and he had perfected his curriculum the first couple years and continues to follow that with some tweaking.
He was home by 4 pm every day.
It was eye opening to say the least!

There's a big part of it right there.

The rest of it? Not the norm.

I'm concerned that your boyfriend believed that he had "perfected" his curriculum and didn't 'need to do more each year than tweak it. He doesn't sound like a very reflective and responsive practitioner of the craft.

I don't see an issue with this.

Exactly! You always have to tweak it because what worked for one class doesn't work for the next.

I tweak from class period to class period. Just "tweaking" from year to year seems insufficient. Sounds like a teacher I replaced who had a file cabinet with the days labeled 1-180. For 10 years, he pulled out the folder for that day and taught whatever was in it. Didn't incorporate new approaches or info from action research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll be the voice of dissent here.
A boyfriend that I lived with for 2 years was a teacher.
He never ever brought work home unless he "goofed off" during a planning period, he had 2, in addition to lunch.
He did all his grading during those times, he said lunch hour was more for socializating and he wasn't interested.
It was his 5th year teaching the same grade, and he had perfected his curriculum the first couple years and continues to follow that with some tweaking.
He was home by 4 pm every day.
It was eye opening to say the least!

There's a big part of it right there.

The rest of it? Not the norm.

I'm concerned that your boyfriend believed that he had "perfected" his curriculum and didn't 'need to do more each year than tweak it. He doesn't sound like a very reflective and responsive practitioner of the craft.

I don't see an issue with this.

Exactly! You always have to tweak it because what worked for one class doesn't work for the next.

The point is he did, and was obviously successful because he was voted "teacher of the year" 2 years in a row.

Plus 1

Hmmm, my school had a teacher of the year who the staff all knew was a grade inflater so that doesn't impress me much.

Yep, I see a lot of teacher of the year type awards going to teachers who are charismatic, and generous with grades, but whose kids don't learn a whole lot. Teaching isn't a popularity context.