Quit complaining

[pumpkin escobar]

Is it just me or do most teachers complain wayyyyy too much? I have several friends that teach and all they ever do is complain about how much work they have, how stressful it is, how little they get paid, blah blah blah. Ok i understand looking after kids all day can get a bit annoying, but you work 180 days a year! You get every holiday off, pretty much every weekend (if you so choose), and you hours are maybe 7-4....SOOOOOooooo sorry that every now and then you have to sit on your couch after dinner and grade some papers or put together a lesson plan GASP....At least next week you get to take you brown bag lunch to the zoo before returning for some coed kickball.

Now don't get me wrong, teachers do have to put up with some crap, and the new policies are only making things worse. But overall I hear wayyyyy too much complaining for what the job really entails...And let's face it, the majority of teachers are people that went to college but couldn't figure out what they wanted to do in life (notice I did not say ALL)

/rant off

[RickRhetoric]

Yes, public school teachers do complain quite a bit -- but you really can't much blame them. In this state (a rather poor state) they get a reasonable salary. Most of them don't complain too much about their salaries -- they complain about the enormous state and restrictive education bureaucracy they must struggle and contend with on an hourly basis.

Public school teachers are on the front lines -- serving in the trenches in a perpetual struggle to pacify and ward off hordes of little savages and underachievers who disrupt their classes, taunt and threaten to attack them all day long.

They have to be alert at all times to avoid anything that might suggest political incorrectness which could lead to an unfounded or frivolous complaint from a student or its mama. Although the teachers are union members, the union itself is a stickler on political correctness and will not back up a teacher on that issue.

Also, teachers are being laid off by the thousands while an army of administrators, counselors, assistant counselors, deputy assistants to the assistant-assistant second deputy assistants and administrators and superintendents and assistant to the assistant deputy assistant superintendents (Dr. This and Dr. That) are keeping their jobs with bloated and obscene salaries.

rant off/

[Wake-Up]

I have 6 teachers in my immediate family between my side and my wife's and I agree. As a group, at least those in my family do nothing but complain and moan. I could understand it at family functions since they all share that same profession but they complain non-stop even when we see them apart from the other teachers in the family. Even though they all teach in different school districts they also, to a person, believe their supervisors are total idiots and not as smart as they are.

I dont personally know any school administrators but find it hard to believe all 6 family members have 6 different incompetent administrators. Maybe they do and thats one of the problems with our educational system but it just seems odd.

I remind them that they each elected to be teachers for whatever reason they had (2 admits they wanted every summer off as their only motivation for the profession) and if they are that miserable they should find other professions. That of course does not go over well.

Do they work hard and have tough challenges? Certainly. Responding to the OP though, I would agree 100%.

[Apatriot]

Is it just me or do most teachers complain wayyyyy too much? I have several friends that teach and all they ever do is complain about how much work they have, how stressful it is, how little they get paid, blah blah blah. Ok i understand looking after kids all day can get a bit annoying, but you work 180 days a year!

Most teachers work a 190 day year.


You get every holiday off, pretty much every weekend (if you so choose), and you hours are maybe 7-4....SOOOOOooooo sorry that every now and then you have to sit on your couch after dinner and grade some papers or put together a lesson plan GASP....

As a former teacher's husband and a former teacher myself, you've obviously never had to ruin a beautiful weekend grading papers.

At least next week you get to take you brown bag lunch to the zoo before returning for some coed kickball.
Field trips are not fun. They are among the most stressful days a teacher has.


Now don't get me wrong, teachers do have to put up with some crap, and the new policies are only making things worse. But overall I hear wayyyyy too much complaining for what the job really entails...And let's face it, the majority of teachers are people that went to college but couldn't figure out what they wanted to do in life (notice I did not say ALL)

/rant off

That said, while teachers have reason to complain (as does anybody else working at times), I agree that they complain too much as a group. However, dismissing their complaints is not the tack to take to stop them from complaining. All that will do is make them argue.

(also, teachers get paid at about the rate of 5/6 of the average of college educated people's salaries. IMHO, this is ok, but only because they work 5/6 of the time of average of college educated people. However, the other side is that it's hard for them to get work for that other 1/6 of a year, and it does make for a poorer lifestyle than many other college educated people have).

Most elementary school teachers I know, though, are born teachers. My wife is an example (although she's in administration now). They have, for the most part, known that they wanted to be teachers since childhood. Secondary school teachers do resemble your remark. Most are people who love an academic discipline, but don't know another way to work in it. I'm an example of that. I love science, and taught science because of that.

[Apatriot]

Yes, public school teachers do complain quite a bit -- but you really can't much blame them. In this state (a rather poor state) they get a reasonable salary. Most of them don't complain too much about their salaries -- they complain about the enormous state and restrictive education bureaucracy they must struggle and contend with on an hourly basis.

Public school teachers are on the front lines -- serving in the trenches in a perpetual struggle to pacify and ward off hordes of little savages and underachievers who disrupt their classes, taunt and threaten to attack them all day long.

They have to be alert at all times to avoid anything that might suggest political incorrectness which could lead to an unfounded or frivolous complaint from a student or its mama. Although the teachers are union members, the union itself is a stickler on political correctness and will not back up a teacher on that issue.

Also, teachers are being laid off by the thousands while an army of administrators, counselors, assistant counselors, deputy assistants to the assistant-assistant second deputy assistants and administrators and superintendents and assistant to the assistant deputy assistant superintendents (Dr. This and Dr. That) are keeping their jobs with bloated and obscene salaries.

rant off/
Around here, all of them are getting laid off, besides the tenured teachers.

[Apatriot]

I have 6 teachers in my immediate family between my side and my wife's and I agree. As a group, at least those in my family do nothing but complain and moan. I could understand it at family functions since they all share that same profession but they complain non-stop even when we see them apart from the other teachers in the family. Even though they all teach in different school districts they also, to a person, believe their supervisors are total idiots and not as smart as they are.

I dont personally know any school administrators but find it hard to believe all 6 family members have 6 different incompetent administrators. Maybe they do and thats one of the problems with our educational system but it just seems odd.

Most don't know what the administrators really do. Also, I bet most of it has to do with student discipline. My wife is a new (2nd yr) administrator. Her job involves everything from wrangling with the HVAC guys to fix the air conditioning, to calming down angry parents (or making them angrier sometimes), to student scheduling, to making sure that the school has enough books, to calling the exterminator to kill mice.

Also, I bet when your relatives get a new principal, that old principal usually looks pretty good.

I remind them that they each elected to be teachers for whatever reason they had (2 admits they wanted every summer off as their only motivation for the profession) and if they are that miserable they should find other professions. That of course does not go over well.

Do they work hard and have tough challenges? Certainly. Responding to the OP though, I would agree 100%.

I agree that they shouldn't whine so much for a variety of reasons, if nothing but PR.

[pubschteacher]

Is it just me or do most teachers complain wayyyyy too much? I have several friends that teach and all they ever do is complain about how much work they have, how stressful it is, how little they get paid, blah blah blah. Ok i understand looking after kids all day can get a bit annoying, but you work 180 days a year! You get every holiday off, pretty much every weekend (if you so choose), and you hours are maybe 7-4....SOOOOOooooo sorry that every now and then you have to sit on your couch after dinner and grade some papers or put together a lesson plan GASP....At least next week you get to take you brown bag lunch to the zoo before returning for some coed kickball.

Wow, several friends? Now, if we count the 6 from the other poster, we are up to 10, 11? 3.5 million of us. Maybe you just associate with whiners. I will tell you what, when you can document that say 10 percent of us are whiners and complainers than I will concede the point. :-) By my count, you have 399,988 to go. Good luck.

Now don't get me wrong, teachers do have to put up with some crap, and the new policies are only making things worse. But overall I hear wayyyyy too much complaining for what the job really entails...And let's face it, the majority of teachers are people that went to college but couldn't figure out what they wanted to do in life (notice I did not say ALL)

Nope, you didn't say ALL, you said the majority. Would you care to cite real evidence?

/rant off[/QUOTE]

[RWReaganfan]

By my count, you have 349,988 to go.

That would be 3,499,988!

I'm sorry, but what do you expect for a math teacher!

[pubschteacher]

That would be 3,499,988!

I'm sorry, but what do you expect for a math teacher!

Fixed, thanks, history major...nuff said :-)

[angelicmadrigal]

Is it just me or do most teachers complain wayyyyy too much? I have several friends that teach and all they ever do is complain about how much work they have, how stressful it is, how little they get paid, blah blah blah. Ok i understand looking after kids all day can get a bit annoying, but you work 180 days a year! You get every holiday off, pretty much every weekend (if you so choose), and you hours are maybe 7-4....SOOOOOooooo sorry that every now and then you have to sit on your couch after dinner and grade some papers or put together a lesson plan GASP....At least next week you get to take you brown bag lunch to the zoo before returning for some coed kickball.

Now don't get me wrong, teachers do have to put up with some crap, and the new policies are only making things worse. But overall I hear wayyyyy too much complaining for what the job really entails...And let's face it, the majority of teachers are people that went to college but couldn't figure out what they wanted to do in life (notice I did not say ALL)

/rant off





I'm a teacher. I generally work 10 hour days because I am SCHEDUALED them. The only Holidays I get off are: Chistmas ( I didn't even get Christmas Eve off last year), New Years Day, Easter, 4th of July, Labor Day, Memorial Day, and Thanksgiving. Over the school year I work 4-5 days a week, and over the summer I work 3. Our school goes year round. So yeah I get in WAY more than 180 days.

I am also hourly ($8.00/hr) NOT salary. So no school, I don't get paid. I don't get union representation or most of the other benefits of being a teacher.

I also have plenty to complain about, like parents that don't pick up thier kids until 6 when they KNOW we close at 5:30, or parents that are indiginant when I arrive at 6:30 (when we officially open) and they've been waiting there 10 minutes (just a note if I go in earlier I do NOT get paid for it).


A note about field trips: if you think they are all fun and games you are NUTS. They are often more stress then they are worth.

[EnchantedFrog]

I'm a teacher. I generally work 10 hour days because I am SCHEDUALED them. The only Holidays I get off are: Chistmas ( I didn't even get Christmas Eve off last year), New Years Day, Easter, 4th of July, Labor Day, Memorial Day, and Thanksgiving. Over the school year I work 4-5 days a week, and over the summer I work 3. Our school goes year round. So yeah I get in WAY more than 180 days.

I am also hourly ($8.00/hr) NOT salary. So no school, I don't get paid. I don't get union representation or most of the other benefits of being a teacher.

I also have plenty to complain about, like parents that don't pick up thier kids until 6 when they KNOW we close at 5:30, or parents that are indiginant when I arrive at 6:30 (when we officially open) and they've been waiting there 10 minutes (just a note if I go in earlier I do NOT get paid for it).


A note about field trips: if you think they are all fun and games you are NUTS. They are often more stress then they are worth.
Sounds like you work at a day care center, not a conventional school.

[page017]

Interesting topic, it really is. I am a teacher myself, my wife is an administrator, who handles a lot of pr issues for her district. Teachers complaining is a pretty big pr issue. The problem is, no one wants to hear it. Teachers are expected to do their job, do it well, and do it with a smile on their face. It is accepted for the public and parents to complain about schools and teachers and administrators, but teachers really aren't expected to defend themselves, or make complaints of their own. But teachers are in a unique position within the system, they can see how all the policies effect life in the classroom, but they don't really have the power to improve it, or even control it. The limitations of what you can and cannot do are pretty strict. That can certainly lead to frsutration.

As to the people who are saying, every teacher they know is a whiner, why do you suppose that is? Were they whiners before they were teachers? Is there something in the genetic code that causes whiny people to become teachers? Who is helping them with the concerns they have? What would happen if every complaining teacher quit on the same day? Or not even that, lets say they all announced they would quit 5 years from now. Do you think you would be able to replace them with better or worse teachers, at the same price?

Most teachers I know don't complain in the classroom, they handle their job professionally. However, once we get to the teachers lounge for lunch, theres a lot of "can you believe billy did this?" "What is the principal thinking?" and it does blow of some steam, because like as you said, no non teacher wants to hear any of it.

I had a former student who was thinking about becoming a teacher herself. She came in for a day to shadow me and see if HS was what she remembered. She had mentioned her friends treating her differently when she said she might want to go into teaching. I recommended to her that she visits some websites, even this one. To see what the publics general perception of teachers is. I remember for me what it was like at social functions before and after I became a teacher. When you get introduced to someone as a teacher, they often treat you differently. It's like I used to be a good guy, people liked me, I was easy to get along with, but I became a villian overnight by setting foot in a classroom. The general perception of teachers in this country is extremly negative.

Here's a fun activity though, go through the last few pages of threads. How many are started by teachers, complaining about something, and how many are started by non teachers, complaining about teachers? I do the same thing with my local newspaper, they allow online commenting for stories. Usually either the article itself, or some of the commenters come out with anti-teacher comments before any teacher either tries to defend themselves, or make any sort of counter accusations, but as soon as they do, they are labled whiners. It really is an interesting dynamic.

[bitterclinger84]

Is it just me or do most teachers complain wayyyyy too much? I have several friends that teach and all they ever do is complain about how much work they have, how stressful it is, how little they get paid, blah blah blah. Ok i understand looking after kids all day can get a bit annoying, but you work 180 days a year! You get every holiday off, pretty much every weekend (if you so choose), and you hours are maybe 7-4....SOOOOOooooo sorry that every now and then you have to sit on your couch after dinner and grade some papers or put together a lesson plan GASP....At least next week you get to take you brown bag lunch to the zoo before returning for some coed kickball.

Now don't get me wrong, teachers do have to put up with some crap, and the new policies are only making things worse. But overall I hear wayyyyy too much complaining for what the job really entails...And let's face it, the majority of teachers are people that went to college but couldn't figure out what they wanted to do in life (notice I did not say ALL)

/rant off

My best friend teaches chemistry at the high school level. Needless to say, she doesn't get a whole lot of those "brown bag to the zoo" type days. I've known her to stay until 3 **AM** working on lesson plans because she can't do enough with what little resources she has. Her main complaint has always been that the school can't afford the things that she needs to do a decent job. Every now and againt she complains about the kids or her salary, but they always seem like legit complaints when she does.

[bitterclinger84]

A note about field trips: if you think they are all fun and games you are NUTS. They are often more stress then they are worth.

I used to work for a summer camp and I hated field trip days. At least when you're at the school/camp you pretty much know where everyone is! Does anyone realize how easy it is to lose a kid at the zoo? And this kid wants to see the monkey, but this kid wants to see the snakes, but this little girl is afraid of snakes and wants to see the giraffes....

[EnchantedFrog]

My sister became a schoolteacher immediately after college.

She is one of the most elitist snobs I have ever encountered, looking down on all who are below her. She still complains about the system even though she retired at age 52 with a nice pension and healthcare benefits. Hell, she's still complaining after taking up a job as librarian in a public library with even more government-provided benefits. She has lived off the government teat for over 40 years, yet she still gripes and complains that we taxpayers don't give her enough.

[RogerDodger]

I very strongly doubt that the OP would last a full day leading a classroom.

[angelicmadrigal]

Sounds like you work at a day care center, not a conventional school.

Nope, I teach at a Montessori school. Pre-k and Kindergarten

[brandottie01@hotmail.com]

To point out we may be scheduled for 180 days but when you add in evening events, extracurriculars (required that we sponsor at least one), training events, etc we work a considerable amount more than 180 days. I have my PhD in mathematics education and a master's degree in math. Yet I am paid a fraction of what I would make and not respected for what I do by the general public. I work 30 hours over the summer of UNPAID time coaching my math team that competes at local and national competitions. I attend two weeks of unpaid training each year. I work saturdays going to math competitions, required sporting events, open houses, lesson planning for the five subjects I teach or grading. I teach because I choose to and while I do not often vocally complain, I feel that many of us have the right to complain since no one is really an activist for teachers. The government demands better quality education but doesn't want to pay the money or give the respect that it will take to recruit quality people with experience in other fields. There is a huge shortage in the math and science fields because of the lack of pay and lack of resources in the classroom. Spend a year in a teacher's shoes. I am grading or planning EVERY night and I don't go on field trips.

[MrShotShot]

Granted teaching is a good deal more difficult than what most people think - kind of like when Alec Baldwin thought hosting a radio show was easy.

But I do find it laughable every May to hear all of my teacher friends talking about how hard they worked this year and how they really need those upcoming 3 months off.

Most of us work equally hard if not harder and have to do it 12 months a year. We don't get summer vaca.

[pubschteacher]

Granted teaching is a good deal more difficult than what most people think - kind of like when Alec Baldwin thought hosting a radio show was easy.

But I do find it laughable every May to hear all of my teacher friends talking about how hard they worked this year and how they really need those upcoming 3 months off.

Most of us work equally hard if not harder and have to do it 12 months a year. We don't get summer vaca.

Perhaps you should quit your current job and take up teaching. In Colorado, we have a streamlined program designed to help people in other careers become teachers. Lawyers, engineers, store managers, etc. all quit what they are doing and become teachers. Unfortunately, the program has a very high attrition rate once those individuals become teachers. The main reason they quit and go back to their previous line of work? According to the followup research it was the demands of the job. Most simply did not have a clue how demanding those 180 days are. The rate of teachers quitting among these individuals is twice what it is for those in the traditional teaching program. You may believe that you work just as hard or harder, how about giving it a try for a year and finding out if your hypothesis is true. I can give you the information you need, if you started this fall, you could be in a classroom next year.

[Apatriot]

Granted teaching is a good deal more difficult than what most people think - kind of like when Alec Baldwin thought hosting a radio show was easy.

But I do find it laughable every May to hear all of my teacher friends talking about how hard they worked this year and how they really need those upcoming 3 months off.

Most of us work equally hard if not harder and have to do it 12 months a year. We don't get summer vaca.


No office job is as hard as teaching. Why? Well, teachers are actively working for most of their day. They don't have time for coffee breaks, smoking breaks, b.s.ing around the water cooler, and often barely have time for going to the bathroom/eating lunch. I taught for 8 yrs, and my current job pays about twice as much as a teacher salary, and the work itself is much easier. I'm not nearly as exhausted after a day of office work than I was at the end of a day of teaching.

[MrShotShot]

Perhaps you should quit your current job and take up teaching. In Colorado, we have a streamlined program designed to help people in other careers become teachers. Lawyers, engineers, store managers, etc. all quit what they are doing and become teachers. Unfortunately, the program has a very high attrition rate once those individuals become teachers. The main reason they quit and go back to their previous line of work? According to the followup research it was the demands of the job. Most simply did not have a clue how demanding those 180 days are. The rate of teachers quitting among these individuals is twice what it is for those in the traditional teaching program. You may believe that you work just as hard or harder, how about giving it a try for a year and finding out if your hypothesis is true. I can give you the information you need, if you started this fall, you could be in a classroom next year.

Actually, I have taught in the past and my wife is a teacher as well.

Man, you guys really must have a chip on your shoulders if you feel you have to attack people who agree with your position while raising the simple point that being a school teacher MAY NOT EXACTLY be the hardest job in the world.

As far as my job now, I'm responsible for a multi-million dollar budget and the livelihood of close to 250 people. I don't "hang out at the water cooler" all day and generally put in a 60+ hour week. I have so much unused vacation that I lose a chunk of it every year. I also spend roughly 2 weeks a month on the road away from my family.

But hey, I understand that my wife's sister who teaches art to middle schoolers has it rough too.

[RWReaganfan]

Granted teaching is a good deal more difficult than what most people think - kind of like when Alec Baldwin thought hosting a radio show was easy.

But I do find it laughable every May to hear all of my teacher friends talking about how hard they worked this year and how they really need those upcoming 3 months off.

Most of us work equally hard if not harder and have to do it 12 months a year. We don't get summer vaca.

First, if you get out on June 5th and go back in August 11th, how do you get "3 months" off? Did someone change the calendar?

Second, actually I don't doubt that you work as hard as I do . It's the others out there who do not.

[egs21]

Actually, I have taught in the past and my wife is a teacher as well.

Man, you guys really must have a chip on your shoulders if you feel you have to attack people who agree with your position while raising the simple point that being a school teacher MAY NOT EXACTLY be the hardest job in the world.

As far as my job now, I'm responsible for a multi-million dollar budget and the livelihood of close to 250 people. I don't "hang out at the water cooler" all day and generally put in a 60+ hour week. I have so much unused vacation that I lose a chunk of it every year. I also spend roughly 2 weeks a month on the road away from my family.

But hey, I understand that my wife's sister who teaches art to middle schoolers has it rough too.

Wow, so its teacher bashing time? I would argue that while you may have more responsibility on paper with your current job, a teacher's job is much more valuable to society as a whole because they are responsible for nuturing young people to be productive and well educated citizens.

I am sure you are compensated more for your job and the fact that you work 12 months per year.

[pubschteacher]

Actually, I have taught in the past and my wife is a teacher as well.

Man, you guys really must have a chip on your shoulders if you feel you have to attack people who agree with your position while raising the simple point that being a school teacher MAY NOT EXACTLY be the hardest job in the world.

As far as my job now, I'm responsible for a multi-million dollar budget and the livelihood of close to 250 people. I don't "hang out at the water cooler" all day and generally put in a 60+ hour week. I have so much unused vacation that I lose a chunk of it every year. I also spend roughly 2 weeks a month on the road away from my family.

But hey, I understand that my wife's sister who teaches art to middle schoolers has it rough too.

Well, I merely pointed out that in at least one program where people come into teaching from the private sector, they quit at a much higher rate and their primary reason is that the job was just too much. As a side note, most went back to much higher paying jobs where they didn't feel the daily stress that teaching put on them.
The reason that teachers responded was your assertion that

"Most of us work equally hard if not harder and have to do it 12 months a year. We don't get summer vaca."

When you were a teacher, were you any good at it? Did you spend hours outside of school developing rigorous and relevant lesson plans? How about during the summer? Did you go watch your students play sports or go to concerts? How about sponsoring a school club or doing outside of school time tutoring?
Why did you stop? I mean, according to you it's a tough job, but you get three months off, why give that up. Be honest. :-)

[MrShotShot]

First, if you get out on June 5th and go back in August 11th, how do you get "3 months" off? Did someone change the calendar?



Perhaps you didn't realize that the length of the school year varies greatly in the US. There are many states where schools get out for the summer in mid-May and go back in late-August.

[MrShotShot]

Wow, so its teacher bashing time? I would argue that while you may have more responsibility on paper with your current job, a teacher's job is much more valuable to society as a whole because they are responsible for nuturing young people to be productive and well educated citizens.

I am sure you are compensated more for your job and the fact that you work 12 months per year.

Please show me where I "bashed" any teacher. Also show me where I attempted to devalue the role of the teacher in our society.

Thank you.

[MrShotShot]

Well, I merely pointed out that in at least one program where people come into teaching from the private sector, they quit at a much higher rate and their primary reason is that the job was just too much. As a side note, most went back to much higher paying jobs where they didn't feel the daily stress that teaching put on them.
The reason that teachers responded was your assertion that

"Most of us work equally hard if not harder and have to do it 12 months a year. We don't get summer vaca."

When you were a teacher, were you any good at it? Did you spend hours outside of school developing rigorous and relevant lesson plans? How about during the summer? Did you go watch your students play sports or go to concerts? How about sponsoring a school club or doing outside of school time tutoring?
Why did you stop? I mean, according to you it's a tough job, but you get three months off, why give that up. Be honest. :-)

Actually I taught year-round at both the community college and 4-year college level. And yes, according to my student evaluations, I was quite good at it.

The reason I stopped was that I decided to pursue other opportunities in the private sector.

If you guys are being honest and actually do all of the things you say you do, that's fantastic - congratulations. In my experience, however, you are the exception and not the norm.

[egs21]

Please show me where I "bashed" any teacher. Also show me where I attempted to devalue the role of the teacher in our society.

Thank you.

Read your own post. You clearly downgrade a teacher's job by comparing to your own position by ranting how important your job is and how you manage so many people and so much money, and so forth. Its pretty obvious you think what you do is so much more important.

The last sentence about your wife's sister teaching middle school seemed very sarcastic to me...but I don't imagine you would admit that even it were true.

Thank you.

[chemguy]

I started reading an interesting book by Sheila Tobias,"Science Teaching as a Profession: Why It Isn't How It Could Be" [Tobias & Baffert (2009)].
It's available free online and might provide some interesting insight related to the topic being discussed.

Download it at http://www.rescorp.org (halfway down the webpage).

[ChaosControl]

This is not a very encouraging thread for someone who is considering Elementary School teaching...

[RWReaganfan]

This is not a very encouraging thread for someone who is considering Elementary School teaching...

How long can you hold it before you have to go to the bathroom? If you cannot go at least 8 hours, don't even consider teaching!

[page017]

This is not a very encouraging thread for someone who is considering Elementary School teaching...


Thats the tough thing sometimes, people don't want to go into teaching to be the bad guy, they usually see themselves as being the good guy. To many people, you will become the enemy as soon as you walk through the door of the classroom. Some people will tell you to get a thicker skin, and not take things so personally. But honestly, just about every bad teacher I've known were the ones who didn't take their job personally. I can't work that way, it's not just a job to me, and it's not just a job to most of the teachers I know. I'm not sure what the solution is. I'd like to think that the people who don't appreciate teachers is just a vocal minority. Also keep in mind that most people who come to an educational message board must have a pretty strong feeling about something, and people are way more likely to have a strong feeling about something negative than positive, and that goes for just about everything. I do encourage people who are thinking about going into teaching to check out message boards though. I think college professors sends students out into the profession very naive.

[pubschteacher]

Actually I taught year-round at both the community college and 4-year college level. And yes, according to my student evaluations, I was quite good at it.

How about public K-12? Now, I would agree that being a college teacher is not without its challenges, but they are considerably different than the challenges faced by K-12 teachers in public schools. Apples and oranges in my opinion.

The reason I stopped was that I decided to pursue other opportunities in the private sector.

Financial opportunities? :-)

If you guys are being honest and actually do all of the things you say you do, that's fantastic - congratulations. In my experience, however, you are the exception and not the norm.

And in my experience, it is just the opposite. If you want to compare anecdotal evidence, we can, but I don't see it changing anything. This is my original point. The OP uses a very limited sample to paint all or most teachers as whiners, a few others jump in with their anecdotal evidence and they all think "it must be true".
Balderdash.

[page017]

How about public K-12? Now, I would agree that being a college teacher is not without its challenges, but they are considerably different than the challenges faced by K-12 teachers in public schools. Apples and oranges in my opinion.



Financial opportunities? :-)



And in my experience, it is just the opposite. If you want to compare anecdotal evidence, we can, but I don't see it changing anything. This is my original point. The OP uses a very limited sample to paint all or most teachers as whiners, a few others jump in with their anecdotal evidence and they all think "it must be true".
Balderdash.

This is silly, there can be people who are good at other jobs, and have been a good teacher. And there are certainly other jobs that are just as hard, if not harder than teaching, and maybe even more important. But what that doesn't mean, is that teaching is not a challenging career, and not important. Just because most non teachers would have difficulty in the classroom, doesn't mean everyone would.

[ChaosControl]

How long can you hold it before you have to go to the bathroom? If you cannot go at least 8 hours, don't even consider teaching!

If I don't take my water bottle to work, probably all day really. :lol:

If I take my water bottle, then like 30mins-1hr :P

[ChaosControl]

Just seems more negativity towards them than I thought.

Doesn't really matter, I made up my mind that it is what I want to do and so it will be what I do.

[Greyclouds]

Actually I taught year-round at both the community college and 4-year college level. And yes, according to my student evaluations, I was quite good at it.

The reason I stopped was that I decided to pursue other opportunities in the private sector.

If you guys are being honest and actually do all of the things you say you do, that's fantastic - congratulations. In my experience, however, you are the exception and not the norm.

Wait... what??

You have a PhD or MS? What is your specialty, if you don't mind me asking :)

[LJB1031]

Most teachers work a 190 day year.

And I work about 250 days a year.


As a former teacher's husband and a former teacher myself, you've obviously never had to ruin a beautiful weekend grading papers.

No, but I have to ruin at least every 4th weekend working plus some holidays and all summer.


Field trips are not fun. They are among the most stressful days a teacher has.

No comment. I have nothing to compare it to.


Don't tell me if I think it's so great, I should become a teacher. At this point in my life that would not be economically possible. I would take a huge cut in pay as a new teacher. I also do love what I chose to do although I don't have the perks that teachers have.

[Apatriot]

Perhaps you didn't realize that the length of the school year varies greatly in the US. There are many states where schools get out for the summer in mid-May and go back in late-August.

Prove it. Just show one state that does that.

[Apatriot]

Actually I taught year-round at both the community college and 4-year college level. And yes, according to my student evaluations, I was quite good at it.

Teaching at college level isn't nearly as stressful as teaching at the high/middle school level. The two are so incomparable as to almost be different jobs. (and, I have taught a semester at college level. It was much easier than teaching high school). The time per week spent in front of students is much lower at the college level.

[angelicmadrigal]

Teaching at college level isn't nearly as stressful as teaching at the high/middle school level. The two are so incomparable as to almost be different jobs. (and, I have taught a semester at college level. It was much easier than teaching high school). The time per week spent in front of students is much lower at the college level.

Not to mention I'd imagine you don't have to deal with parents as often at the college level.

[rich7837]

I taught third grade to 6th grade. I'm a male and really enjoyed the kids. The reason I left teaching was because the politicians told us what to teach with which political slant. Also, even in the 70's the parents were so apathetic in the three schools I taught in.

My experience instructing teacher's how to teach science and math was a truly enjoyable time. Imagine a classroom full of excited students, learning because they want to, and paying for the privilege. It was the best job I ever had.

[CexEdgeld]

I understand that ****es you off, but thats not really a reason to quit.
I mostly play with friends FMT so I dont have this problem. Maybe you should starting playing FMT aswell?

[barik]

Teaching at college level isn't nearly as stressful as teaching at the high/middle school level. The two are so incomparable as to almost be different jobs. (and, I have taught a semester at college level. It was much easier than teaching high school). The time per week spent in front of students is much lower at the college level.

I would definitely agree with this. Students in college are there by choice. They are welcome to leave or drop out anytime they want. With middle school and high school, the students are stuck there whether they want to be there or not. Entirely different atmosphere with respect to stress and learning environment, especially in public schools.