Day to day supply cover in schools.

[Andy1976 10]

I'm sure having a third of the year off work helps soften the blow of working 12 hour days, which most of us do without all that time off.

 

I get so sick of hearing teachers moan about pay, hours worked, having to put up with kids....well don't be a teacher then, what exactly did you think your job entailed when you decided to do it?!?!

 

Spend a day in the life of a firefighter cutting dead or badly burned people out of high speed car crashes, running into buildings that no one else dare go near for fearing for their lives. Try working as a paediatric surgeon who has to perform a life saving operation on an infant who's existence is in your hands, or many other professions that have it far worse and more stressful and demanding and who don't strike at any and every given opportunity!!

 

If you don't like being a teacher then don't do it!!!

 

Whilst I fully agree with you, the argument is the same for all those professions. You don't like cutting dead or badly burned people out of car crashes, don't be a fire fighter. There's few jobs where the role is a shock really.

 

I know what you're getting at though, and I agree with you.

[JFKvsNixon 11]

Of the teachers that I know, one of the things that annoy them is that very often their job forces them to have to make big sacrifices with their own children, when some of the parents of the children that they are teaching are not willing to make any sacrifices towards their child's' education.

Edited October 11, 2015 by JFKvsNixon

[blondebint 10]

A teacher here giving my side. Yes I do feel extremely lucky to have my job. Having worked full time in retail previously I realise what perks we have. Yes I do work 12 hour days, but I have lovely holidays to make up for it. I have about ten mins break at lunch as I'm too busy for anything else, but yes I always have time for the toilet, I've timed it to perfection. Our school hasn't had one teacher off this year so no need for any supply cover. The children have had a nice settled start to the year. Yes the job is extremely stressful but as others say, if we don't like it, we know what we can do. There are plenty of other jobs that are just as stressful. So I'm not one of these 'poor me' teachers, I love my job and feel honoured to have it.

[GLASGOWOODS 10]

A teacher here giving my side. Yes I do feel extremely lucky to have my job. Having worked full time in retail previously I realise what perks we have. Yes I do work 12 hour days, but I have lovely holidays to make up for it. I have about ten mins break at lunch as I'm too busy for anything else, but yes I always have time for the toilet, I've timed it to perfection. Our school hasn't had one teacher off this year so no need for any supply cover. The children have had a nice settled start to the year. Yes the job is extremely stressful but as others say, if we don't like it, we know what we can do. There are plenty of other jobs that are just as stressful. So I'm not one of these 'poor me' teachers, I love my job and feel honoured to have it.

 

Honesty in motion...Good on ya blondebint.

[Joe-b-1 10]

I'm sure having a third of the year off work helps soften the blow of working 12 hour days, which most of us do without all that time off.

 

I get so sick of hearing teachers moan about pay, hours worked, having to put up with kids....well don't be a teacher then, what exactly did you think your job entailed when you decided to do it?!?!

 

Spend a day in the life of a firefighter cutting dead or badly burned people out of high speed car crashes, running into buildings that no one else dare go near for fearing for their lives. Try working as a paediatric surgeon who has to perform a life saving operation on an infant who's existence is in your hands, or many other professions that have it far worse and more stressful and demanding and who don't strike at any and every given opportunity!!

 

If you don't like being a teacher then don't do it!!!

 

I always thought that 13 weeks off out of 52 (yes I have counted training days) was a quarter.

Anyway not the real point.

Depending on when teachers entered the profession the job could have changed so much that it isn't anything like what it entailed when they began. When I began teaching it was altogether different to what it is now. Firstly pupils behaviour was generally better and teachers were backed up more by parents. If a teacher gave a pupil a detention then there would more than likely be further punishment at home if the parents found out. Lesson preparation was minimal and evidence required of it was nil. By the time I packed up 2 years ago it was taking up to 15 hours a week. Marking consisted of ticking and crossing with the occasional good or sometimes derogatory comment. Now a short story has to be written every time books are marked. We used to mark in red but had to change to green (no extra work) because red was deemed too aggressive and green is neutral. lesson inspections only existed when you were training and ofsted didn't exist. We actually used to be able to call 2 breaks a day and dinner time our own then. Pupil reports could be written in a short concise sentence whereas now teachers have to write so much that parents are probably bored by the time they have read the whole document. That isn't the half of it but I am going to stop now because if I finish you too would be bored if you aren't already.

 

 

Despite the fact that I actually enjoyed teaching, got on with the kids, got good results and according to observations and other teachers was an outstanding teacher I still left the profession 2 years ago, 9 years before my retirement age because it is no longer what it entailed when I began.

 

---------- Post added 11-10-2015 at 19:14 ----------

 

I'm sure having a third of the year off work helps soften the blow of working 12 hour days, which most of us do without all that time off.

 

I get so sick of hearing teachers moan about pay, hours worked, having to put up with kids....well don't be a teacher then, what exactly did you think your job entailed when you decided to do it?!?!

 

Spend a day in the life of a firefighter cutting dead or badly burned people out of high speed car crashes, running into buildings that no one else dare go near for fearing for their lives. Try working as a paediatric surgeon who has to perform a life saving operation on an infant who's existence is in your hands, or many other professions that have it far worse and more stressful and demanding and who don't strike at any and every given opportunity!!

 

If you don't like being a teacher then don't do it!!!

 

I always thought that 13 weeks off out of 52 (yes I have counted training days) was a quarter.

Anyway not the real point.

Depending on when teachers entered the profession the job could have changed so much that it isn't anything like what it entailed when they began. When I began teaching it was altogether different to what it is now. Firstly pupils behaviour was generally better and teachers were backed up more by parents. If a teacher gave a pupil a detention then there would more than likely be further punishment at home if the parents found out. Lesson preparation was minimal and evidence required of it was nil. By the time I packed up 2 years ago it was taking up to 15 hours a week. Marking consisted of ticking and crossing with the occasional good or sometimes derogatory comment. Now a short story has to be written every time books are marked. We used to mark in red but had to change to green (no extra work) because red was deemed too aggressive and green is neutral. lesson inspections only existed when you were training and ofsted didn't exist. We actually used to be able to call 2 breaks a day and dinner time our own then. Pupil reports could be written in a short concise sentence whereas now teachers have to write so much that parents are probably bored by the time they have read the whole document. That isn't the half of it but I am going to stop now because if I finish you too would be bored if you aren't already.

 

 

Despite the fact that I actually enjoyed teaching, got on with the kids, got good results and according to observations and other teachers was an outstanding teacher I still left the profession 2 years ago, 9 years before my retirement age because it is no longer what it entailed when I began.

[Binster 10]

Given that 42% of newly qualified teachers are leaving the profession in the first year and over half of experienced teachers are planning to leave I have to conclude that Teaching is no longer a profession that people want to do.

 

If you do the maths, if a teacher does 48.5 hours a week then this effectively wipes out the time benefit of the additional 7 weeks holiday they receive over a typical job. Most teachers, including myself, usually do 50 to 60 hours a week which has the knock-on effect of when you do get a holiday you are too knackered or screwed up to enjoy it.

 

As for the cover, school budgets are now so tight, that many Academies are finding alternatives to expensive supply agency cover - i.e. the 'rarely cover' rule for teacher contracts brought in by Labour is now effectively defunct. Academy heads (bless their £100k+ salaries) pretty much say, do cover or do the dole.

[Resident 1,190]

Teachers don't take "time off" during term time They will have to attend courses related to their work to ensure their professional development You wouldn't expect any other "professional" profession not to attend meetings or courses related to their work Most teachers I know arrive at school at around 7.45, don't have any kind of break in the day AT ALL, including toilet breaks because of the nature of the job, attempt to ensure the academic progress of 30 children (of which on average 6 or 7 in each class are nightmare children - one of which any normal person couldn't even control for any length of time - let alone 30), take large amounts of work home with them which they complete up to around 7 or 8 pm, get vilified in the press and earn a relative pittance of the privelege. :DChunter away, you ignorant <REMOVED>. I bet you have spawned one of the nightmare children I referred to.

 

Plenty of time during the school holidays for those courses though

[ll49 10]

Plenty of time during the school holidays for those courses though

 

Exactly!!!

[andyofborg 11]

Plenty of time during the school holidays for those courses though

 

would you give up your holidays to go on courses?

[GLASGOWOODS 10]

Given that 42% of newly qualified teachers are leaving the profession in the first year and over half of experienced teachers are planning to leave I have to conclude that Teaching is no longer a profession that people want to do

.

 

Similar situation in Social services.

 

If you do the maths, if a teacher does 48.5 hours a week then this effectively wipes out the time benefit of the additional 7 weeks holiday they receive over a typical job

.

 

I work well over 48.5 hrs some weeks, with nowhere near as many Annual leave days. So sorry my heart aint bleeding for teachers.

 

Most teachers, including myself, usually do 50 to 60 hours a week which has the knock-on effect of when you do get a holiday you are too knackered or screwed up to enjoy it.

 

As for the cover, school budgets are now so tight, that many Academies are finding alternatives to expensive supply agency cover - i.e. the 'rarely cover' rule for teacher contracts brought in by Labour is now effectively defunct. Academy heads (bless their £100k+ salaries) pretty much say, do cover or do the dole.

 

I agree with your last paragraph.

Edited October 11, 2015 by GLASGOWOODS

[JFKvsNixon 11]

Plenty of time during the school holidays for those courses though

 

Maybe they could take a week off the summer holidays, and then spread them out throughout the term to help with teacher training? Then maybe they could be colloquially called Baker days, in memory of a previous Education Secretary?

[ll49 10]

would you give up your holidays to go on courses?

 

Given how much holiday they actually get then yes they should be expected to do it during those weeks instead of taking 'inset days' or whatever other name they come up with. Teachers get far more holidays than any other profession so it is not unfair to ask them to use a very small percentage of that time towards their profession.