Overworked teachers

five pieces of homework for 5 year olds over half-term?

I take your point Jalima. I never saw the point of homework for five year olds but as a teacher you don't have any choice. I wanted to ask parents to read with their children. Not only the school reading book but a range of texts. I wouldn't have cared what it was. I also wanted to ask parents to simply spend some time talking to their children. Again about anything. It wasn't allowed because it wasn't classed as 'proper' homework i.e. I couldn't provide a paper trail for Ofsted.

However my point was that the holidays aren't really holidays for the teachers. They should be called non-contact time because that makes it clearer that teachers are still working just not in the classroom with the children.

I do wonder where we are heading with the pressure on all the public service staff ( and in the private sector with zero hours and gig economy for example). It is truly frightening, and just what will happen to those children who dont have parents to read to them, take them places, show an interest in their education? Already the so called non essential subjects such as art, music, drama are being cut off the curriculum by head teachers having to make hard budget decisions. Some parents will be able to pay for these subjects out of school, but what of those who can't or won't? We will end up with a two tier education system, even excluding those who have already been able to vote with their wallets and take the private route. It seems to me that the state provision in education and health is being cut to beyond the bone, and those who can afford to pay are going to be ok but the rest of us will just have to get on with it. I dont know whether to be angry or sad or both, but I certainly am scared, scared of my future as I get older, scared of the future for my daughter who is training to be a primary teacher,scared of the prospect of my Mother losing her house to pay care home fees.....It is all bloody awful and nobody is doing anything about it. Sorry for rant

We home educate our 11 year old and strangely enough, nearly half of the other home educating parents I meet are demoralised, disillusioned ex teachers.

I have taught since 1993. Recently retired and would agree with everything said so far. Teachers need lot of support from senior staff and governors. Not always there for them. One of the most frustrating things is having to teach in a way that u know is not the best but is imposed by some ill informed government department. Far too much interference! However there is nothing like the satisfaction of seeing a child do well thanks to one's help or teaching. I worked in business for 20 years before teaching and much as I enjoyed it there was never that same satisfaction. As a nation we need to acknowledge the input of teachers and work WITH them and listen to their views and experience. Rant over!

Lilyflower - re your post on the first page I have to say I entirely agree with you. Good post. Hope you are enjoying your retirement.

13 weeks of holiday is laughable Gillybob ....if only .............
It is irritating that people see it and think it is all holiday- it certainly isn't!

I loved the classroom but I couldn't recommend it to anyone- the work load gives no time for a life. I was lucky to be able to do part time work or supply teaching, the only way to have weekends and evenings free.
There is a huge retention problem- teachers are leaving in droves.

Have worked in school for nearly 30 years, so I do know what I am talking about. I have just advised my daughter not to train as a teacher, for all the reasons stated above. And for all those who envy the long hols, you absolutely cannot have time off for even the most urgent of appointments in term time - everything has to wait for the holidays, from dentist visits to plumbers fixing leaks. It's a nightmare, despite what non educationalists may think. I can't wait til my time is up.

Does anyone have any idea how the terms, length of teaching part of the day, etc., could be changed to make things work better?

I taught in post 16 state education for over 3 decades and averaged 60 + hours per week, except in the holidays. I never had a weekend off during termtime and rarely got home before 6 pm, especially as I took on more duties culminating in running a department of 16/17 full and part-timers. Holidays were taken up with preparing, creating new materials, updating, organising trips, work experience, writing new schemes of work, and developing own skills and knowledge.

But I did love my job and the young people I taught and guided.

However, denigration of teachers has become so common that it is no wonder fewer and fewer young teachers stay the course. I think the only countries where teachers are respected and held in high esteem are third world countries.

Of course smaller classes and more money are desirable. Of course, the stress is huge, but I think the worst thing is the lack of respect for what is a most honourable profession. This is the state of affairs in most First World Countries as my international colleagues so often confirm.

Some of the young teachers say class sizes are huge[no idea how huge]. I suppose only extra money can fix that.

Part x post.

Retired from teaching last July, cannot believe the improvement in my life and health. I loved what I did ,but after 30yrs could not believe the stress and pressure that is heaped on teachers. I can't imagine why anyone would choose teaching as a career these days.

'Want to solve the recruitment crisis? Simples. Pay teachers more and treat them with the respect they deserve'

It wouldn't matter how much more teachers were paid ( in state schools) because it wouldn't help with respect.The respect has to come from the pupils and their parents, to make any difference to a teachers life.
Any extra money should be used for more classrooms and more teachers, so that no teacher has to have more than 25 in the classroom.

My DD is a Yr 6 teacher. She loves teaching and she loves her children - she is an inspirational teacher. However, she is being slowly but surely worn down by all the demands - after 15+ years of this profession she is at breaking point.? She worked in HR for six years before she returned to Uni to qualify as a teacher which meant she walked away from a very good salary, company car and other benefits. Teaching was always her passion. How sad I feel now when I look at her and others in this profession - it is non-stop pressure, demands for data, demands from parents, demands from LA's, demands from the Government, endless report writing, and then meetings to discuss all of the above!! Where is the time to actually teach, nurture the children, be alert to those in real need and catch them before they fall, where is the time to plan, mark, communicate and feel as though what you are doing actually counts? My DD has 41 children in her class and rarely has the benefit of a TA. She comes home every night exhausted usually after a 9-10 hour day. She quickly eats, shovels her dd off to bed and then works for the next few hours until she falls into bed. Weekends are the same, holidays are NOT holidays - she is frequently found in school or behind a pile of books or simply preparing for the next term. My DD has M.E. and Fibromyalgia, she is a single parent (divorced). We lend a good deal of support, she would not be able to manage if we didn't. She is now considering applying for a lower level teaching job before leaving the profession altogether....I could weep for her and often do?

The young teacher that is quitting, is prepared and going to take quite a susbstantial pay cut in order to do so.
I suppose it depends on where you are teaching, but where I live, wages are generally low, so teaching wages in comparison isnt too bad.
Her issue was not with amount of salary she earned.

Not at all saying it is the same elsewhere.

And I have no idea if teachers get paid the same wages for the same grade in all parts of the country[I presume London teachers get more for teaching in London].

The two younger members in our family ( teaching in London and Nottingham) are not wanting more salary, but less children to teach, and more TA help in the classroom neither of which will be happening soon.

jogginggirl

41!

It isn't the money - it is the workload.

All the teachers and support staff at the school I worked at were given self defence training. From simple advice like not letting the parent get between you and the door to how to get out of a choke hold. There were parents who none of us would see alone because of safety fears. No one should have to work in that sort of environment.

My phone was ex-directory to prevent evening and weekend calls from parents and, my claim to fame, one evening I answered a knock at the door to find a parent holding a knife who was accusing me of racism as I had made her child stand near the wall (a standard time out punishment) longer than the other boys he had been sent there with. She said that I had kept him there longer than the other boys because I was a racist. I pointed out that the other two boys were Asian and that race had nothing to do with it. I had kept him longer because when, after two minutes, I said they could go and play he had laughed at me and told me he hadn't been punished. So I kept him there for another five minutes. She turned to her son and demanded to know if it was true and he, obviously as scared as I was, admitted that it was. She apologised and walked off telling her son in no uncertain terms what she would do to him if he ever told her only half a story again.

Oh the joys of teaching.

I was a primary school administrator for 20 years starting in 1993 leaving in 2012. When I started my car was the last one in the car park at 5 pm but gradually all cars where still in the car park at 6 pm.

I did not get paid for holidays paid for 46 weeks per year. Although I had to go in you cannot just leave everything for six weeks.

I watched, as over the years school was just as busy during holidays as term time, when I retired. All teaching staff working long hours then, of course, teacher's had marking to do at home.

I still meet up with my colleagues now and although I loved the job and the school I am glad I finished when I did as it is getting worse. My replacement took the job because she had children and said "it will be flexible". She had a rude awakening.

SiL teaches teenagers. He usually starts early in the morning, stays late in the evening and has to go into the school during the holidays. He was hoping for flexibility as well. He's currently off work suffering from stress and anxiety.

Isn't it amazing how someone earns millions because of respect for their ability to do their job but teachers, etc., are expected to do it for the love of the job.

I know the stresses of teaching , my Mum and my Sister were teachers . I wasn't but worked 8am to 5 pm , that's if I got my paper work done , was "on call " one evening per week and every other weekend , the paper work for that was something else , everything had to be written up there and then . My job involved a lot of physical heavy work and ruined my back and I now need a hip done . I loved my job and regretted having to retire , but couldn't do it after 60 . Sister got early retirement , a lump sum and a pension , plus did locum when she could be bothered ............ I am still glad I didn't do teaching !!