Teachers only day

[Jackal]

I have not got kids at school anymore. All grown up and living in all four corners of the world. But today there were kids all over the place around town. One of my work mates tells me it is a "teachers only day" Teachers have a training day on, get this, how to make sure the students acheive more out of their schooling. WTF. Surely this would happen if the kids were at school and not hanging around the streets. Have the teachers not got enough time to do this on other than school days. Mind you, I suppose they only get about 12 weeks holiday a year and are only actually teaching 5 hours a day!!!

[slofox]

I have not got kids at school anymore. All grown up and living in all four corners of the world. But today there were kids all over the place around town. One of my work mates tells me it is a "teachers only day" Teachers have a training day on, get this, how to make sure the students acheive more out of their schooling. WTF. Surely this would happen if the kids were at school and not hanging around the streets. Have the teachers not got enough time to do this on other than school days. Mind you, I suppose they only get about 12 weeks holiday a year and are only actually teaching 5 hours a day!!!

Huh. You've never been a teacher have you...

[Genie]

Having recently started to work within the school....teachers need this time.

I too used to think..wtf. Since being in this environment on a daily basis I see things so differently.

In the old days, teacher stood at the front of the class, spouted off their stuff and the kids either did it or didn't.

Now days those choosing not to do the work have people to help assist them and keep them on track. There are also many chilren with learning difficulties that are not being overlooked and that takes a lot of extra planning and time and commitment. There are also those with behaviourial problems which once upon a time were not tolerated but today, teachers have no power to discipline...another extra those poor teachers need to tackle. Do the teacher's a favour and sort your kids out at home so the teachers can get on with the teaching.....

[davebullet]

Ever since they took away the cane / strap, teachers cannot practice on the kids. So what teachers do, is practice a bit of leather whipping and caning on eachother - nudge nudge, wink wink...

[JimO]

my kids dont need sorting out.....and why are most teacher only days on a monday or just after holidays they are just lazy cunts

[doc]

It must be great to been in a job where you can say no to the customer/patient/whatever. Sorry got other things to do today .

[rapid van cleef]

Hmmm. Try being a teacher in a secondary school for one year and being successful with your planning, marking, designing teaching resources, producing documentation to back up your every step as a professional, which all happens in your own time at weekends and during holidays, then come to the table with your argument once more. The workload of a successful teacher is huge. Most successful teachers have to work for at least 50% of their holidays plus some time at weekends and evenings, to produce quality education during the 5 - 6 hours of classroom contact time. Saying that, like every walk of life, there are and always will be lazy people getting away with things that they shouldnt be allowed to. so, the successful teachers put in huge hours outside the classroom. Those that are not so successful, do not.

Also take into account the huge debts accrued from 3-5 years of studying and training to earn the right to work 60 + hours per week and put up with sometimes extremely abusive adolescents(customers) and their parents whilst being nice and polite. But, most of them are great.

[Indoo]

Mind you, I suppose they only get about 12 weeks holiday a year and are only actually teaching 5 hours a day!!!

Are you trolling or actually that ignorant and stupid?

[kave]

I am married to a teacher, she did less hours working a regular 8:30-5:30 job. If a teacher asks for a single page of work from 30 kids they have to mark 30 pages of work. There are six lesson blocks in a day, that equates to a shitload of kids and a shitload of marking, then there is reports etc... and then the teachers are often expected to give up their own time unpaid to take activities outside of schooltime such as sports, dance and drama. Fuck being a teacher.

[rapid van cleef]

Thanks for the support guys. i was trying to be polite with my post.

[rainman]

The workload of a successful teacher is huge.

And inversely proportional to the pay.

It must be great to been in a job where you can say no to the customer/patient/whatever. Sorry got other things to do today .

Pupils/students are not like customers.

[Gubb]

Ever since they took away the cane / strap, teachers cannot practice on the kids. So what teachers do, is practice a bit of leather whipping and caning on eachother - nudge nudge, wink wink...

Say no more.

[nonie]

Been a secondary teacher for 9 years. My students lways had work/study to get on with during teacher only days. if kids are all over town then maybe they don't give a dam about their own study. My experience is that teachers care far more about student success than the majority of the students . They work damn hard so that your children are given every opportunity to succeed. It is not uncommon to still be marking student work at 10pm. Parents demand quality education and that means quality teachers who take part in professional development for the betterment of the students. Training in self defense should be our next step and we SO deserve a pay rise.

[Tank]

I generally have a poor view of Teachers in New Zealand - now its not a job that I would like, nor do I think I could do it. I know a few who are good friends. But as educators - nagh.

As for the working 1/2 their holidays etc etc - with most of them not a hope.

I wish that teachers equaled the image of people that we want educating our kids - but sadly in reality they mostly arnt. Once people get involved with the school this becomes very clear. Heck my daughters teacher actually said to the class he became a teacher so he could have the summer off with pay so he could surf.

Afterschool clubs / sports - well that gets them extra pay - so its not all "just for the kids". (some teachers it is ALL about the kids - as not to do them a diservice - but they are in the minority).

Teachers only days - FFS they have them right after summer holidays - I firmly believe that they should be in the holiday period - not a extra day.

I feel very strongly about this - we decided to put our kid thru private school - its costing a bundle and it is a stretch each month to find the extra $XXXX and sacrifices need to be made - but the difference between this and his old school is night and day. I wouldnt be having to do that if teachers were indeed what we wanted / thought them to be.

Of course - Im blaming the teachers - the education system is also at fault. Some teachers should not be hired as educators - a degree does not a teacher make. But also funding, equipment, useless as shit heads (see Cambridge High school) fucking around with the likes of NECA, not allowing to fail kids who arnt achieving etc really does not help.

Go to the lower decile schools and it gets worse. I really feel for those kids - its their first real 'chance' and sadly 'the system' often fails them.

[nonie]

clubs and sports! No we do not get paid extra to do that