Teachers only day

[schrodingers cat]

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 .

Well all you need is a strong collective voice and you can negotiate for such a thing in your employment contract.
Oh I forgot. Motorcyclists don't like to get together and lobby.

[Usarka]

I'll take a stab at why it's the case.

[rapid van cleef]

hmmm.....well thats total bollocks as far as i am concerned. there are teachers that should not be teachers and seem to have gained their degree by opening a cornflakes packet and out it falls. like i said...'successful teachers' have a huge workload and very high work ethic........some dont............like some mechanics are crap...some aint. as an overseas trained teacher, the general standard of education and teacher competency standards here in nz is low, although there are some excellent teachers doing the right thing here. this is not the fault of the teachers, rather the fault of the standards set out by the M.O.E. that teachers and students much reach. the stuff i used to teach at yr 12 overseas is not taught until 2nd year of degrees here from my experience.

[Milts]

I wish that teachers equaled the image of people that we want educating our kids - but sadly in reality they mostly aren't. 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).
...

I feel very strongly about this - we decided to put our kid through 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 wouldn't 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.

Having recently (4 years ago) finished 13 years of schooling, this is not what I have found at all. I didn't go to a private school but I was at higher decile public schools. At Wellington College we had a number of students who transferred in from private schools, because they felt the education was better.

In my 13 years at school I must have had approximately 30 teachers. I could probably name every one of them, from year one on. In that time I can name maybe three really genuinely bad teachers. The rest were all capable, gave me opportunities to learn, supported me above and beyond the call of duty ("sure, if you want to write some practice essays email them to me and I'll mark them before study leave starts" - from at least five of my teachers in my final years), and were professional in how they went about their job.

Some were better at controlling the class than others, and some were better at making class enjoyable. But I don't think that even now I have any real appreciation of how much work they must have put in to preparing each lesson, and mark our work. Who cares if part of their reasoning for teaching is that they can bugger off for half of summer - they were dedicated. I strongly suspect that increased bureaucracy in the last decade has made their job much harder. If they require an extra day partway through the year for planning, then so be it.

I admit I was lucky in the teachers I had and schools I attended, but I think teachers need to be fully supported in any way we can. They have more and more responsibility heaped upon them and do much more than I suspect the 'average worker' does, for what amounts to a pittance when you compare it to managerial staff working probably the same hours, on a lower level of education, with less responsibility and better benefits.

I also agree that they require more training. Teacher training in NZ is minimal compared to overseas. But if you up the training, you will HAVE to up the average salary to encourage people to take it - and I don't see this government doing that in the near future, if at all.

[rapid van cleef]

Hi 5 Milts

[TomJ]

Hi 5 Milts

here here!!!
I always offer the doubters or p takers to come and job shaddow for a week. Once I say see you for pick up at 7.15am will get you home by 6pm and don't forget to do 2 hrs work in the evening they soon get over their preconceptions!!!

[Virago]

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.

here here!!!
I always offer the doubters or p takers to come and job shaddow for a week. Once I say see you for pick up at 7.15am will get you home by 6pm and don't forget to do 2 hrs work in the evening they soon get over their preconceptions!!!

At least we all know now where the apalling standards of spelling and grammar originate...

[nonie]

LOL..I'm a teacher not a typist

[TomJ]

wot appens when your brain worx faster than your fingers!!! (we can add xtra txt spk if that winds you up!)

[trailblazer]

although my teachers at school were all about the studants that were the brainy kids and didn't seem to want to teach kids like me that arn't all that inteligant i have alot of respect for the teachers of today. They have to put up with alot of crap from students aswell as the parants blaming the teachers for there kids not performing when all the kids want to do is hang around town smoking and getting into trouble. If i had of had teachers like some of the teachers at whakatane high maybe i may of followed my dreams and got the carrer that i wanted.

[Genie]

LOL..I'm a teacher not a typist

funny you should say that...one think I've noticed at school is that when the laptops come out the kids dont' have a clue how to type, they have no understanding of the keyboard.

I'm thinking that maybe, they should be taught the basics of typing but then the teachers can't type for shit either!!!!

[TomJ]

[QUOTE=Genie;1129752531]funny you should say that...one think I've noticed at school is that when the laptops come out the kids dont' have a clue how to type, they have no understanding of the keyboard.

I think the problem is that 'typing' is seen as old fashioned and not part of the trendy IT revolution

the result is that most people manage the 'two fingers on each hand' techique that will get them through but is not as useful real typing.

[rapid van cleef]

being able to type is not a pre requisite for being a good classroom practioner.

[Genie]

being able to type is not a pre requisite for being a good classroom practioner.

ha....you are correct

[oldrider]

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.

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.

Two entirely different posts quoted above, (I make no judgement or claim) which one aligns with your perception?