Teachers only day

[Taz]

Are you trolling or actually that ignorant and stupid?

This is a poll eh?? I'm gonna say he's ignorant and stupid......

[Tink]

Our teachers do not have "teacher only days"... they are at school 7am - 4pm and then take a lot of work home to mark. This is not a easy job, but it is a rewarding one when they children do well... a challenge when they don't. I work as a teacher aid, and studying at Uni from July... I love working with kids, and our teachers are NOT babysitters, so if those kids are on the streets then the parents are responsible, as they are given plenty of warning that a teachers only day will occur.

[doc]

.

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 did the same $120k for both girls to do private school before uni, teachers were more enthusiastic too.
Belonged to a club with one of the teachers spouses who taught one of my daughters , at BBQ's the spouse use to talk about how good a well organised teacher had it teaching privately. The holidays etc

I never regeted the cost.

I also think that they have it pretty good to have "touchy feely" time without their core purpose being around. Faark I hope the Police and hospitals dont adopt this approach.

[Jackal]

Are you trolling or actually that ignorant and stupid?

Probably ignorant, don't consider myself stupid and yes a little bit of trolling involved as well. Just thought I would put it out there just like I did at work during smoko the other day when the 'big boss' from Christchurch was down visiting. After I had finished spouting off he informs me he has been married to a teacher for the past 15 years! Bugger, there goes the pay rise! I don't tar all teachers with the same brush. In my view and experiances both as a student many years ago and putting 6 kids (blended family!) through school you have primary school teachers who are 'teachers' and secondary school teachers who just supply the information that they are told to supply. It is up to the student to either take it on board or not. Some do and some don't. Some become brain surgeons and some become secondary school teachers. I know alot of teachers geez my best man is a principle at a very large North Island College but 95% are a different breed from the rest of us 'non teacher' types. I think some of you are missing the irony in my original post. The teacher only day was for the teachers to find way for the kids to acheive more. I say again surely this would be done better if the kids were at school being taught!

[Howie]

Our teachers do not have "teacher only days"... they are at school 7am - 4pm and then take a lot of work home to mark. This is not a easy job, but it is a rewarding one when they children do well... a challenge when they don't. I work as a teacher aid, and studying at Uni from July... I love working with kids, and our teachers are NOT babysitters, so if those kids are on the streets then the parents are responsible, as they are given plenty of warning that a teachers only day will occur.

This is the sort of arrogant statement I would expect from someone involved in the education sector. In the real world where both or in some cases the only parent works full time to pay the bills getting time off work mid school term to be at home for a day or 2 is not possible, and therefore they have to struggle to organise some sort of child care which isn't always easy as bugger most people are at work during the day. If the schools actually did a study they would find out that teacher only days are actually not liked at all by a lot of parents. I see no reason that the majority of teacher only days could not be planned to be at either end of sets of school holidays which would be easier for parents to organise around.

[rustyrobot]

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

apalling?
Sorry, were you the pot or the kettle?

[Virago]

apalling?
Sorry, were you the pot or the kettle?

Bingo...! Well done.

I was hoping one of the dedicated teachers might actually spot it - no chance, huh...?

[Tink]

This is the sort of arrogant statement I would expect from someone involved in the education sector. In the real world where both or in some cases the only parent works full time to pay the bills getting time off work mid school term to be at home for a day or 2 is not possible, and therefore they have to struggle to organise some sort of child care which isn't always easy as bugger most people are at work during the day. If the schools actually did a study they would find out that teacher only days are actually not liked at all by a lot of parents. I see no reason that the majority of teacher only days could not be planned to be at either end of sets of school holidays which would be easier for parents to organise around.

I was a solo working mum for 6 years, and you think I am arrogant, no one ever babysits my kids, yes I get every 2nd weekend off, but I am not arrogant, just informed. I have only been teacher aiding for one year, and in the 6 years my daughter has been at school, I have not changed my opinion about the education sector. Mind you I could write a lot more than what I did, and you would prob still say I am arrogant, ask any of my close friends on kb if I am arrogant and you will find I am not "caseye" "conquisitordor" (sp) "princess bandit" "mom" "maha" "oldboy" etc... thanks for such negavity.

[Howie]

I was a solo working mum for 6 years, and you think I am arrogant, no one ever babysits my kids, yes I get every 2nd weekend off, but I am not arrogant, just informed. I have only been teacher aiding for one year, and in the 6 years my daughter has been at school, I have not changed my opinion about the education sector. Mind you I could write a lot more than what I did, and you would prob still say I am arrogant, ask any of my close friends on kb if I am arrogant and you will find I am not "caseye" "conquisitordor" (sp) "princess bandit" "mom" "maha" "oldboy" etc... thanks for such negavity.

I have and still am a single working parent, 9 years and counting. The comment was more aimed at the education sector than you personnally. I still see no reason that teacher only days could not be better planned, and placed at the ends of school holidays, or even better during them!!
Not all jobs/careeers are easy to get time of from, also having to use leave mid term means that leave can be eaten away, not leaving enough leave for that forgotton kiwi familly experience a familly holiday away somewhere. Oh by the way your lucky you get every second weekend, as I probably average one night every three weeks without my kids.

[Tink]

I have and still am a single working parent, 9 years and counting. The comment was more aimed at the education sector than you personnally. I still see no reason that teacher only days could not be better planned, and placed at the ends of school holidays, or even better during them!!
Not all jobs/careeers are easy to get time of from, also having to use leave mid term means that leave can be eaten away, not leaving enough leave for that forgotton kiwi familly experience a familly holiday away somewhere. Oh by the way your lucky you get every second weekend, as I probably average one night every three weeks without my kids.

I don't consider myself lucky, nor my girls... I would turn back the clock if I could to have their parents together. I miss them every second they are gone...

I am against teachers days I never said I was fore them, but I feel the first comment posted on here, was like teachers are babysitters. Our teachers have meetings after school, and work most of the hoidays preparing for class time. They get 4 weeks a year off like everyone else, unless they are very organized and work hard long days, a lot work from home with children also to look after.

What did you do when your kids were sick ... and had to take time off ? What does anyone do... ? They stay home and look after their kids if no one else can...

[oldrider]

Good bad or otherwise, teachers "do" do a lot of extra work outside of school hours and they do use up a large portion of their seemingly "endless" holidays working.

I can testify to that because I have a lot of relations and friends who are teachers!

Unfortunately they fail to impress me the way they avoid performance payments at every opportunity and cling to their one size fits all collective agreements!

I believe the best teachers should be the ones receiving the best pay but just bleating for pay rises because they find their work hard is hardly reason for a pay rise!

The adage: "pay peanuts if you want monkeys" is really applicable to collectives! IMHO.

[Howie]

I don't consider myself lucky, nor my girls... I would turn back the clock if I could to have their parents together. I miss them every second they are gone...

I am against teachers days I never said I was fore them, but I feel the first comment posted on here, was like teachers are babysitters. Our teachers have meetings after school, and work most of the hoidays preparing for class time. They get 4 weeks a year off like everyone else, unless they are very organized and work hard long days, a lot work from home with children also to look after.

What did you do when your kids were sick ... and had to take time off ? What does anyone do... ? They stay home and look after their kids if no one else can...

I am not saying that teachers don't have a busy working life. What I am saying is that with the dramatic increase in numbers of teacher only days, it puts a strain onto those who are supposedly the customers of the education sector the kids, parents, and their families. I am sure the education sector could come up with a better answer, with teacher only days only being allowed to be tacked on at the beginning or end of term I.E. the day before or after standard school holidays.

Working from home isn't actually an option in a lot of work places. I know I would have a lot of difficulty trying to work from home, for one thing I couldn't get the job in my house.
The analogy of a kid being sick doesn't stack up. Sick leave comes from a different leave allotment, and can also be unpaid. So are you suggesting parents lie to their employer and say they are sick when it is a teacher only day??

I can testify to that because I have a lot of relations and friends who are teachers!

Unfortunately they fail to impress me the way they avoid performance payments at every opportunity and cling to their one size fits all collective agreements!

I believe the best teachers should be the ones receiving the best pay but just bleating for pay rises because they find their work hard is hardly reason for a pay rise!

The adage: "pay peanuts if you want monkeys" is really applicable to collectives! IMHO.

I will have to disagree about collective contracts. They are definitely useful when a large number of employees are involved. Remuneration rates are only one part of collective contracts there are also all the other working conditions that have been fought for and won over many decades by unions. Things like an 8 hour working day, lunch rooms, reasonable toilet facilities etc.

[Tink]

I am not saying that teachers don't have a busy working life. What I am saying is that with the dramatic increase in numbers of teacher only days, it puts a strain onto those who are supposedly the customers of the education sector the kids, parents, and their families. I am sure the education sector could come up with a better answer, with teacher only days only being allowed to be tacked on at the beginning or end of term I.E. the day before or after standard school holidays.

I agree here!

Working from home isn't actually an option in a lot of work places. I know I would have a lot of difficulty trying to work from home, for one thing I couldn't get the job in my house.
The analogy of a kid being sick doesn't stack up. Sick leave comes from a different leave allotment, and can also be unpaid. So are you suggesting parents lie to their employer and say they are sick when it is a teacher only day??

Not at all, I am saying what does one do when you are required to stay home when your child is sick, I have to stay home when they are sick, or any other reason that the school requires it, I don't complain as I bought the children into this world. As for working from home I guess those are the perks (very rare) of the job.

I don't think I am disgreeing with you, just seeing it from a different light... it would be nice to see every teacher wanting to work hard to better our children in life, but it would also be nice to see some parents do the same... and that is another thread.

CURIOUS: Who sets & requests the teachers only day? The Teachers or The Government?

[yungatart]

I
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.

Why should a teacher give up a day in his/her holidays to do professional development?
Holidays are just that, holidays...where one gets to relax and have time away from work related stuff.
Teacher only days should be during school term time, parents need to organise themselves better if they can't cope with one day, FFS!

[rapid van cleef]

Teacher ony days are required by the ministry of education. it is sometimes upto the schools how and when these are used. it is common practice for schools to include 2-3 days at the end of the summer holidays before the students come back to school. the ministry states that each school needs to have 'x' amount of teacher only half days/days throughout the year.