I'm out on this thread. I'm not going to get worked up or upset about any of this. It is what it is. No wonder we can't get enough math and science teachers.

I feel that the hardwork teachers put in has been belittled in this thread. That is thankless to me. Sure teachers have a pretty good gig, but that doesn't mean we can't get offended when we feel someone is talking down on our profession. At the very end in the bolded is exactly what I'm talking about. How do you measure that? For a professional job teaching is a relatively low to average pay to go along with a favorable work schedule. To me that is a trade off, its not that teachers have it so much better than other professionals. Don't get me wrong I love the profession I have chosen, but for people to write it off as easier than other people's jobs infuriates me.

 

It hasn't been belittled at all (which is an insult to those of us who tried to keep some perspective).

As I said before ... thinking that teachers deserve some special pat on the back because they have chosen that profession sounds the same to me as making sure every little Johnny and Suzy get a trophy for playing on the rec league soccer team.

 

I would like to hope that people become teachers because it is something that they feel strongly about.

I would also hope that they realize that the personal satisfaction that they get from the job is why they continue to do the job (as opposed to the pats on the back that they get on a message board).

 

Remember what this was supposed to be about ... hey .. you know what ... the average teach gets a lot more days off than the average joe on the street working right now.

That is what most people would consider a "perk".

Being in a related field ... I also agree that teachers work a lot of extra time outside of estblished school hours.

Well .. guess what .. they are still working less than most other professionals.

 

The pay argument changed for me (especially in NKY) about 5 years ago ... when the paper published teachers salaries.

I know that the pay could be specific to the area ... but there were over 70 percent of the teachers at my old school who made more than 50,000 a year.

Now .. some of us may actually make more than that ... but I will tell you this ... as a salaried employee ... it doesn't covert to being close to what the average teacher makes per hour (spread out over a year).

 

For most of us .. 8 hour days and 40 hour weeks are long, long, long gone. And when you consider the fact that teachers get some portion of the summer off? Tough cookies.

It hasn't been belittled at all (which is an insult to those of us who tried to keep some perspective).

As I said before ... thinking that teachers deserve some special pat on the back because they have chosen that profession sounds the same to me as making sure every little Johnny and Suzy get a trophy for playing on the rec league soccer team.

 

I would like to hope that people become teachers because it is something that they feel strongly about.

I would also hope that they realize that the personal satisfaction that they get from the job is why they continue to do the job (as opposed to the pats on the back that they get on a message board).

 

Remember what this was supposed to be about ... hey .. you know what ... the average teach gets a lot more days off than the average joe on the street working right now.

That is what most people would consider a "perk".

Being in a related field ... I also agree that teachers work a lot of extra time outside of estblished school hours.

Well .. guess what .. they are still working less than most other professionals.

 

The pay argument changed for me (especially in NKY) about 5 years ago ... when the paper published teachers salaries.

I know that the pay could be specific to the area ... but there were over 70 percent of the teachers at my old school who made more than 50,000 a year.

Now .. some of us may actually make more than that ... but I will tell you this ... as a salaried employee ... it doesn't covert to being close to what the average teacher makes per hour (spread out over a year).

 

For most of us .. 8 hour days and 40 hour weeks are long, long, long gone. And when you consider the fact that teachers get some portion of the summer off? Tough cookies.

 

I get all of that. I don't personally have a problem with working a few extra days. Doesn't bother me. But, I'll never get criticizing a teacher that doesn't like that fact. Most teachers are in the profession for the right reasons, but the school year is taxing. Think about dealing with 30 1st graders for 9 months. No matter how much you love the kids and your job, having days added on at the end of the year is going to bother some people. Plenty of people complain about their jobs, but only when teachers do it is it considered whining. There are plenty of perks, the pay is enough, but if the job was easy everyone would do it.

For most of us .. 8 hour days and 40 hour weeks are long, long, long gone. And when you consider the fact that teachers get some portion of the summer off? Tough cookies.

 

:thumb:

 

I work in public accounting so I know my hours are more skewed than most fields, but being a salaried employee of a public accounting firm sucks! And I'm okay with that, because it's the field I chose to be in. You don't get overtime, and as you said 40 hour work weeks are completely gone. I keep track of all my weekly timesheets in a spreadsheet and worked "simply 40 hours" a grand total of 4 times in the 2.5 years I've been a full time employee. All this while working towards my CPA license and being told by my employer that I was not allowed to go to grad school until after I got my license.

HB this is your first post in this thread. With a post like this, ( that is mis-informed by the way) You should expect to take some heat from other posters.

 

Because it's true?

 

Yes teachers may work a few hours a day during the summer, but it's not like your typical 8 hour (or more for many jobs) day. Having the summers off, like others have recently said in this thread, is a nice perk for teachers and I get that. However it's like some here are wanting to hide that perk in fear that it's going to get taken away.

 

I know teachers who have gotten summer jobs, because they could use the money and because they had the time :lol:.

I said professional jobs, but meant jobs that required a four year degree and masters degree. If you take that into account, what would the medium income be? And we have already established that teachers work more than 180 days haven't we? I guess grading papers and tests on the weekends do not count? Don't let the 180 days fool you, plenty of teachers probably work 220+ days per year.

 

Let's say your 220 number is accurate. $42,000/220 = 190.90/day X 260 = $49,636.36. That doesn't include benefits. And you would have 8 weeks off to either enjoy or get a temp job to make some extra. I have no idea what the avg salary is for a person with a 4 year degree + masters. Not sure I would even know where to find it.

 

I also think you are taking most of this thread the wrong way. No one is saying teachers don't get what they deserve. I can't think of really any profession that doesn't deserve what they get. I am of the mind set that whatever someone is willing to pay you then good for you. But what I do get tired of is how some act like teachers are under paided or over worked or have to do all these things for their job that no one else has to do. Guess what, everyone works overtime. Everyone stays late, comes in early, works weekends, ect... Teachers are no different. If you want to see thankless talk to a social worker. They make less then teachers over a 260 day work year, have to have min a 4 year degree, and if they do get their masters (which the state would prefer, especially to for supervisors) then it's maybe a 5% bump.

 

I appreciate teachers and all they do. It's definitely a job I couldn't do and the really good teachers are worth every penny and more.

I get all of that. I don't personally have a problem with working a few extra days. Doesn't bother me. But, I'll never get criticizing a teacher that doesn't like that fact. Most teachers are in the profession for the right reasons, but the school year is taxing. Think about dealing with 30 1st graders for 9 months. No matter how much you love the kids and your job, having days added on at the end of the year is going to bother some people. Plenty of people complain about their jobs, but only when teachers do it is it considered whining. There are plenty of perks, the pay is enough, but if the job was easy everyone would do it.

 

A school year is taxing, I'm sure of that. But that's one reason why those summers off are a nice perk. And there are many jobs out there that are just as taxing, if not more, and they don't get summers off. Which is why I don't really want to hear the complaining about a few extra days.

 

I said professional jobs, but meant jobs that required a four year degree and masters degree. If you take that into account, what would the medium income be? And we have already established that teachers work more than 180 days haven't we? I guess grading papers and tests on the weekends do not count? Don't let the 180 days fool you, plenty of teachers probably work 220+ days per year.

 

A lot of jobs have take home work, that requires the employee to work at home. However most don't have nights, weekends, summers, and holidays off to do that work. 220 days a year isn't many.

Let's say your 220 number is accurate. $42,000/220 = 190.90/day X 260 = $49,636.36. That doesn't include benefits. And you would have 8 weeks off to either enjoy or get a temp job to make some extra. I have no idea what the avg salary is for a person with a 4 year degree + masters. Not sure I would even know where to find it.

 

I also think you are taking most of this thread the wrong way. No one is saying teachers don't get what they deserve. I can't think of really any profession that doesn't deserve what they get. I am of the mind set that whatever someone is willing to pay you then good for you. But what I do get tired of is how some act like teachers are under paided or over worked or have to do all these things for their job that no one else has to do. Guess what, everyone works overtime. Everyone stays late, comes in early, works weekends, ect... Teachers are no different. If you want to see thankless talk to a social worker. They make less then teachers over a 260 day work year, have to have min a 4 year degree, and if they do get their masters (which the state would prefer, especially to for supervisors) then it's maybe a 5% bump.

I appreciate teachers and all they do. It's definitely a job I couldn't do and the really good teachers are worth every penny and more.

 

Has anyone said they have to do more work than other jobs do?

Let's say your 220 number is accurate. $42,000/220 = 190.90/day X 260 = $49,636.36. That doesn't include benefits. And you would have 8 weeks off to either enjoy or get a temp job to make some extra. I have no idea what the avg salary is for a person with a 4 year degree + masters. Not sure I would even know where to find it.

 

I also think you are taking most of this thread the wrong way. No one is saying teachers don't get what they deserve. I can't think of really any profession that doesn't deserve what they get. I am of the mind set that whatever someone is willing to pay you then good for you. But what I do get tired of is how some act like teachers are under paided or over worked or have to do all these things for their job that no one else has to do. Guess what, everyone works overtime. Everyone stays late, comes in early, works weekends, ect... Teachers are no different. If you want to see thankless talk to a social worker. They make less then teachers over a 260 day work year, have to have min a 4 year degree, and if they do get their masters (which the state would prefer, especially to for supervisors) then it's maybe a 5% bump.

 

I appreciate teachers and all they do. It's definitely a job I couldn't do and the really good teachers are worth every penny and more.

 

The last sentence in your post will be ignored. :lol:

All that is fine and good but it is the thanklessness that gets me with people mad about teachers complaining about extra days. Teachers and schools provide students (everyone's kids) with the tools necessary for them to be able to decide what professions they want to go into as adults. Teaching goes beyond the school day because of all of the extra stuff that goes into it. Sure alot of other jobs are similar, such as being a doctor, but doctors also make alot more than teachers do. Sure, teachers chose their profession but the thanklessness that goes along with being a teacher is far worse than some teachers complaining they have to work extra (non-paid) days.

Are they really non paid?

Even with all the "time off", add a few days of work (without extra pay) to anyone's job and see if they take it lightly. Another thing is that a teacher really never is off of work. No matter where you go as a teacher you're still an extension of the school and have to be professional. It's like always being on-call.

Again, are they really not paid? And I would say almost everyone that has a salary job has to work extra days/hours without extra pay.

First, I love my job as a teacher. In no way do I want to come off as whining because I tolerate very little in my own classroom. My whole point was for a profession that logs a lot of hours outside the classroom hours of 8-4, I find it crazy that they require us to work those two extra days. There is a teacher at my school that scheduled a vacation trip far in advanced which will have her missing those two days. They are docking her pay for those two days. That's my problem. I picked my vocation to be a teacher and love everyday I do it. These type of episodes leave a bad taste in my mouth.

 

I completely agree that while teachers have "time off" during the summer, they spend it doing various things with their profession. When seeing the same kids everyday for 9 months, a break needs to happen for the functioning of school.

 

In the grand scheme of things, would I be in my classroom working on stuff? Probably. So no big deal. Just the priniple behind it.

 

Has anyone said they have to do more work than other jobs do?

No, not really, at least in those exact words. But it's posts like the above that I am talking about. Whether it's work more or the impression only you (teachers) are asked to do things like work weekends or stay late. You talk about these non paid days you have to work but are they really non paid. You can't argue they are without admitting that teachers make really good money based on the face value of their contract.

Are they really non paid?

 

Again, are they really not paid? And I would say almost everyone that has a salary job has to work extra days/hours without extra pay.

 

 

No, not really, at least in those exact words. But it's posts like the above that I am talking about. Whether it's work more or the impression only you (teachers) are asked to do things like work weekends or stay late. You talk about these non paid days you have to work but are they really non paid. You can't argue they are without admitting that teachers make really good money based on the face value of their contract.

 

I don't remember anyone saying teachers are the only ones that work over. Most have stated that they do in fact work more than the 180 days everyone is talking about. Don't remember anyone saying other jobs did not require people to work more than their scheduled amount of time.

I don't remember anyone saying teachers are the only ones that work over. Most have stated that they do in fact work more than the 180 days everyone is talking about. Don't remember anyone saying other jobs did not require people to work more than their scheduled amount of time.

 

Even if teachers work more than the 180 days, which I'm sure they do, they still get a significant amount of time off. A good portion of the summer (since everyone seems to think saying the entire summer is insulting) and every single holiday to spend with their family. Which again, is why a lot of people don't want to hear the complaining. Complain amongst other teachers :lol:.

A lot of jobs have take home work, that requires the employee to work at home. However most don't have nights, weekends, summers, and holidays off to do that work. 220 days a year isn't many.

 

If these others that take home work don't have nights, weekends, summers or holidays to do this take home work, when do they do it?

I find it humorous that the teachers on here are getting so upset or offended that people are pointing out they get more days off (not an entire summer) than most other professions. It's a perk of your job, enjoy it. Who cares?

If these others that take home work don't have nights, weekends, summers or holidays to do this take home work, when do they do it?

 

After their shift, obviously. Or the next day before they go back to work. Or on their normal two days off that they get.