Any (Maths) Teachers?
Discussion
One of my friends was a moderately successful civil engineer and became a maths teacher.
Salary was about the same but he said he finds it a lot less stressful and the workload a lot easier.
He says there are plenty of his colleagues who sit in the staffroom moaning about the workload and the hours, but they are all the ones that have been teachers for their entire career.
Salary was about the same but he said he finds it a lot less stressful and the workload a lot easier.
He says there are plenty of his colleagues who sit in the staffroom moaning about the workload and the hours, but they are all the ones that have been teachers for their entire career.
Johnnytheboy said:
He says there are plenty of his colleagues who sit in the staffroom moaning about the workload and the hours, but they are all the ones that have been teachers for their entire career.
Thats exactly what I expected to be the case. Everyone who's complaining has never been in a 'real' job.Johnnytheboy said:
One of my friends was a moderately successful civil engineer and became a maths teacher.
Salary was about the same but he said he finds it a lot less stressful and the workload a lot easier.
He says there are plenty of his colleagues who sit in the staffroom moaning about the workload and the hours, but they are all the ones that have been teachers for their entire career.
If he was "moderately successful" then he should have been earning more than £21-31k, surely? (Which, depending on when he started, is roughly what the M1-M6 grades are for teaching.)Salary was about the same but he said he finds it a lot less stressful and the workload a lot easier.
He says there are plenty of his colleagues who sit in the staffroom moaning about the workload and the hours, but they are all the ones that have been teachers for their entire career.
jonah35 said:
Teachers think it's stressful but they are the same people that are home at 4pm, get breaks all day and long holidays plus a final salary pension.
The private sector is far harder in my opinion.
Based on your extensive teaching experience, I presume? I suggest you read some of my posts above. The private sector is far harder in my opinion.
spud989 said:
Johnnytheboy said:
One of my friends was a moderately successful civil engineer and became a maths teacher.
Salary was about the same but he said he finds it a lot less stressful and the workload a lot easier.
He says there are plenty of his colleagues who sit in the staffroom moaning about the workload and the hours, but they are all the ones that have been teachers for their entire career.
If he was "moderately successful" then he should have been earning more than £21-31k, surely? (Which, depending on when he started, is roughly what the M1-M6 grades are for teaching.)Salary was about the same but he said he finds it a lot less stressful and the workload a lot easier.
He says there are plenty of his colleagues who sit in the staffroom moaning about the workload and the hours, but they are all the ones that have been teachers for their entire career.
jonah35 said:
Teachers think it's stressful but they are the same people that are home at 4pm, get breaks all day and long holidays plus a final salary pension.
The private sector is far harder in my opinion.
Based on your extensive teaching experience, I presume? I suggest you read some of my posts above. The private sector is far harder in my opinion.
I am an Engineer (I like to think I am a moderately successful one!) and my wife (a teacher) has a much higher workload than me. I cannot comment on relative stress levels as everyone is different but I know I would tear my hair out trying to control a class of teenagers, but my wife would find it just as difficult trying to deal with the emergent issues I get on each project.
KFC said:
Thats exactly what I expected to be the case. Everyone who's complaining has never been in a 'real' job.
What is a 'real' job? I've never worked for public sector org, but these, dumbass, blanket statements how all public sector employees have it easy is just stupid. If it's that easy, why not have a go at controlling a class of 20-30 kids, their parents who know best and whose little angels can't do wrong. If you think it's that easy, with all that holiday and pensions, why not go and be one? It's hardly closed shop. 
Thanks for all the replies. Must say I didn't realise there was a level of dislike for the profession.
She's going to submit an application then see what happens. When it comes to the crunch can then decide what she wants to do and if she can live with the salary drop. In that time I hope she gets a bit more settled in her current role.
She's going to submit an application then see what happens. When it comes to the crunch can then decide what she wants to do and if she can live with the salary drop. In that time I hope she gets a bit more settled in her current role.
league67 said:
What is a 'real' job? I've never worked for public sector org, but these, dumbass, blanket statements how all public sector employees have it easy is just stupid. If it's that easy, why not have a go at controlling a class of 20-30 kids, their parents who know best and whose little angels can't do wrong. If you think it's that easy, with all that holiday and pensions, why not go and be one? It's hardly closed shop.
Someone can think a job is easy, stress free etc without actually wanting to do it themselves! I'd rather kill myself than work with school kids for £30k a year.KFC said:
league67 said:
What is a 'real' job? I've never worked for public sector org, but these, dumbass, blanket statements how all public sector employees have it easy is just stupid. If it's that easy, why not have a go at controlling a class of 20-30 kids, their parents who know best and whose little angels can't do wrong. If you think it's that easy, with all that holiday and pensions, why not go and be one? It's hardly closed shop.
Someone can think a job is easy, stress free etc without actually wanting to do it themselves! I'd rather kill myself than work with school kids for £30k a year.Bit of an update. The Mrs has pursued this and been offered a role. I’ve struggled to be supportive (at all) as on top of some other more personal issues the response on here and from teachers I know has been pretty negative. Some going so far to say that it’s nearly ruined relationships.
It’s the cause of much friction at the moment!
It’s the cause of much friction at the moment!
MrJuice said:
My sister is a maths teacher. Second year post PGCE, aged 42 currently.
She spends evenings and weekends marking and planning. She gets paid about 30k I think
She will get better at her job and spend less time marking and planning in years to come. She may move into management but doesn't fancy that just now.
She gets 12 weeks holiday.
It is a very different job to the one teachers did 20 years ago when your wife was at school.
I can't see her marking/planning being reduced at all.She spends evenings and weekends marking and planning. She gets paid about 30k I think
She will get better at her job and spend less time marking and planning in years to come. She may move into management but doesn't fancy that just now.
She gets 12 weeks holiday.
It is a very different job to the one teachers did 20 years ago when your wife was at school.
My wife has been a teacher for 10 years and she does more now than she has ever done.
It's a s
t vocation to be in these days, nothing like the 'good old days' of strolling in at 8.30 and going home at 4. It's a lot of hard work, a lot of stress, and in my honest opinion based on my experience of living with a teacher the only bonus - long holidays - are not worth the crap you have to put up with.
Especially when you factor in the school holiday price increases!
jesta1865 said:
so far she is seeing parents monday and tuesday who can't make parents evenings
Then more fool her. At my kids school, if we can't make parents eve we can ask for an email updating us on progress. Certainly not a rearranged meeting at our convenience. And I wouldn't dream of asking for such a thing. Bloody cheeky sods.She needs to toughen up and tell those parents to f
k right off! I think it depends who you are, if you're an idealist who just wants to teach the subject, the modern bureaucracy will drive you mad, (like my dad). If you're coming from corporate and eye management roles, you might feel at home. You can make a lot at top public schools in management.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Then more fool her. At my kids school, if we can't make parents eve we can ask for an email updating us on progress. Certainly not a rearranged meeting at our convenience. And I wouldn't dream of asking for such a thing. Bloody cheeky sods.
My daughter's been teaching for a few years - in her first job she was head of year and had a shared PA. The PA would book appointments with anyone who asked, so she'd sometimes have a pre-school appointment and then finish teaching to find a couple more booked.I don't know what happens at her current school but I can't imagine she's any less accessible.
Sheepshanks said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Then more fool her. At my kids school, if we can't make parents eve we can ask for an email updating us on progress. Certainly not a rearranged meeting at our convenience. And I wouldn't dream of asking for such a thing. Bloody cheeky sods.
My daughter's been teaching for a few years - in her first job she was head of year and had a shared PA. The PA would book appointments with anyone who asked, so she'd sometimes have a pre-school appointment and then finish teaching to find a couple more booked.I don't know what happens at her current school but I can't imagine she's any less accessible.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Arranging to see a parent before or after school, when you're in anyway, is completely different from seeing one during half term.
In her current and last schools, they open and run classes during half-term, although on a more informal basis than normal and with compressed hours.Teachers don't have to go in but of course it's noted who's there and who isn't. More senior teachers are expected to go in.
Just finishing my pgce here (secondary maths) after transferring from a high pressure self employed role in order to stay closer to the family (rather than being away from them for over half the year).
Feel free to pm, but these are my basic thoughts:
1. The job isn't too bad, but there are likely to be evangelical personalities in the leadership team who make it unbearable - especially those who have never done anything but teaching. Teachers, especially those who rose to senior positions are NOT normal (or normally pleasant) people, despite their firmly held belief that they are the milk of human kindness and should be knighted immediately.
2. The pressure is different to normal jobs - in a typical week, the workload is about the same as a mid-level private sector role (say project management or accountancy), but it is all condensed into the time in front of the kids - the lessons are the pressure cooker, which is where all the stress happens. Imagine doing four or five high stakes presentations to hostile audiences one after the other, every day, but having most of the rest of the day to yourself for prep.
3. Admin isn't too bad in maths, marking doesn't take that long if you're efficient (and anyone used to paperwork can get efficient quickly)
4. The pay is pretty crap - I've made more in a month than I will do in a year, but the holidays are great (especially if you have family) and the pension is still out of this world compared to anything in private sector.
5. You will be appalled at the way some teachers treat the kids - it feels like tantamount to abuse in some cases...
6. It puts a strain on your relationship in early days - there is a reason why so many teachers are married to other teachers. That seems to get easier - if you survive the first few years, it can be very family positive.
Go in with your eyes open - if you can put up with all the external ste (mainly from other staff), then spending time with the kids and maybe getting them to learn something can be quite good fun.
I am actually in two minds whether I continue, I could get an hgv licence and earn about the same with more flexibility, and a fraction of the stress although no pension or paid holidays,
Feel free to pm, but these are my basic thoughts:
1. The job isn't too bad, but there are likely to be evangelical personalities in the leadership team who make it unbearable - especially those who have never done anything but teaching. Teachers, especially those who rose to senior positions are NOT normal (or normally pleasant) people, despite their firmly held belief that they are the milk of human kindness and should be knighted immediately.
2. The pressure is different to normal jobs - in a typical week, the workload is about the same as a mid-level private sector role (say project management or accountancy), but it is all condensed into the time in front of the kids - the lessons are the pressure cooker, which is where all the stress happens. Imagine doing four or five high stakes presentations to hostile audiences one after the other, every day, but having most of the rest of the day to yourself for prep.
3. Admin isn't too bad in maths, marking doesn't take that long if you're efficient (and anyone used to paperwork can get efficient quickly)
4. The pay is pretty crap - I've made more in a month than I will do in a year, but the holidays are great (especially if you have family) and the pension is still out of this world compared to anything in private sector.
5. You will be appalled at the way some teachers treat the kids - it feels like tantamount to abuse in some cases...
6. It puts a strain on your relationship in early days - there is a reason why so many teachers are married to other teachers. That seems to get easier - if you survive the first few years, it can be very family positive.
Go in with your eyes open - if you can put up with all the external s
te (mainly from other staff), then spending time with the kids and maybe getting them to learn something can be quite good fun.I am actually in two minds whether I continue, I could get an hgv licence and earn about the same with more flexibility, and a fraction of the stress although no pension or paid holidays,
Edited by LeftmostAardvark on Saturday 2nd May 09:17
LeftmostAardvark said:
2. The pressure is different to normal jobs - in a typical week, the workload is about the same as a mid-level private sector role (say project management or accountancy), but it is all condensed into the time in front of the kids - the lessons are the pressure cooker, which is where all the stress happens. Imagine doing four or five high stakes presentations to hostile audiences one after the other, every day, but having most of the rest of the day to yourself for prep.
That's interesting. My girlfriend (year 6 class teacher) would say the opposite. She loves teaching lessons, but hates (and is under enormous pressure from) all the other admin and planning, marking etc.Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff