Top 10 Public Education Quotes of 2005

Teachers don't realize how silly they look when they get huffy and indignant about how hard they work, as if to say that the rest of us "dump" our kids at school and go skipping off to play.

Thanks for confirming my stereotype. I've known many, many public school teachers, and there were only a very few that didn't think they were the MOST overworked, underpaid, underappreciated people in the ENTIRE world. I've never seen a profession with such an overall inferiority complex.

Generally, I like my job. I don't like all aspects of it, but if I hit the lotto, I'd probably keep working until I found something to do that I enjoyed more. I *didn't* like my last position, so I found another one, and quit.

I've no idea why teachers don't do the same thing. If you hate what you do, do something else. If you don't want to do something else, STFU.

"Grading and prep is off time?"

Of the teachers I know, the prep time they do get is not enough to arrange for copying, talk to the principal/supervision, make calls, arrange for field trips, reset the classroom, and call the occasional parent, along with grading for 150 students, not to mention prepping for the following day or week, or, adjusting for changes to the schedule. So, the easy answer is no. Grading and prep work is done on their own time.

From what I know, it is the elementary school teachers that are the legends--for staying until all hours, to prep for the next day. Apparently the maximum time for teachers to be on computer for the next day's work is between 10 pm and 2 am.

Please note that I was actually attempting to correct an impression that teaching is merely a 40 hour work week, as stated in this post above:

"My favorite Public School quote appears to be missing, so here it is...

TEACHERS ARE UNDERPAID, MY ARSE!

Do the math:
40 hour work week divided by 35 week school year = 1400 hours worked yearly

1400 hours worked yearly divided by $58,000. average yearly salary = $41.43 an hour

And the $58,000. average is conservative. I know teachers in the L.A. area making six figure incomes because they get "combat pay" for working in the worst school districts.

7 posted on 01/04/2006 7:06:27 PM EST by anonsquared"

Frankly, teachers do plenty without complaining. Generally, the complaining occurs when someone questions their work ethic; which is frequently on FR.

No, not all; but PART of "periods when you don't have kids sitting in front of you".

Thanks for posting this!

Not having kids sitting in front of you is not equal to off time. If you are grading papers, preparing for the next class period, filing,making copies of new work, conferencing with a parent, meeting with your colleagues for joint planning, meeting with administrators, etc., you are still performing the duties of your job. This is not off time.

I wish that was the case everywhere.

I am a 2nd year teacher, making 29,000 a year. I coach volleyball and track. Therefore, I get an extra 2,000. So now I am up to 31,000 before taxes. During volleyball and track season I am here at 7:00 in the morning and I do not leave until 6:00 P.M. (at the earliest). Then I take papers home to grade and I have lessons to plan. I probably do at least another hour of work at home every night. Some nights and weekends I do much more especially when I am planning an awesome lesson! When I’m not doing track or volleyball, I am still here at 7:00 A.M. and I leave at 4:00 (at the very earliest). Although sometimes I stay and work with students after school. Then, at the earliest, I do not leave until 5:00. Then there is always more work to do at home during the week and weekend.

Luckily, I have just gotten out of college. To get my conditional license I must write a KPA paper. So far I have worked 40 hours on this at home. Once I have finished this, then I will finally get my conditional license for 5 years. Then to renew my license I will need to take classes in the summer to have enough hours and points to renew.

Yes, we get summers off. But thank goodness. I love kids, truly I do, or I would have definitely done something else. But, without those summers, a person would lose their mind!

Lets see if this is right. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

I would stay at school (I am going with the least amount of hours I put in) 10 hours and 5 days a week.

That is 50 hours a week (I’m not counting time I work at home or on the weekends)

Then we work 35 weeks a year.

So now I have 1,750 hours a year.

I am paid $31,000 (although 2,000 of that is for track and volleyball and I did not count those hours I work coaching!)

I come up with $17.71 an hour.

My college tuition was 21,000 dollars a year. I believe, we are a little under paid! I only stay with it, because I love what I do. Although, I shouldn’t complain, if I wanted to do something for the money, I know I could have done any job I wanted.

If the United States is to preserve our system of free public schools...

Well, except for all those tax dollars that fund them. It's not like people are paying; it's government money.

AND every single teacher uses a ton of their own $$$ for classroom supplies that their budgets do not cover (not even CA lottery education money).

I am an elementary school teacher.

My day goes like this...

I arrive at 7:00 A.M. ( I leave my house at 6:30). I have students in my room at 7:30 A.M. that I work with until school starts at 8:00. The 30 minutes before they get there are I am making copies, getting the classroom ready, putting daily edit on the board, making spelling words, preparing lessons. From 8:00 till 9:00 is my English. From 9:00 til 10:00 I have guided reading. from 10:00-10:25 we are doing spelling lessons or handwriting lessons. 10:25-10:48 - the students are at PE. I now have time to get out my supplies for math, put our quick 5 questions on the board, and grade some of the papers from the morning. I go to pick up the students around 10:45. Trust me those 20 minutes fly by!! There is no resting time there.

From when they get back from P.E. until lunch it is math period. I work with 3rd graders. There is no seating at your seat... EVER!!! Its a great workout though, I’m constantly on my feet and then bending down to work with them. :)

From 12:00-12:20 is their lunch time and mine as well. I have until about 12:15 then I head across the street to pick them up from the highschool caf ( yes that is a 15 minute lunch period to scarf down my food!) Then we have recess duty. Then after recess it is read aloud. Finally they go to music at 1:09 - 1:34. Again, time flies. You are now preparing for either Science, Social Studies, or a lesson to prepare for state Standards. Which ever you can fit in that day.

Then at 2:30, the students have a 15 minute recess. If I do not have recess duty ( I either have lunch duty or afternoon) that is the time you make sure you have handed all their paper in their baskets, talk with parents, try to fit in a SIT meeting, there is always something going on. They are back in at 2:45. You put their agenda up on the board. They fill it out. Then I go through their agendas and mark what they finished and what is homework. They pack their bags and go home at 3:00.

I am still there until 4:00 (the earliest) lots of days I’m there until 5:00. Like I said before during volleyball and track season I am there until at least 6:00. Game days you may not get home until 10:00 at night.

Basically the only time I am sitting is my lunch time (15 minutes) or that 30 minutes I am working with students before school.

But I love the job! I just wish people realized we are working our butts off. The children are worth it! I love waht I do and work to be the best teacher I can so the students can be the best they can be!! It is a very rewarding job...spiritually. :)

Not to say others are not working hard! I would never say anything like that about anybody’s job. I’m just hoping to get the word out, teachers work just as hard. We do put in many many hours of hard work.

Like I said, I know I do because I love my job, I love the kids. Yes, of course, there are hard days where you want to let off some steam. But truly, it is all worth it, when you have been working and racking your brain on how to get that one student to understand something. Then finally it all pays off when that light bulb turns on inside that head of theirs! Very rewarding!

The only reason us teachers talk about how hard we work is because so many seem to think we don’t. (So it would seem from many comments) I am not trying to undermine anybody’s job and say I work harder at mine. I know most of us work hard to make a living. I’m just hoping that the negative comments towards teachers would decrease.

We don’t get “huffy” until people begin to criticize us unjustly. I rarely discuss my job with anyone until they make an asinine statement about teachers.