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Why do teachers always complain about working "overtime" without compensation? In this area the AVERAGE teacher salary is over 68,000 dollars per year. A home care RN with MSN living in the same area can expect to earn about 55,000 dollars per year, working year round. This includes on-call duties, weekends, holidays, etc. This also includes countless hours in the evening doing documentation and handling phone calls with patients, family members and doctors. No "overtime pay" is received. As a matter of fact, most "professionals" I know are salaried and don't get overtime pay. Most people have to deal with difficult people or stressful situations in the workplace, its part of the job. In my state teachers are certainly NOT underpaid. Yes, the job is important but admit it, its not a bad gig!
You may agree or disagree with these statements. I am a parent that tries to stay involved with the school as well as reading up on local and national education trends.
Here are some of my observations on and about schools, parents and administration from the point of view of a middle-class working area.
Just like any work place, there are good employees and not so good employees. Teachers are still employees. Stop defending each other because I’m sure you know of someone who doesn’t pull their weight.
Just because you like kids doesn’t make you a teacher. A teacher must love the act of teaching, not just to whom they teach it too. Study up and make yourself the best presenter you can be.
Many teachers don’t utilize the resources they have. Have you asked for volunteers? Items for your class? Get no response? Keep asking and then ask some more. Not now doesn’t mean not never. Don’t assume what you don’t get today isn’t what you might get tomorrow. If you have 20 kids in a class you have 20+ adult resources that could potentially help you. Learn to become a 3 ring circus leader: children, parents and yourself as role of teacher.
Many administrators are worried more about the school image than actually taking note of what actually will help their school, even if it means being the bad guy. Any teachers out there agree to this?
Has anyone noticed that learning the basics of what sound letters make has gone away? How are children suppose to sound out words if they don’t know? They will never progress to reading if they don’t have the basic tools of character and sound recognition. Teachers, if you have children with reading problems this may be a place to start working instead of expecting a child to read.
Schools too often “label” children. If we grow up being who we are suppose to be then I guess that’s who we are suppose to be, right?
All disciplinary problem kids are not a result of their parents, teachers or environment. Find out first before accusing the other of misdoing.
Teaching is a great job. Show me another job out of college with benefits and 2-3 months of vaction. Most of us work our tails off with overtime 12 months out of the year.
Many teachers are TOO NICE. They tell parents what they think they want to hear instead of actually pointing parents in the right direction. Don’t worry about insulting us or hurting our feelings. You can be educating without being insulting.
Many teachers don’t ask what’s going on at home before deciding that the parent’s aren’t playing their role. Parent’s have you ever been accused of not helping enough before even being asked of what you are doing? That is insulting. Ask first and then offer suggestions.
Many teachers will assume that if a child is struggling in school it must be the parent’s fault. Many parents will assume that if a child is struggling in school it must be the teacher’s fault. Neither party will confront each other.
Too often it is not a team effort between the school, teacher and parent.
Too many schools have thrown out any set standards that kids need to follow. Instead of the adults leading the children it has become the children leading the adults. Where’s the discipline and accountability?
Money does not fix schools, people fix schools. Look at some of today’s celebrities. Money hasn’t done some of them any good. A great looking school does nothing when the basic needs at home aren't being met.
Kids fall through cracks because someone wasn’t being honest or caring enough. Either parents for not being involved or school staff who know there’s a problem but don’t research it further: learning different, at home issues, being honest with parents, finding resources, etc.
Schools have been taught not to think outside the box. Imagine if this happened in business.
Anyone that has school age children knows that more than 20 kids in a class is too many. Parents will complain and teachers are burned out and ultimately the kids suffer. But in the end, nobody educates the parents on how they can get involved and change it. Have you ever been invited to a school or district meeting? Many schools do very little to educate their parent body about how to make a difference in their school outside of the classroom. Again, everybody wants to complain but those with the resources to educate and make a difference aren’t utilizing them to their fullest potential. Administrators, get your parent body involved. There is a good chance parents would be involved, but how will they know they can be involved outside of the school if you don’t show them?
Whatever happened to voting? Next time you want to complain about the state of the schools I hope you voted in the last election and took time to research candidates on where they stand on school issues. Better yet, write to them and let your voice be heard. They are, in fact, suppose to be a representation of your community. Are they representing you well?
Where is the administration in the classrooms? As a regular parent volunteer I never see the administration in the classrooms. Hmmm… logic tells me that in any other work place environment there is always a manager hanging over someone at some point in time looking to offer criticism, and hopefully in a good environment, encouragement. Where’s the management in the classroom?
Think about why charter & private schools have become so popular and then ask a school union their opinion on it. Then go visit a charter or private school that is actually having huge successes and then decide for yourself what makes sense.
People who don’t care about the state of our education system are not the ones reading this blog. They are the problem. Whether you agree or disagree with anything I wrote here you cared enough to read through this very long post. That speaks volumes. I hope you think outside the box to better your school in some way shape or form.
you are right on target---i observed a teacher or two that did 99% of those things---she was ostracized by the others that did NOT want to change their teaching styles(too dumb or too lazy),she left the profession,the other teacher stayed and is miserably unhappy----
one of the other problems is the outstanding teachers usually DO NOT get administrative support,and since teaching is a primarily female dominated field,women DO NOT support one another in their need to be number one,and compete
these are just some of my observations from being a classroom assistant---
parents ARE the most useful resource,but most teachers tend to want them NOT involved in the classroom(that should be enforced only if the parent's personal issues would disturb the classroom)
Why do teachers always complain about working "overtime" without compensation? In this area the AVERAGE teacher salary is over 68,000 dollars per year. A home care RN with MSN living in the same area can expect to earn about 55,000 dollars per year, working year round. This includes on-call duties, weekends, holidays, etc. This also includes countless hours in the evening doing documentation and handling phone calls with patients, family members and doctors. No "overtime pay" is received. As a matter of fact, most "professionals" I know are salaried and don't get overtime pay. Most people have to deal with difficult people or stressful situations in the workplace, its part of the job. In my state teachers are certainly NOT underpaid. Yes, the job is important but admit it, its not a bad gig!
At the school I work at, the teachers make $40K, work from 7am to 5pm at the school and work overtime making lesson plans etc.....
I think the issue is that people see teaching as an "easy" job and don't really have an appreciation for it.
you are right on target---i observed a teacher or two that did 99% of those things---she was ostracized by the others that did NOT want to change their teaching styles(too dumb or too lazy),she left the profession,the other teacher stayed and is miserably unhappy----
one of the other problems is the outstanding teachers usually DO NOT get administrative support,and since teaching is a primarily female dominated field,women DO NOT support one another in their need to be number one,and compete
these are just some of my observations from being a classroom assistant---
parents ARE the most useful resource,but most teachers tend to want them NOT involved in the classroom(that should be enforced only if the parent's personal issues would disturb the classroom)
wow, way to make sweeping generalizations based on 1 or 2 teachers you observed and about women as well.
In this area the AVERAGE teacher salary is over 68,000 dollars per year.
Where on earth do you live?? My gosh that is high. Sure, some teachers are making that but with like 20 years of experience. Teachers, with a BA, in Fairfax County, VA, one of the best and supposedly best paid counties in the country, are starting at $41,999. We would all love to know where you live and please know, THAT is not the norm, for sure.
The issue here is that teachers are often under appreciated and there is this falseness out there that teaching is easy and we all have an easy job and do not work long hours, etc. HA, is it laughable to think that people actually think that and are so ignorant!
Why do teachers always complain about working "overtime" without compensation? In this area the AVERAGE teacher salary is over 68,000 dollars per year. A home care RN with MSN living in the same area can expect to earn about 55,000 dollars per year, working year round. This includes on-call duties, weekends, holidays, etc. This also includes countless hours in the evening doing documentation and handling phone calls with patients, family members and doctors. No "overtime pay" is received. As a matter of fact, most "professionals" I know are salaried and don't get overtime pay. Most people have to deal with difficult people or stressful situations in the workplace, its part of the job. In my state teachers are certainly NOT underpaid. Yes, the job is important but admit it, its not a bad gig!
Most teachers contracts are actually for a certain number of hours per day times a certain number of days in the school year.
The average teacher will work far more hours than what is contracted for during a school year. Then, and depending upon the school district, the teacher may also be coming out of pocket (money) to buy supplies and materials for their classes because of a lack of funds available for these things
Why do teachers always complain about working "overtime" without compensation? In this area the AVERAGE teacher salary is over 68,000 dollars per year. A home care RN with MSN living in the same area can expect to earn about 55,000 dollars per year, working year round. This includes on-call duties, weekends, holidays, etc. This also includes countless hours in the evening doing documentation and handling phone calls with patients, family members and doctors. No "overtime pay" is received. As a matter of fact, most "professionals" I know are salaried and don't get overtime pay. Most people have to deal with difficult people or stressful situations in the workplace, its part of the job. In my state teachers are certainly NOT underpaid. Yes, the job is important but admit it, its not a bad gig!
68000 is still not that much money, especially for people educating the next generation of children. And I lived in a VERY well paying district and it is NOWHERE near that number.
I plan on doing Teach for America in South Dakota. Average income in the area where I would be is barely $30,000. It might be a poor area with a low cost of living, but that's still nothing! Many poorer areas of the country suffer from extremely low incomes and that's honestly where so many of the problems with educators come from. Districts cannot afford competitive salaries for decent teachers.
I am so sorry, it is not 68k it is 66k (rounded up). But the point of the post is that teaching , like many other professions, is not just 9-5 but few others get as much time off as teachers do.
oh my gosh, just read my above post, sounds stupid! With a two-year-old having a temper tantrum next to me it is a little hard to concentrate! The point of my post is that I don't think it makes sense for teachers to complain about lack of overtime pay.
oh my gosh, just read my above post, sounds stupid! With a two-year-old having a temper tantrum next to me it is a little hard to concentrate! The point of my post is that I don't think it makes sense for teachers to complain about lack of overtime pay.
I really think that teachers are not looking for overtime pay, rather for respect for the job that we do and the hours and time we give to the kids.
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