Unpopular Opinions You Hold

[Buce]

9 minutes ago, MattP said:

I've never tried properly to calculate it, it's probably not that much actually, but it's certainly well into six figures.

 

Hopefully that's all behind me now anyway.

 

Wanna bet?

[Guest]

people should take game discussions to the gaming section.

 

Racism will cease to be a problem for humans when we find Aliens we can hate instead.

[Milo]

Teachers don't need 3 months holiday a year. 

 

Schools should have longer holidays at Christmas and shorter ones in the summer. Would save a fortune on school heating bills. 

 

(And I should be able to charge my school £60 for every inset day)

[Charl91]

47 minutes ago, Milo said:

Teachers don't need 3 months holiday a year. 

 

Schools should have longer holidays at Christmas and shorter ones in the summer. Would save a fortune on school heating bills. 

 

(And I should be able to charge my school £60 for every inset day)

 

I'd happily only have 3 weeks holidays, as long as it meant that I would only have to work 7:30 - 6:00 on a week day, and not have to work at all on weekends.

 

(Yes, I always bite at comments like this, and I'm an idiot for doing so. But as I've been doing at least 50 hours a week at school, 10 hours in the evenings on a weekday, and probably about 8 hours on a weekend, it makes me very grouchy. But yeah, all the teachers leaving the profession because the holidays are too good, . )

 

(But I do agree about Summer and Christmas though).

Edited 26 September 2017 by Charl91

[Guest]

54 minutes ago, Milo said:

Teachers don't need 3 months holiday a year. 

 

Schools should have longer holidays at Christmas and shorter ones in the summer. Would save a fortune on school heating bills. 

 

(And I should be able to charge my school £60 for every inset day)

No we need 7 or 8 months holiday. I sort out my school year teaching so that I get 5 months at the moment (4 in the summer and 1 in the winter)

 

16 minutes ago, Charl91 said:

 

I'd happily only have 3 weeks holidays, as long as it meant that I would only have to work 7:30 - 6:00 on a week day, and not have to work at all on weekends.

 

(Yes, I always bite at comments like this, and I'm an idiot for doing so. But as I've been doing at least 50 hours a week at school, 10 hours in the evenings on a weekday, and probably about 8 hours on a weekend, it makes me very grouchy. But yeah, all the teachers leaving the profession because the holidays are too good, . )

 

(But I do agree about Summer and Christmas though).

If that is how much you're working you're doing something wrong (or it's your first year).

[Charl91]

9 minutes ago, FIF said:

No we need 7 or 8 months holiday. I sort out my school year teaching so that I get 5 months at the moment (4 in the summer and 1 in the winter)

 

If that is how much you're working you're doing something wrong (or it's your first year).

 

Nope, 4th year. School's not in a good place, etc. etc., so pressure is on everyone, and workload has gone from difficult to insane.

 

(Plus primary teachers always average more hours than other forms of teaching anyway. I know many primary teachers, from different schools/counties that work similar hours, if not quite as extreme).

Edited 26 September 2017 by Charl91

[Filberts lovechild]

The Mccans did it.

 

[Milo]

47 minutes ago, Charl91 said:

Yes, I always bite at comments like this, and I'm an idiot for doing so.

Not at all and not just you - every teacher I know does (I have two teachers and two ex-teachers in the family).

 

All teachers are super touchy about the holidays - but the reality is that there are numerous public service workers who do a lot of hours but don't get months and months of holidays. It's unjustifiable which is why it's a touchy subject. And I'm speaking from experience in falling out with my mother in law (ex-teacher) who couldn't come up with a reasoned argument why a teacher gets two paid weeks at Christmas off and all of August off whilst, say, an A&E nurse, doesn't.

 

Your own own experiences sound pretty poor, tbh - but I know that not everyone has it that tough. 

 

Anyway - this thread is about unpopular opinions! 

[Milo]

 

 

 

(Good job. Glad to see my hard earned tax money is being used well). 

 

 

[Captain...]

3 hours ago, FIF said:

 

people should take game discussions to the gaming section.

 

People should take complaints to the "What grinds my gear thread" 

[Charl91]

35 minutes ago, Milo said:

Not at all and not just you - every teacher I know does (I have two teachers and two ex-teachers in the family).

 

All teachers are super touchy about the holidays - but the reality is that there are numerous public service workers who do a lot of hours but don't get months and months of holidays. It's unjustifiable which is why it's a touchy subject. And I'm speaking from experience in falling out with my mother in law (ex-teacher) who couldn't come up with a reasoned argument why a teacher gets two paid weeks at Christmas off and all of August off whilst, say, an A&E nurse, doesn't.

 

Your own own experiences sound pretty poor, tbh - but I know that not everyone has it that tough. 

 

Anyway - this thread is about unpopular opinions! 

 

 

Nurses are a pretty poor comparison, since it's universally acknowledged that they do a shitty job for a pittance. But ok, let me attempt to make a reasoned argument, using some maths.

 

• From what I can tell (at least from google), nurses don't tend to work more than 40 hours a week.
• From google, I also found that studies show primary teachers work 59 hours a week. Now quite possibly there are some teachers over-inflating their hours (though i know I work a lot more than that) so I rounded down to 55, for the sake of fairness (bear in mind I spend 50 hours a week just in school; I'm in at 7:30 every day and leave at 5:30 on average, so I can easily see teachers working way more than 55).

Primary teachers: 2145 hours a year

Nurses: 1920 hours a year (being generous with their holiday)

 

Now this is just during term time. This doesn't include any time spent in school during holidays (I spent 5 days of my summer in school), or time spent planning, etc. during half terms/holidays (at least 4 days of each holiday). Time spent working in holidays easily would add up to 100 hours over a year, and that's doing a disservice to most teachers. (I hate the term "All of August off" as if all the work just does itself. It's like saying that people that work from home are on holiday all the time). Now let's also couple that with the fact that teachers can't choose when to take their holiday off.

 

Now maybe I'm getting the wrong end of the stick with nurses hours; I am only going off google. Maybe my calculations are wrong. I also think that nurses have to do a more difficult job. But by all my calculations, teachers work for more hours in a year. So I'm not quite sure I see your point about teachers needing even less holiday per year.

 

Let's give a ridiculously conservative estimate. Even if a teacher only worked 50 hours a week (incredibly unrealistic, don't think I ever worked less than 50 hours). 50 x 39 weeks = 1950 hours.

Let's say nurses work 40 hours a week for 48 weeks. 40 x 48 = 1920 hours.

 

(Sorry for taking over this thread, it really is an incredibly touchy subject! I also can't comment on the hours worked by secondary teachers/university lecturers, etc.)

Edited 26 September 2017 by Charl91

[Great Boos Up]

On ‎23‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 20:13, Redouane said:

Ranieri shouldn't have been sacked 

I have rep'd you. For on the unpopular opinions thread the reps given berating your comment makes you the best poster. You Sir are my idol and I salute you.

And you're right. He shouldn't have; but had to.

[Footballwipe]

Teachers are touchy about holidays because for most responsible teachers who actually take their job seriously it's not weeks and weeks of holiday. Only someone ignorant (and claiming to have "teachers in the family" doesn't stop that tag) thinks every teacher sits on a sunlounger for every moment of their holiday.

 

But keep chipping away at the honest teachers who work their arses off to educate young people, it's not as if there's enough demonising of the job already 

[Milo]

9 minutes ago, Footballwipe said:

 

Teachers are touchy about holidays because for most responsible teachers who actually take their job seriously it's not weeks and weeks of holiday. Only someone ignorant (and claiming to have "teachers in the family" doesn't stop that tag) thinks every teacher sits on a sunlounger for every moment of their holiday.

 

But keep chipping away at the honest teachers who work their arses off to educate young people, it's not as if there's enough demonising of the job already 

 

*sigh*

[Jattdogg]

My wife is a teacher here in canada and she puts in long hours. Always marking in the evenings.. then she has to write reports up each term which screws me over for like 3 or 4 weekends in a row. She literally tells me (ya im a little b1tch ) take the kids and disappear for the next 4 weekends as im busy doing report cards. We also have to always travel during the most expensive times (although a lot of parents with school age kids travel during this time they can also take the kids out of school during non busy times). But a moot point.

 

Also, she usually takes classes in the summer holidays to better her teaching. She has to prepare her class before the year starts so that usually kills 4 or 5 business days.  Over the xmas holidays she does marking or lesson planning/prepping.

 

Most of you can barely handle your own 2 or 3 kids for a few hours lol. Try teaching 30 of the cvnts. You cant beat students these days (sucks for teachers). The stories i hear are shocking.

 

Its a tough job and the real good teachers out there get a bad rep for the few that abuse the "time off ".

 

I always tell my wife i should bill the school board because i end up being a single dad so often (as part of her job)

 

Now, there are much tougher jobs then a teacher (thats for sure) but most of us who sit in an air conditioned office smashing keys all day have it easier. 

[Bryn]

I think the length of holidays teachers get is a perk, I think it's churlish to consider it anything else.

 

However, that has to be counterbalanced against the hours they do in term time. And further, what do you want them to do when the kids are off? Turn up and teach an empty classroom?

 

I often wonder if a teacher could do more of their lesson prep in the summer holiday so they don't have to do as much in term time, but given that I've never worked as a teacher I can't know for sure.

[Voll Blau]

2 hours ago, Bryn said:

I think the length of holidays teachers get is a perk, I think it's churlish to consider it anything else.

 

However, that has to be counterbalanced against the hours they do in term time. And further, what do you want them to do when the kids are off? Turn up and teach an empty classroom?

 

I often wonder if a teacher could do more of their lesson prep in the summer holiday so they don't have to do as much in term time, but given that I've never worked as a teacher I can't know for sure.

They do already.

Edited 27 September 2017 by Voll Blau

[Guest]

13 hours ago, Milo said:

Not at all and not just you - every teacher I know does (I have two teachers and two ex-teachers in the family).

 

All teachers are super touchy about the holidays - but the reality is that there are numerous public service workers who do a lot of hours but don't get months and months of holidays. It's unjustifiable which is why it's a touchy subject. And I'm speaking from experience in falling out with my mother in law (ex-teacher) who couldn't come up with a reasoned argument why a teacher gets two paid weeks at Christmas off and all of August off whilst, say, an A&E nurse, doesn't.

 

Your own own experiences sound pretty poor, tbh - but I know that not everyone has it that tough. 

 

Anyway - this thread is about unpopular opinions! 

For a person who is married to a teacher you don't really understand the job do you? Just because a teacher is not physically in class teaching that doesn't mean they are not working. I'm sure even you mother in law worked in the evenings and during every holiday creating, preparing, thinking through, correcting etc... school work. A nurse doesn't go home in the evening and spend hours researching new bandaging techniques for the next week or correcting patients injuries do they? I have days when I watch 8 hours worth of boring video clips trying to find a 5 minute clip that is suitable for what I want the students to acquire and then I create the lesson that will go around that clip. If you want teachers in schools 48 weeks a year, you'll have teacher burn out by 25 and no teachers.

[Bryn]

53 minutes ago, Voll Blau said:

They do already.

 

To already do more makes no sense. 

[Lovejoy]

Cardiff v Leeds in The Championship was far more appealing last night than the Champions League.

[Milo]

22 minutes ago, FIF said:

For a person who is married to a teacher you don't really understand the job do you?

Your assumption that I don't really understand the job is based on based on what, exactly? And who's married to a teacher? I'm not. 

 

I seem to be getting a bit of abuse on a 'unpopular opinions you hold' thread. 

 

Charl91 made a very detailed, intelligent and reasoned response. Footballwipe didn't, and you were somewhere in the middle. 

 

The previous argument that 'you should try working with kids all day' is a moot one. I could think of nothing worse. Neither do I want to look in people's mouths all day, which is why I'm not a dentist, etc.

 

I am in no way equipped with the relevant skills set to enable me to do a teaching job, and I admire those that choose to do it as either a vocation or even those that just do it as job until the pension comes along. I still remember the teachers from Hastings High School and JCC in the mid eighties that inspired, cajoled, entertained and occasionally beat me. 

 

Of course I know it's a demanding job...but there are a number of demanding public sector jobs where people work long hours and don't get the whole summer off. Paid. 

 

Maybe im just a little envious. 

 

And then inset days just take the piss. 

 

I have to pay around £140 per day for my kids to be looked after while I'm working...after the 6 week long (or two week long) holiday has finished. Why don't the teachers come in on the Friday before the first Monday to set everything up? 

 

Good teachers should be nurtured, lauded, admired and encouraged by whatever means necessary to stay in the profession. I just happen to think that the holiday time they get is excessive. 

 

[Voll Blau]

1 hour ago, Milo said:

Your assumption that I don't really understand the job is based on based on what, exactly? And who's married to a teacher? I'm not. 

 

I seem to be getting a bit of abuse on a 'unpopular opinions you hold' thread. 

 

Charl91 made a very detailed, intelligent and reasoned response. Footballwipe didn't, and you were somewhere in the middle. 

 

The previous argument that 'you should try working with kids all day' is a moot one. I could think of nothing worse. Neither do I want to look in people's mouths all day, which is why I'm not a dentist, etc.

 

I am in no way equipped with the relevant skills set to enable me to do a teaching job, and I admire those that choose to do it as either a vocation or even those that just do it as job until the pension comes along. I still remember the teachers from Hastings High School and JCC in the mid eighties that inspired, cajoled, entertained and occasionally beat me. 

 

Of course I know it's a demanding job...but there are a number of demanding public sector jobs where people work long hours and don't get the whole summer off. Paid. 

 

Maybe im just a little envious. 

 

And then inset days just take the piss. 

 

I have to pay around £140 per day for my kids to be looked after while I'm working...after the 6 week long (or two week long) holiday has finished. Why don't the teachers come in on the Friday before the first Monday to set everything up? 

 

Good teachers should be nurtured, lauded, admired and encouraged by whatever means necessary to stay in the profession. I just happen to think that the holiday time they get is excessive. 

 

The reality, in my personal experience, is that teachers often spend a number of days during the holidays doing that.

[ozleicester]

People who overwhelm a topic with off topic discussion should get a room

[filbertway]

One of mine is that despite Ian Watkins being an awful human - I still enjoy listening to lostprophets.

[Guest MattP]

8 minutes ago, filbertway said:

One of mine is that despite Ian Watkins being an awful human - I still enjoy listening to lostprophets.

I still love listening to Gary Glitter.