Yeah more probs - Change in teachers

[Bathsheba]

... I think it would be challenging but good to be a relief teacher... I used to work in a highschool AfterCare class (mainly grades 7 - 8) and I really liked getting to know so many different students.... maybe it's because I look too formidable (sterner than I am) LOL but kids don't seem to muck up with me very much. This thread has given me some food for thought

[*Ali*]

i agree that its disgusting how teachers are leaving for no reason at all

I find this to be a gross over generalising statement- untill you have been on the 'front line' in a classroom, had to deal with the copious amounts of things that go on just day to day you can not make a statement like this- let me give you a very few examples of things I have encountered in my very short teaching career- self harming 6 yo, who could be so violent I had to evacuate the entire class to a safe place when he got into a mood and call for help because he was so violent, being called numberous names including a F***ing C***, B***** etc all by children under 8, seeing a relief teacher being chased around a school by a student with a baseball bat, witnessing a year 1 student being flung to the ground by the head by an older student in a rage, having parents threatening all manner of things because they have been upset by something happening to their child, seeing a school put into lockdown because a psychotic women took over an awards ceremony, refused to leave and had to be arrested by the police. These are just a few things I have witnessed in my 5 year teaching career- admittedly I teach in tough schools but that is not the point, this is something that teachers are faced with every day.

And while it is not the best for everyone if a teacher quites during the year, sometimes it is actualley for the best of everyone, the last thing you want for your child is for them to be taught by a teacher about to snap. Most teachers love what they do and put up with alot to continue to do their job, those that love their job and quit usually do so for a very good reason- those that quite their job for no good reason usually aren't the right sort of person to be teaching your children anyway.

Also try not to be too quick to judge, teachers have lives as well, and quite often (and I am sure no more often than other people in other professions) have to leave for personal reason, I dont think they should have to broadcast this personal reasons to everyone to justify there leaving, no more than any other employee in any other job should.

[Bathsheba]

Excellent post Ali! I completely agree. If I didn't have a 3yo climbing on me I'd write more.... back later!

[AliBaby]

I don't have any kids or anything i just wanted to say that i agree that its disgusting how teachers are leaving for no reason at all. I believe children need stability in all aspects of life when they are growing up, having different teachers all the time would confuse the children and upset some of them especially if they liked them. Its amazing how things have changed. I never had a different teacher i had the same from the start of the year to the end. But its so sad that he spent close to 4 years studying in uni to realise that the job stinks pretty much.

Hun, pretty bold statement! Most teachers dont leave a job for NO reason. I am sure there are underlying circumstances, such as that Ali mentioned in her earlier posts.

Sorry but I just had to comment on that.

Back to the opening post....

In regards to the change over of teachers suddenly becoming alot more frequent then back when we all went to school...
The teaching population has now become very young as a massive generation of much older teachers are retiring. Because there was such a gap in intake of teachers into the profession, there are mainly young teachers starting to teach. With young teachers, comes teachers at the age where they are starting families. So yes it is disruptive to the children if this happens to be midyear but it is up to the individual woman when she wants to have a child and it shouldnt have to revolve around the school year.

I have just returned to work after maternity leave and am job sharing with another teacher. Their previous teacher has just left to have her baby. Yes it might have been disruptive to the children but they have coped quite well and we are doing the best we can to keep things the same, good communication and handover to make the transition as easy as we could.

In regards to relief teachers when teachers get sick...
It is hard to get the same casual teacher everyday that a teacher is way. Yes in a perfect world that is how it would work but there is not enough funding in a school to employ the same casual teacher on call all the time. Teachers would love to have the same casual teacher taking the class each time as well (would make it easier for everyone) but it just doesnt work like this.

Also you have to remember that teachers work in a job absolutely surrounded with sickness! I honestly think its worse than working in a hospital with sick people sometimes! The kids that come to school with all their sicknesses and passing them around to not only the kids but the teachers as well can not be helped. Teachers are human as well and get sick. I have been back at work for all of 5 days and this arvo I feel terrible (coming down with a cold). Since being off work from the beginning of the year I had not been sick at all (knew it was because I was away from the kids at school). You cant expect teachers to go to school when they are sick and pass it onto the kids again as well. Sorry to go on about it but it is absolutely the biggest downfall of the job of a teacher and each year I waste such an incredible amount of money at the chemist because of it.

I guess the main thing to remember is teachers are human, they get sick, they have families (which should be our first priority but unfortunately school seems to prioritise for me and not by choice), they are looking for job security, financial security & job satisfaction just as any other workers in different professions are.

[AliBaby]

Ali *snap*

Great minds and names think alike and at the same time!!!

[Bathsheba]

And another excellent post Alibaby! that's soooo true about sickness! When I was a teachers assistant I have never been so sick so often!

[AliBaby]

Aww thanks bath

Its incredible isnt it! Last year i had back to back colds or stomach bugs for about 4 months!! Then DP would get it and we wold fight because then he would get sick and wouldnt get paid for being sick (as he is a business owner).

I just cant believe that I am sick after 5 days back although I shouldnt really be surprised as 4 other kids were off sick today and I sent one home after she started vomiting.

[JLeigh29]

I am a teacher too, and I can understand where parents are coming from. I too feel it is disruptive for students when teachers change often. Unfortunately when we are ill, we can rarely get the same supply teacher in as they are regularly booked in advance. Many teachers are on contracts, so if a longer contract or permanant position becomes available, they'll (understandably) take it. Teachers have a job that can't just be put on hold or 'caught up on' when we are ill.

And as the "Ali's" said so well, we have a highly stressful job that doesn't just go from 9 to 3 for 40 weeks a year like so many people think. Younger teachers are getting burnt out very quickly - I don't think we were prepared for just how full on it can be at uni - and when you think about the public perception of teachers, it's understandable that many young people don't want to stay on in the profession. I know quite a few teachers who have changed careers suddenly (or gone on stress leave, never to return). When you add the mothers on maternity leave into the mix, there is quite a high staff turnover. And don't get me started about illness - at school at the moment we have swine flu and whooping cough plus the whole gamut of colds and flu's. I am yet to get through a winter without at least one cough/cold or infection that has meant taking a day or two off.

If only teaching was just about teaching...

[anney]

My best friend is a primary school teacher and has been now for over 25 years. I have the utmost respect for teachers and what they put up with. My BF was a dedicated and committed teacher but after 20 years, was getting "burn out" which I am sure most teachers who don't have a break in their career get and combined with that she had a child in her class that was very vindictive towards her. In 20 years she had never encountered a child like that and she had no support from the school and had to have 12 months off to recover. Now my friend is in a school but out of the classroom. I find it really sad that something she loved turned so sour. Teachers have alot to put up with.

Anyway, back to the topic. DD goes to our local public primary school. It is such a fantastic school. I have seen no teachers leave throughout the year, expect for pregnancy. Morale is high and class sizes small. the school is quite large and effectively they employ some almost full time staff as relief teachers so there can be continuity for the kids. For example, they book up these staff to do leave relief weeks ahead so if a teacher has planned leave the kids always get continuity. I know some of these teachers might only get one day off a term so really they are full time employees and they tend to put them in the same year level. DD's class had a bad start to the year as her teacher had a death in the family but they had the same relief teacher and DD still loves her.

[kirsty_lee]

Wow, that's pretty crazy. My grade 1 teacher is STILL teaching grade 1 at the same school. Even in high school we didn't have anything like that. Only had one teacher leave but that was because she was useless so we petitioned for her to be removed.