Raise the Hammer

Speaking as someone married to a teacher, I can tell you that teachers can get into the school that early, and even earlier, via custodians who are already there. My husband starts his work day as early as 6:30-7:00 am every day,works through lunches, and takes no breaks -- recesses are spent returning phone calls, completing admin tasks, assisting students, when he is not scheduled for yard duty. He spends evenings and weekends marking, preparing lessons, and researching and/or practicing for whatever extra-curricular events he is assisting with. He has spent many thousands of dollars of our money on additional qualifications courses, because school boards do not pay for these. Any money he spends out of his own pocket on teaching aids, reference books, or his own supplies are not claimable on tax returns. He has never worked for a board that pays out sick day gratuities upon retirement (though to read the paper you'd think all teachers had this perk). The union he belongs to is not engaging in any job actions such as the work-to-rule campaign you refer to, though, again, the media (including this article) imply otherwise.

The points I have mentioned above apply to the teachers we know, including those among our friends and those who have taught our own children (a considerable number, taking into account the size of our family).

One more thing- from the article above: "That's the behaviour one would expect of a petulant child or an abusive spouse." Really? Saying "I'm not going to coach you for the marathon after work today, honey," is the same as beating your wife? Please.

Teaching, like other white-collar jobs requiring both post secondary and post graduate education, has both its advantages and disadvantages as well as considerable responsibility. To have two months off every summer where one's time is one's own is good (though some of that time is spent on professional development, or on preparing for the coming year), but not too different from other professions where lieu time is accrued (not possible in teaching) or vacation time increases with seniority. Having said that, we have never encouraged any of our own children to go into teaching, even in the years before the teaching job market dried up. Articles like this one, typically seen at both the beginning and the end of the school year, are part of the reason for this.

Comment edited by Michelle Martin on 2012-09-19 08:38:01