TheApple

William Phelps said: "Teaching is an art so great and so difficult to master that a man or woman can spend a long life at it without realizing much more than their mistakes and their distances from the ideal."

Actually...... I am at school WAAAAAY longer than 8.5 hours in a day. I get there early. I am one of the last 4 cars in the lot every day. Today, for example, I was there for 11 hours. I have worked a FOURTEEN HOUR day before. Part-time?? And holidays... Because of snow days, I have a workday on spring break AND have to work on Memorial Day.

I can't understand how people can think so low of teachers. Those accountants, lawyers, doctors? Where would they be, if all their life they had horrible teachers who "babysat" them instead of teaching them math skills, reading and comprehension skills, or developing their love for science? So many things are being cut from teachers and their classrooms. When I was in elementary school, we were able to have tadpoles in the classroom, and watch them grow into frogs. I'm only 19, and I'm back in the same classroom observing, and they can't afford to do that anymore. How does any parent look at their child and encourage them to follow their dream to become an astronaut or the first female president, but then goes on to try to take away their education?

To reply to the comment that included the handout about paying teachers only the babysitting wages, I don't know anyone who charges $3 an hour for babysitting. An acceptable price around here is more like $8 or $9 an hour, for a high school student who will most likely sit your child in front of a television and feed him when he's hungry. $8 multiplied (hey didn't you learn that from your teacher?) by the 5 hours the person would pay for, is a $40 work day for one child. $40 per each of the 20 children, is $800. Multiply that by 180 days, and you have $144,000. That doesn’t even consider how well the teachers are educated, or even the fact they are teaching the children anything. The average starting teacher’s salary is $33,000. That is a whole lot different from a babysitter, nanny, or home daycare if they worked the same amount of time, for the same amount of children, who would have to do much less.

Thank you! This article summed it up for me. Of course, I also give the Saturdays for clubs, and after school hours for kids who need help.

Just listen to what Taylor Mali says about 'What teachers make.' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xuFnP5N2uA&feature=related

I give up defending the summers off. If people that are not educators tried to work for a year they will see how much that time is needed for mental health. We are psychologists, disciplinarians, coaches, planners, parents, put on the spot daily, and questioned hourly. This is just from children. Then we are also employees where the principal is watching everything, parents are questioning everything, superintendents are questioning everything. We stay after school when parents don't pick up kids, we are lunch aids and recess aids for smaller schools. We are nurses and confidantes, we break up fights and give perspective. We are role models, we are moms and dads to children who may not have them. We spend hours each night grading papers, planning our day, finding learning styles of each of our students. We are gift givers and incentive makers. We put up with mouthy students, mouthy parents, administration who are only looking at Standardized testing scores. We do not leave at 4:30 and put our work aside. Our job is not 8 hours a day, it's a lifestyle. And I will never leave this profession for all its headaches, the migraines, the late hours, the not so great pay, and the extra activities we are required to do, because I love my students.

I cannot tell you how many people do assume that we get paid over the summer. We simply choose to have our pay checks stretched throughout the whole year. As a 3rd grade teacher and mom of three I can tell you that I love my job and look forward to coming every day. I get up every morning and dress for success, and march excitedly into my classroom. When I say classroom however I use the term loosely as I teach in a portable that is over 20 years old, is hot in the summer (florida) and cold in the winter and is frequented by roaches. I can also tell you that no other job has the responsibility and accountability that we have, making what we make. Every book in my library, every highlighter, every earphone, every poster on my wall......every extra thing in my classroom I purchased other than the text books, desks, chairs and the one box of supplies I recieve once a year. I spend at least 200-300 dollars throughout the year buying things for my students (that is a very conservative figure) and spend endless time on the phone with parents, after or before school conferences, and endless paper work! I love it........ I love the kids and I would never change it. But when you are working in a job that doesn't end when you leave, trailing a wheely cart full of papers to grade, with not even a small hope of ever getting over time, you deserve to complain here and there. And if you took a poll... you would be suprised how many teachers are working at the local supermarket, department store, or tutoring companies all summer.... not laying on a beach in the Bahamas....... we can't afford it.

Wow, where to begin. I have been listening to this argument my entire life. I teach and it is a life consuming job if done right. Those so called planning days are there to provide extra training seminars for teachers that are required if they want to keep their teaching certificate. My summers are jam packed with workshops and classes required to keep my certificate. During the 7:30 to 3:00 hours, I teach and care for your children, all other required work is done after school hours, which I usually do not leave school until 5:30 or 6:00, then I still bring work home to do at night when I have put my own children to bed, from 8pm to about 10pm, and weekends I plan for the upcoming week this takes numerous hours away from my own children at home. To be the best teacher requires work and dedication, It is not an 8 to 3 job and never will be. The pay well it is what it is and it does not include all the items I buy out of pocket to supply the best for your children such as a complete in class library with over 200 books, craft supplies to supplement our academic work, experimental supplies for those few science experiments we can squeeze it in, the computer programs and educational games to provide your children with independent practice other then worksheet after worksheet. Oh and about those worksheets, after my allotted few copies for the year, I pay for the copy price for every piece of paper run off to educate your child. I also had $1000 worth of cubbies built for my classroom so your child would not have to throw that nice school bag on the floor in a closet in the hopes of finding it on time when you want them to leave early. I know there is much, much more because the contents of my classroom that I purchased with my own money takes up the space of a 12 foot moving truck. Why do I do all this, for that little glimpse of a child who finally understands that concept that I taught at least 12 different ways with absolutely no help at home because mom and dad where too busy resting from their 9 to 5 job to take the time to work with their child one on one to help them understand. I wanted to teach since the first grade and I have debated this argument for the last 30 years, it will never change because all these "real world" workers only see teachers as glorified babysitters. I know I am the person who helped your child read and become the person he/she needs to be to succeed in this world and I will take all the time it requires to accomplish this task. If the parents would help out the teachers some, the education process would not be so difficult for their child and maybe they would not feel it necessary to lash out at us hard working caring professionals!