Why is the teaching profession so maligned?

Question

Many adults still think of teachers the same way they did when they were children. They still think a teacher's day starts and ends when the school day starts and ends. They forget what little pricks they were in class and forget that the teacher had to deal with thirty of them at a time.

Answer 1

It's so easy to blame teachers and schools because everyone has had experience with teachers and schools. (And it is human nature to blame someone.) Good teachers make things look easy so people mistakenly believe that teaching is an easy job with lots of holidays.

Another big part of the problem is that teachers do not always take full credit for the work that they do. While doctors, lawyers and other professionals present their clients/patients with a bill that itemizes their services, you won't find a teacher who adds to the bottom of a student's report card, "Services performed by your child's teacher include:
- assessing strengths and needs to determine appropriate academic programming
- designing individual program appropriate to the student's needs and strengths
- researching current strategies and modifying them to fit the required curriculum and school policies
- responding to student behaviours and ensuring that the classroom environment will maximize learning
- creating a classroom environment that reflects respect for all students and motivates student learning
- delivers curriculum according to policy
- assesses student progress and reports to student, parents and school
- implements all policies (government and school) - current and new
- collaborates with system partners to implement learning plans for individual students"
and so on....

Answer 2

Like you said, many think that our day is 7.5 hours long and that we only work from August 20 to June 10 (give or take) and that we have plenty of time off. They think we make loads of money, which explains why I work a part-time job on Sundays and over the summer. They forget or don't realize that most Teachers have to take their job home with them, because we don't have time to do everything in school or after school. They don't realize that many Teachers will work over every summer, on next years plans. They also forget that if they scream, yell or spank their kid, it usually isn't a crime. If I scream at a kid, then I get called to the office. If I hit a student (realize I have 4 girls total in 4 classes, many of my "guys" are 6" taller than I am), I would be hit back, taken to jail and then lose my job. It also doesn't help that we hear about the sex-offender teachers or the ones abuse a student. You do not hear about the other 99.9%.

Answer 3

they forget that the parents had them for years before they got to school and have them more hours during the day than the teacher does. it's part of the reason I left teaching.

Answer 4

I am assuming you are a teacher too?

I actually had a parent tell me I was an over paid baby sitter.

Imagine how pissed he was when all of his kids came through my class after that... and I was the one that discovered his youngest son wasnt failing b/c he was an ***... it was b/c he had a visual problem related to color so he couldnt READ the shades of reg (orange, red, pink, etc) in books, on boards, on tests, etc.

When they get pissy with you.... ask them to spend a few hours in your class or shadowing thier kid... that usually changes their attitudes...

Answer 5

Everyone needs someone to blame....It is easier to blame teachers than possibly the parent or the community.