Teachers’ tales

aclockworkorange: I came late to teaching - from “industry”. I have been in now for eight years and still love my job and believe on a number of levels that I am a successful practitioner. I have begun a master’s as I believe in the vocation as a “professional” destination. However, the negativity, spurious logic, lack of professionalism and downright failure to stay in touch with reality that I have encountered both here and in the staffroom really bemuses me. I can’t believe the moaning.

halfajack: I believe there are some teachers who are sheltered from reality but I believe this will die out. I worked all through my degree and PGDE in a variety of jobs and almost full-time for most of the time. I made more friends in my workplaces than at uni and felt very much in touch with the “real world”. I think my experience is now much more common, and will be the case for more and more students as living costs continue to rise.

mossop: Teaching is not a happy profession in this country at the moment and almost everyone is feeling down about the job. Me? I love teaching. I love being with the pupils and teaching them. I don’t love all the cr@p that’s being piled on us all from on high. Is it worse than any other job? No, not at all. Doesn’t mean I’m not entitled to whinge about something that I don’t think is right, surely?

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