So I figure I have to vent and see if anyone else has had issues like this.... Last night I was having a nice evening with my boyfriend until I mentioned that I hoped we'd have a snowday in March since we have no days off in March. He started laughing at me and said "Poor you.. no days off in March.. you only have 3 months off in the summer." I got so mad at him that I didn't talk to him for the rest of the night. Before we went to bed we argued about it for a while.. he thought i was being too sensitive.. then he actually accused me of being drunk and that's why i was upset (i had only had 2 drinks!)... he apologized later but I don't think he meant it... he really thought I was being silly about the whole thing... I guess I'm just upset because he's always been so supportive of my profession and he knows I'm making crap money... I pointed out the fact that he may not have off all that time but he also makes like 4 times what I make and flies off to different countries on the company's dime. He also knows how much I work outside of school... It's that "teachers only work 9 months out of the year" mentality that has kept our district with no contract for 2 years... I went to bed thinking I was over it, but I woke up this morning still pissed! Am I being overly sensitive about it? How do you guys handle it when someone you love gives you that attitude?
Luckily, my husband knows better than to say things like that, but we have been married a long time and he is trained! I think we are spoiled in getting days off. A friend of mine who taught for a few years left teaching and went into the 'business' world and the hardest thing for her to get used to was working for 11 1/2 months, getting 2 weeks off, then back to 11 1/2 months. She also hated not having time off before or after Christmas, Spring break, etc. BUT, when someone says about having summer off, Christmas... I remind them I also don't get PAID for the days I don't work. Other than a couple of paid holidays, if I am not in school, I am not getting paid. Lots of people don't realize that.
Sure it is a salary, but my yearly salary is divided by the number of days I actually work, to get my bi-weekly pay. You can divide my salary anyway you want, but I am not paid for the 10 days off I have at Christmas. I get a check, but only because they evenly divided my yearly salary. Does that make sense.
I show them my contract that states $39,861 for 186 days from 7:45-4:15. I also have my salary divided into 20 weeks with no pay in the summer. I remind them of that.
Get used to it! It's what the entire world thinks. They know you put in extra time and your job is not easy; yet they view you as having soooo much time off. They don't get it!
I wish people understood that! I could take my whole salary in the 10 months I work, but then I'd have to pay for my health insurance over the summer. A lot of the teachers I know can't budget their money, so they'd have to lose it, and that would be a disaster. And where else can you be so poorly paid, but expected to maintain certifications and endorsements, and work extra, and BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CHILDREN??? How can the general public be so dumb about teachers? If I hear "Why don't you get a real job, with all of your education?" I'll probably lose it!
oh, my favorite is "Oh, now that you have both kids in school, when are you going to get a real job?"
Sometimes I wonder if people FORGET that the only reason they're so smart (uhhhh cough cough wink wink) is because a TEACHER made them that way!!!
Ok, so I posted a response, but it got lost in internet space. My DH sometimes says this, but he realizes how hard I work and the hours I put in at school during the summer. And he doesn't care about salary, just as long as the bills are paid during the summer. But I understand where some people would be under the assumption that we are paid during the summer and the breaks that we get. Then again, you know what they say about assuming.....
They are all jealous of us!! I simply state: "You knew the perks of being a teacher when you chose your career. If you wanted all of the time off, you should have become a teacher."
He knew I was pissed cause he texted me "r you still pissed at me? you left in a hurry this morning." We ended up texting each other all day about it and I think he understands my point now. At least he knows not to say things like that anymore! He even admits that I work more than he does. I think i was just so **** sick of hearing about it from other idiots that I freaked when he said something he meant so innocently. The time we have off is a perk. Every job has it perks. I really think people are jealous. Most teachers have to work during the summer anyway to make ends meet.
RLBteacher, it's a shame your bf got sarcastic. I don't know how his personality normally is or if he's the srcastic type, but it's too bad he's like that. I agree w/ love2teach. I think that even though teachers are known for not getting paid much, society is somewhat jealous of teachers for having so much time off per year. I think that if everyone had the choice, they would rather get paid a little less & have more vacation time as opposed to working year-round & be lucky to have seniority to build vacation time like most jobs are. I've been in the teaching profession since 1999 & my bf has never shown any kind of jealously or sarcasm toward my profession. He's happy that I get to relax. If it was between him or I, he'd rather I don't have to work as much. He's wonderful! If someone really wants 3 mos & holidays off a year & doesn't mind the salary, they should have become a teacher.
Ms. I, He's never said anything like that, that's why I was so thrown off by it.. he's always the one commenting how I work so much harder than he works. He's an amazing guy... he's been more upset about the lack of contract than I was.. I think it was just a case of letting a stupid comment slip out of his mouth without thinking I'd react the way I did. After giving him a piece of my mind, i think he's learned his lesson. lol
The thing is (and I say it to everyone who will listen) we don't really get time off during the summer months. We simply get that time away from students. Summer is the time when we get ready for the following school year, plan and organize lessons we wanted to teach or that didn't go well, work other jobs to make ends meet, take classes for advanced degrees or recertification, and so on. And lets not forget the teaching is not a 40 hour work week. Probably closer to 50 or 60 by the time you factor in all the grading, report cards, phone calls, meetings, conferences, etc. All in all, we really don't get that much more "free time". It's just spaced out differently, and we don't get paid for a huge chunk of it. Teachers ought to be able to bill by the hour like laywers do. Charge them if you even think about the case.
Runs-a teacher I work with has been documenting her hours (and minutes) all year long, just to see exactly how many hours she is working. I'll let you know her number at the end of the year-she and I work very similar hours!
All I know is that managers at the corner gas station make better money than I do. There was a wanted sign on the door stating the starting pay.
Oh, this is just what I'm going to say from now on when anyone talks about all the time off. I love it
Oh, he'll change his mind when he has kids of his own. In the meantime, invite him in to help you when you do special projects of have parties. He'll wonder how you survive 10 months out of the year.....
Exactly! I received a comment from a friend soon after I switched careers about barely having to work at all, and I told her that the breaks are for our sanity. If we didn't have them, there would be no more living children on the planet. We all love our students, but the human mind and body can only take so much. :lol:
no, not at all! there is a time to tease and a time to be serious. NOBODY should be teased about their jobs! If you came back with a , "Well you just go flying all over the country like you're on vacation, what do you call that, work?" He would be truly po'd! If you can't take what you dish out, then it isn't funny! Tell him so he knows you mean it, and don't let it happen again! Keep a straight face, and say: I don't like it when you make jokes about my career. I take my work seriously, and I thought you did too. Couples should be supportive of one another!
Master Pre-K, I agree with you that couples should be supportive of each other. But in most instances they are just not, especially in the teaching profession.
My husband has always been supportive, but when we first got married, he just did not understand why I was SO tired when I got home. He is a mechanic and only understood physical labor. But he has since retired and I have made him drive on field trips and he certainly understands alot better. I think every spouse, husband or wife, should come in for one full day to see just what we do and maybe they would understand our jobs a bit better.
I did that once!! I was so depressed I vowed never to do it again. I just try to remember the kids that love me and are successful in their classes because of all my extra help.
