[Tthip]

I am sick of teachers saying they do not make enough.
My sister is a teacher, 6 of my neighbors are teachers, 4 of my friends are teachers.
A few of them talk about what they make - and have the balls to bitch about it. I just want to laugh at them.
The average teacher salary in Western New York is $53,000.
My aunt is a principal and makes $100,000.
Not too bad for an average salary - for nine months of work.
I do not make enough at my job either.
And I am sure 95% of you do not think you make enough at your jobs also.

[cferneyh]

Bit of a sweeping generalization don't ya think? But I understand your point. But we can't forget what a benefit we derive from teachers, even when they bitch. It's certainly more than the beneift we derive from what I, and a lot of well paid people I know, do.

Even if they fell ass-backwards into the job, the ends, benefits and poor pay and low respect give them the grace to take the summer off in my opinion... which isn't even the case in alot of places anymore.

Poor pay? Huh? You ever pro-rated a teacher's salary to a full 52 week job? It's pretty friggin sweet pay if you ask me, not to mention the outrageous benefits (80% pay while on mat leave, which you can extend to two years, a kick ass pension, etc etc etc). Sorry, I'm not in the "whoa are the teachers" camp.

And again, I want to stress that the ones who love being a teacher, take it very seriously and do a great job, I've got no bones with them. It's the clowns who saw it as a ticket to having the summer off among the other perks, then whine about the pay - those are the ones that I take issue with.

[opiated]

i remember after every summer our teachers would tell us about the fantastic vacations they had over the summer..all these great places they got to visit...and i remember thinking.."geez..i wish my family could afford all that.."..

the teachers in BC should stop holding the students hostage...go back to work

[VioletlightHeron]

People who use debit/credit for EVERYTHING.

CASH people, it's faster. I don't give a flaming crap if you don't like change.

Here, here. I've used my debit card three times in my entire life, all during the same shopping spree three years ago.

As for no debit at Tim Horton's, I think it's good for business and PR. They claim they give all their "keep the change" money to their foundations and camps. In 2003, that money was over $60,000 at a single Tim Horton's in Kanata, so imagine the benefits if the whole chain operated that way. But for convienince sake, I think they'll all be debit friendly soon enough.

IMO, buying things with cash only is a major pain in the ass because it holds up everything and I always fumble around trying to find change and whatnot, plus its annoying to have to carry so much cash around if you are going on a shopping spree. Plus, paying by debit/credit allows me to keep better track of what im spending on everyday things.

[VioletlightHeron]

Bit of a sweeping generalization don't ya think? But I understand your point. But we can't forget what a benefit we derive from teachers, even when they bitch. It's certainly more than the beneift we derive from what I, and a lot of well paid people I know, do.

Even if they fell ass-backwards into the job, the ends, benefits and poor pay and low respect give them the grace to take the summer off in my opinion... which isn't even the case in alot of places anymore.

Poor pay? Huh? You ever pro-rated a teacher's salary to a full 52 week job? It's pretty friggin sweet pay if you ask me, not to mention the outrageous benefits (80% pay while on mat leave, which you can extend to two years, a kick ass pension, etc etc etc). Sorry, I'm not in the "whoa are the teachers" camp.

And again, I want to stress that the ones who love being a teacher, take it very seriously and do a great job, I've got no bones with them. It's the clowns who saw it as a ticket to having the summer off among the other perks, then whine about the pay - those are the ones that I take issue with.

Totally agree with you, Chris. The other really annoying thing about teachers is how they deliberately screw the kids out of recommendations and sports when they are negotiating with the school district for a new contract. They keep on saying that they really don't want to have to resort to these drastic measures but in reality they are only hurting themselves and their students by resorting to negotiating tactics like these.

[jonprice34]

I work in a special ed classroom with kids who have behaviour problems, and I work side by side with a teacher who up until now has not taught ONE LESSON PLAN, and actually fell asleep in class (again) while watching a movie on Friday. Basically what I am saying is that the kids who need the most help are getting the least help. The worst part of the situation is that the principal of the school knows and does nothing about it.

I am not ranting about all teachers as I have had and worked with many great ones, but as stated earlier the people who do it for the perks and not for the right reasons, wow do I hate them.

[chicagoblackhawks77]

I am sick of teachers saying they do not make enough.
My sister is a teacher, 6 of my neighbors are teachers, 4 of my friends are teachers.
A few of them talk about what they make - and have the balls to bitch about it. I just want to laugh at them.
The average teacher salary in Western New York is $53,000.
My aunt is a principal and makes $100,000.
Not too bad for an average salary - for nine months of work.
I do not make enough at my job either.
And I am sure 95% of you do not think you make enough at your jobs also.

You are completely misled. I'm a teacher, make nowhere close to any of those amounts, work 60-80 hour weeks, work all summer supplementing my income and or taking additional classes for my masters / certification. I've figured out once that I make about $6 an hour. Why the hell should some greasy nit whit make $8 an hour at a gas station, while I'm contributing something valuable to society?

[chicagoblackhawks77]

Bit of a sweeping generalization don't ya think? But I understand your point. But we can't forget what a benefit we derive from teachers, even when they bitch. It's certainly more than the beneift we derive from what I, and a lot of well paid people I know, do.

Even if they fell ass-backwards into the job, the ends, benefits and poor pay and low respect give them the grace to take the summer off in my opinion... which isn't even the case in alot of places anymore.

Poor pay? Huh? You ever pro-rated a teacher's salary to a full 52 week job? It's pretty friggin sweet pay if you ask me, not to mention the outrageous benefits (80% pay while on mat leave, which you can extend to two years, a kick ass pension, etc etc etc). Sorry, I'm not in the "whoa are the teachers" camp.

And again, I want to stress that the ones who love being a teacher, take it very seriously and do a great job, I've got no bones with them. It's the clowns who saw it as a ticket to having the summer off among the other perks, then whine about the pay - those are the ones that I take issue with.

Excellent point. There are those that work hard and are in the profession for the right reasons, and then there are the hacks that are doing it for the summers, pension, power trip, etc. Excellent point.

[VioletlightHeron]

I am sick of teachers saying they do not make enough.
My sister is a teacher, 6 of my neighbors are teachers, 4 of my friends are teachers.
A few of them talk about what they make - and have the balls to bitch about it. I just want to laugh at them.
The average teacher salary in Western New York is $53,000.
My aunt is a principal and makes $100,000.
Not too bad for an average salary - for nine months of work.
I do not make enough at my job either.
And I am sure 95% of you do not think you make enough at your jobs also.

You are completely misled. I'm a teacher, make nowhere close to any of those amounts, work 60-80 hour weeks, work all summer supplementing my income and or taking additional classes for my masters / certification. I've figured out once that I make about $6 an hour. Why the hell should some greasy nit whit make $8 an hour at a gas station, while I'm contributing something valuable to society?

Again, I think the salary difference depends on where you are teaching. My mom was recently approached to do some substitute teaching for home economics and they were offering $12 an hour!. I've known some really good teachers who went above and beyond the call of duty to make their subjects interesting to their students and I've had some teachers who just drone through their lesson plans like they couldn't give a shit.

[chicagoblackhawks77]

I think I've been too harsh here. I apologize.

I think what all of us are hitting on is this:

There needs to be some kind of quantifiable system to judge the progress / effectiveness of teachers. I agree in that there are many out there that meander through lessons they made 20 years ago; my boss for example. Then, there are guys like me that care about the kids, but insane amounts of prep work in, and try to be creative. But how do you make that distinction? This is something my friends and I talk about all the time.

[Stickboy]

I am a special ed teacher in an Outreach School where kids who get kicked out of regular schools go. I have kids who have been abused in ways you would never want to know, kids who are hooked on hard drugs, kids born of mothers who abused themselves with drugs and alcohol while pregnant. I took this job because I want to do something positive with my life. I wanted to be a teacher all my life and never once bitched about the money. I owe 40000 in student loans that I try to pay off by working 6 weeks of the 8 week summer I get. I teach basketball camps the other two weeks. that leaves me two weeks off at christmas and 1 week off at easter, which is a fair number of holidays for most people starting a job.

I work in a high risk area with extremely difficult kids and I have to listen to the shit and abuse of people who only remember the lazy teacher or the jerk who screwed them over in English class. Don't believe every stereotype you hear, some of us 1) love our jobs, 2) do it because we know the positive influence our position can have on the world and 3) are quite happy with our pay

Oh and one more thing, I hate being in a union and I hate taking things away from kids when we are on strike. One of my favorite things about teaching is coaching and I coach basketball for 7 months of the year for zero dollars...and I love it. If it were up to me, we would never take away sports due to labour conflict.

Most of these posts are perfect examples of the crap I am sick of listening to...I don't want more money, I am happy with the three weeks of holidays I get, I give up plenty of my own time to coach basketball, I hate being in a union and striking and I care a great deal about one thing -- the kids.

Get off teachers, you offend the hell out of me

Stickboy

[cferneyh]

Don't believe every stereotype you hear, some of us 1) love our jobs, 2) do it because we know the positive influence our position can have on the world and 3) are quite happy with our pay

You yourself say it is "some of you". The fact that it is "some of you" and not "most of you" is the reason the stereotypes exist.

Sounds like you work your ass off and don't bitch. I think the posts that have been made have been clear to exclude teachers like you (i.e. the minority).

[chicagoblackhawks77]

I am a special ed teacher in an Outreach School where kids who get kicked out of regular schools go. I have kids who have been abused in ways you would never want to know, kids who are hooked on hard drugs, kids born of mothers who abused themselves with drugs and alcohol while pregnant. I took this job because I want to do something positive with my life. I wanted to be a teacher all my life and never once bitched about the money. I owe 40000 in student loans that I try to pay off by working 6 weeks of the 8 week summer I get. I teach basketball camps the other two weeks. that leaves me two weeks off at christmas and 1 week off at easter, which is a fair number of holidays for most people starting a job.

I work in a high risk area with extremely difficult kids and I have to listen to the shit and abuse of people who only remember the lazy teacher or the jerk who screwed them over in English class. Don't believe every stereotype you hear, some of us 1) love our jobs, 2) do it because we know the positive influence our position can have on the world and 3) are quite happy with our pay

Oh and one more thing, I hate being in a union and I hate taking things away from kids when we are on strike. One of my favorite things about teaching is coaching and I coach basketball for 7 months of the year for zero dollars...and I love it. If it were up to me, we would never take away sports due to labour conflict.

Most of these posts are perfect examples of the crap I am sick of listening to...I don't want more money, I am happy with the three weeks of holidays I get, I give up plenty of my own time to coach basketball, I hate being in a union and striking and I care a great deal about one thing -- the kids.

Get off teachers, you offend the hell out of me

Stickboy

Word Stickboy!

[Chris Tanz]

People who use debit/credit for EVERYTHING.

CASH people, it's faster. I don't give a flaming crap if you don't like change.

As a person who uses debit/credit for everything, I take umbrage to the foregoing and say "why?" Why do you hate me? Why do you not give a flaming crap about me and my dislike for change?

I am hurt to the core.

ct

[Lizard King]

I hate people who hate people that use debit for everything, so there!

I love how this thread is going from things you hate to teacher debate back to things you hate, its cool when that happens.