OK, I'll accept that I have no idea how hard it is being a teacher. I'm sure the area and the schools, even the unions (our area is heavily unionized) makes a huge difference to the teaching experience too.
To be honest, I think most of us have no idea how hard it is doing any job, just like nobody else has any idea how hard we work baking and decorating (just cake, right?). My DH is an engineer and never sleeps due to stress related to the fact that if he screws up, power plants blow up. To me, HE really deserves some extra appreciation, but never gets it.
Tubbs-- I want to come and teach where your friend is teaching-- I am a special ed teacher and I have a small class. I work my behind off. I have IEP, triennial, and consultation meetings all the time- before and after work. This is along with the meetings that all the other teachers have to have. Yes we have some professional days built in for training, but we have to keep our certicificates up- so we take extra classes and training. Here in VA we have to take 20 hours of training during the summer! Yes I love my job-- but it is not a walk in the park as you make it sound like. I do cake decorating on the side to make extra money! Yes we have a a few days off for Thanksgiving, a Christmas break and a spring break-- For the pay we get-- it is well deserved--and summers most teachers don't just forget about school-- they are planning for next year.
I also agree about the donations- there has to be a limit to the donations that you make and I don't think anyone should feel oblogated to donate because it is for a school or a teacher. That is up to everyone's discretion. Believe it or not-- we understand that not everyone can afford to donate items to us. We don't expect it is owed to us-- but we do appreciatte it
Looks like this thread has taken a turn that requires a comment from me....I am also a retired teacher. I loved my school, my kids, my principal, and most of the parents. However I spent more time at school or on school work than I did with my family. When my grandchildren started coming, that's when I decided that I needed to take a look at my priorities. My first year of retirement has been busy and fulfilling.
A whole summer off???? Not in Kentucky. Continuing education is required. I have, while teaching, attended two to three week-long professional development sessions in the summer-always at least an hour's drive away. I have also spent upwards of $1000.00 a year on supplies for my classroom, buying fundraiser stuff from kids, buying coffee for the work room, buying back packs for the school's weekend meal program, bringing morale builder cakes when my team needed them, and anonymously sending 8th graders who could not afford it on their 8th grade trip to New York. And yes, I got paid for teaching for 12 months when I only "worked" about 36 weeks. And, yes, I had holidays off....and two death threats!
Putting all of that into the equation, you can't possibly imagine how excited a bunch of teachers can get over a bunch of cookies or candy...
I am sorry that this has turned into a discussion about what teachers do or don't do and what they deserve or don't deserve. As I mentioned, I have been HAPPY to donate goodies to the school throughout the year. Everyone in that building looks out for my children to some degree and, for that alone, they deserve a treat here and there.
I know when I was teaching, I greatly appreciated anything anyone did to spoil me a little bit. I think in all jobs, there are perks and challenges. I hope that those who work in the private sector are sometimes rewarded by bosses or clients or whoever. It sure makes for better morale when people feel appreciated for what they do....whatever that is.
I will continue to help out with the hospitality commitee next year because they do deserve it and I enjoy it. However, I have to limit what I donate...financially if for no other reason.
I am on a school committee called Hospitality and we treat the staff throughout the year to meals, goodies, whatever.
Am I alone in wondering about this. (Some) Teachers do a great job, but it is just that - a job - it's not like they do it for free. Why do they need all this special treatment? I don't understand. My best friend is a teacher, she freely admits it's the best job in the world. She enjoys kids, loves her subject and cannot believe that she gets paid to do it AND gets massive vacations. Tell me why she has to have special meals and extra goodies throughout the year too?
Maybe you truly were just curious, but frankly I'm extremely offended by your attitude. Clearly you do not know everything that is involved in teaching children. It is not an 8am - 3pm job with 3 months off for summer vacation. It's a 16 hour a day job with about 1 month off in the summer by the time you deal with paperwork and lesson plans and PITA parents and giving students extra help and staff meetings and all sorts of other things. How about the fact that you are not just a teacher, but a parent and a guidance counselor and a nurse and a psychologist, usually with too many kids in a classroom, many of whom have behavior issues and special needs.
As a former elementary school teacher I will say this: How about you go spend an entire week in a classroom. I'll bet you won't be asking that question then.
Not sure where your best friend teaches, and yes sometimes it really is the best job in the world. But there is so much crap a teacher has to do deal with for the crappy amount of pay that they receive, that until teachers actually start receiving executive level pay, they deserve all the little extras they can get.
ETA: For someone to say "it's just a job" is so demeaning to what teachers actually do...
Oh! I am so worked up about this I could spit!
I'm really in the middle about this so please don't assume I'm siding with one person or another. I have two comments to make about this particular conversation.
1) Tubbs: My DH gets paid to be in the military, but I really appreciate and find quite awesome, people giving him military discounts, asking him to stand to be recognized at public events and strangers annonymously paying for our meals at restaurants.
2) CakesbyCathy: While I understand passion for one's vocation, I think it's overreacting to get so worked up about her comment. You saying things like: "How about you go spend an entire week in a classroom" is a bit much. She didn't choose to be a teacher, you did. Obviously not everyone is cut out to do it, you obviously are. No one can understand the work involved (or appreciate it) unless you are (or have been a teacher). You do it because you love it, but you can't expect others to have the same passion about it that you do.
I'm not siding with either side on this either.
Teachers take papers home to grade on their own time and meet with parents after school hours. When I worked in corporate america, I took a briefcase full of work home with me almost everynight and had lots of after work meetings and events I had to attend.
Teachers deal with kids who have issues at home. Corporate bosses deal with those kids who grew into adults and still have the issues. Teacher fear letting down a child who can't do the work. I can tell you personally that bosses agonize over a decision to fire an employee due to cutbacks or bad performance because contrary to popular belief, a boss DOES think about the family that won't be able to pay their rent now.
Teachers can't call in sick if there's no one to replace them. I've often gone to work ill because I knew we were shorthanded in the office and I had to be there.
Teachers like to be recognized for the hard work they do and want to be appreciated for their contribution. So do those who work for corporate america.
Jobs, no matter what it is, or no matter what the passion that made us choose that path in life, are very similar, no matter what it is or where we do it.
We're not all that different.
I'm not siding with either side on this either.
Teachers take papers home to grade on their own time and meet with parents after school hours. When I worked in corporate america, I took a briefcase full of work home with me almost everynight and had lots of after work meetings and events I had to attend.
Teachers deal with kids who have issues at home. Corporate bosses deal with those kids who grew into adults and still have the issues. Teacher fear letting down a child who can't do the work. I can tell you personally that bosses agonize over a decision to fire an employee due to cutbacks or bad performance because contrary to popular belief, a boss DOES think about the family that won't be able to pay their rent now.
Teachers can't call in sick if there's no one to replace them. I've often gone to work ill because I knew we were shorthanded in the office and I had to be there.
Teachers like to be recognized for the hard work they do and want to be appreciated for their contribution. So do those who work for corporate america.
Jobs, no matter what it is, or no matter what the passion that made us choose that path in life, are very similar, no matter what it is or where we do it.
We're not all that different.
I've done both. I can tell you that there was no comparison to the stress level. I know lots of people who have left teaching for the corporate world and very few who have done the opposite.
Indy, I love you and think you are very wise. But ask a teacher who has done both. I came home and cried so many nights when I was teaching. The things you see, the things you experience, it is just really really hard. Of course there are bad teachers, but I'm tellin' ya, teaching is much harder than any job I've ever had and I was born to teach.
ziggy, I hear ya, I really do. I've also had jobs that put me in tears. My point of reference comes from a friend who thought teachers were the only ones who took work home and did stuff on their own time. It was frustrating between me and this dear friend of mine that I could see the extra she was doing, but she refused to see the extra that I was doing.
(One weekend, I was sitting on the couch without my work-laptop and my son asked me if I got fired! He was so used to seeing mommy do work at home every single night until wee hours.)
It is just a job, and teachers do not have to work 16 hours a day. That is their choice. Personally I would not want a teacher for my children that was working these hours as they would be just plain tired.
Sure teachers work hard but so do many other people, nurses, doctors, engineers, child care workers, aged care workers, police, firemen etc
Lets all give ourselves a hug and stop thinking that we are the the most underappreciated/overworked/ underpaid etc.
I have to agree with all of you. Teachers do bring home extra work, but so do other jobs.My husband is a computer programmer and he is always bringing home work. I know that we all work hard for our money! I just thought what was said in the beginning was a little harsh. It was made to sound like teachers have it made and that we don't need any thing extra. I know in my husbands office they do many things for the employees as incentives-- but the company has the money to do it-- Schools do not always have the money for the incentives they would love to give their teachers (it is spent on the students)-- so they do ask for donations. Again-- if you can't donate or don't want to -- nobody is making you or putting you down!
For all of us that work(even us that work at home), have a family and still decorate cakes-- We deserve any extra incentives and appreciation we can get!
Please don't take what I've said to be anything other than a defense of teacher's getting very small tokens of appreciation for a very hard, largely thankless job. The job is incredibly difficult and usually incredibly thankless. That takes nothing away from what anyone else does. I work a job with a lot of stress and its own share of difficulties, but that does nothing to change how difficult teaching is and how much is required of teachers.
This thread is incredibly disheartening. 
Please don't take what I've said to be anything other than a defense of teacher's getting very small tokens of appreciation for a very hard, largely thankless job. The job is incredibly difficult and usually incredibly thankless. That takes nothing away from what anyone else does. I work a job with a lot of stress and its own share of difficulties, but that does nothing to change how difficult teaching is and how much is required of teachers.
This thread is incredibly disheartening.
Well said. 
This is how I feel also. I wasn't trying to put down anyone else's profession.
Why is the job so disheartening? Don't you get to see your pupils grow and learn and change from small children into young adults?
My children love their teacher and are always giving hugs and saying thankyou. There are always cards and presents from the students to say thankyou. (this is primary education)
If it is so disheartening why not do something else that you can be happy with. Like making cakes!
Why is the job so disheartening? Don't you get to see your pupils grow and learn and change from small children into young adults?
My children love their teacher and are always giving hugs and saying thankyou. There are always cards and presents from the students to say thankyou. (this is primary education)
If it is so disheartening why not do something else that you can be happy with. Like making cakes!
I said that the thread was disheartening. 
I was statistically average, as most teachers leave the profession within the first 5 years. I make a living from a different profession now.
I believe that this thread has gone waaayyyy off of topic from the op post...with that said I would just like to add a couple of things. I see a couple of views on this one. I have 2 children in elementary school, 5th grade and 1st gr. Their teachers are great and the school itself is underfunded and in not so good of an area. I can only imagine the issues these teachers deal with. I know they spend a lot of money out of their pockets for supplies for children who can't afford them and for supplies that the school itself can't afford. My daughters teacher went to the end of the world with me to find affordable tutoring and I thought that was great.
My kids teachers are the ONLY other people in the world who my children spend that much time with besides me and take my hat off to them for being able to handle that.
Now, with that said...it is a JOB, that they chose and they do get paid for it. It's the same for the doctors who save lives, we dont fall over thanking them on our knees because they did their job...firefighters, engineers, police officers, etc. etc. My brother is a detective and boy is he stressed. Not many times does he get grand thank you's for saving lives and catching bad guys because it's his job.
I bake and decorate cakes for hours and hours and may get a decent thank you after I'm paid. Not the kind of thank you I want after I've stressed over the cake for days, but thats the JOB I took.
Teaching is far from disheartening-- I love all of my students-- I have been teaching for 20 years and when the end of the year ends- I am already looking forward to the next year-- but it is still nice to be appreciated-- even with just hugs and cards! Hugs are almost a no now a days-- but that is a different subject and different forum -- LOL!
Let's keep making cakes and talking about what matters in this forum-- how we feel about people expecting less than what we are really worth! 
I believe that this thread has gone waaayyyy off of topic from the op post...with that said I would just like to add a couple of things. I see a couple of views on this one. I have 2 children in elementary school, 5th grade and 1st gr. Their teachers are great and the school itself is underfunded and in not so good of an area. I can only imagine the issues these teachers deal with. I know they spend a lot of money out of their pockets for supplies for children who can't afford them and for supplies that the school itself can't afford. My daughters teacher went to the end of the world with me to find affordable tutoring and I thought that was great.
My kids teachers are the ONLY other people in the world who my children spend that much time with besides me and take my hat off to them for being able to handle that.
Now, with that said...it is a JOB, that they chose and they do get paid for it. It's the same for the doctors who save lives, we dont fall over thanking them on our knees because they did their job...firefighters, engineers, police officers, etc. etc. My brother is a detective and boy is he stressed. Not many times does he get grand thank you's for saving lives and catching bad guys because it's his job.
I bake and decorate cakes for hours and hours and may get a decent thank you after I'm paid. Not the kind of thank you I want after I've stressed over the cake for days, but thats the JOB I took.
Last thing I'm gonna say here. Teaching is a job that most people don't stick with, so yes, they find it too hard and they quit. But the issue issue was just some very small gestures of appreciation and whether or not a teacher deserved getting them and trying to help people understand that it isn't some cushy job. There are misunderstandings about all sorts of jobs my friends have. Doctors are rich (I know better than this), firefighters mostly do nothing (again, not true), cake decorators make a mint because it is just flour and eggs (ahem).... Just because attention is being drawn to one line of work doesn't have anything to do with the value or difficulty of another.
I'm not a teacher anymore. It was wayyyyyyyyy too hard for me.
Note to self...................Do NOT let my daughter (who is majoring in English Education) read this thread!
I have 2 teachers in my family........1 sister that has been teaching since about 1981 and 1 niece who has been teaching since about 1998. Both of them LOVE their jobs and their students, it's the parents they complain about. 
Having said that, they are both always *quick to comment* on how good they have it..................................................
100% paid in full health coverage, 12 wks vacation each year, wonderful retirement benefits, etc. My niece also coaches field hockey, (but she also gets paid an extra $4k for doing it, it's not *donated time*).
I really think it depends on the individual, some people are cut out for teaching and some aren't. Like any profession, once you begin you may realize it's not *all it's cracked up to be*.
Do I think teaching is harder or more stressful then my job(s)? Heck NO! Every profession comes with challenges and stresses, it's how well we handle those things that matter.
Another x teacher here -- although X because I am now a SAHM. When I was in my first year teaching, I figured out that I was getting paid about 75 cents per hour per student that I taught, if you included the hours upon hours that I spent after school and weekends. That did not include classroom supplies and incentives and decorations and books that came out of my pocket. Would you even babysit for 75 cents per hour per kid? Most of you wouldn't even make a cake for 75 cents per serving, right?
I was going to write a whole bunch of stuff about teaching, but really, for any job I have had there are things that I liked, and things that I didn't like, and unless you did the job, you just had no idea. Also, not all teaching jobs are the same -- there are variations in pay (although around here with unions, most pay scales are comparable), what teachers have to supply (classroom incentives? books? supplies? professional material? decorations for classrom? PD courses?), classroom sizes, number of troubled students, parental support, administrative support, community support, expectation of extracurricular activities (coaching, drama, camps -- which teachers are NOT paid for in my district). Teaching can be a really great job and a really crummy job, and a lot of the time it is both at once.
And then I became a stay at home mom... Well, lets just say that for the first couple months, people would come up and ask, "are you working", I would say no, I stay home with the baby, and they were all "how nice for you". After a couple months of that, I changed my answer to "YES, HARDER THAN EVER, I just don't get paid!"
To the OP -- yes, that is annoying, especially if you SPECIFICALLY were asking for information that they weren't giving.
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