This thread is definitely just a fishing exercise, right?
It amazes me how people can be so dismissive of teachers. They provide such a critical service to our economy, education wise, economically, culturally, and yet there are those who are so dismissive of them as a group. The rhetoric is bordering on insanity.
I moved jobs in February, and am, thankfully, now in a place where my working environment is less time consuming. However, prior to that I spent a long time working in an industry which is broadly scene as one of the most demanding in terms of pressure.
Without knowing what you all do for a living, I can say with almost certainty, that I have spent more hours working a day than the vast majority on this thread. I don't need to know what you guys do for a living, because I know what work I was doing and there aren't many industries that put in as much time during a working week than I did (I know there are some, lawyers, consultants potentially, people starting out in their own business, maybe). I put up with uncertainty, having multiple holidays cancelled, coming back from holidays, taking calls on holidays. I got used to never being able to socialise in the week, and honestly, mostly only having the ability to socialise friday night. I cancelled so many plans during my first six months, I just stopped making plans. My body adjusted to a vastly different cycle than most of you could even begin to consider as acceptable, I'm talking "roundabout" shifts, 100+ hour weeks etc. I certainly worked far longer hours than fucking marketing.
Yet here is a thread which criticises a part of society that is not glamorous, not lauded upon, not held in as much respect as it deserves for not working enough. Its quite frankly embarrassing.
The biggest takeaway I took from my time being kicked from pillar to post was that there is more to life. Bragging about your working hours, criticising others for theirs is an absolutely ridiculous state of mind. Having worked in the beating heart of capitalism, and I love the industry to this day, I can safely say none of you will be on your death bed wishing you worked one more hour at work. Its a twisted sense of dick measuring which, in my experience, is held by those who have very little else in their life. I used to do the same years ago, and it was probably because I didn't, I couldn't, have anything else in my life.
When we consider how far we are willing to bend over for an employer, how much we are willing to sacrifice. Is it worth it and for what are we doing it? I still work in the industry, though in a very different role, I love the industry, and think it plays a pivotal role in the economy. However, I just think dragging everyone down to the bottom, critcising those who have a good lifestyle is a ludicrous mindset. You can take pride in your work, you can be driven and motivated without demonstrating your insecurity and trying to criticise someone who is 1) actually contributing a great deal more to society than most corporate roles 2) has made a choice of a career which provides a lifestyle.
It smacks of jealousy, and honestly, if you're going to criticise, if its such a good job, then do it yourself. Otherwise it comes across as wildly arrogant.
