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Why do the kids have so much vacation from school? And don’t tell me the teachers need the time off to clean and cook. Women who work at non-teaching jobs work until the last minute. What gives?
Kids are over-schooled. The kids need off.
not this again! as a teacher i can telll you how the kids are acting in school right before any yuntif or vacation. they are crazy, looney, cant sit, fighting with each other and more. why dont u sit 6-8 hours in a classroom, listening to “lectures” or for preschoolers being with the same teacher and dealing with that. right before any yuntifs or vacation i am so burnt out from the kids, imagine how they feel. just remember we are nto a babysitting service. we are spending more hours in a week with your kids then you are. and the same way when you can be with your friends it gets to be too much, your kids feel the same way. being a classroom with more than 20 kids a day your child gets to feel annoyed or sick of the others. trust me ive seen it. until you are in a classroom you cant judge.
Shrek, without taking side, the stress is not necessarily the same. YOU are dealing with adults which is a different kind of stress than with children and in the end the children lose out because the stress the teachers have will eventually end up on the shoulders of the kids. If the work does not get accomplished in class, whatever it is, it will manifest itself into extra work over yom tov vacation, in tests, in punishments, in anger and stress in the classroom, etc. Bad feelings all around.
Xcuse me!!! we deserve even more vacation than this!!!!!!!
i second that! lol..then i can help my mother 😀
let’s not put down our great,honored teachers,they deserve this vacation,and also to be respected and given credit to what they do for our/their students, and also to our children who love to go to school because they have such good and __________ (fill in the blank) teachers.
im a mesivta bachur and we definitly need bein hazmanim and more of it
many women who work as something other than teachers take off many days before pesach to get it done.
Unfortunately, our Yeshivos cannot afford to pay teachers much of a salary. So the teachers cannot afford cleaning help. If you want your kids to be in school, get together with other parents and privately pay a teacher to teach your kids. You get what you pay for.
Imaofthree – You say “you get what you pay for”. Well guess what? I pay over $50,000 for my kids yeshivah education. And since I work, it costs even more in babysitting expenses when school is closed. My friends and I are fighting the excessive days off in schools. The more mothers have to work in order to pay excessive tuitions, the more schools are going to have to realize that thay can’t give days off whenever they want. Change is coming…. And you know what else? Since I pay so much in tuition I also can’t afford cleaning help. And if I tried to take off before Pesach to clean I would probably lose my job. Remember, I am taking off a week and a half starting next week.
Why do the kids have so much vacation from school? And don’t tell me the teachers need the time off to clean and cook. Women who work at non-teaching jobs work until the last minute. What gives?
The main perk of the “Klei Kodesh” job is that it follows the Yom Tov schedule (and school, so you get both Yom Tov & summers), as well as being home for your children when they get home from school. It is like a union job (nothing against you, SJS), where certain perks are the reasons why people take the job over other possible venues, even if the pay is much less.
Teaching is meant to be a “cushy” job; it is not meant to be working in the “real world” (whether the actual job is difficult or not is irrelevent). Even if you paid the teachers extra, they would not want to come in, and many would quit if they had to work real hours.
So to a certain extent it is a win-win. Teachers get their hours, and schools pay them Bupkis.
Dear Esteemed Teachers,
Yes, teaching is a difficult profession. True, many institutions are behind on salary payments. Was someone holding a gun to your head when you accepted the position? If you didn’t want to deal with children you should have chosen a different career.
Being a teacher is your JOB. I and many of my friends work for frum people. They understand the difficulty in making yom tov, but they do not close the office a few days before yom tov so we can cook and clean.
Vacation time is part of the bargaining process.
If teachers are able to bargain for this time, it means the market has given it to them.
Hey everyone, what is all this complaining about???? Honestly, yes teachers have off, it is part of their deal so stop complaining about the teachers. And yes kids need off from school too, and older kids have more time off than younger kids so they have more time to help and younger kids have less time off to be in the way. And ALL this is well known before the chag.
AND YES parents who do pay full tuition pay a fortune for this privilege and can have negative feelings to the yeshivas for the way they run the schools but please don’t take it out on the teachers. If you don’t like the way the system is run, get on the board and voice your opinions. Do something to make productive changes and stop complaining. Hold conferences and speak about how school building don’t need to be made of granite and brass, teachers and Rebbeim need to get paid before buildings need to be glorified. So when philanthropists want to rebuild the school or want to add a wing, the administrators should say “that’s wonderful” but we need to pay our staff first, we are behind in payroll.
When donations aren’t coming in, find out what the community is upset about like why there are so many kids roaming the streets with no school to go to. Yes the system has spiraled out of control and everyone has complaints, so do something to change it, but stop blaming the teachers because they have time off. That is ridiculous. Younger grades can have substitutes, so why not have the yeshivas get girls who have come back from seminary who want to make a few dollars come in to substitute? So if you want to blame anyone, blame the schools and not the teachers. And by the way, the women principals, office staff, etc. also want the days off, so why come down so hard on the teachers, did you forget about them?
bowwow-people take jobs they love. i LOVE my job, but because of all the pre-pesach prep, and the kids hyped up before yuntif no one wants to be there.
“Was someone holding a gun to your head when you accepted the position?”
how can you ask such a question??? are you jealous that we have off more days than you? no one was holding a gun to my head B”H when i took my JOB! I am happy with my job and at the same time I am offered a break as are the kids. Until YOU become a teacher YOU cant say a word about it! Many of you work a job that you dont have to prepare for. We do. we are making phone calls at night, we are dealing with principals and psychologists(when school hours are over) and our job is constantly on going when you are food shopping and a parent stops us and asks hows my kid doing. so next time you see your kids teacher food shopping number one: dont stop them to ask about your child. that is their time away from the classroom. second: ask them how are THEY doing and THEIR families. You’ll look at things in a whole new light!
Yes there are times when days off are excessive, but think like this: Would you want to teach children who rather nto pay attention the day after purim or after a yuntif? Would you teach children when vacation is so soon and they dont want to learn only talk about it? And put yourself in ur kids shoes. While everyone is so busy with yuntif prep kids are thinking “i want to help mommy too!” they dont want to be in a classroom! trust me i see it!
aries-THANK YOU!
While I sort of agree with aries (complaining about the teachers is the wrong way to go), I also think yogi’s attitude is ridiculous.
Yes, parents expect teachers to teach their children regardless of distractions. A good teacher will harness the energy of the students into something productive.
No kid is really thinking “I want to help Mommy clean the toilets.” They are thinking “Yay another day off from school!”
And yes, plenty of jobs are really 24 hours a day. I get called all the time at home, on my cell phone etc to deal with issues. I work for a company that runs 24/7/365.
I don’t buy the argument that teachers have it so tough. I have a lot of friends who are teachers and they’ve told me that after the first couple of years, its rather easy. The base of the curriculum is pretty set, you have good experience to guide you and its rewarding. Time off is good too.
GAW, no complaints from me LOL. I’m not a union employee. They have their benefits and drawbacks.
the teachers definitely deserve a vacation! but is it normal that my 6th grade sister has off since last week friday?! it’s ridiculous! she wakes up at 8 and nudges until she goes to sleep at 11. since she doesn’t have school she stays up til so late! it’s really annoying! there is no reason for elementary girls to have so much vacation before paysach! they don’t help and just make it very hard on the parents!
Yogi – All you seem to do is complain about the children you teach. Yes you spend more time with the kids than their parents. I also spend more time at work than I do with my family. That is what it means to work and have a job. If you can’t handle the stress of the very difficult job, please consider leaving the classroom. You are complaining how difficult the children are behaving lately. Why? Is it beacuse you turned your classroom into a “projects factory” and are transfering the pressure you are feeling to the kids? Is it beacuse you are tired and don’t feel like teaching. If that is the case of course they will run wild. I am very grateful to my children’s teachers. But if they are angry and resentful of the job and all that goes with it then I don’t want them near my children.
Aries – You are 100% right. My friends and I are working very hard behind the scenes to change the mentality of excessive days off. AT the same time we also volunteer at fundraisers and all school functions to help and support our schools to the best of our abilities.
Student- I agree with you.
I am a teacher. I love my job and love my students!!! They are one of the best thing that’s happened to me!! Yogi, I feel like you’re making all teachers sound terrible. No, most teachers do not complain about the things you complain about. Yes, the children were a little more active this week but that just means that you need to find something to do that fits their mood. It just sounds like you complain about your students. Why is that?
Yes, I do love my vacation. Would I be upset if it was shortened? Probably not thrilled but I wouldn’t freak out.
And fyi, my school is one of the only schools that pays on time (hasn’t missed a paycheck in all the 40 something years they’ve been open) and just informed us teachers that we are getting a 3% raise next year even though we received one this year already. I think if enough people sat down with the school board and laid the facts out, they def would be open to hearing the complaints!
GAW:
Well said.
aries:
“Do something to make productive changes and stop complaining.”
That is very possibly the single most intelligent line so far in this thread. I couldn’t agree more.
“when philanthropists want to rebuild the school or want to add a wing, the administrators should say “that’s wonderful” but we need to pay our staff first”
That sounds nice in theory, but I don’t think it would work in practice… people tend to give much more generously when they see physical results from their donations then when it goes to meet the payroll.
yogibooboo:
“so next time you see your kids teacher food shopping… dont stop them to ask about your child. that is their time away from the classroom.”
No. Just as teaching comes with its perks (ie, more vacation time) it comes with its downsides. Consider this one of them.
“Would you teach children when vacation is so soon and they dont want to learn only talk about it?”
This logic is inherently flawed. As long as there is vacation, there will be a time right before vacation when kids will be less interested in learning. This period of time will always exist, no matter how much or how little vacation there is.
“And put yourself in ur kids shoes. While everyone is so busy with yuntif prep kids are thinking “i want to help mommy too!””
Please. They don’t want to help, they just want off from school. And if we gave kids off from school every time they wanted it, you would be out of job altogether.
student- i love my job just the hardest time is before yuntif and vacation. ask any preschool teacher and they feel the same way. i have been around kids all my life between teaching, being a counselor and a babysitter. i love every minute. i am not trying to make teachers sound bad but you have to understand we are dealing with different things then you are. come into my classroom and ask my girlies how many of them are helping mommy and want to help! about 90% of them are raising their hands because they are in someway helping their mothers. i ran into a mom today and she actually thanked me for everything i did for her kid. she didnt stop to ask me “how is my kid doing” because most people have lives outside school/work etc. in my school its a rule that the parents are not allowed to ask outside school meaning while food shopping etc. other teachers have rules i only talk in school to parents which is normal!!!!
again i am NOT complaining about my job, i am actually going back next year and i am thrilled as ever! what stress am i having exaactly? because it was the hardest week this week? so big deal. it happened before chanukah, purim, succos and now too!
do you know the amount of fighting that goes on in the classroom before a yuntif? do you know how many kids are not getting sleep before a yuntif because some parents are so busy cleaning or doing whatever, that kids take advantage and dont go to bed on time! again, these threads about schools and teachers are getting repetitive and ridiculous and someone always gets upset. again, I LOVE MY JOB AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY GIRLS!
How about the seminary girls/ BM boys “teach” for the few days before any Y”T. The teachers can get off, the girls / boys can gain experience (teaching/organizing/leading). It should be like having a substitute for a week. They can say stories play games etc.
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yogi,the same goes for parenting! until you become a parent you can’t judge!!!! (even if they aren’t wearing helmets!!!!)
geshmakebachur3, I am so so curious to know who you are because obviously your a fellow Far Rockaway/5townser.
WE NEED MORE VACATION! NOT LESS!
gb3-you r right on sista!
I second what geshmake and beinhazmanim said!!
yogibooboo:
“GB3-u have mad issues. please seek help!”
A little maturity, please…
“you dont even make any sense whatsoever!”
I beg to differ. Actually, his point was fairly simple: just as you tell others not to judge you until they’ve been in your position, don’t judge others until you’ve been in theirs.
beinhazmanim:
“gb3-you r right on sista!”
geshmakebachur3
right on sista
I believe this was a very unusual year for days off and that is why it is a touchy subject. We have NOT had such a harsh winter in many, many years and we have NOT had so many snow days off in a very, very long time. It seems to parents that kids were more at home than they were in school this year and parents are really fed up. For working parents it was very difficult to cover child care, for parents at home, sometimes they went crazy not being able to handle bored and snowbound shut-in kids who had so much energy and nothing to do with it. So, vacation days and having kids under foot is a very touchy subject this particular year.
i find it amazing htat all anyone can do is complain. no matter what happens, someone will complain. this one says theres too much vacation. that one says theres not enough. WHY CANT PEOPLE JUST STOP COMPLAINING and deal with the situation that they have. i work in a school also, and today was our first day off. my son has school though friday. next year he will probably be off longer. as he gets older he will have a longer break i think. one person actually had a great suggestion- let the buchrim and sem girls teach- its great experience, and a great way to harness all of that energy that kids have right before vacation.
since when did the cr become a place to air everyone elses dirty laundry and to say terrible NEGATIVE tihngs about other people? if thats what its become, im gone. why is it any of some anonymous persons business whether or not someone was fired and for what reason??? where do you get off embarassing someone like that?
and i dont know who you are, but you are definitely not a rav if this is the way you are conducting yourself. please dont give fr or rabanim a bad name by making people think that this is the way people with such a title or in that city behave.
Yogi – If you were an educated educator (do you have a Masters or even a college degree?) you would realize that not all children act up or have problems due to poor parenting. ADHD/ADD, PDD, apraxia, processing issues etc. are not due to a poor upbringing, but can result in some challenging behavior. So before telling someone that you see the way their kids act, and that you know your own kids won’t do the same, please be aware that some behaviors/circumstances are out of a parent’s control. A child with major sensory issues might not be able to tolerate a bicycle helmet (not that it is an excuse for letting a child ride without a helmet). I would certainly not want you as my child’s teacher no matter how wonderful you might be, for fear that you would judge me and my family in a negative way. Maybe my child wears the same pants everyday because the others itch him. Yet you would say I don’t care what my son looks like. Do you even have an inkling of the negative vibes that you give off? How can you teach little kids with such a negative and judgmental attitude?
GB3:
Kindly stop these personal and insulting comments.
Does anybody else here think that this topic has long passed the threshold of what is appropriate, and should be closed?
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