Personally I feel that teachers do get the rough end of the pineapple. There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes (marking homework, preparing lessons, correcting tests, parent/teacher evenings etc etc) that eats into our own time.... I've been known to be working till 2AM and then be up again at 6 to go back to school. I've even had weekends without sleep in the exam period (mind you this was exceptional, someone broke into the staffroom and stole the exam papers two days before the exams, so I had to write a completely new set)!
Frankly my wages are a disgrace. Bus drivers and dustman here earn more than me (fortunately the missus has a fabulously well paid job
).
Here in Hungary the situation is something of a disgrace, for example I DON'T get paid during holidays, I only get paid for the lessons I teach. We're not allowed to go on strike during term time, and could be arrested for trying!
We do risk our lives from time-to-time, I've been threatened in class on a few occassions, and even had to disarm one young gentleman who was waving a knife that appeared to have been crossbred with a cutlass in my general direction. He wasn't expelled, just told off
If you think I don't earn my wages, come and do my job!
Two groups of people never get paid what they're worth. Teachers and nurses.
Sure you get bad ones, but then thats because most of the people in teaching these days are there because they can't get other jobs, and schools are desperate.
Mark
Ps. I have to by my own board markers etc
Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 8:29 am
Although the handcuffs do come in handy on the weekend 
. They hadn't found out I'd done three martial arts and boxing before trying to attack me one evening, since then I've had no problem with discipline