Society & Culture Things That Shit Me (Part 9)

[SaintsSeptember]

What exactly is it that you do SS that makes you an expert on everybody else's pathetic, lazy, cushy jobs.

Nothing shits me more than people who criticise other people's jobs when in reality they have no flipping idea

Haha I knew I'd get someone worked up when I "picked on" the teachers.

Its true though the hours are fantastic.

 

[Doctor Feel]

Haha I knew I'd get someone worked up when I "picked on" the teachers.

Its true though the hours are fantastic.

Rubbish. The number of hours working from home is phenominal. Do you think all the material for teaching and activities is provided magically?

 

[Off The Couch]

Look, for sure I was exaggerating a bit but at the end of the day it's not rocket science. Your time management, people and literacy skills need to be spot on but it's not a job that requires a lot of specialist knowledge.

I mean, this position pays well into six figures and comes with a company car. Being the EA of a top CEO can be pretty high pressure, but tell me that's not a ridiculously sweet deal.

It is a ridiculously sweet deal but most EA's that I know have tertiary qualifications and are very well qualified in a variety of areas - they are on call 24hrs a day, in many cases need to and do know far more about the business than the CEO they work for and are very much the frontline of the organisation. It may not be 'rocket science' but it is an extremely demanding job with very long hours and for some it also involves extensive travel. I had a friend who worked for a very well known business woman who is currently in the headlines and her jdf was unbelievable and as you can imagine very very demanding - I can't speak for your organisation but it is not the fluff piece you seem to think it is and more often enough when it's hitting the fan she/he is on the end of it.

Haha I knew I'd get someone worked up when I "picked on" the teachers.

Its true though the hours are fantastic.

No they are not and I could positively guarantee that you don't even get close to the hours that secondary teachers in particular work.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Rubbish. The number of hours working from home is phenominal. Do you think all the material for teaching and activities is provided magically?

Phenomenal?

Plus when all is said and done, there are still all those annual leave days.

 

[Caesar]

It may not be 'rocket science' but it is an extremely demanding job with very long hours and for some it also involves extensive travel.

I guess I am a bit skeptical of people getting paid absurd amounts of money for a job that at the end of the day doesn't involve anything in the way of specialist skills.

No doubt it is a physically/emotionally demanding job but I know plenty of more highly skilled people working in similarly demanding roles (and arguably adding far more in terms of value to the organisation) that don't get paid anywhere near as much.

IMO the worth of EAs is vastly overinflated because they are reporting to the key decisionmaker. i.e. the CEO is prepared to pay a large amount to obtain a small marginal benefit because it impacts them personally.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

It is a ridiculously sweet deal but most EA's that I know have tertiary qualifications and are very well qualified in a variety of areas - they are on call 24hrs a day, in many cases need to and do know far more about the business than the CEO they work for and are very much the frontline of the organisation. It may not be 'rocket science' but it is an extremely demanding job with very long hours and for some it also involves extensive travel. I had a friend who worked for a very well known business woman who is currently in the headlines and her jdf was unbelievable and as you can imagine very very demanding - I can't speak for your organisation but it is not the fluff piece you seem to think it is and more often enough when it's hitting the fan she/he is on the end of it.




No they are not and I could positively guarantee that you don't even get close to the hours that secondary teachers in particular work.

Sorry I call bullshit.
Feel free to say "Saints September shits you" its the right thread
Most SS teachers are not working 50 hours a week.
Most people who arent teachers do not get more than 6 weeks leave a year.

 

[Off The Couch]

Sorry I call bullshit.
Feel free to say "Saints September shits you" its the right thread
Most SS teachers are not working 50 hours a week.
Most people who arent teachers do not get more than 6 weeks leave a year.

Saints September you shit me
Most secondary teachers are working more than SIXTY HOURS a week. I don't know where you think the programming for classes come from. When my husband was teaching Science his day would consist of anything from 6-8, 45 minute classes per day with upto 30-35 kids per class ranging in ages from 12-17 years. That means lots of different programming for lots of different classes for a wide range of kids with different academic ability. That also means there was a lot of marking of homework, assignments and exams (do the numbers SS - in his own time). Teachers are also required to take part in extra curricular activities such as coaching a sporting team, parent evenings, school balls, school camps (all in their own time).
They also have to do all professional development in their own time and this is what 'holidays' are used for (it is a legal requirement to complete a certain number of hours) - so frankly SS you can call BS all you like, the facts are it is not an 8.30 to 3.30pm day like so many would like to believe.
While your child may return to school at the beginning of February most teachers have been there since mid-January - this too is a requirement. It is not just a matter of rocking up on the first day and finishing on the same day that students do.

The contempt that some teachers are treated with by parents never ceases to amaze me (that comment is not directed at you SS). My partner who is now a deputy principal after spending a great number of years as a Science teacher has had the misfortune to deal with some truly unbelievable parents. People are quite happy to take time off to go to a doctor, accountant, lawyer etc. but god forbid that they should be asked to come see a teacher during school hours - apparently they have jobs and cannot just take time off to discuss their child and the issues they are experiencing at school - some parents see schooling as nothing more than a baby sitting service. He has been spat on, had punches thrown, chairs thrown, he has been followed home and thats without the every day verbal abuse that most teachers seem to cop these days. I truly don't think that people understand what a difficult job it can be and instead focus on what they perceive to be 'long holidays'. It would be nice if some people could spend maybe a week in a class room and get a real feel for what teaching is like.

 

[Caesar]

Some teaching roles must require a lot more time than others. I mean, I can't imagine maths teachers do a whole lot outside of class other than setting and marking exams, and the odd bit of CPD. The syllabus is highly prescriptive and barely changes at all from year to year, and pretty much everything is taught straight out the textbook.

Would be pretty different to (say) a humanities teacher, who has to set their own courses, prepare and mark assignments, develop handouts, etc. Marking written exams would also be a lot more difficult than ticking off a maths exam.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Saints September you shit me
Most secondary teachers are working more than SIXTY HOURS a week. I don't know where you think the programming for classes come from. When my husband was teaching Science his day would consist of anything from 6-8, 45 minute classes per day with upto 30-35 kids per class ranging in ages from 12-17 years. That means lots of different programming for lots of different classes for a wide range of kids with different academic ability. That also means there was a lot of marking of homework, assignments and exams (do the numbers SS). Teachers are also required to take part in extra curricular activities such as coaching a sporting team, parent evenings, school balls, school camps (all in their own time).
They also have to do all professional development in their own time and this is what 'holidays' are used for (it is a legal requirement to complete a certain number of hours) - so frankly SS you can call BS all you like, the facts are it is not an 8.30 to 3.30pm day like so many would like to believe.
While your child may return to school at the beginning of February most teachers have been there since mid-January - this too is a requirement. It is not just a matter of rocking up on the first day and finishing on the same day that students do.

The contempt that some teachers are treated with by parents never ceases to amaze me (that comment is not directed at you SS). My partner who is now a deputy principal after spending a great number of years as a Science teacher has had the misfortune to deal with some truly unbelievable parents. People are quite happy to take time off to go to a doctor, accountant, lawyer etc. but god forbid that they should be asked to come see a teacher during school hours - apparently they have jobs and cannot just take time off to discuss their child and the issues they are experiencing at school - some parents see schooling as nothing more than a baby sitting service. He has been spat on, had punches thrown, chairs thrown, he has been followed home and thats without the every day verbal abuse that most teachers seem to cop these days. I truly don't think that people understand what a difficult job it can be and instead focus on what they perceive to be 'long holidays'. It would be nice if some people could spend maybe a week in a class room and get a real feel for what teaching is like.

Thats the part of the job that I achnowleged earlier can be very difficult.
Quite frankly I consider that much of the student behaiviour should be reported to police. Its wrong to belt the student in the face ( which is probably what you'd do if you were an adult male in the the street and a sixteen year old spat at you ). But its also wrong that they can get away with that sort of behaivior. Is it OK to behaive in an illegal or antisocial manner just because you are in a school environment?

Yeah it would clog the legal system, but it may also make some parents sit up and take notice.

 

[chargers 09]

I have a great photo of my grandmother on her last visit to Australia in the mid 90's sitting in my backyard next to a 4 ft dope plant.
When she died a few years ago we used it as part of a collage of pictures at her funeral.

Dope is the street name for heroin mate.

 

[THRILLHO]

No teacher is working sixty hours a week. Not sure what it is your husband is doing when he's working 6-8. Most teachers I know get to school early or hang back late and would only work those hours in extreme periods of busyness.

No teacher is developing curriculum or unit plans in isolation, that's what pupil free days are for. Schools should have a prescriptive curriculum for each subject, from which the teacher can use as a framework and adapt and refine as they see fit. They should also have access to other teachers work through the school network and also now that Ultranet has come in.

There's some hard weeks, usually at the start and end of terms (when you're organising unit plans and marking student work and collating reports) but there's plenty of down weeks (usually when students are completing end of unit work) and regardless, the work hours are highly flexible. When I was working full-time I was getting to work an hour early some weeks to get work done to free up afternoons, or I was hanging back after school in the afternoons, or I was taking work home. It's highly flexible.

Professional development is not done in your own time. You are entitled to take PD during school hours.

Also what school has 30-35 students per class? The average in in the 20s and the school I worked out didn't allow classes above 26. Quite often you'd have classes with 24 or so, and one English class I had had a huge amount of ESL students so there was only 18 in that class. Here are the primary class sizes. Victorian classrooms are above the OECD average according to the DEECD.

It's a difficult job, like all jobs, which has some unique and mitigating circumstances, but at the end of the day its a very rewarding job with extremely flexible hours and extensive leave.

 

[Off The Couch]

Catholic schools average 30+ in a class and PD in private schools is in their own time - I'm aware this is not the case in government schools.

I'm not going to get into an argument over hours worked - it no doubt varies from school to school and state to state. the discussion came out of SS talking about the wonderful hours and holidays teachers get and what a cushy job it was.

 

[Simple Jack]

Catholic schools average 30+ in a class and PD in private schools is in their own time - I'm aware this is not the case in government schools.

I'm not going to get into an argument over hours worked - it no doubt varies from school to school and state to state. the discussion came out of SS talking about the wonderful hours and holidays teachers get and what a cushy job it was.

It is, but it's also very low paying, which pretty much makes up for it.

My Mum was a teacher (and co-ordinator) throughout when I was growing up (and she still is) and she never worked anywhere near as many hours as someone in another 'professional' position would.

But to compensate for the short hours (not 8-3:30 but still less than an accountant/lawyer etc) and extensive leave (you can not possibly argue this) she would get maybe 50-75% of the pay of someone of similar seniority in another professional career.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

It is, but it's also very low paying, which pretty much makes up for it.

My Mum was a teacher (and co-ordinator) throughout when I was growing up (and she still is) and she never worked anywhere near as many hours as someone in another 'professional' position would.

But to compensate for the short hours (not 8-3:30 but still less than an accountant/lawyer etc) and extensive leave (you can not possibly argue this) she would get maybe 50-75% of the pay of someone of similar seniority in another professional career.

They have a very structured system of increasing pay with seniority too though. Something which doesn't always exist in private industry. ( and I never said it was Cushy .. just that the hours were good ).

 

[Simple Jack]

They have a very structured system of increasing pay with seniority too though. Something which doesn't always exist in private industry. ( and I never said it was Cushy .. just that the hours were good ).

I know. She's at the highest one (13years+ I think) and has been for many years.

 

[Caesar]

Guys who are whipped to the point of ruining things for everyone else.

Had a bucks show on Saturday night. The bride had demanded 'no strippers', which was a bullshit rule but the buck had given us the tacit 'if you organise something then I'm not going to stop you'.

Two of the other guys had been told by their girlfriends 'no strippers' as well. One of them was all "I won't tell but I'll wait outside" which kind of ****ed things up anyway. The other one was adamant that he'd have to tell his girlfriend but that she wouldn't spill... despite the fact that she was one of the bridesmaids at the wedding. Buck was terrified that word would get back to the bride, end result no strippers.

Now personally I can take or leave the whole stripper thing - I won't be disappointed if I don't have them on my own stag night - but that sort of situation pisses me off. The whole point of a bucks is that the best man has the freedom to organise whatever and make everyone (especially the buck) cut loose for one night. End result? You do stuff you otherwise wouldn't and often end up with a really memorable night. When people start piking it ruins the whole thing.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Guys who are whipped to the point of ruining things for everyone else.

Had a bucks show on Saturday night. The bride had demanded 'no strippers', which was a bullshit rule but the buck had given us the tacit 'if you organise something then I'm not going to stop you'.

Two of the other guys had been told by their girlfriends 'no strippers' as well. One of them was all "I won't tell but I'll wait outside" which kind of ****ed things up anyway. The other one was adamant that he'd have to tell his girlfriend but that she wouldn't spill... despite the fact that she was one of the bridesmaids at the wedding. Buck was terrified that word would get back to the bride, end result no strippers.

Now personally I can take or leave the whole stripper thing - I won't be disappointed if I don't have them on my own stag night - but that sort of situation pisses me off. The whole point of a bucks is that the best man has the freedom to organise whatever and make everyone (especially the buck) cut loose for one night. End result? You do stuff you otherwise wouldn't and often end up with a really memorable night. When people start piking it ruins the whole thing.

One of my mates was going to organise a stripper for mine, but left it too late so he organised a lame telegram thing instead.
Then they were spiking my beer with vodka so that I'd pass out and they could do horrible things to me , but I didn't pass out and when they tried to do horrible things to me I got really violent and abusive (normally very out of character even when totally anebriated ).
I will never get divorced because I dont want another bucks night.

 

[Caesar]

There's a bit of a difference between a stripper and drink spiking / terrorising the groom.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

There's a bit of a difference between a stripper and drink spiking / terrorising the groom.

I know.
When I organised one for a mate, we basically did a crawl or several pubs and strip establishments ( where he was victimised in a nice way - no not that nice ) , and everyone had a good time.

That was the buck's night I wanted.

 

[Caesar]

To be fair everyone was a bit wary of ordering a stripper because last time we had a buck's party it was in a holiday town on the south coast and the options were fairly limited. The stripper who turned up was basically a carbon copy of the one Barney organised for Marshall's stag night on HIMYM.

We were all a little scarred by that experience.

 

[Off The Couch]

Personally I think it boils down to insecurity because if your concerned that your future partner is going to do something inappropriate then quite frankly your marrying the wrong guy. Strippers are professionals (for the most part) and the last thing they want is to be touched up by a pile of drunks or get laid, so chicks seriously need to lighten up - its a bit of harmless fun unless it is an agreed arrangement that neither party have strippers.

It does seem to be coming a thing of the past though and it's interesting the number of guys who feel uncomfortable at these types of bucks nights. The funniest I have ever heard of was a friend of the hubby's whose best men had organized a stripper - apparently the groom was getting right into this absolutely stunning stripper - until she removed the g-string - he was a she. Spent a long time vomiting after that apparently.

 

[Caesar]

I think a few girls get nervous because male strippers seem to be a lot less 'professional' than female strippers. I was talking to a female friend about this yesterday after Saturday night's events and she said she'd been to more than one hen's nights where the male strippers have got off with some of the girls there.

If that's their experience of strippers then their suspicion is a little more understandable.

 

[Gabbie]

Male Strippers are soooooooo 1980's

Must be an age thing, after a while hens nights are boring.

Way back when, it was the married women on the hens night who were up for more than just a few drinks.

and what's shitting me today is THE RAIN!!! oi it's been raining up here in FNQ for at least a week with a few stops in between, hasn't stopped since last night. Literally watching grass grow.

 

[crazyman27]

Went to the Swimming Champs tonight and it shat me that they interviewed Libby Trickett after the 100m freestyle semis (qualified 5th fastest). Didn't get to hear from the fastest qualifier Cate Campbell , or the other 3 girls who went faster than Trickett for that matter.

 

[A Swallow]

Went to the Swimming Champs tonight and it shat me that they interviewed Libby Trickett after the 100m freestyle semis (qualified 5th fastest). Didn't get to hear from the fastest qualifier Cate Campbell , or the other 3 girls who went faster than Trickett for that matter.

This absolutely does my head in. Similar situation to the Thorpe love-fest, before he had even qualified. So annoying. It's all they spoke about the first night of trials, and he wasn't even swimming until the second.