Lol... Make them do a page of sums for any hour you feel like taking a wee day dreaming break. Ahhhhh if only I had similar options to excersise my brain cells

im a fully qualified and experienced teacher currently working private sector education so am qualified to reply to this topic.

the two teachers who cannot hack it should be fired. there are planty of capable and qualified individuals who could do their jobs if given the chance but because of such wasters are forced to work elsewhere or take crappy part-time posts with no security or guarantee for the future.
perhaps the teachers job nowadays is harder than before but that is not saying much. 22 hrs a week of hard work for 8 months a year. poor you.
try going out into the real world and "earning" 35-60k . even without taking 4 months holidays, its not that easy.
in every staffroom ive ever been in, ive heard pretty much the same conversation.
- i bumped into so and so from colloge at the weekend. big merc,house,loads of money etc. stupid me, doing this crappy job for crappy money. i shoulda/coulda done something else and been rich like him.
reality check -
in the real world a ba/bsc plus €2.5 = a cappuccino
i know / have met quite a few very wealthy -successful people in the private sector who have all the trappings of success, cars, houses etc. i am, however still waiting to meet one that i would be envious of. without exception, they usually work every hour there is, have no lives to speak of and will probably be dead from real stress before they get to see their pension.

the only negative aspect to teaching is the difficulty in getting a proper job with security but once you are in, it is easiest job going and for what you actually do, very well paid.

if its too tough to handle, then leave the stresses of teaching for the well paid and cushy jobs in the private sector.

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Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones. -Marcus Aurelius

Oh I don't know about daydreaming, but how about the hundreds of jobs that allow people to sit around gawking at, or posting on, sites like this all day.

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True politics is the art of the impossible.

Its easy to both work with a headset in say, a call centre, and post on here. You can do your job 100% and browse the internet at the same time.

Yet another narrow minded response, teacher by any chance? ...

What about those admins my friend? Those damn admins on 6 figures...

Times must have changed since I went to school so. Some teachers didn't daydream then either. They fell fast asleep.

However, they were the exception to the rule. Most teachers are very very good at their jobs

I'm sure your boss would be best pleased wouldn't s/he? Of course there are hundreds of others, office workers for example, who spend their days posting on sites like this and avoiding doing any work or at least as little as possible, indeed they quite often take pride in this fact. They never get sacked or reprimanded in my experience. Teachers on the other hand have a full day of work where they don't have time to post on sites like these.
Ah yes, someone who sticks up for the teachers must be narrow minded. It's a lovely black and white world YOU live in isn't it?. Gobshíte.

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True politics is the art of the impossible.

I know a couple of woman who gave up high-paying jobs to go back and train to be teachers in their thirties and forties. They have no regrets. I've been involved in recruiting for a new school in the past and was gob-smacked by the control the unions have over the process. We were only permitted to interview for a principle and teachers once and then for a maximum of one hour. Once appointed there is no probation period at all - it's permanent. In the private sector I have never recruited even the most basic secretarial position on less than two interviews and everyone has a nine month probation period to prove themselves or goodbye.

From what I've observed school principles work extremely hard - long hours, constant nighttime committees etc but other teachers have a very reasonable lifestyle. I am reminded of a friend who moaned constantly about how hard it was coping with her four children. Her teacher husband was home by four o'clock everyday and had all summer to take his kids canoing and camping. Mine got home between eight and nine every night and didn't get get holiday pay so could rarely take holidays. I know some schools are very tough environments but the majority are not and really teachers should look for alternative work if they are not enjoying what they do. It's the only fair thing to do for the children.

Having said all that I am furious with the educational cuts, especially the special needs teachers. It's a crime to take away such services from children and will lead to added stress for both children and teachers in the classroom. It was the straw that broke the camels back where The Greens are concerned for me.

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"Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense." - Chapman Cohen.

Horsesh!t, the biggest social change is a parent losing a job and home, your post above shows how immune and divorced from reality you are

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Anyone for desert ?

One wonders why all those who are constantly complaining about what a cushy number being a teacher is, didn't choose it as a profession themselves.

P.S. I am not a teacher and wouldn't want to be one.