Do you enjoy teaching Primary?

Question

I have spoken to a few friends who work in Primary schools and hate their job because of certain restrictions in place. For example not being able to physically seperate fighting children, not being able to console upset or frightened children, generally not having enough power. I was just wondering if this was a common feeling throuought the UK?

Answer 1

yes, i like, the are so navie, and lovely, they can re fresh my life.

Answer 2

I'm a primary teacher and while I have not had to physically separate fighting children I would do it if the occasion arose. I am always consoling upset children (I teach 5 and 6 year olds and some are upset if someone looks at them the wrong way!), and if one is hurt I would not hesitate to pick them up. In a recent assembly one of my children had a pain in their leg and as she was going through a bit of a hard time at home I thought nothing of letting her sit on my knee for the 20 minute assembly. I think some people worry too much. Who in their right mind is going to sue you for putting your arm around their crying child? If I were a mum and my child came home with a bloody knee I would feel happy if my child told me that their teacher had picked them up when they fell over. I would have more to say if the teacher had stood over my crying child saying 'you'll have to stand up, I can't touch you.' Obviously safeguard yourself over things that could be misconstrued as inappropriate touching. For example, when a child had been kicked in the genital region and wanted me to have a look I made sure another adult was there. But most parents just want their children to be happy, and if that means that their teacher holds their hand occasionally then so be it. I have children that want to hold my hand as we walk into school and I know their mothers are happy to see that they trust and like me. Teaching, especially young children, is about so much more than teaching them to read and add up. You're with them for at least 6 hours a day, they need to know that they can trust you and that you will look after them.

Answer 3

i think those are common feelings throughout the US as well, teachers do not have as much power as they need to be good anymore. i know that I have heard that here, if you can make it through the first 5 years you are likely to teach for a long time, but they say that 40% of teachers quit in the first 5 yrs here. thats a huge amount of teachers leaving the profession, many for the same reasons you state. i wish we could do something about education systems. i hear mostly good things about elementary and middle school, but not as good about high school students. many teachers prefer the younger students.

Answer 4

I am a teacher in the US and I would have to say that we do have those issues here.  You can sue anyone for anything and people do.  However, we do (at least where I live) touch our children.  We console them and we do break up their fights.  It's a horrible, shameful thing that there are those who have abused their position with children and thus made it more difficult for others to do their job.  Children need to have limits and expectations and all of that needs to be balanced with an understanding that we care about them as people.

Answer 5

Just do what you have to do, conentrate on the positives not the negatives...typical pesamistic attitude. Just enjoy the good things

Answer 6

the sort of thing you're describing changes from school to school. at our school we've had training in restraint procedures and when to use them. obviously, you're there partly to safeguard the children, even if that means from each other.

i think there's a lot more to being a teacher to enjoy, and the fact that it's difficult not to console them shouldn't make you hate your job. there are worse things to make you do that!

i love my job, so i'm sorry to hear that your friends are not enjoying it.