Jump to content

New 'Teach' advert

webman

By webman
in General Chat

 Share

Recommended Posts

webman

webman

Posted
  • Author
Posted
You go to work, fix machines, and leave it all behind when you clock off - you really got a tough deal if you ask me!

 

Assuming you are a teacher, you are yet another example of one who has no concept or understanding of our jobs.

 

If you think our job is done when we "clock-off" (whatever time that may be, but it certainly isn't before 4pm) then you are mistaken. IT techies have families. IT techies start work early. IT techies may have to travel. IT techies don't get 3 months off in a year. IT techies get 30 mins of interrupted lunch.

 

IT techies get paid a lot less than teachers.

Joedetic

Joedetic

Posted
Posted

Actually no...

 

I know that when I worked in ICT i was there at 8AM (sometimes before!) the head technician was there before i was. We were there after the teachers usually doing jobs that cant be done when there's kids and staff around occupying the rooms etc.

 

Also when i got home i didnt just leave it all behind as you so eloquently put it. Myself and a fair number of technicians i know spend a lot of unpaid time spent using remote desktop from home to access the network and get on with maintenance and various things that need doing that cant be done when there's people on site like forcing various software updates etc.

 

Whilst you say you have the harder job, think about it. We're there before you...we leave after you....we get paid less than you...and without us you'd not have functioning networks, telephones, AV kit, information managment systems and probably most things that go beep wouldnt work.

 

Complain all you like...but to be honest i think it's a little bit unfounded.

 

@webman...you got an uninterrupted lunch! B**tard :p

the_apprentice

the_apprentice

Posted
Posted

Don't get me wrong! I was just putting my side of things - I am not saying my job is any harder just different :)

 

A lot of the staff in the school I teach in are certain to consult with one, if not all, of the ICT teaching staff if they have a problem, only then if it's unresolved does it get passed on to tech support, where those who have the know how do what they do best. I am fully aware that upgrades, reinstalls etc require the staff and students to sod off somewhere before you can get a lot of your work done.

 

When it comes down to it we decided what career we were going to pursue, acquired the necessary skills and at the end of the day all we really want to hear is a simple 'thank you' and the knowledge that you've done a good job :)

the_apprentice

the_apprentice

Posted
Posted

Don't worry that's not what I meant! :D

 

We should definitely give praise where praise is due! Teachers should thank techies as you say, but we humble teachers just hope that either a kid or parent somewhere some day might actually thank us too :)

 

We're not silly enough to think techies should thank teachers for making their lives difficult or akward :) Any teacher that annoys a techie should have their "equipment removed" :lol:

StewartKnight

StewartKnight

Posted
Posted

Wow, the_apprentice, what an insensive stuck up pr1ck you are!

 

My heart bleeds for you, you poor little, overpaid teacher. No wonder you need 1/3 of the year off.

 

How wonderful the job of an ICT technician is....

 

Low Pay

Little chance of REAL promotion

Dealing with egotistical jerks

 

Then having to do some REAL work as well!

 

You go to work, fix machines, and leave it all behind when you clock off - you really got a tough deal if you ask me!

 

Well, no one asked you, so go and bury your head back in the sand, telling yourself how wonderful you are, and how no one can compare to you.

GrumbleDook

GrumbleDook

Posted
Posted

Techs have lots of reasons to thank teachers ... teachers can save us a heap load of work by just making sure the kids (and other teachers) do some simple things like maintain password security, manage classroom behaviour, teach the kids (and other users) the things they need to know about IT.

 

I don't mind a bit of teacher bashing as long as it is done tongue in cheek. The same way I don't mind techie bashing when done with a sense of humour (let's face it .. the IT crowd is a bunch of in jokes for those in the field and a bunch of scenarios to allow non-techies to laugh at us!)

 

@the_apprentice

Don't get too concerned about the teacher bashing ... it is often done out of frustration due to the minority of the teaching profession treating techies as lower forms of life or just being plain stupid.

 

Personally I enjoy the chance to laugh at how purple in the face some teachers go when you mention the 1/4 of a year on holiday, the fact that they start at 9 and finish at 3 because the first and last 15 mins is just getting the kids to take their coats off or put them on, nothing to do in the evenings or weekends and they get paid time off during the school day to 'prepare' things ... usually preparing another cup of tea ... and let us not forget the film star wages.

 

Admittedly I then get some teachers (with a sense of humour) asking me if I know how to sort out some food other than ordering it online, have I ever heard of the wonderful called a newspaper to get some news, do I know what sunlight looks like, telling me that there are other ways of playing sport other than Wii Sports and not forgetting the fact of the likelihood of me having a panic attack if I ever have to spend more than 2 hours away from the ability to reach email or the Web.

 

Still ... we could both be in worse professions ... we could be accountants ... or worse yet ... lawyers!!!!!

localzuk

localzuk

Posted
Posted

Wow, I think the_apprentice, you have managed to sum up the precise reason why tech's do so much teacher bashing in your original post. Now I don't entertain the notion that teachers have an easy life, having a parent who is one, but I do know that many make life more difficult on themselves than it needs be.

 

You need to understand that whilst many teachers do work 8:30 - 5:00 or later, there are an equal amount who work the exact number of hours required of them in school, with no extra. Ok, they will need to do a few hours marking at home also, but this simply doesn't add up to the time many techies spend in school (obviously, there will be those who don't). For example, my normal day is 8:30 - 5:00, with an hours interrupted lunch (which, in reality works out at me taking 10 minutes to eat, and 50 minutes to work). I come in occasionally on weekends, I work during holidays (for example I had a total of 8 working days off this summer and worked 3 weekends, for 9:00 - 4:30 days). I get 5 weeks off. All calculated, I work around 15% longer hours than the 'average' teacher in my school and get about 25% less pay. Add in to this that I have to keep ahead of the technological game, training-wise, with minimal support from school (they simply don't get given the budget to do it for non-teachers) whereas teachers pretty much teach the same courses year after year whilst being provided training as and when they ask for it.

 

You see why we engage in teacher bashing?

 

And when you come out with 'we chose the career we are in', it makes it worse. We did chose this career, yes, but we also expect something in return. We expect to be paid a fair wage and to be treated the same as our teacher co-workers. If we decided that enough was enough and left the jobs we did, schools would simply fail to operate. I know for a fact that I could emigrate to Australia at the moment and end up with a job that pays far better, has better holidays, has better training, and provides me with a much better quality of life but I don't do it, as I want to help my school - and teachers seem intent, sometimes, on making that difficult.

Oops_my_bad

Oops_my_bad

Posted
Posted

Oh yes - I've had this one. One teacher (who actually teaches ICT) asked me if I'd had chance to sort out some pissy little problem he was having with his HOME PC - I said no not yet as I had bigger fish to fry. He then went on to say "Oh, well if you didn't leave at 3.30 every day you might get round to it". By which time I quite loudly "explained" to him (in front of 2xSMT) that I was always in for 7AM, work through my lunch, and that your car is never in the car park when I arrive/leave. He soon scarpered with his tail between his legs and hasn't bothered me since :)

 

I don't mind most teachers but some of them need to stop being so goddam selfish at times.

the_apprentice

the_apprentice

Posted
Posted

Well I can certainly say I've learned a lot from this exchange. Pehaps my ignorance of the full implications of a techies work load is due to the fact that our school doesn't have any internal support staff at all. We rely solely on external technical support staff, who manage everything remotely and only come in to school when the really have to, e.g. new server installation.

 

However, I know how totally dependent we are on tech support: a couple of years ago we prayed to the god of tech support, made offerings at the alter and hoped for a miracle of network resurection after the NIMDA virus struck and our entire network was down/unavailable for 19 DAYS.

 

I do understand how you feel about the lack of funding for training, software and equipment. I know it's not the same, but every single tech book I have in my posession was purchased by me and I'm currently paying for hosting for the school vle, and no I'm not looking for pity it's just the way it is in our school.

 

There is certainly no way any teacher should expect you to sort out any home pc issues, they should really be told where to go 'in the nicest possible manner' because we all know it will happen. Perhaps simply telling them to rtfm or that pebkac.

 

My sincere appologies as I seem to have got on the wrong side of some of you, it was never my intention. I hope this won't be held against me if I venture in here again.

tech_guy

tech_guy

Posted
Posted
I hope this won't be held against me if I venture in here again.

 

Hello. I was tempted to say "You're Fired" due to your username but...what the hell, mine's a coffee, two sugars....

the_apprentice

the_apprentice

Posted
Posted

You did say coffee, two sugars, no milk? :)

 

Mind you if we're getting on to the topic of drink, I guess this round's on me :)

 

Orders anyone? :drinkers:

 

Might have to raid the kids piggybank if anyone wants crisps, it's ok though, they're all tucked up in bed :partyman:

Grommit

Grommit

Posted
Posted

Teachers Wages WITHOUT Management Points

 

Newly qualified teacher

 

A newly qualified teacher (NQT) can expect to start on a salary of at least:

 

£20,133 outside London

£24,168 in inner London

 

Experienced teacher

 

The scale for good, experienced classroom teachers who have ‘crossed the threshold’ rises to:

 

£34,281 outside London

£41,004 in inner London

 

So an Advanced Skills Teacher and Head Of Department will get more, Assistant Heads get even more around from around £48K to £55K

 

And they complain that they are underpaid..... :lol: and they also get Key Worker Benifits which we do not get.. like cheap houses in London...

 

Plus if they do dinner duty they get paid for it...

 

http://www.tda.gov.uk/upload/resources/pdf/t/teacher_salaries.pdf

daveyboy

daveyboy

Posted
Posted

@ the_apprentice

 

Just as there are teachers that 'go the extra mile' for their students (and some that dont) there are technicians that do too (and some that dont).

 

Bear in mind that - just as you get the 'same silly questions' from your students day after day, we get the 'same silly questions' from teachers - day after day.

 

Most - probably all of us, do not have 'a budget' for training and therefore will never get any. Most of us - are using our own time to keep our skills updated. There are no managment points and no ladder to climb.

 

Me - I have been working six days a week in this summer break 8 - 6 and on the odd occasion till 9. As of monday my day starts at 7:30 and will end around 5:30 ish. Then its time to read, learn and study. The school website I also update in my own time............

 

Lunch? When do you think teaching staff have the time to come and see us about a problem they have.......

 

I'm b**dy lucky. most of the staff in my school appreciate what me and my team do for them and July & Christmas sees a few bottles of wine come our way.

 

As technicians we forget that as we have to update our skills, so do the staff members. You will see on this board questions about the latest versions of MS Office and various software packages. We all forget that as we are pushed to install (mostly by teachers who think they need the lastest and greatest package) the most up to date piece of software that there are other staff members struggling to keep up too.

 

 

There is only one thing I would change though....

 

Often we try to give a training session for staff on the basics. Most staff do not have the time / cant be bothered. Yet when it doesnt work in the the way they think it should, they will spend enough time moaning about it!

 

To sum up:-

 

1) It's tough at the top - yeah, well its just as tough at the bottom cos the sh*t falls farther.

 

2) Smile and say 'hello' from time to time - we are not second class citizens and like you we have good / bad / and bl**dy frustrating days too!

 

3) Jaffa cakes - 'nuff said

 

4) We like teachers too - and yes we will go that 'extra mile' to help - but not if you look down your nose!

 

5) It would be nice for you to come and say 'hello' from time to time without the next line starting with 'It doesnt work' or 'My home computer' or 'When can you do'

 

6) If the technical team offer some training take it - its okay to say 'nope, I dont get it. can we do that again - this time in short simple words?'

 

7) When It does work, TELL US!!! we like to hear of the good bits as well as the bad.

 

Lastly

 

MOST IMPORTANT - over the next few days do not ask blindly if your support team had a good holiday....... That really p*sses us off. :lol:

the_apprentice

the_apprentice

Posted
Posted

@daveyboy

 

I do appreciate all the points you make in your post.

 

In reply to your summing up:-

 

1) It's tough at the top -
wouldn't know, nowhere near there :)

 

2) Smile and say 'hello' from time to time - we are not second class citizens and like you we have good / bad / and bl**dy frustrating days too! -
majority of my best mates are the cleaners, caretakers and office staff. Both my mum and dad had very low paid manual/office jobs

 

3) Jaffa cakes - 'nuff said -
totally agree

 

4) We like teachers too - and yes we will go that 'extra mile' to help - but not if you look down your nose! -
most of the time I'm on the floor on bended knee looking up and begging for help :)

 

5) It would be nice for you to come and say 'hello' from time to time without the next line starting with 'It doesnt work' or 'My home computer' or 'When can you do' -
spend plenty of time doing this and risk getting told off by hod :(

 

6) If the technical team offer some training take it - its okay to say 'nope, I dont get it. can we do that again - this time in short simple words?' -
we don't have in house tech support so the ict staff such as myself spend their time training staff as well - great questions including 'how do you do a table' and 'I can't get my bullet points to work'

 

7) When It does work, TELL US!!! we like to hear of the good bits as well as the bad.
- always do, as I don't want anyone wasting their time trying to fix a problem that's already been solved

 

I think if we were sitting having a real chat, you'd see that I'm actually a nice person :)

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing


×
×
  • Create New...