Life of a Teacher
Reality or Myth?
Teachers Know Everything
People make mistakes and aren't omniscient – not even teachers. Of course, it always seems as if your teacher knows everything, but teachers usually only specialize in their own subjects and have weaknesses in other areas.
Teaching is a Female Profession
Unlike in the past, the teaching profession is now often associated with femininity. But nothing of the sort! Especially in recent years, an increasing number of student teachers have become male again, and they often work in primary school teaching. Likewise, mathematics, physics, and physical education are mostly taught by male teachers. That said, subjects are not and should not be gendered.
Teachers teach the same thing year after year because the curriculum doesn't change.
The curriculum is currently undergoing significant changes. The Ministry of Education's recommendation programs are republished each year. Furthermore, the extent to which a teacher can cover a topic in depth always depends on the class. This is particularly evident when a teacher teaches two parallel classes and can thus compare them. Aside from the curriculum, teachers always have the freedom to cover certain topics particularly intensively and to set their own focus for the lesson, which can also vary from year to year. Teaching methods are also becoming increasingly inventive and digital. This allows teachers to continually teach their material in new ways. Of course, this also requires the teacher's willingness and enthusiasm for their own subject and new teaching methods.
The teacher - a special breed with many privileges
Many imagine a teacher at the end of the day like this: an elderly person sitting comfortably at a table, holding a glass of wine in one hand and a red pen for marking in the other. While marking, they listen to classical music and occasionally reflect on the past day. A pile of exams lies before the teacher. Many people see teaching as a relaxed life, where you do the same thing every day and mark exams using templates from 20 years ago. Sometimes grades are simply given based on gut feeling or current mood. At the end of the day, he's right anyway. With his secure civil servant status and substantial pension, he doesn't have to worry about the present or the future. As much as people like to exaggerate the profession of teaching, we all know that the daily life of a teacher is much more demanding than that. The job of a teacher involves constant preparation and follow-up, creating exams and tests, conducting parent-teacher meetings, etc., which is not to be taken lightly, as this often takes place after official closing time.
Teachers are lazy bums
When former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder called teachers "lazy bums," he spoke for many people, especially those who envy teachers for their long vacations. But the remark was completely off the mark and, to top it off, false. Studies show that teachers work an average of more than 50 hours a week. However, as in other professions, there is a wide range here: While some value interactive, well-prepared, and high-quality lessons and invest time in their preparation, others are closer to the cliché that many people have in mind. This statement is certainly not universally true. Regardless of whether you're hardworking or not, this profession requires a lot of patience, strong nerves, and a large portion of authority. Anyone who says that teachers are just lazy should remember their own school days during puberty.
Teachers are all civil servants
Nationwide, approximately 200,000 teachers are not civil servants, but rather employees, and thus often earn several hundred euros net less than their civil servant colleagues. In Berlin, newly hired teachers are generally no longer civil servants, and in other federal states and at private schools, many also work as employees. The unions refer to these as "second-class employees." Of course, there are still teachers who become civil servants, but it's not quite so simple. This can depend particularly on the teaching qualification and the combination of subjects taught.
Teaching is a secure job
Teachers may have jobs that are resilient to recession, but it's not entirely certain whether they'll even be offered one. Many trainee teachers aren't hired, for example, because their grade is 0.1 below the annual hiring threshold. It's also worth mentioning that, according to a study by the University of Freiburg, 40 percent of teachers are subjected to verbal abuse within a year, and four percent are threatened. 1.4 percent even experience physical attacks.
Teachers were bad students
This myth can also be refuted. High school teachers used to have, on average, just as good grades in their Abitur exams as other academics. And even though the academic performance of prospective elementary and lower secondary school teachers is about half a grade lower than that of their high school colleagues, many universities now have a fairly high minimum entry requirement for teacher training programs in general.
Teachers suffer from burnout
This myth is true! Approximately one in three teachers is now at risk of burnout. While the other two-thirds are statistically mentally stable, the psychological pressure teachers face on a daily basis should not be underestimated. This again demonstrates that teaching is not suitable for everyone, and before beginning teacher training, one should consider whether the profession is a good fit for one's personality.
Teachers are not recognized
Teachers often complain that their profession lacks sufficient prestige and that their work is not appreciated. Surveys by the Allensbach Institute show that people have the most respect for doctors. But elementary school teachers also perform quite well. They have even gained increasing prestige in recent years. They are now clearly ahead of lawyers, engineers, and pharmacists. High school teachers, on the other hand, are not faring much better than journalists, according to surveys.
A Day as a Teacher
Have you ever wondered what a teacher's day looks like? The following daily routine is, of course, not the daily routine of every teacher, but it shows what a real teacher looks like.
'I get up at 6 a.m. Since I don't have to go to work for the first period every day, I sit down at my desk on later mornings and do a little work there, which might include grading classwork, designing tests, or preparing lessons. If I have to go to school for the first period, I leave home around 7 a.m. My classes usually last until 3:10 p.m. Between periods, I might have had free periods. During these periods, I prepare for the upcoming class or offer office hours. After I leave school and do the shopping, I get home around 4 p.m. There, I do housework and then sit back at my desk to do grading, prepare for the next class, talk to parents, etc. In the evening, I take my dog for a walk. It takes about an hour. I usually cook dinner around 7 p.m. If I have any preparations left in the evening, I do them afterwards. My private life tends to take place on the weekends or during school holidays. During the holidays, I also work an average of 3-5 hours a day.
I find the morning/early afternoon with the mostly friendly and nice students and many nice colleagues very pleasant – I really enjoy going to school – but the fact that it feels like the work is never really finished and there's no set time to "finish" is rather stressful. I still haven't found a really good strategy that makes it possible to truly finish work during the week. Another thing you need as a teacher is a very strong sense of health, as the high stress and constant pressure can quickly make you ill. But I wouldn't waste a second thinking about quitting my job because I love it and it makes me happy.'
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