Hidden Struggles of Teachers: Beyond Homework, Detentions, and Tests

As teachers, we sometimes face struggles that are rarely discussed outside our profession. These challenges can be as mundane as setting and collecting homework, to as serious as dealing with detentions and tests. In this article, we will explore some of these hidden struggles from the perspective of a teacher, specifically in the field of mathematics.

Why We Hate Setting Homework

Let's start with homework. The task of assigning homework often feels more like a never-ending battle than a simple educational task. Teachers spend countless hours each week ensuring that homework is submitted and completed. Here are some reasons why we dislike setting homework:

Wasted Time: Chasing up students for homework can take hours each week, detracting from valuable teaching time. Student Frustration: Students often complain about homework and become frustrated with teachers who set it. Parental Pressure: Parents frequently insist that their child would never forget homework, leading to more paperwork and detentions. Continuous Issues: Homework due on Monday might still be outstanding by Friday, which usually means detention. Detention Burden: Detentions often pile up when students don't complete their work, leading to more time spent in meetings and lost breaks.

Our Struggle with Detentions

Setting and enforcing detentions can be a major source of frustration. Here's why:

Time-Wasting: Detentions can take valuable time from our schedules, often during breaks or after-school hours. No Guarantees: Kids who receive detentions might not show up, leading to further wasted time and effort. Parental Pressure: Parents often plead to exempt their child from detentions, despite past behavior. Cumulative Issues: If a student repeatedly skips their homework, they may owe more than one detention, leading to constant catch-up situations.

Why We Hate Setting Tests

Tests are another headache for teachers. Here's why they are so frustrating:

Student Complaints: Students resent tests as they add "stress" to their day and might be forced to do work at home. No Revisers: The students who need to revise the most often ignore study advice. Grading Burden: Grading tests can be time-consuming, often requiring hours of work. Endless Marking: For subjects like English, marking a single test can take an hour, making it a weekend waste. Repeat Battles: Going through incorrect answers is frustrating because students often resist learning, knowing they won't use the information anyway.

The Truth Behind Homework, Detentions, and Tests

These tasks are essential but can be overwhelming. Teachers spend vast amounts of time ensuring that students complete these tasks, but the reality is that most of the work is ultimately wasted. The students who need it the most are often the ones who don't listen or comply, while those who already perform well benefit from the extra review. But the system demands evidence of learning, so tests are a must. Perhaps the only benefit of these tasks is the occasional easy lesson, but the cost of grading and enforcement is high.

In conclusion, teachers bear a heavy burden that extends beyond the classroom. We face constant challenges, from setting and collecting homework to dealing with outdated systems that insist on evidence of learning, such as detentions and tests. These hidden struggles are part of the profession, and it's time regular folk had a better understanding of the real challenges faced by educators.