Why teach?

Why teach?

Yeah, thats what they say in the ad. The wonderful government sponsored ads persuading us to impart our knowledge on those in need. Well to be honest, there really aren't too many superlatives thrown at the game from those actually involved in it. Currently I am trying to be the programme area coordinator while contact teaching 31.5 hours. By the time you have stripped the breaks and the dinner out, that means Mon-Fri the only time I am not in front of a class is between 1.00 and 4.30 on a Thursday. That also means it's 10pm on Wednesday night and for the 3rd night running I am sitting on this computer preparing the class for tomorrow.

Another comment levelled today, semi-tongue in cheek possibly, by a mature student mentioned the wonderful holidays we get. Well, we do get 35 days of course, not to be sniffed at, especially since I came to the teaching game after being self employed. Having said all that, I think I actually took 25 last year, and 10 of them I actually spent working at home. On top of that, we get paid for 37 hours a week and yet, I think the least amount of hours I have committed since the first week of September (actually, more like half way through August) is somewhere in the region of 60 hours a week. That puts my hourly rate at somewhere about £7.24 an hour by my calculations. Excuse the language, but that is piss poor for the stress involved in the job, especially when I get offers quite often to go back on the tools for £14-15 an hour with no stress.

Kind of brings me back to one of the other points I have made before; is it any wonder we can't recruit?

Anyway, at the very least please visit my website at http://www.electricalqualifications.co.uk and buy something through it, a book from Amazon maybe? A jumble of accessories via Ebay? Some new tools from Screwfix possibly? I think I may well need the commission to help me pay the mortgage...