Male teachers....

[jackfaire]

Remember, in making those calculations, that they often have to spend their summers doing continuing education (or some similar name), which isn't cheap, to keep their certification.

I get that but in my book if you can buy your own home and drive a nice car and your still hurting for money then your stupid for having done those things. My point is I can comfortably live on a lot less, lot lot less money then even with continuing education they should be fine.

[bara]

I used to be a high school teacher but had to give it up so that I could afford petty, trivial things like "food" and "rent."

The only teachers I ever knew to have decent lifestyles were the old ones. The ones on the edge of retirement that had worked their ass off to get nice things while waiting for retirement.

I had students that had crushes on me. It was one of the most frightening experiences someone could go through. All it took was an accusation of impropriety and my career would be ruined. I'd be convicted in the court of public opinion before I even had a chance to defend myself. To help myself feel "safer" I set up video cameras in the classroom to record everything.

You can pretty much copy and paste the above statement into any job dominated by females. If you are a male, all it takes is one person to say something whether it is made up or not and your job is gone. Multiply shit storm by 1000 if children are anywhere involved or if you are in a supervisory position.

P.S. By setting up video cameras you are also a voyeur.

[Gravekeeper]

You can pretty much copy and paste the above statement into any job dominated by females. If you are a male, all it takes is one person to say something whether it is made up or not and your job is gone. Multiply shit storm by 1000 if children are anywhere involved or if you are in a supervisory position.

That's, er, a rather broad generalization if not kinda sexiest to be honest. Also, this culture of "Omfg every guy is a pedophile" is largely a product of North America and the US specifically.

[jackfaire]

That's, er, a rather broad generalization if not kinda sexiest to be honest. Also, this culture of "Omfg every guy is a pedophile" is largely a product of North America and the US specifically.

Yesterday on my home from work I stopped and grabbed a burger. As I left this family was eating and one of the kids said something cute/funny and I glanced over and smirked.

You would have thought I walked over and asked to sleep with the kids the way the parents glared at me.

I get that any time I look in the direction of a kid. It doesn't matter that I am looking at every person boarding the train or bus to see if I notice a friend cuz in my area it's not uncommon to bump into people you know.

Yet if a parent with a child notices me look even for a second they whip out the "You stay away from my child" glares.

The only time I don't get that is when my own daughter is with me then suddenly I am "safe"

[BlaqueKatt]

Plus they didn't have to work summers.

My ex-MIL was a teacher, in order for her to not work summers she had to take a reduced salary during the school year to still have money coming in for those three months, a teacher's salary is based on a 9-month work year, not 12.

example starting teachers make around 20,000/year salary here.

they can take it as $2200/month(13.75/hr assuming 40 hour week, which is not realistic at all, most teachers spend their "free time" doing work-grading papers, making lesson plans) before taxes and go unpaid for three months or teach summer school, or take a reduced salary of $1600/month($10/hr)-I know very few single people that can buy a house or nice car on either of those salaries.

[Greenday]

My ex-MIL was a teacher, in order for her to not work summers she had to take a reduced salary during the school year to still have money coming in for those three months, a teacher's salary is based on a 9-month work year, not 12.

That's how it is back home. You have a yearly salary. You can either have it spread across 12 months and paychecks will be smaller or you can have it spread across just the months you work and have bigger paychecks.

Teachers do fairly well back home. Starting out, average salary is $38,000. Average salary among all teachers is around $58,000.

My schools must have paid more than normal though since most teachers had pretty nice rides (BMWs, Mercedes Benz, etc.).

[KnitShoni]

Were the teachers with the nice cars and the houses single? Most likely they were married or in a long-term relationship, and split the bills. Easier to afford a nicer car and/or a mortgage if you don't have to pay all the household bills by yourself.

[Ginger Tea]

Our agency staff are paid Nat min wage or a bit above, no idea the rate for either case and our carpark has a few BMW's and Merc's, granted not current makes.

[HYHYBT]

It's also more reasonable to compare teachers' pay with that of other occupations requiring the same level of education and investment, not just with every other job out there... and take into account the restrictions on what they can do and say outside of work.

[Greenday]

Were the teachers with the nice cars and the houses single? Most likely they were married or in a long-term relationship, and split the bills. Easier to afford a nicer car and/or a mortgage if you don't have to pay all the household bills by yourself.

You can say that about every job in every profession though.

[Sleepwalker]

As for the male gyno thing, I've heard horror stories about male gynos(ie indifference, not molestation) that have made me uncomfortable around the idea of going to one for an exam. Not hugely uncomfortable, but given the choice between two doctors I knew nothing about, I'd pick the female one, since at least she had had all the exams before.

I suppose if my pediatrician hadn't been male, I'd be a lot more uncomfortable. I also had a number of favorite male teachers as a kid, who would take me on day trips, private tutoring, or do special projects, but thinking back they were all also gay(I'm female). I wonder if I lived in a district with fewer gay teachers, if my parents would have been as accepting of male teachers.

It's strange for me to see how a minor prejudice could have been shaped into a serious one from such small things in my life. =/

[fireheart17]

apparently any man who wants to be a nurse in such a setting must be a sexual predator. and don't even get me started on the looks i get when i tell people that i'm thinking of a specialty in pediatrics.

I've heard stories of male midwives before and I think I remember having a male nurse when I broke my arm. Apparently with the male midwife, he was supervised fully during his placement and then once he completed his certifications, originally he was picked for the "gimmick" value and then eventually once word got around that he wasn't a predator, the only times he got kicked out of a delivery room were due to either cultural or "father" factors (i.e. father can't handle seeing his lovers lady bits all stretched out due to the crowning and gets annoyed that another guy CAN).

As for the male nurse, generally as long as they show the same compassion that female nurses show, then there's nothing wrong with it.

To help myself feel "safer" I set up video cameras in the classroom to record everything.

P.S. By setting up video cameras you are also a voyeur.

OK two things spring to mind here:

1) Voyeurism generally requires intent of a sexual nature. It also generally requires students to be doing intimate behaviours such as say, changing outfits. General surveillance does not equal voyeurism. A high school teacher setting up cameras to cover his butt in the event of a lawsuit is not being a voyeur.

2) I can sadly understand the need for cameras, but not necessarily due to student going "OMG He/she raped me". I'm thinking more along the lines of: Student A is bullying others, Student A gets punished, Student A drags his parents in to scream about how their child is a little angel and the punishment is unfair. Parents get shown videotape. Parents realise what Student A is actually doing.

Although on a side note, that would make for a great TV show: Parents, What's Happening With YOUR Child?

One of the best nurses I have ever had was a guy, and he specialised in pediatrics. He was a great bloke and I hope he's doing well.

I prefer merit-based equality not numbers-based equality. If employment is based on filling a gender quota rather than getting the best people for the job then it's not true equality.

Agreed. One of the ED nurses I had at one stage was awesome. I was doing some reading while waiting for some tests and when he saw my readings, he started talking about different conspiracy theories he hears from people.

For some reason teachers in North America, and specifically in the US have essentially lost their social standing over time. Its no longer by and large considered an admirable profession. Now you're a whiny liberal union member thats apparently just rolling in cash ( hah. ) and wants more. -.-

To some degree, down here as well. More so because parents are failing to instill that desire to learn in their children while at home so as a result, little Timmy goes to school not wanting to learn anything. As a result, his grades slip and the parents start wondering why the teacher isn't doing anything. I've said repeatedly "Teachers can teach until their voice is gone and they have a cramp in their hands, but if a student doesn't want to learn, then they won't."

There was a HUGE clusterfuck down here recently about teachers wanting more pay. And of course, the stupid comments popped out of the woodwork: teachers get 12 weeks holiday and weekends off, teachers don't actually teach their kids anything, public school stinks blah blah blah.

Teachers do fairly well back home. Starting out, average salary is $38,000. Average salary among all teachers is around $58,000.

My schools must have paid more than normal though since most teachers had pretty nice rides (BMWs, Mercedes Benz, etc.).

Starting salary for teachers in my state is around $58,000 and goes up every year until it peaks at around $83,000 for Tier 9 teachers. Permanent relieving teachers generally make a little more (Tier 1 Permanent relieving teachers make around $10,000 extra), while Advanced Skills Teachers (whatever they are) make around $88,000.

Although that said, most teachers generally don't drive real flashy cars down here. There was actually an article in the paper some time ago regarding private schools. Some of the more prestigious private schools had the students driving nicer cars than the teachers.

Thankfully my planned dream car is a nice-looking small car.

ETA: Every year refers to being employed with the Education Department, not with the school itself. So if you do 5 years at one school and 9 years at another, your pay level peaks after 4 years in School B.

[jackfaire]

As for the male gyno thing, I've heard horror stories about male gynos(ie indifference, not molestation) that have made me uncomfortable around the idea of going to one for an exam. Not hugely uncomfortable, but given the choice between two doctors I knew nothing about, I'd pick the female one, since at least she had had all the exams before.

From female friends I have heard horror stories about Female Gynos who ignored signs of a medical concern because in themselves it had never been a problem so it wouldn't be in their patients.

[KnitShoni]

From female friends I have heard horror stories about Female Gynos who ignored signs of a medical concern because in themselves it had never been a problem so it wouldn't be in their patients.

That would be my own experience, as well. I refuse to go to a female ob/gyn because every one I've been to dismissed my concerns, which damned near rendered me infertile.

[Boozy]

I miss the (male) gynocologist I had before I moved to my current city. He was awesomely efficient. Quick, painless, professional. I was in and out of the stirrups in three minutes flat.

Every female gyno I've had tries too hard to be sensitive and caring. "Oh, I'll warm up the speculum for you. Are you comfortable? I will go slowly." This nonsense is completely unnecessary. I do not need to be overly comfortable. We're doing a medical exam here, not making love. Get on with it please.