The result of the last poll on this blog showed that 85% of teachers consider it ok to have a quick alcoholic beverage before lessons. 54% of people said it was ok to go into lessons as a raging drunk.
These statistics are nothing new to me.
When I turned 18 and I went to have beer in the local pub next to my high school I found it was full of my teachers. All of them drinking and most drinking more than one. Shock, horror! As I went over to join them but I also have to say that these were very, very, good teachers.
Drinking alcohol is often linked to stress and as the following link shows ‘HowStuffWorks’ – Teaching is 4th in a list of most stressful jobs.
Why is teaching stressful? The usual combination: nightmare students, administration and scrutiny. We have students who either don’t want to learn, or think they know better, School administration handing us endless forms, lists, reports, mails to respond to, often these have little or no point to them. We have the scrutiny of the school owners/principles, directors, team leaders, students, parents to live up to on a daily basis and for pay which is less than other professionals with the same qualifications. It is arguably even worse for Teflers compared to regular teachers because many of us are working as freelancers without the comfort of a full job contract meaning we can be brushed aside or replaced at whim, not forgetting the split shifts which you don’t find in mainstream education.
So why do we do it? To make a difference, to develop ourselves? To be a responsible member of society?
Personally, I do it for the beer…
These statistics are nothing new to me.
When I turned 18 and I went to have beer in the local pub next to my high school I found it was full of my teachers. All of them drinking and most drinking more than one. Shock, horror! As I went over to join them but I also have to say that these were very, very, good teachers.
Drinking alcohol is often linked to stress and as the following link shows ‘HowStuffWorks’ – Teaching is 4th in a list of most stressful jobs.
Why is teaching stressful? The usual combination: nightmare students, administration and scrutiny. We have students who either don’t want to learn, or think they know better, School administration handing us endless forms, lists, reports, mails to respond to, often these have little or no point to them. We have the scrutiny of the school owners/principles, directors, team leaders, students, parents to live up to on a daily basis and for pay which is less than other professionals with the same qualifications. It is arguably even worse for Teflers compared to regular teachers because many of us are working as freelancers without the comfort of a full job contract meaning we can be brushed aside or replaced at whim, not forgetting the split shifts which you don’t find in mainstream education.
So why do we do it? To make a difference, to develop ourselves? To be a responsible member of society?
Personally, I do it for the beer…
You miss out the psychology of the teacher, which is a fundamental element of the stress.
ReplyDeleteI haven't taken any lessons, but I have had conversational sessions when the Polish people trying to speak English would have been far better off with a couple of shots of alcohol in them. Getting rid of the fear of saying something wrong would have changed the learning process dramatically.
It is very true that teachers seem to be a very hard-drinking bunch. Certainly I turned into a hardcore alcoholic the first few months I was in Korea.
ReplyDeleteYet, there are so many professions that seem to be linked to drinking and alcoholism -- cops, firefighters, writers, doctors. But I can't think off the top of my head anything that these five professions have in common.
For a TEFLer, though, I think a big reason we drink a ton is to numb the effects of culture shock. Just one of many reasons, of course.
I agree, post Christmas I've been feeling a little homesick so to supress that feeling.... I drink a little bit more.
ReplyDeletehealthy i'm sure :)
I personally drink to drown the shame i feel whoring myself out to schools that underpay you or delay payment as long as possible students who lack the basic skills in polish let alone english the crappy hours the fact that no one i know who teachers grew up dreaming of doing it the fact that its the same thing week after week the fact the more you listen to yourself talk the more you think your voice sounds dull boring souless well at least thats my excuse to the wife why i'm in the pub every night
ReplyDelete