We don't need no education

So, today I came in and found two nice blue folders waiting for me. This was not a surprise, because they contained the marking for the informatics tutorials I was due to take the next day. However, on checking my email, I had an email from John Byatt-Smith (a lecturer who looks not unadjacent to Harold Shipman, but that is nothing to do with anything) which had landed in my inbox, saying that (paraphrasing slightly)

"it has been suggested that you could take 2 Probability tutorials since the other guy has pulled out"

Initially, I was pleased, as this meant I would get more money, but then I realised that I was already doing the maximum of 6 hours a week on tutorials. No problem, they were desperate for people, so they were going to bend the rules for me. But then a thought occured. On odd weeks, I was to spend ten hours on tutorials. Ten hours. That is an awful lot of wasted research
and it's five hours of marking to boot. I realised I'd been guilt-tripped by the administration into doing something I probably shouldn't have done. But I can slag off the admin another time as this is not my point.

It makes me think that teachers don't get enough credit. Not that I'm saying I don't get enough credit, but there's an awful lot they have to do. Marking is such a tedious activity, it's no wonder my A-Level Chemistry teacher never bothered with it. The only redeeming features are that
A: you get some amusing answers (until you realise that it's your teaching that's caused the crap answer)
B: you get paid for it (although I imagine this makes part of a teacher's salary)
C: Umm..

(One thing that I like though is towards the end of term when students can't be bothered handing in and you get paid an hour's work for ticking a couple of things a couple of times)


Presumably teachers don't have time during their day so they must spend their free time after class marking work, and thus effectively working very long days. Of course this is made up with the copious amounts of holiday (a classic joke in Northern Ireland is "what are the two best things about being a teacher? July and August!"), but you can't fault their commitment during term time.

What my point is (I've found it at last!) is that when you're at school you don't realise how much teachers put into your education and that it is worth making the best effort you can for them to show them respect. Sadly, most of you reading this are disinterested, but I feel my point is still valid. Unfortunately, I can't really say the same for lecturers (I have inside information).

Also, as a post-script I find students pay most attention when you give them the answers to next weeks assesment, as I inadvertedly did last year when I was covering a ChemEng class. Failing that, give them sweets.