Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for July 19, 2013

Reason #2 to be a teacher: don’t have to work summers. Reason #1: can’t get a real job.

Come on Calvin you did not think that.

Sure he did, ratlum.

I’m a retired cop. Once in a while someone I cited or arrested would spot me ine the supermarket aisle and recognize me. Hard to make small talk and even harder to figure out how to get to your car anonymously!

Lucky, who goes threw life without eminent big mistakes!

Lol

We love vampires, but we love teachers more.

my wife starts at 7:30 am teaches till 3:30 two hrs home school for the school she works at this summer she has 22 days continuing ed classes buys paper/pens/work books/ect for the students/ she is fully licensed/two masters in education related fields/certificates in traumatic brain injury and autism is working on her doctorate were would the police officers be no if no one taught them

This was always my biggest fear when I was a kid.

@Barrycatcher – typical lack of respect for educators.

I AM NOT A NUMBER! I AM A FREE MAN!

Not a real job——sounds like like someone who has never been in a school to actually see what a teacher really does or knows the “real” time a teacher spends as a teacher—-planning lessons—preparing the lesson—grading the papers etc etc. Summer time is sometimes used as time for in service or going back to college for updating your teaching license. Think before you make a stupid comment.

Tried to post this to facebook, but a totally different cartoon came up. Phooey!

My father was a high school teacher for 32 years then after retiring, volunteer taught for another 23 years. If he could still get around on his own he would still be doing it! I’m mighty proud of him and other teachers!

WOW! By the time I finished reading these 45 comments, I forgot this was a Calvin and Hobbes comic.

@barrycarter1) teaching is a real job. 2) having summers off is also so we can work, since we only get paid for 9 months too. Of course, during that 9 months we’re expected to 12 months worth of work.

In Junior High school, I had a French teacher who used to be a long-haul truck driver. She was quite a character.

Teachers hibernate during the summer?

Modern teachers simply plug into outlets.

Yeah, Calvin, they only turn into Vampires in Sept

Classic!…lol

I bet Miss Wormwood gave a sigh. She was proably hoping that Calvin’s family had moved out of the school district.

Calvin isn’t entirely wrong – when I taught high school, I relished those 8 weeks off in the summer – and the break from 60-80 hour work weeks (80 while coaching sports). Much rest was needed!

Yes, yes, often I think so!

As has already been mentioned, teachers don’t get paid for the time their off, i.e., summers and holidays. They get paid according to the number of days they are required to work, in my state 185 days a year. The paychecks are spread out over the entire year for obvious reasons, so in my first 5-10 years of teaching, I had to have a second part-time job. After 25 years of teaching, I still have to budget carefully and I do not have a lot left over after each paycheck. Although pay is increased based on experience (typically .5 to 2%, if that) and additional training (Master’s Degree, etc.), each raise amounts to less than $18 a week, even less after federal, state, and local taxes are taken out.

As has also been mentioned, most teachers put in much more time beyond the eight hours of administering and teaching a classroom. “Planning time” is often used to attend required meetings with other teachers or administration. When you do get planning time to actually plan and do grades, there are phone calls or emergency drills or forms to fill out for field trips or workshops. In short, MOST planning ends up having to be done before or after school. Most teachers actually like to be on top of things and prepare lessons in new ways or with new material, so they spend a lot of time evenings and weekends working on new projects to help in the classroom. During the school year, there are times I’m about to go crazy with all the work to be done. Some nights, I get far less than the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep. The time I have off is precious to me and reinvigorates me to do my job. I do a real good job of knowing when I need to spend it on work-related projects and when I just need to chill and enjoy life. And I don’t have a family to take of on top of all of that, although I do have some other responsibilities.

I do it because I enjoy working with children and seeing them learn and take an interest in learning. Their desire to please and grow, their personalities, their smiles, and their laughter are what keep me motivated to do my best for them. Teaching a classroom of sometimes 30 individuals for 40 minutes or longer is not an easy task and having experienced teaching for myself, I can honestly say it is one of the most time-consuming jobs in the world. It is also requires a lot of energy throughout your career, especially if you work with the younger kids. After 25 years, I still love my job.

BTW, I love today’s strip and this one I recognized right away from years ago. It is not unusual for me to see a student at the grocery or out at the shopping center. It cracks me up when they exclaim, “Mr. M! What are you doing here?” It’s happened more than a few times…

Teachers have a REALly hard job because a lot of the students have no REAL desire to learn. It can be very hard to capture the interest of them and inspire them to excel in learning. And no I am not a teacher by trade but I have instructed a few people in my time.

oh .. nice boy’s

Sleep in coffins? Frozen in freezers? They are suspended, somehow.

That’s MISTER Six to you, fella.

I never thought that but both my parents were teachers so I guess I was suppose to sleep in coffin too.