Frazz by Jef Mallett for December 26, 2015

Perhaps she isn’t whining. Perhaps she is merely expressing her love for teaching, which I have witnessed to be arguably a calling for some. If that’s her, then she teaches for love, not money. Just as running can be irresistible to some who pursue it, and being able to eat an occasional plateful of cookies is just a bonus.

I wish people like you that obviously don’t have the faintest idea of what the hell they are spewing about would shut up and go actually find out what a teacher goes through today. My wife was making $32k a year, working anywhere between 60-80 damn hours a week and during those so called 3 months off she had continuing education classes 2-3 days a every week. I’m I a bit pissed off? Yes, I am. I get really sick of clowns like you writing what ever the hell they want on the net when they don’t know what they are talking about.

Nab is well known to be both an idiot and a liar. Engage with him only for the lols, because actually expecting a fruitful discussion with him is utter foolishness.

Uh, no, not true.

Thank you for your enlightened responses. People like Nab who whine about teachers shouldn’t rush to judgment without knowing the facts. In my own district, known for being a well-paying district, starting salary is 32k a year. When I started teaching 28 years ago, it was 19k. I had two jobs in addition to teaching full time and still had to spend a lot of time outside the school day making plans, grading papers, etc. I’ve had ongoing training through the years. Training doesn’t stop when a teacher’s internship is over. And experience IS training. So, a teacher who has taught 20 years tends to be a better, more informed teacher than one who has only taught one year. There are other factors of course but experience itself is a good teacher. Teachers have a right to “whine” or vent or correct others’ misinformation. No one knows better about a job than the person who actually does that job. Nab’s whining about “whining” is misinformed. Even IF Nab’s statistics are accurate, he forgot to mention that the cost of living has also gone up, which would account for salaries going up. I don’t know of any district that starts a teacher at 50k or higher. And the demands on teachers may be different than two or more decades ago but that doesn’t mean the job is any less demanding. From my perspective as a teacher, things have only gotten more demanding over the last 20 years. I no longer have to work extra jobs and I have earned that through my dedication to my students and my teaching career.

I run for the food. Not a bit ashamed of it either.

THAT was cleverly put!Lol

You don’t hang around with many runners do you? I’m over 50 and look and move better than non-runners my age. Same with all the other runners I know.

Personal attacks are uncalled for. If you dislike Nab’s position, or think it’s wrong, then present a counter argument. Were he an “idiot” he would just spout unsubstantiated insults.

The teacher debate seems to be handled pretty well, but I haven’t seen anything on the running debate, so here goes:First off, I’ll take it you’re not a runner. If you were, you wouldn’t be asking why they run. People like Frazz (and myself) run because they like it. They may not “enjoy” every single run, but they do enjoy the lifestyle that serious running is. Its certainly not something everyone would like, but its no different than people who enjoy golf, or skiing, or rock climbing, or stamp collecting, or any other hobby or passion. They run because they like to.As for having the body of an 80-year-old when they’re fifty, find some actual proof before you start spouting outdated nonsense. I’m surprised you didn’t say its bad for their knees. Ever heard of guy by the name of Meb Keflezighi? Won the Boston Marathon at 38, 4th in the Olympic Marathon at 37, and is shooting for his 4th Olympics at the age of 40 at the Marathon Trials in February. Running (or any form of exercise, for that matter) is much healthier than not doing anything. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/03/run-to-stay-young/?_r=0Both of my parents are 49, almost 50, and just ran sub-3:42 in their first marathons. My mom will be running her 3rd marathon at Boston in 2017, and should be able to run sub-3:35.So do a little research next time before you comment.

I would cheerfully run miles from a smug remark like “Boy, people almost get it.”

I can’t run any more because of arthritis, but I love to exercise and don’t care about the calories. I also enjoy my work… I recently came out of retirement to do contingent work in my lab. As to teachers, while there are some bad apples, the teachers I know work hard. Many of them burn out, not because of the teaching, but the bureaucracy running the schools and the parents who think their dear little kids can do no wrong.

Mallett’s self righteousness is showing in this strip.

Nine months…can’t count, eh? In NY, we work fromm Labor Day (plus three days prior for meetings, plus our own in-classroom setup days) through to the end of June, especially K-5. We have July and August “off”. That’s two, 1,2.. Months off. Granted there are a couple of weeks during the year but they used to be longer in the 50’s. Also I had to get a Masters degree to be permanently certified in NYS and that was NOT one year of training. Three years, maam! And the additional loans to go with them. I retired at 62 after 30 years and was making 57,000 at the END of my career! Not all districts are in the suburbs! I taught special ed and loved it. BTW those summers off? We had training we had to go to and we usually did curriculum work too, for small honoraria.I miss the kids but not all the kibitzing from the media, government and ignoramuses.

Personally I don’t care what teachers get paid, it’ll never be enough. I’d like to thank them all for what they do, I’d like to thank all of mine that helped me get to where I am now but unfortunately I can’t due to age and loss of contact. I hope they’re proud of me and understand what they gave me. People that dismiss or ridicule teachers have no understanding of what it means to have an education. I have a such a small understanding of what it means to stand in a room with 30+ teenagers and trying to impart knowledge to them. Its not something I could ever have the patience or restraint to do. I struggle to discuss any thing with a teenager without having to walk away in frustration. ‘Whatever’, ‘who cares’ etc etc. arrrrrgh!!!!!