what, phil? you're miserable and don't give a shit so why not just leave?
wouldn't that be better than facing every day wondering how you're going to kill time on your laptop? or worrying about getting ripped off or hurt?
you're not selling tires in a store, you're a teacher in a school. albeit a very fucked up school of which there are many in chicago.

my daughter had an art teacher in middle school who would give them a project and play solitaire until class let out. four years later, my son gets the same teaacher woith the same scenario. sorry, pretty unacceptable.

all i'm saying is if it's really come to this, why bother?
you're a freaking ace talent, my friend. this is just not where you should be.

go rub one out in the bathroom.

gotta add:

i have nothing but the utmost respect for teachers. i think it's one of the highest professional callings. when i see what assholes in advetising make compared to teachers it makes me ill. i don't know how they do what they do. it's a miracle somedays and if i had it my way salaries would double immediately.

my kids have had the opportunity to be taught by some incredibly inspiring and devoted teachers and the impact these people have had on their lives is immeasurable. to say i'm grateful and thankful is an understatement.

i'm really sorry to have hurt your feelings, phil. it's just so sad.

Clueless? I sit in school every day of my life, excluding weekends. Is it an important job that should get higher pay? Of course it is. Is it hard or stressful work compared to most jobs? Hell no. I mean honestly...Phil said the teacher left no plans. All he has to do is sit. I can find about three thousand things to complain about, but getting paid for nothing isn't one of them.

My in-late-out-early approach to paid employment has always served me well.

I think you're missing the broad scope of this here. It's not the teacher not leaving any lesson plans that's bugging him. And trust me, sitting in a class is COMPLETELY different than being the one in charge of it. Maybe teaching is an easy job if the teacher doesn't care about education or the kids he/she is supposed to be teaching. However, when you care about individual kids and their future you get attached to them and their development and their success and/or failures. In my opinion, it is one of the most stressful. I spent 2 years "teaching" drug and alcohol addicted teenage convicts about alternative lifestyles. I think that job is very similar to teaching. In many ways, a good teacher is like a social worker. I guaruntee you a good teacher takes their students' lives home with them. It's one of those jobs that you never stop thinking about. It's not like when you get your "massive" 10 page book report on the United States capitals finished and can go on living your arrogant ill-informed life. It's a consuming job that sucks the life out of you when you see the ridiculous legislations, the parenting that places responsibility of child-rearing on you, the incessant disrespect that Hitler wouldn't even show you if you were a Jew by students, and the clearly ignorant/misguided musings of teenage know-it-alls. There is a broader scope of teaching that you seem to miss or ignore.

Until you have been in the situation, I don't think you can fully understand it. It may seem like nothing to have a class with no lesson plans. But babysitting junior high kids or even high school kids is a job I do not envy and one that I do not wish on anyone.

i think its damn easy to be a poor teacher. But to be a good educator and one who cares when most students dont, can be very stressful. Sure, its not the same stress as say having to have some 1000 page bullshit report due by 5 pm because a client thinks its necessary for you to 'show' your work in order to be paid.

id say the stress is more self-imposed which is why teacher burn-out is so high. Im sympathetic with Phil because I know how he got there, but I agree with ayah because the comment the bad days outnumber the good ones.. pull a bullit in it.