Non-teacher peas who work outside the home

nursing and caregiving (CNA, nursing home, etc.) are also careers that have that 'calling' thing identified with them sometimes, too.   And for the most part, they're underpaid for what they do, too...  and for the most part, they're also dominated by women.  So I can definitely see the connection.  

In my opinion, the only thing I would *truly* consider a "calling" over "just" a *career choice* would be the ministry.

This is illegal.

ETA: CRAP, I didn't see you're in the UK until after I posted. I don't know if that's legal there but I have a hard imagining that the US actually has better worker protections on that. 

This topic is fascinating to me. I'm unsure of my answer, but I'll share this personal anecdote. I used to be on my company's employee recognition program committee. Once a year employees nominate fellow employees in a variety of categories including ingenuity, productivity, leadership, etc. The employee committee (i.e. higher up leadership is not involved) vote on the nominations and cash rewards are given at different levels depending on how far up the ranking the nomination goes. There is also a big awards ceremony. I had to leave the committee after a while. One of the reasons I left was because I noticed the the males were predominately written up as "creative, problem-solving, efficient" and the females were predominately written up as, "dedicated to the point of sacrificing her personal time, willing to miss daughter's dance recital to get the proposal out, here day and night, works at 2 in the morning, etc." And that those female nominations were praised and usually the ones selected for advancement.

Sometimes projects don't go according to plan and we all have to put in extra hours. I get that. I do it. It happens. And I understand the work needs to get done. I'd say 95% of our employees work beyond our 40 hour designated work week. I wonder about this a lot in comparison with other countries.

I used to be "at work" all the time. I thought it was my "duty" a bit in my 20s to work, work, work, and take on more work. I thought of it as loyalty and dedication and maybe it was. I slowly opened my eyes and realized the company didn't care if I was doing all that or not - sacrificing my personal time or not. I started putting boundaries on it. Started saying things like, "Yes, I'd love to help you out with that, but I have a personal committment tonight and right now it's 4:30. Can we arrange a time to attack this tomorrow?" And about half the time I get, "Sigh, I'll find someone else who can do it." The older I got, the more experienced I got, the more I questioned it. And when others who were working at 2 in the morning were held up as the standard to achieve, I questioned it even more. Why can't they do their job without putting in 20 hours of overtime every week? Are they managing it properly? Are they being managed properly? Who is winning here? Then I had a kid in my late 30s and I put even stricter boundaries on it. I stopped getting recognized for being a hard worker. I stopped getting selected for the more exciting or coveted work tasks. I stopped advancing. Maybe I'm just burnt out?

I don't think doing things not in your job description or working long hours is just a teacher thing, by a long shot.

I do know what you are saying, and I think that teachers, as well as other caregivers (especially those that are female dominated), do have the added burden of "the calling" that implies that its our moral and civic duty to sacrifice with almost grateful fervor.

I don't think MyShelly's experiences are the norm, but there is obviously a great variety of experiences between districts and states on what expectations of teacher's roles look like.

This is unrelated to the thread.  I may have to message you!  My daughter wants to go to PA school, and just graduated college.  She is now working on her health care hours she must have to apply.

I can relate. Working in a school is so demanding.

Yes, I’m science you are expected to stay late, come in early, take work home with you, and work weekends at no extra pay/overtime.

I think much of it for teachers might have to do with the strength of the union in that state.  I was previously in a state where we were expected to do "whatever is best for kids" and you weren't considered a good team player if you didn't cover other teachers' classes when their sub cancelled or if you didn't volunteer to work at all the sporting events, etc.  It was definitely an environment where doing extra stuff without getting paid could consume your life if you let it and young teachers, especially those without tenure find it difficult to say no to that kind of pressure.  

I'm in a different state now where we have very specific contract language about those sorts of things and if something is going to be considered a part of the job then teachers have to be compensated for it.  

People think that folks who work in their “calling” derive an extra sense of pride or pleasure or motivation from something higher than themselves—and maybe they do in the beginning but eventually everyone gets tired of the sacrificial giving, especially when you factor in the lack of appropriate monetary compensation. We all have bills to pay and important costs to cover right.

My partner is a high up muckity muck at work and works about 70 to 75 hours a week and never does anything out of earshot of the phone. If it rings it gets answered. The compensation package reflects that but we all make the sacrifices that accompany the job.

I believe you get further in this life when you realize it’s always a balancing act and no one has it easy.

I’m an elementary teacher in a non-union state. The reason I work 3 extra hours each day is because we don’t get to use our 40 minute planning period for planning.  It is filled with meetings. We have lunch duty three out of five days, too.

Even though there is no time during the eight hour workday to write them, we are expected to have extremely detailed lesson plans for Language Arts, reading, writing, math, social studies, and science every week. In addition to the whole group instructional plans we also write small group plans for reading and math.  Then there are papers to grade and they each have to have a “glow” and a “grow” comment on each one.  The only time to do all this is after school.


We also have NO curriculum that meets all the standards. Teachers must research ways to teach the standards, find activities that will hold the student’s interest, write tests and quizzes, and figure out how to do this without making copies. We get 150 copies each month, which translates to 5 pieces of paper per child. 

No one is praised or recognized for the extra time we work because it’s expected. 

I don't agree at all.

Dh is a teacher. He sacrifices when needed. His district has a clause in their contract that when called upon, you will cover a class during your planning period. After the 2nd coverage of a set school year, you get paid per diem. He also tutors after school, has kids come in early on late start day for test retakes, emails them, and has a district position as well.

He feels it is his duty to help his students nay way he can during his 8 hour day (if he is not to attend a meeting).

He is also department chair. And was also site IT but quit that.

His site and district also have weekly, monthly, and yearly awards.

So I am not sure what teaching has to do with being a female.

My dad who worked in IT had to sacrifice days off or late hours.

My female friend who us a surgeon has done the same.

To me it has nothing to do with being in a female or male driven field but more so to do with being in a public service sector - fire, pd, health care, teacher.

🤷🏼‍♀️

I have SOOOOOO much to say on this thread. But I have to go to work. I might be back later...