Career crisis.

[Nooneno1]

Currently a maths teacher hating every minute. Education system is in meltdown with ridiculous targets and leadership have their hands tied. Ive been told to fuck off or suck dick or simikar at least 1ce per week and nothing ever gets done about it because school cant be seen to exclude too many students in fear of triggering an ofsted!!
Oh and by the way im pregnant, about 5"4 and today i had to split up a fight between an obese 6 ft boy and another 6ft boy both aged 16 because the obese 1 had his arms locked firmly on the other lads neck i thought he was going to kill him. In other events today the head was told to f off and the deputy head was punched splitting up a different fight.
This makes me really want to leave teaching as it is no longer the profession i thought i was enterring. I rarely actually teach these days due to issues like this.
I'm considering retraining as an accountant and going into the world of 9-5. Its just sich a huge decision to make i feel i need some impartial views. Help me weigh up pros and cons please ...

[QuestionARhino]

A friend did what you're considering and is much happier, another friend loves teaching but he teaches college age so I think behaviour tends to be a lot better. Sorry I can't be of much more help but I hope you find the right path for you. Teachers are admirable people, I couldn't teach.

[daisychain01]

Could you move schools to one with better discipline. I am sure there are others to choose from. If there are that many potential exclusions that sounds like a school that needs to be in special measures.

What about the private sector? It seems such a shame for the next generation to lose out on your gift for maths. I'm sure if it wasn't for all that abuse, you could get back to what you find rewarding, helping children to love learning.

[Nooneno1]

You can only move schools if someone else leaves a school and there havent been many jobs up this year. I went for 1 interview and didnt get it but it was for a promotion that i wasnt ready for, i just felt so desperate to move that i put a cheeky application in and was grateful for the interview exprience.

[redexpat]

Please dont ever risk your baby again. Can you stick it out until ML starts? Do you have to go back afterwards or could you start laying the foundations for a new career on ml?

[Nooneno1]

I know but in the split seconds your instinct is to help the boy being beaten up. Luckily the obese boy is leaving on tues so after then there will be fewer incidents. Well this is my idea, do my cima cert between now and mat leave then study cima management while on mat leave so i have an option to go back or get a new career. Do i have to go back for a period of time though im sure ive heard that?

[redexpat]

I totally understand where youre coming from. Im not sure of the legalities. Try the gov.uk site or contact your union. Would you be able to stick it out if you knew it was only going to be another 6m or 1yr?

[Allthebestnamesareused]

As a maths teacher you'd pretty much have a job vacancy available to you anywhere in the country. Have you looked at private sector jobs?

ALso have you told school you are pregnant? They need to make sure you are safe at work/.

[Nooneno1]

They are more rare than the media portray, schools arent employing because they cant afford to so they are making class sizes bigger so that they dont need as many teachers. There may be plenty of maths jobs in london but i am not going to uproot my family for 1.

[Mehfruittea]

So sorry you are having such a rough time. I used to work for an accountants firm, supervised the apprentices studying AAT. Without thinking about what you are trying to get away from...will being an accountant provide you with job satisfaction? What motivates you and gives you a purpose? Start from there and plan your next career move on what will tick off your fundamental needs and motivators.

My ex firm used to start with 40 apprentices. By the time they qualified it would be down to about 20, some left, some were fired. 10 were kept on but by year 2 after being qualified we might only have 1 or 2 left. Appalling waste of investment, most common reason for leaving after qualification wasn't money. They left to move industry as it wasn't what they thought it would be, wasn't motivating them. Boring, unimportant not making a real difference. Morals were often cited as well, helping dickhead make contractors set up as a business and do their accounts to reduce child maintenance payments, hide the cash and generally not pay for their kids.

Sorry if I've put a downer on it, I just wonder what motivated you to be a teacher in the first place?

[Nooneno1]

Thanks mehfruittea thats what i needed some balanced insight. Ive signed up to a level 3 diploma in book keeping to see how i like it.