What's your reasons for being a teacher/ keeping your teaching job?

[devilaz]

I've been teaching for 10 years but recently I keep wondering if I fit here and should keep this job or not.
Apart from the so-so salary, it is my dream job since I was a kid, and I'm very happy that I have my dream comes true.

But then, the education system which kinda limit me to explore, subject colleagues who are friendly but seems to take this job as a mere job (they mostly advice me to take it easy and just go with the flow and textbook whenever I want to discuss the lesson deeper), and too much parents' involvement make me think I really suit for this job.

I believe even experienced teachers have been through this matter at least once in their life. So I wonder what keeps you here?

[WeeWillyWanky]

I started teaching Primary in the late 80s and loved everything about it. Weekly planning on one side of A4, no observations,one staff meeting every half term (only if we needed it!) and a lot of freedom in how and when I taught certain topics. The Head took no shit from parents and discipline was brilliant. I think since the curriculum was overhauled in 2014, my enjoyment of the job has diminished rapidly. I stay in teaching because at the heart of it is the part I still love- teaching children. This is the reason I have kept going. However, with all the other crap that goes with it, and the lack of freedom in the way we teach, I feel indifferent now. Our morning timetables are set in stone with no room for flexibility and the constant scrutiny of books and planning is so draining. I admit I feel like I'm going through the motions now and live for the weekends and holidays. I fully intend to take early retirement in a couple of years.

[WeeWillyWanky]

I realise I haven't answered the original question but feel better after that 😂

[RaraRachael]

I started teaching because there wasn't much else to do and my mother forced me into it. I stuck with it as it was handy having same holidays as the kids and not needing childcare etc.
I'm almost at retiring age and that can't come quick enough. I'm completely disillusioned and it's changed so much in the last 10 years - endless planning, monitoring, paperwork etc. If I had my time again I definitely wouldn't go into teaching.

[JuliaHulia]

I became a teacher because I loved secondary school, especially the subject I now teach. I had the best time at school and wanted to contribute to an enjoyable experience for children.

I stay a teacher because the money is okay comparative to other jobs my career could get me. I also value having the same school holidays as my DC because I don't find the idea of sorting out childcare very appealing.

I have also appreciated flexibility from a couple of my headteachers in terms of part time working when my DC were very little - I've done 0.6, 0.8 and FT over the last 10 years.

I also quite like it most of the time, well I have so far anyway. I don't wake up dreading it and I can't think of anything I want to do more at the moment. I think in a few years I might like to try my hand at something else but will wait till the youngest is at secondary.

[tarheelbaby]

I became a teacher by accident but found that it suited me. One of my former teachers asked me to be her maternity cover. Then the school asked me to be a maternity cover for another teacher and then due to staffing changes they had a permanent job to offer me in the autumn. I took it.

My best subjects at school were languages and I have taught various of these throughout my career.

Since all my best qualifications are teaching related, I doubt I could find anything in another field that would pay as well.

I seriously considered leaving teaching a few years ago but in the meantime changed schools and now I'm enjoying it again. Being in the wrong school for you makes teaching horrible.

I didn't think it would make much difference; I thought school was school but that's not true. I have heard many stories from colleagues about how changing schools made all the difference so maybe start looking at the TES?

[fussychica]

DS learnt speak Spanish when we lived abroad then came back to the UK to study European languages then did a PGCE. He'd always fancied teaching which was confirmed by his PGCE placements. Been teaching for 5 years now, taken on additional responsibilities and still loves it.
You don't say whether you have worked in just one or multiple schools. Perhaps if it's just the one you haven't found the right place yet.

[phlebasconsidered]

I became a teacher because I was good at it. I was in the private sector after university in a funding position, writing ESF bids. I set up an outreach education.project and ended up having to get stuck in and found I was good at teaching and enjoyed it. 22 years ago!

I stay in it because I am a sole earner and am.so rural that I can't find anything that offers an equivalent wage.

[Subordinateclause]

I like children. Primary kids make me laugh every day. I teach in a wonderful little school, so small there can't be any set teaching structures (as only 3 classes, all with different needs). It's a huge workload cos there's no one to share planning with etc but at least what I'm doing is useful - at my old school we spent hours doing gap analyses, pupil progress meetings etc. I remember once sitting with the deputy and her telling me we were just going to make up the numbers - it was all a farce. I also think the holidays will be useful when my children are school age and like that it's easy to work part time.

[PumpkinPie2016]

I still enjoy the core job of working with the kids (secondary). I enjoy seeing them learn something and they definitely make me laugh!

I have additional responsibilities in school which I enjoy as I can drive change forward.

It is stressful at times though, especially at the moment with TAGs. I couldn't imagine doing anything else though.

My current NQT said he sort of went into it a bit unsure at first but has found he loves it. He said to me a few weeks ago, 'I love that you can be having a bad day and then one kid will say/do something that cheers you up', which I thought hit the nail on the head.

[SaltyAF]

Don't get me wrong, I'd leave for something more local and less intense if I could match my pay, but 20 years in and I'm starting to feel that I enjoy my job. There's always been a reason why it's been difficult - usually linked to leaders, colleagues, behaviour or parents - but I'm finding myself less bothered by that stuff now.

I worked in the NHS for a couple of years recently and loathed being micromanaged and treated like an idiot by overpaid middle leaders. I much prefer teaching.

The holidays. The pension. I make no apologies for that.

[Meredusoleil]

@JuliaHulia

I became a teacher because I loved secondary school, especially the subject I now teach. I had the best time at school and wanted to contribute to an enjoyable experience for children.

I stay a teacher because the money is okay comparative to other jobs my career could get me. I also value having the same school holidays as my DC because I don't find the idea of sorting out childcare very appealing.

I have also appreciated flexibility from a couple of my headteachers in terms of part time working when my DC were very little - I've done 0.6, 0.8 and FT over the last 10 years.

I also quite like it most of the time, well I have so far anyway. I don't wake up dreading it and I can't think of anything I want to do more at the moment. I think in a few years I might like to try my hand at something else but will wait till the youngest is at secondary.

Pretty much exactly the same as this for me!

[Meredusoleil]

@tarheelbaby

I became a teacher by accident but found that it suited me. One of my former teachers asked me to be her maternity cover. Then the school asked me to be a maternity cover for another teacher and then due to staffing changes they had a permanent job to offer me in the autumn. I took it.

My best subjects at school were languages and I have taught various of these throughout my career.

Since all my best qualifications are teaching related, I doubt I could find anything in another field that would pay as well.

I seriously considered leaving teaching a few years ago but in the meantime changed schools and now I'm enjoying it again. Being in the wrong school for you makes teaching horrible.

I didn't think it would make much difference; I thought school was school but that's not true. I have heard many stories from colleagues about how changing schools made all the difference so maybe start looking at the TES?

And also this in my case too!

[Useruseruserusee]

I became a teacher because I wanted to and I stay because it turned out that I like it and I’m also good at it. I’m primary and I’ve honestly never had that feeling of dreading going in to work, even when a school I worked in was in special measures and going through an awful time. I like being with the children and I discovered that I’m really passionate about teaching literacy in particular to young children.

I’ve been teaching 11 years and I’m now SLT with some good opportunities on the horizon.

I think it’s absolutely crucial to work at a school where you feel valued and appreciated. I have been lucky to have that at every point in my career, from being an NQT to now as a member of SLT. I try really hard to make the staff I work with feel like that as well.

[Aboutatoy]

I didn’t think I’d stay in teaching (if I’m honest, I thought I was going to go on to something grander and better paid as I had quite a fancy degree and all my friends seemed to be off doing much more prestigious things!), but I had a couple of other jobs in my twenties and found them so slow and boring compared to the pace of classroom teaching in a big, London comp. Then I had children and thought about quitting when I realised non-sleeping babies were way less tiring than teaching, but after each mat leave I missed it. Nowadays, I’m more senior, so don’t teach all the time (14hrs a week), but I’m still never bored, always entertained by the students, and always feel useful (also exhausted, frustrated, heart-broken on occasion, but I reckon that’s the price you pay for work you really care about). I don’t think there are many jobs that offer that on a daily basis. I love the corridor conversations which help a kid decide on a uni course or career, the lesson where you managed to explain something better than ever before, the new system for ks3 homework which improves engagement... all of it! I’m a total schools nerd it turns out! It’s relentless, and I wish term time was a bit less of a race to the finish line, but I’ve been doing it for nearly twenty years now and I don’t think I’m made for a sensible job in an office. It can be tough on family life but I’m lucky - kids at the school/local primary, 10 minute walk from home, hr were brilliantly flexible when children were tiny, I have lovely colleagues and a husband with a more flexible office job. All that makes it manageable.

[Postapocalypticcowgirl]

Fwiw I have had the feeling of dreading going to work every day, I did change schools and I feel like I'm in a much more supportive environment where management are a bit more realistic about workload, and I can focus on being a good teacher of my subject rather than being overwhelmed with pastoral issues etc.

So maybe a change of school would be worth looking at?

As to why I teach, I'm never bored, I like the interpersonal interaction all day, I enjoy having a job that feels worthwhile, I really like seeing children grow up into young adults. The pay is alright, and I do like having the holidays.

[ryantubridysthumb]

Money. I'm going on to band 17 in Ireland now, so I'm getting just under 60 grand (euros). I like the holidays and it has its moments. That's why. I've done it for 20 years. I'm also comfortable. I couldn't be arsed with moving.

[Tunnocks34]

I fell into teaching after leaving accountancy. I have been in it for years and I am now UPS 3. I want to leave desperately but I am trapped by the salary tbh.

[DenbyChina]

The money is fine. And I like that my lessons change every 50/100 minutes.

Other than those reasons, I constantly feel unappreciated, overworked and a bit sad that this is what my working life will be like for the next 30+ years. To be told this week by my head that I need to kill some misogynistic boys with kindness because he didn’t actually care about the reasons for their sanctions is just another example of it being crappy.

[surreygirl1987]

It's what I know.
I like most of it.
I'm good at most of it.
The holidays.

The workload is destroying me though.

[Cleopatra67]

I chose it for pragmatic reasons. I was 27 and needed a career but luckily found I loved it. The thing that keeps me there and happy is a fantastic dept - we spend a lot of time talking about our subject and sharing ideas - and great students mostly. It’s an independent school so w3 have a lot of freedom with what we teach, if I’m free in the afternoon I can go home and we get 17 weeks holiday a year. I’m 56 now and no plans to slow down.

[icanwearwhatiwant]

I'm good at it
I need the money
I enjoy a lot of it and couldn't bear a clock watching type job.
I teach SEN and love being able to make a difference.
I love the long holidays.
I have 27 years in the pension pot so might as well try to hold on for as long as possible in the hope of a comfortable retirement.
I can't think what else to do that would bring me the same benefits I have now.

But honestly, barely a day goes by now where I don't wonder how much longer I can hang on for, it's hard and getting harder, sadly.

[ValancyRedfern]

Similar to a couple of others above: I love my subject and I love sharing it with the students. No matter how bad a day is the students always make me laugh. The workload is so much easier than it was as an NQT and and early career teacher. I'm now a HOD and work significantly fewer hours than I did as an NQT and earn twice as much. I did several other jobs before teaching and wouldn't go back.