I'm quitting teaching, I've decided, AIBU?

Still not actually answering.
OK then.

A lot of teacher burnout is because they DONT prioritise themselves, keep going, for the sake of their exam groups and end up in a bad way. Just like anyone else the OP will look out for her own wellbeing. I went back for a week in July after mat leave so I'd get paid full salary over the August. Made a big difference to finances in my house but some might argue it's unethical. OP I do hope you might think about trying a different school..if you love the actual teaching there are so many different formats out there. Good luck.

This is acedotal but I guess like a lot of professions I do find teaching does seem to attract a certain type of person. Much like police etc does. Obviously not all at all! But people of certain personality types are drawn to it. I've come accross alot of teachers. Some are lovely, and good friends. These are the ones who have actually now largely left teaching. They seem to be in it for the children and joy of actually teaching. A fair few however are very teacher type people, bullying, on a power trip and people I avoid.

I think you'd be wise to take the time to find yourself again. Life is too short for jobs that make you feel like this. Bullying really impacts you and can do long term. I put up with it for nearly 2 years in a previous role. I didn't realise how much I was impacted by it. Even now 3 years since I left the job it causes me anxiety and almost symptoms of ptsd. I'm only beginnning to build confidence now.

Maybe don't rule out teaching. But explore other options too. FE colleges, other schools. Maybe also look at civil service type jobs and the NHS. I work in a role alligned with the latter two and we have had 3 ex teachers join us recently. Loads of transferable skills. They've come in lower down but 1 has already applied for and achieved a higher role. I expect the others may well do too at some point.

I was in a similar position but left it too long. Ended up with anxiety and depression. Used to walk to work and pray for a car to knock me down.

But she can’t go back in time and is mentally unfit to return to work so 🤷‍♀️

I didn't say teachers were volunteers.

Contact your union and get support from them. I would try to be part of the change otherwise this bullying culture just continues and other people will be affected. If you are signing off sick with work related stress the school will be in touch with you frequently and having your union to support you may be helpful.

It anymore they don’t. Shared parental leave!

My point is that handing in notice and working it would be much more reasonable than handing in notice and then attempting to claim 'sickness' for the notice period.
The school will effectively be paying twice now.

But you probably are sick and it is legitimate to be signed off with stress because you are being bullied.

Are you unhappy but could work your notice or genuinely in need of sick leave?

• Most schools are academies these days, so it’s likely supply staff comes from the MAT’s budget
• If it is a LA school, they’ll also have budgeted for teacher illness. If not, that is neither OP’s fault nor problem
• Stress is a valid reason to go off sick. Mental health should hold as much weight as physical health
• Notice period for an August leave is May.

But are you sick? Being unhappy isn’t the same as being mentally unwell.

Oh give over. We aren't volunteers. We're employees and we have to look out for ourselves because no one else does.

You'd be shocked and appalled to hear that teachers end their maternity leave at the beginning of July, too.

You are obviously not a teacher yourself or you wouldn't make this comment.

I have to say a lot of teachers ( mainly younger ones) have the mentality of one up man ship. By that I mean trying to outdo each other by being the first to arrive, the last to leave. Management love this.
Never saying no, I’m not doing a club during my lunch or actually I’m leaving at 4pm.

Try tuition to start with - there are more and more children who for various reasons can't be in school who need home tutors.

If she wanted to leave at the end of August she would have needed to hand her notice in on 31st May.

OK then, so at a point when she's not being paid for a role that she has no intention of returning to?

YANBU

I have felt similar (and still do. We went back last week and I thought I was actually going to vomit)

I have decided that I will leave in a couple of years as I still need the school holidays as DC small and we live nowhere near family.

I hope that my body lasts out for that long though....

I wouldn't leave until I had another job lined up, and a clear plan for the future. It is easy in any profession to start thinking the grass is greener, but there are many aspects to teaching that make other jobs unappealing, which is why so many teachers stay in their current roles despite saying they would like to leave. It does sound as if you need to try something else, but get it lined up before you quit.

No attempt to answer the justified questions though?
I do wish you peace but also feel that you could have done this in a way which doesn't mean you are being paid for several months with no intention of returning.

Giving notice at the start of the holidays would have made exactly zero difference to the situation.