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

So then the school should sort out the issues that led her to be in this situation shouldn't they?!

Yes you cant half turn up to teaching. It's intense treadmill everyday. You can turn up at the office/log on and just half work until you have a new job. If you are struggling with mh or suffering burnout it's not possible. Imagine acting each night on a stage with an audience you can't just half do it. I imagine many NHS jobs are similar - hence the long sick policies in both NHS and education as there's recognition you just can't do a 10% job of teaching.

I'm other jobs I've had yes of course you can turn up and do a bit of faffing on the computer and get in the zone on your own and get some work done. Performing type jobs like teaching or nursing where you have to be hyper alert all the time just aren't like this.

Sometimes you have to close a door so another one can open. Best of luck for the future OP!

It has worked out, though recovery took far longer than I expected. I went into a different career, but I still feel the aftershocks of what happened years later. It wasn't as simple as finding a new job and magically being better. There are long-term impacts from that kind of experience.

When I look back, the pressure was in everyone - I feel a lot of sympathy for those young Heads of Dept who were not equipped for what they were facing either. All of that pressure flows downwards, from middle management to classroom teachers to kids trapped on that gruelling exam conveyer belt and it felt like everyone was at breaking point all the time.

There is so much I miss about teaching, and I was so good at it and so passionate. I am still sad it broke me, though far happier and better on the other side.

My kids are in private school now (I moved into a much more lucrative and far less stressful field!) because I know how terrible the multi-academy trust model is for staff and students alike.

Hi OP. Sounds like you need time to heal and then be in the position to press the reset button.

The poster who said if you struggle on till December, you'll be in no position to make positive decisions in January, makes a very good point.

I'm a teacher, but I'm retraining this year to lead outdoor learning. Workload halved, as no pastoral responsibilities. Less pay and a not so generous pension scheme. But still with the energising staff and pupils we love, who keep us young.

Don't write teaching off just yet. The profession is so lucky to have you. Say a prayer to the Universe and in the right time, space and sequence you will be presented with the role of your dreams.

Supply teaching is a learning opportunity for growth. That's the most positive thing I can say about it, plus the reduced workload. The biggest shock is not being paid your worth and the greatest moment will be when you find your new 'tribe.' X

That sounds like a great idea.

I'm right in thinking I've read you've been teaching 20+ years @thequickbrowndog ?

Is it worth thinking back to the culture on some of your previous schools, or have you been in this one a long time?

If there are so many teachers thinking it's normal to go off 'on the sick' then it sounds like a pretty sweet deal.

Why you don't you sign up to do teacher training if it's such an attractive prospect? Perhaps you'd be able to prevent all those poor children being taught 'fuck all'.

I came onto mumsnet because I need to leave. Recognise all you say.

Also the difficulty with "just finding another job". Leaping out of teaching is hard. What do you leap into? And most people can't afford time off to retrain. It does seem that many people in more generic office jibs can move around or jump into different types of job but teaching does feel really hard to leap from

Also loss of identity as a teacher and then, especially when in a toxic environment, the fear and lack of confidence going into soemthing else.

Often people are good graduates with years of experience but end up looking at jobs that need 2 a levels at under £30k.

I'm really not sure how to leap as I don't think I can do full time any more and am very burnt out. I've tried half a leap into adult Ed but it's both toxic and lower pay. I do feel compeltely deskilled and no idea how to love. I feel trapped.

But that is putting the onus on the individual teachers as opposed to management. Op has said she raised issues and they were ignored. Agree it’s awful for the children but it can’t fall on the shoulders of individual teachers. Parents will need to go to governors and they will need to look into why management is failing

This was me doing child protection social work. Dreaming of driving my car into a tree onto the way to work. Unless you’ve experienced this level of dread about work NO ONE has a clue of the physical impact. I actually get physical symptoms if I drive along the road that I had to take to work.

I agree with this. So many teachers just seem to think it's normal to go off on long term sick and it's the kids that suffer. Left with supply teachers that more often than not teach absolutely fuck all in lessons and it's the kids education that really suffers. Most people, if they are working in a job that has bad management or that they don't like just look for another job and leave for another one, not just go off on the sick.

I hope it has all worked out. Before retirement I was a senior HR manager and I've heard lots of stories about how schools manage staff. Some of them were truly horrific and hard for me to understand. I always worked on the principle that I wanted staff to be healthy, happy and able to do their jobs well and I can't understand how bullying and undermining people can lead to a successful workforce.

I'm not sure you're 100% guaranteed to find "naice [sic.] small private" schools out there, particularly given the VAT increase on independent school fees is threatening the existence of quite a few of them. That plus many independent schools have pulled out of the Teachers' Pension Scheme because of the mounting cost - it isn't exactly an attractive deal (whereas all state schools have the guaranteed funding to continue to offer Teachers' Pension Scheme to their teachers). And it's not as if independent schools are immune from an unsupportive workplace culture either. I'm not saying there aren't "naice" [sic.] independent schools out there; of course there are. But the independent sector as a whole isn't the haven of perfection that you might assume.

Are you in an academy chain, by any chance?

Too many of us recognise these experiences.

Young teachers promoted way beyond their experience and capability.

Disgruntled colleagues who are not managed effectively because their manager is 20+ years younger than them, inexperienced, and doesn't know how to handle interpersonal issues between colleagues.

For all the teachers saying they don't recognise this picture of school life, there are thousands of us who do.

The crux of it all is pay. Experienced staff cost money, and schools don't have any. Which is why so many people in management in your average comp these days are under 30 - they are very, very cheap as they are still on MPS.

@thequickbrowndog maybe charity work with children, young people or social work

Given you say you enjoy teaching, I would first try and switch schools if I were you. I think enjoying your job is key, and clearly children will benefit from having passionate teachers.

I’m not a teacher, but have you considered rather than leaving completely, finding a naice small private school where everyone is really friendly? It could be a completely different experience.

I thought everyone was allowed to give their opinion on MN. It’s unreasonable to post your query and then only want people to reply if they are going to give you the answer you want to hear.

I’d also recommend this. I found it post retirement and so didn’t ‘need’ it.

Lots of advice, support etc.

I could have done with it 20+ years ago when a new toxic head joined us.

Lots of union involvement for several of us. ( lots of union involvement in her last and next appointment too)

A bit of a Paula Vennells character.

I was like you - given a phone number on a scrap of paper ( by her) ‘there’s a job going here’. I’d nothing to loose so I called, interview, got the job. 12 years in a far happier place - until retirement beckoned.

All the best.

YANBU. I left after 14 years last year as I felt the life had been drained out of me and having two children under 3 made me realise my priorities up to that point had been all wrong. I am so much happier now! I am healthy whereas before I had very high blood pressure and hair loss.

Having said that, if you still love the teaching - it sounds like might be worth trying a different school and finding a better environment before leaving the profession completely.

The fact that a 27 yr old is head of 3 departments is alarming. Definitely something wrong with the leadership structure.