Teachers and TAs!

Because we have thick skin. Not everyone is cut out for teaching. It's not a job you do for the money.

It's like being a parent nowadays and the pastoral role is a huge part. Doing the job that so many parents cannot be bothered to do themselves. Behind nearly every troubled child is usually a crappy home life. No boundaries, no routine, no discipline, very little attention.

School offers stability and routine which they don't get at home.

The key is not to take it personally. It's not your fault if they shout/swear etc... Just be calm, listen to them, but re-iterate the boundaries/rules. Separate the behaviour vs the child e.g. it's not them you don't like, but the behaviour that they are choosing to display.

I have a really tough Y8 group, but every lesson is a fresh start, same expectations, same rules.

Because the actual face-to-face bit with the students can be fantastic. But that is the smallest part of the job. Imagine teaching as a full-time admin job, with the teaching added on top.

There is nothing in the world as good as helping a child to get a good exam result (or I guess, learn to read, or cracking the code to something in maths).

I am a teacher. I love my job but I struck gold with the school I teach at. The headteacher is amazing and the culture of the school is one that I am absolutely able to work in and have a life outside of work. It’s incredibly supportive. However I teach reception and the number of children coming to us with severe SEND needs (non verbal, in nappies, require 1:1 supervision) is increasing. These are children who absolutely need specialist teaching and would thrive in special school but there aren’t any places! I do what I can for them but it’s not enough and becuse of the age, many of these children are yet to have EHCPs so there is no funding for them so we can’t afford to staff the classroom in a way that is needed and it often completely takes me away from the rest of the class. These system is so broken and I feel at a loss for to support these children and also teach the rest of the class!

I didn't think I'd be the only (ex) teacher who struggled when on her period. When you think about it, it really is absolutely unacceptable for any employee to have to go through this. But as other posters have highlighted here, it's a common occurrence in teaching when you simply can't use the toilet for hours.
I also struggled when pregnant as I needed the toilet frequently but again, not possible.
I know of many teachers that end up with kidney infections and UTIs because they can't go when they need to.
Why is this OK?

Yep I have memories of teaching the lesson knowing my mooncup was full and leaking out but knowing there was nothing I could do about if for another 90minutes at least. I just had to smile and continue on like nothing was happening. The school had a strict no toilet during lessons policy for the students so would’ve been hypocritical of me to then dash out, never mind there was no one to cover and being a run-down comp on the middle of an estate with a not great reputation, I couldn’t leave the students unsupervised.
its degrading, teaching these days. I was just so grateful to be wearing black that day.

This! I remember trying to explain to my mother that I hadn’t been able to go to the toilet all day as my TA was off sick. I let the class in at 8:35 and had spent every second of the day with them. I covered my TA’s break duty and lunch duty. Her lunch break was 1-1:30 so I couldn’t take her break because I had to teach! I finally got to the toilet at 3:20 (10 minutes before parent’s evening began at 3:30) and realised I had flooded and there was blood all over the back of my skirt. I had to tie my cardigan around my waist to hide it but I then looked utterly unprofessional. I even had an email from a parent stating that they thought I was unreasonable for having my cardigan tied around my waist in front of their child - school uniform policy was that children could not have their jumpers tied around their waist! I could hardly explain why I had, so instead sent an apologetic reply! My mother who had worked in the corporate world her entire career thought it was outrageous and actually said I needed to give my head a wobble!!!

Absolutely

I worked in a school for a year in the offices and support staff like TA’s and admin staff keep things ticking over most definately.

they cover lessons and in some cases do their jobs for them and receive a lot less money - it’s brutal!!

Oh and definitely this. As someone who has very heavy periods, I lost count of the number of times I leaked because of not being able to go to the toilet. Tutor time started at 8:30, then teaching all through to break but then having a break duty, followed my more lessons (and secondary so there is no other adult in the class so you cannot leave them unsupervised) so sometimes I couldn’t go to the loo for 5 hours. Never mind the lack of any form of aircon or ventilation as some windows won’t open, so in the height of a heatwave you are left with just a tiny desk fan, to cool a room containing 30+ sweaty, teenage bodies. It was hard enough as someone in their 30s, I couldnt imagine doing it through peri.
and then there is working when ill as calling in sick is heavily frowned upon, but if you absolutely have to, you still need to plan all the lessons for the day. I’ve known people be admitted into hospital but still have the head calling them asking for the work to be set.

I appreciate your post. However… I was a teacher that you described as ‘cared’, I arrived to school every day at 7am and left at 6pm - I had an after school club on a Monday (all teachers had to run a club), Curriculum meeting on a Tuesday 4-5pm and our weekly whole staff morning briefing on a Wednesday morning 8-8:30. Also on a Wednesday there would be an after school teacher staff meeting 3:45-5pm - at one of the schools in the trust (there were 8), so that would involve a drive and would normally take me further away from home. The planning and resources take an age to prepare in primary - every day I would teach 9 lessons and all required resources. Every lesson needed adaptive teaching resources for SEND pupils - Widgets for vocabulary, colourful semantics etc. All SEND pupils have their own IEP so resources would need to be carefully matched to their targets. I had a class of thirty pupils, parents would email me in the middle of the day and be annoyed that I hadn’t responded by the time they were stood in front of me at pickup time… Doctors bat all SEND referrals back to schools, i.e teachers - an ADHD referral takes hours to complete. Don’t get me started on marking! A full time teacher is given 10% non contact time outside of the classroom for PPA - in most primary school that equates to about two hours. However, if any of your pupils needed you - usually a SEND child, the expectation was to go back to class. I worked every evening apart from a Friday but I would mentally plan out my weekend around my work ‘to do’ list. I cared. However, it eventually broke me and seriously impacted my relationships with my children, family and friends. I would actively avoid any social engagements during term time because I would be trying to catch up… Teaching is a job, albeit a rewarding one but teachers are burning out. If you got to the end of this - THANK YOU 🙏 I still care and I wish our DfE did too but the Education system is BROKEN 😡

I’ve been a TA and then a teacher, then back to TA again. I then left, but have had to return for 10 weeks. It’s been 10 very long weeks. I’ve come home with scratches on my face, bruises on my arm, cups broken and this week I’m having to throw my winter coat out (it got slime in the fluffy hood, I tried washing but all the nice, warm padding has now clumped together too).
yes, the children are - mostly - fantastic, and most staff are lovely as well, but does that make it worth it? Not really. Underpaid, undervalued, and I can’t wait to never step foot in a classroom again.

I have been a TA in lots of different schools on supply, I much prefer being a teacher(secondary) but I now teach in FE which I absolutely love. The workplace is still demanding, still learning walks, lots of assessments for progress ,etc but kids are mostly coming out of the stroppy, grunting stage. I really like being around teenagers though, I like their interaction and listening to their life plans.

It is a lot of hard work. I do enjoy my job but it’s not easy and working in my old career (finance) was much better for work life balance (and pay!). TA’s are very poorly paid for the work they do, but I find mine priceless. What’s your current role?

I'm a secondary teacher and I love it! It depends entirely on the school I think. I love my students and my colleagues, and I get to spend every day teaching what I love. I teach at a strict school with a strong union and highly motivated students. I am very lucky.

I think I replied to the wrong post! 🤦‍♀️

This! 100%!

I’ve been a TA for 4 years now, first 2.5 yrs in infants mostly spent 1:1 with very high needs and hurt on a daily basis. Spat at, hair pulled to the ground, kicked, punched, bitten, slapped round the face, various items including furniture thrown at me. It was awful.
Moved up to yr 5 and it has been better as more time in class working with children who need extra support and interventions. However constantly moved around to support elsewhere, usually 1:1 covering absence and little support from SLT.
The needs coming through schools are getting higher and tougher and I don’t have the patience anymore. I stick it out purely because I need the school hours so feel stuck!

Being a teacher isn't worth it in UK in 2026.

We relocated at Christmas to an EU country to work and for better schools for DC and yes, it's better.

Saw this, thought of this thread and smiled. 😀

I am a TA for college age students, mainly those with behavioural issues and SEN. I would get paid more to work at Aldi - I do it for the love of the job and the school
holidays. I have had to go part time as full time was far too stressful along with child rearing

Primary school teacher, not UK though. I love my job. I have been lucky enough to work in other areas and industries, but enjoy the dynamics and challenges of the classroom.

Out of interest, what do you think you’ll be doing as a TA?
I’m a TA in KS1 (although my heart is in reception) and currently in my 4th year. When I started, I was naive and some things simply did not occur to me (and I had my own 4 year old when I started!):

1. that I’d be changing nappies (I have no problem doing it, I still do occasionally but it was completely off my radar)
2. how sad I’d find parts of it
3. the number of times I’d be hurt by 4/5 year old children

Being a TA is essentially a minimum wage job but I also consider the savings for holiday childcare when weighing this up. This is a typical day for me:
8:30 start and I greet the class outside, often messages from parents to pass on to teacher
9:00 assembly - phonics intervention group
9:30 phonics - I teach my own phonics group. I am expected to teach it the same as the teachers. I frequently watch RWI phonics videos at home to refresh my mind on delivering the lesson accurately. I was also observed teaching phonics by ofsted.
10:15 breaktime - not for me, for the children which means first aid kit ready and outside for 15 minutes.
10:30 - 12:00 maths and English. I am supporting in the classroom, usually a small group of children, occasionally 1:1. At least once a week, one of the class will need to re-regulate.
12:00-13:00 in the dining hall until 12:20 and then out on to the playground for lunchtime play. Behaviour management, first aid.
13:00 - 13:30 technically my lunchtime but often delayed by 10/15 minutes by first aid, behaviour issues which need to be unpicked. I always take my 30 minutes (unpaid) though!
13:30 - 15:00 daily readers, physio programme, precision teaching intervention, any maths catch ups, eal vocab pre teach, echp intervention evidence, write behaviour logs.

On top of that I support another adult with a child who is 2:1 for a couple of hours a day twice a week which stops me doing some of the bits above until the afternoon.
Saefguarding concerns logged immediately too which has a knock on effect.

I mostly enjoy my job and it works for my family but it’s not what I though so go in prepared. I also assumed I’d start as TA then train to teach but all it’s taught me is that I definitely don’t want to teach!

There is a reason there is a shortage of teachers.

I will add that the teaching part I actually loved. I loved my class, I loved (like others have said) being up the front and teaching them, working alongside them, getting creative…..it was everything else and in my case a very bad school.

I worked my way through nursery roles (into management) then went into a school as a TA, was used as cover a lot and encouraged and highly supported to gain QTS. This was a very supportive school where jobs rarely came up - and sadly after training, I was allowed to stay as a TA if I wanted but there was no teaching vacancy. I moved.

School was toxic. Complete opposite of the school I left. The Trust is one aspect - no life to it at all, as others have said very corporate, constant busy-body high ups being paid six figure salaries who do nothing to help but point their fingers at everything and very much want the schools to be “one size fits all” - but can be manageable with the right team and school. My school was run by an awful Head. Favouritism, micromanagement, poor communication, contradictory, didn’t have any sense of reality of what it was like on the ground. Staff turn over extremely high. My Head’s philosophies and the Trust’s paperwork combined was unsustainable (as an example, the weeks English and maths plans had to be on 3 separate documents phrased in different ways, the terms assessment data was inputted into 4 different databases, question by question for each child (it took hours) every piece of work across the board was fully marked daily with a 4-colour coding system and gosh you if SLT came and randomly picked up books and found that something that wasn’t…
And that’s scratching the surface. Before I actually think about teaching!

it certainly put me off. I had no life outside of it.

I decided to return to being a TA because I was burning out faster than anything and it was such a horrible place to work - the pressure that released - I am now a prep school TA and yep it’s hard work and I have to do after school care as part of my contract (wrap around and clubs across the week) but I take nothing home, I cover teachers quite a lot and they do actually give me a top up pay for that when I do. I’m much happier, though poorer.

Being in front of a class is fabulous. The point when they're learning and enjoying it is the best feeling in the world.

But the workload is just too much. It steals your life.