Teachers and TAs!

I do love my job, but you need to find the right school. I’m a secondary teacher. I have worked in some very difficult schools before. I’m very lucky to have landed in a school with good behaviour overall and nice pupils.

However, I also upped my hours to full time this year, and that I do not love. I’m constantly exhausted. I wish I was part time again!

I'm finding it sustainable but then again I'm in a very specific situation with my subject. For almost everyone no, it's not a realistic career choice.

In primary you don’t get to teach what you’ve already taught, well not without rewriting the plan to adapt to your current class. That’s only my experience, though!

It’s a lot.

The main stressor is (some) parents, so TAs are relatively protected from that.

(Edit: secondary SENDCo so much more parental contact and less teaching, perhaps).

I have been teaching for 12 years in a secondary school and love it!

I teach an 80% timetable though as otherwise it would eat too much into family life.

I love it. Secondary teacher in.a small.private school. I'd also say it's one of the few guaranteed ways for graduates to get a decent job with career progression and relative security right now. Two.of my young colleagues are buying their first homes, on their own at 24/25. We're not in the SE which helps but how many other young grads can do that at the moment.

Its hugely school dependent, management, colleagues, demographic of kids etc but it can be amazing. I had a great day yesterday..6 lessons, all stuff I've taught dozens of times so no.real prep beyond some photocopying, lovely kids, interesting conversations and questions..all good.

And I think TAs are increasingly being asked to do more and more, still for very little pay.

You only need to look at the sheer number of members of groups like “life after teaching” on Facebook to get your answer. It’s shit. However, i guess it works for some people. If you’re considering it, could you arrange some work experience? Though nothing prepares you for the amount of work and stress that goes on behind the scenes of the classroom.

I’ve been teaching over 20 years and still relatively enjoy it. I also have extra responsibility so more free periods (but lots of extra workload). I wouldn’t like to go back to a full time teacher timetable. I’m hoping to be able to continue to do this until I can drop a day or two towards my late 50s (I’m currently early to mid 50s). That said, I think I am fortunate in the school I work in. We’re not an academy and I hear horror stories from colleagues who’ve come to us from an academy.

There are a lot of variables that might make a difference. The age, stage and subject of secondary affect workload and enjoyment.

Primary Teacher for 21 years, left 1.5 years ago. Best decision I ever made for both myself and my own family. Teaching nowadays is truly horrific and completely relentless

I left teaching in 2018. I did love my job for many years but it sucked me dry of all the energy and enthusiasm I once had. The relentless paperwork, assessment and demands on time are not really compatible with any kind of work/life balance.
I'm now working for myself as a private tutor and loving it.

I was a TA for a few years when my kids were young. It was great because I got to spend the school holidays with them and didn’t have to worry about childcare.

I enjoyed the job mostly but some of the kids could be really badly behaved and that could be stressful.

Pay is crap for TA posts.