What's it like to be a teacher?

Schools change depending on who is in charge. I've seen multiple changes in leadership and it always has an impact.

I think that the answer to this question very much depends on the school you work in nowadays. Your PGCE and NQT/RQT years will be hard going, for sure, but if you end up in a good school it gets more manageable as time goes by. The actually teaching element is amazing, as long as you are prepared to moderate your expectations! I am lucky to work in a great school and am usually in at 8:15 and out sometime between 4 and 5, rarely taking work home, but I hear horror stories from some other schools!

Best job ever!!!
Super stressful to begin with- but that does settle down, and depend on your school.

Hello

Reading this I totally agree with every post. It can be and should be the best job in the world if u love kids and believe education is the equaliser in society

The reality is the the teacher is the first line of responsibility for every problem associated with kids. I loved teaching primary and coming from industry wanted to teach them something they could relate to but senior leadership and mentors always could only agree to what they knew. Although I also have to say even with longstanding teachers, there was an appalling gap in English, Maths and esp science. I do think in ks2 there should be specialist. Also personality conflicts, gossip and Politics (at least the school I have was in) was amazing. senior TA who would make a Trump look like a pussycat. Solely because of longevity.

And as trainee, you have to accept.

I have so much respect for a lot of teachers who are doing it for the right reasons. The dedication and ability to change lives deserves the highest gratitude. What I hate is the system that encourages schools to become ineffective, perhaps poisonous institution for teacher and kids, and political vehicles through pressures of Ofsted ratings, Successive governments pulling the rug to mark their arrival and the training is properly imbalance.

Forget your family during training.

Can anyone advise whether primary teaching might be more manageable than teaching the older years? (In terms of pressure and workload)

General perception is that Primary is worse. You have to keep up with all the changes in 10 subjects, and teach things you might feel you know nothing about or are incredibly under- confident about (Music, French, PE, Art, etc etc). The dc are usually less intimidating but you get more aggravation from parents in some schools.

Mainly though, it depends a LOT on the individual school.

The actual teaching is great, but all the other crap just overwhelms most teachers in the end (or in some cases, from the start).

Good bits
The students
Funny things students say
Seeing students grow from yr7 to yr13 and being so proud of them
Seeing the lightbulb moment in a student
When a student says "thank you miss"
When a student says "is the lesson over already? Oooooohhh"
When a student says "that's the best bit of work I have ever done"
When a student says "you are my favourite teacher"
Training and developing staff
When a parent says "x really enjoys your lessons"
Christmas cards from students
Holidays

Bad bits
Head teachers that think they are god
Head teachers and senior leaders that bully staff
Terrible work place politics
The expectations that you should work 7am until 6pm or you are lazy
Kids telling you to "fuck off"
Kids shoving past you, spitting at you and generally being abusive
Ridiculous policy that changes every 2 years
Meetings for the sake of meetings
Aggressive/rude parents that think it's our fault their child is failing

The kids = incredible. Every single day has something that makes me feel warm and fuzzy or die laughing.

The workload is mad and getting more insane by the minute. I've been at it 10 years and this year has been insane. Usual day looks like this:

In at 7 (sometimes a bit earlier), do something that needs doing (marking, planning, data analysis). Registration starts at 9.20 but I have before school intervention once a week with A Level and often have 1 to 1 or small group sessions on other days. Teaching until 11.30, break is 25 minutes (half the school eat in this session), then another 2 periods until 1.45. 25 minute break (rest of school eats) and then last lesson until 3.10.

I dont teach every period as I am HOD, but spend at least 1 lesson a week observing trainees/others, one lesson a week mentoring trainee, then have various meetings/behaviour support etc.

We currently have 7 duties a week (1 do 4x break duty and 3 x after school). Tuesday before school is whole staff meeting and year team, after school is department meeting. We also run intervention for exam groups after school.

I tend to stay until it's done (usually leave around 6ish) and do at least a day at the weekend, mostly marking (teach English). Holidays I "budget" the first week to holiday and the second to prep/replanning etc. But I dont have kids yet...

You are never, ever, EVER finished. I'm going to watch Boris' speech, then go and record me reading the y8 set text for remote learning and type up an illegible handwritten essay to use as an exemplar...

I think to survive being a teacher you have to accept that you will never be good enough. No lesson will be perfect, everything can be pulled apart, you will always be letting a ball drop.
I don’t work all hours as a teacher as my young family are far more important. I am lucky that I am not the main breadwinner in my family and I seem to be liked by SLT. What I’m trying to say is you have to have enough internal strength to know you are doing the right thing as you will get pressure from all corners.
I’m at the top of the pay scale so the money is good but it starts low.
I would really recommend getting some work experience in a school before making the leap.

And how to tell the good schools from the bad! Like the OP, I've only heard horror stories from friends/family who are ex teachers.

I trained to teach 4 years ago in my late 40s (SCITT route). The training year and NQT year are incredibly hard. I worked every evening and every weekend for two years ( my DH was so supportive and would take the kids away for the weekend to give me space. It gets easier after that. It is the most rewarding job in the world and because I worked so hard I’ve been promoted every year since qualifying. I’m aiming for a headship within 5 years. If you’ve always wanted to teach - go for it. If it’s a whim and you’re looking forward to the long holidays forget it.

Can anyone advise whether primary teaching might be more manageable than teaching the older years? (In terms of pressure and workload)

The training and first couple of years are difficult but if you find the right school, it can be a good job. I have been teaching over 20 years and I enjoy it. It is challenging but also rewarding. Some schools are however a nightmare. A lot depends on the SLT and your colleagues.

@GuyFawkesDaybsadly there are no longer enough good schools to go around. At least not where we are

Oh and I forgot to mention the bullying which the driving factor in his final decision to leave. It was awful.

The kids are everything. Most of the teaching struggles come from the stuff outside the classroom. When a kid says something like "I need to pee but I don't wanna go because this lesson is so good" its enough to ride off for another week!

I love it too.

I must be a total masochist. It's insanely busy, your brain basically feels like it has 5000 internet tabs open all day.

I was the corporate kid before teaching so I've seen the real world. It's definitely easier. But it's not so much fun. Get a good school and it's brilliant. A bad one will break you. The school is everything.

Married to an ex teacher. He left as we had no life, we were both permanently exhausted and he wanted to spend time doing things with his (young) children. I wish someone had warned us off him going into teaching. 6 years of stress and heartbreak at having to admit defeat and leave a job he was good at.

I absolutely love it. Workload is massive, morale nit great, shit on by government, hated by media (inc social media), never actually get credit for what we actually do, many weekends spent working.

But I love it. It is easier in some ways now, but been doing it 15years. But am a HOD in a large secondary school which has additional stresses!

Do you have limitless energy and a hide like a rhinoceros?

I did - but teaching broke me, just as it has broken thousands of others.

Give it a swerve if you value your sanity and your family.

For clarification we don’t limo to holidays - we limp!

PGCE is bonkers and crazy. I also like those over SCITT for most but it’s still mad.

I think the curriculum is fucked, the structures designed to encourage eager young things to fuck things up whilst trying to show their initiative works whilst teachers endlessly have to accommodate each new thing. There are no new things.

A good school will be a joy to work in but too many are unpleasant or bullying and the culture can change over night with a new head.

The work load is often mad. This is dependent on the sector, school and subject. I have worked outside of teaching too - teachers limo to those holidays.

That said I love it. I like the pupils, I like the energy it needs and the variety. I like the deadlines and exam preparation and the families. I am someone who doesn’t need to finish everything and who can walk off and not over think. These attributes are important for sanity. You will never do everything you want to. The demands of prepping five lessons and marking the woek soon becomes an unresolvable battle with a host of other demands approaching from other sides. Am just spinning after tea. I have a good three hours to do to be ready for tomorrow - irrespective of Boris and his latest news.

Salary escalates at a reasonable speed, holidays are amazing, pension is good and part time, supply, tutoring etc all options. Go to a school as soon as possible and you will know if it’s for you.