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Original poster

I’ma teacher with no drive to move up the greasy career pole

46 replies

MsWalterMitty · 13/12/2021 18:06

Am I a rare breed? Or is it okay?

I love teaching! I’m only in my third year and have been in the same school since completing my PGCE. It’s an SEMH school, the kids are a challenge but relationships are great! Biggest class size is 7. Staff are lovely, there’s hardly any planning, no marking. I’d say it was a good work life balance in comparison to SLT or even a teacher in a mainstream school.

My only issue is that I don’t teach to my full potential due to behaviours in class. I think I’d really struggle to teach in a mainstream school, certainly to start.. and Is struggle to cope with the work load.

But I have 2 young children at home, a steady income which is currently rising each year as I’ve got my progress targets. I’m happy with the max pay.

Would I be stupid to stay where I am in a cushty role?

OP posts:
Aquamarine1029 · 13/12/2021 18:08

Not stupid at all if you can afford it.

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 13/12/2021 18:09

Enjoy it I say

Lottie2017 · 13/12/2021 18:11

This sounds absolutely perfect. If you are happy and have a great work life balance, I would avoid going into a mainstream school where the workload and pressure would be so much more intense. It is only worth moving if you feel something is missing.

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Rupertpenrysmistress · 13/12/2021 18:13

I am a band 6 nurse and feel the same. Love my job but I want a life, I have 2 DC and don't want the inevitable stress, if the money is ok, be happy. Life is too short.

Original poster
MsWalterMitty · 13/12/2021 18:17

@Aquamarine1029

Not stupid at all if you can afford it.
I can pay my bills.
OP posts:
Original poster
MsWalterMitty · 13/12/2021 18:18

@Rupertpenrysmistress

I am a band 6 nurse and feel the same. Love my job but I want a life, I have 2 DC and don't want the inevitable stress, if the money is ok, be happy. Life is too short.
Is nursing similar to teaching were you’re kind of expected to progress?
OP posts:
EmpressCixi · 13/12/2021 18:19

Refreshing to hear it expressed as a valid life choice. I think society pressures us too much to climb the ladder. But it’s not healthy is it? You are being wise and choosing to have a good work life balance.

Original poster
MsWalterMitty · 13/12/2021 18:22

@EmpressCixi

Refreshing to hear it expressed as a valid life choice. I think society pressures us too much to climb the ladder. But it’s not healthy is it? You are being wise and choosing to have a good work life balance.
Yeah, I have memories of my PGCE and how full on it was, working for hours every evening and then having to add even more on the weekends. It was worth it for the qual, but certainly not sustainable.

I do worry that I’d I stay where I am right now I’ll struggle to move on if I wanted to. But at the moment I’m happy to stay where I am for the next 20yrs!

OP posts:
Workyticket · 13/12/2021 18:24

Enjoy it! I'm 21 years in and haven't progressed beyond being a teacher. I've been at the top of my pay scale (college) for ages and have no ambition.

I love teaching (unusual this far in I think) and have no plans to progress.

ElizabethinherGermanGarden · 13/12/2021 18:25

If you love it and you are making good connections with your students, you would not be mad at all. It's important that you get the chance to hone and develop your own practice, though, so make sure your school gives you the chance to take up CPD and join networks etc. The main difficulty with alternative provision is that you don't mix with many teachers because centres are small so you can find yourself doing everything yourself and not getting new ideas from others. If your school value and support you to get that new input every now and then, that is all good. Good teachers in AP are like gold dust because it can be hard to recruit, so you have leverage with your line manager.

2reefsin30knots · 13/12/2021 18:36

I'd sit pretty until you want to do more (if that day comes). It may be that eventually you want to go the SLT route within AP because you want more challenge/ want to develop new staff/ want to take on more responsibility for the school to pass on what you know.

The only thing to consider is whether you can see yourself classroom teaching in AP/SEMH towards the end of your career. I'm mid 40s and been doing it 20+ years and some days I feel old and tired. I'm not sure I'll be able to do it more than another 10 years. You might want to think about a 'last 10 years' plan.

Original poster
MsWalterMitty · 13/12/2021 18:38

@ElizabethinherGermanGarden

If you love it and you are making good connections with your students, you would not be mad at all. It's important that you get the chance to hone and develop your own practice, though, so make sure your school gives you the chance to take up CPD and join networks etc. The main difficulty with alternative provision is that you don't mix with many teachers because centres are small so you can find yourself doing everything yourself and not getting new ideas from others. If your school value and support you to get that new input every now and then, that is all good. Good teachers in AP are like gold dust because it can be hard to recruit, so you have leverage with your line manager.
This is all very true!! I am doing CPD but most is focused on SEN such as ADHD practitioner.
OP posts:
Original poster
MsWalterMitty · 13/12/2021 18:40

@2reefsin30knots

I'd sit pretty until you want to do more (if that day comes). It may be that eventually you want to go the SLT route within AP because you want more challenge/ want to develop new staff/ want to take on more responsibility for the school to pass on what you know.

The only thing to consider is whether you can see yourself classroom teaching in AP/SEMH towards the end of your career. I'm mid 40s and been doing it 20+ years and some days I feel old and tired. I'm not sure I'll be able to do it more than another 10 years. You might want to think about a 'last 10 years' plan.

I was actually thinking that when I wrote my OP! There’s alot of physical intervention involved, with strong teenagers!… Although I find the better relationships people have with students, the less interventions happen
OP posts:
2reefsin30knots · 13/12/2021 18:43

Just sucking up their emotions is draining, even if by doing that you actually manage to keep them calm.

Last 10 years I might just run Sleeping Lions workshops and water the plants?

MeMumI · 13/12/2021 18:52

Nope, I have lost any ambition to climb the greasy pole either!

A few years back, my youngest started secondary, and I thought I ought to go for SLT. So I got a job as HoF with a 10K TLR, did it a few years and realised I didn't like the faff of managing others, so swapped schools and dropped to a 5k TLR. Didn't like the faff of that either, so now I've dropped back to a 1k TLR and am hod. I like being a small hod as I like to do things my way. But I've dropped my TLR hours. Back into the classroom much more and although it's hard work, I'm loving it.

So no, nothing wrong with it at all. Smile

OfMinceAndMen · 13/12/2021 19:54

I'm tgw same OP.
I'm a Business Development Manager in the corporate world and have adamantly stood my ground in rejecting job offers and promotions over the years that would have seen me climb the ladder up to Senior Manager. I've just made a lateral move from a Manager role in a major global organisation to a Manager role in a smaller, regional organisation, to give me even more of the work/life balance I'm so determined to preserve.
I'm very happy with what I earn, with my home and car, and with the kinds of holidays we go on. Why would I need more?

Tigerwhocameforsupper · 13/12/2021 20:01

I worked my way up the ladder, was an assistant head and then stepped back down to classroom teacher. Once I had my children I didn’t want late nights and loads of paperwork.

I don’t think I will ever work my way back up.

hollyivysaurus · 13/12/2021 20:02

Nothing wrong with that! I work three days, have turned down full time hours and offers of TLRs. I like my job, I also like my sanity!

Rupertpenrysmistress · 13/12/2021 20:03

Once you get to a band 6 it is expected that you want to progress.

Original poster
MsWalterMitty · 13/12/2021 20:07

@Rupertpenrysmistress

Once you get to a band 6 it is expected that you want to progress.
What would happen if I didn’t want to?
OP posts:
2reefsin30knots · 14/12/2021 05:52

@Rupertpenrysmistress

Once you get to a band 6 it is expected that you want to progress.
I don't agree with that necessarily. I think the fire break at M6 is there on the assumption that not everybody will want to take on whole school responsibility.

However, OP you might find that you do change your mind. I ended up on SLT by default just because I eventually became one of the old people who'd seen a lot. For me, it's not that much more work and I still classroom teach. But I'd be going mad by now if I didn't have some say in the bigger school decisions.

gofg · 14/12/2021 05:56

If you are happy as you are then continue on. Ambition isn't the be all and end all some people would have us think.

UseOfWeapons · 14/12/2021 06:29

Enjoy it, it’s what you love and you know what you want. The day may come when you want something different, or it might not.

Another band 6 nurse here, no desire to move up into management, which is the only choice within my field. I’ve been top of band for years, love being a nurse, and have lots of special skills, but I wouldn’t be able to use those skills or be with my patients if I moved up. I focus on my own development, research, and teaching of other staff, to round out my job role, but no way would I want a lead job, too many meetings!
Good luck to you!

GoodnightGrandma · 14/12/2021 06:33

I’m a nurse and have no drive to move up. I want to work with patients, not shuffle paper and attend meetings. There are plenty of people who do want to do that, so I’m happy.
It’s OK to do what you want to do.

MinnieMountain · 14/12/2021 07:11

I’m an unambitious solicitor. Everyone I know from my degree/ training is a partner now. I’d rather have lower pay and less stress.

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