Teachers who have left the profession

[Poniesandgin]

What did you go into instead?

Currently humanities senior leader being managed out. Excellent results but still not good enough. Toxic work environment and colleagues and have had enough.

What else is there post teaching?

@Poniesandgin sad to say, literally the exact same thing has happened to me!!!!!! It's sadly comforting to hear that it's not just me.

They've literally given my department to a much younger (and therefore cheaper) non specialist with a very light timetable, whereas mine has been totally rammed. And I am expected to help and guide her. WTAF.

My children's school became absorbed into a trust... and over the years became nesrly exclusively under 30s...

Another one to second the FB group-there are thousands of people who feel the same way.

The problem is, you very quickly get quite expensive for the head’s budget and once on UPS or with a TLR, they decide you’re not ‘worth’ it and two NQTs instead would be cheaper!

I certainly can’t do this till I’m 68

I left an increasingly toxic school in 2019. I’ve been supply teaching since then, or working on short term contracts.
Next month I start an out of teaching job in the insurance industry - I set up a linked in profile and had a lot of recruiters contacting me on there. The company I am in actively looks to employ ex-teachers.
£5k pay cut from UPS3, but more than I was earning on supply.

I’m very excited about my new role.

I’m an Educational Psychologist, like a previous poster said it’s quite a journey to retrain and not for the faint hearted but my god it’s the best job in the world and I’m a completely different person now. I can work flexibly, my work is really interesting, I’m supported and encouraged by senior staff, the kids are generally lovely on a 1:1 and sometimes it feels like I’m really helping and making a difference. Plus I can take term time holidays!

@LaMariposa please could I ask what this company/role is? I'm another one who needs out

It’s so sad to read how many miserable teachers are out there.

My department has been given away too. Luckily I’m pay protected for 3 years but I now have to assist my replacement who is not a nice person.

Ive been looking for another school but there’s not much around. I’m top of mps scale though, £43k at the moment if it matters. Will anyone employ someone this expensive as a classroom teacher I could take a cut but not much, I have a huge mortgage and a young family!

Going to join the Facebook group and look at Ed psych! Thanks all of you

@Poniesandgin are you actually me?? The similarities are uncanny! Except I am a single parent with no financial support from the arsehole abusive ex, so entirely dependent on my wage

@babycornfortea surely they can’t be doing this to us up and down the country? I’ve slogged my guts out for 10 years in the same school, outstanding results and ofsted reports to be replaced by someone who’s never even had a set of results yet

Not sure how this is even allowed.

Oh Skeleton it's my dream job. I did the OU psych degree (did full degree instead of post grad conversion as it was only an extra module) on top of my degree in the hope. And then realised the full time training wasn't going to work with the commuting without family support/ husband working away too.

@postitnot

Sorry to jump the thread, but if the adults don't like being in the school, can the children tell? Are they all miserable and stressed too? How as a parent would I know that this isn't a happy place for my child to be?

In my experience a wider negative culture does impact on the experience of students. When I chose my child’s school I asked the regional teacher rep some questions, obviously this is not an option for everyone. Its worth asking the school about staff turn over.

There are education roles in Civil service. Look at virtual schools, exclusion team, SEND. I am an education officer for my local authority.

I do primary tutoring now. I work with some children with SEN and some who just need a confidence boost or a bit of help catching up after home learning. It's very rewarding working one to one and I feel I have all the best parts of teaching with no school politics. Love working from home and being in control of my own time.

They did this with us. They put a new graduate teacher in charge of us all. We had 20-30 years experience each. Then we were all inspected and found wanting by our new leader. We all left as we knew we were being managed out. She scarpered as soon as she realised she was on her own.

It sounds like you’d be better in a new school, @Poniesandgin

I’m just not enjoying it. Went back in September after ten months maternity leave and finding it so stressful, hoping if I drop a couple of days it will help.

I was being pushed into being a 'key player' in my dept as there were so many NQTs. I went from 5 days to 3. It took some pressure but they can't give me key classes any more, so I'm KS3. resits etc...I love it, give the kids my all but management ignore me, yay!

Another trainee EP here... I worked as an assistant EP for a couple of years and took a huge salary hit to do so but best thing I ever did! I don't miss my old job at all. The training is very very tough though, especially with kids.

Work for an apprenticeship training provider, project and quality management type role. Better money, less stress, much nicer work environment.

I read this thread and was in two minds about posting.
For background I'd been a successful secondary teacher in a specialist subject for approx 25yr. I finally took up a STL post. Big mistake. I had a recalcitrant team and very entitled students. As far as SM was concerned it was every (wo)man for themselves. So after I'd completed the number of years where I could apply for early retirement, I put in my notice. My post wasn't advertised externally. Instead a probationary teacher that I'd appointed a year earlier (in a different discipline to mine) was appointed as SL and a year later as STL. His/her only experience in this subject had been 2 weeks in a burger place. That kinda told me my knowledge and skills were not appreciated. Best thing I ever did- leaving that school. I took a 25% cut in pension but it was so worth it.

Left at the start of 2018 and finished training as a counsellor. It’s brilliant but quite niche.
To answer the parent who asked earlier, it wasn’t the classroom teaching but the additional make-work and political manoeuvrings from slt that killed my love of it. The kids got a slightly less good version of me than before all the shit but still pretty good!

My DH left teaching 9 years ago, he still works within the education field but recruiting online.
Initially after we returned from being abroad, he worked as a care assistant. Obviously much less money but he was so much happier