Crying at the thought of going in tomorrow

[Butterfly94]

Teacher at a secondary school, very very challenging behaviour in every class. I'm going to be handing my notice in ASAP as I just can't stand going in anymore, and we can't afford the childcare anyway. It's my first day back teaching tomorrow as I work part time, and I'm sat here panicking and crying about the behaviour I'll have to face tomorrow. It's everywhere, SLT are ineffective and the kids run the place. I've lost any ability to control the classes, and my heart absolutely isn't in it. I can't keep going until December and will try to negotiate an early finish. Someone help me feel better about going in tomorrow? I don't want to go to bed as then the morning will come too quickly!

EnidSpyton

Totally agree. I'd also say that the problem begins in primary. Since the remit of Teachijg Assistants changed to be more focused on teaching and learning and running booster groups etc, all the pastoral care has been lost. Kids aren't ready to learn and the interpersonal.skills etc that used to be taught by TAs in afternoon sessions have now replaced by literacy and numeracy booster groups.

Where schools still TAs of course...

I’m really shocked your GP has refused to sign you off! It’s not appropriate to offer you medication. Some GP’s will sign anyone off, it’s a real lottery.

I’m a manager so understand the impact of people being signed off but you sound desperate and not well enough for work.

I had a week off with stress recently and it did help. I would say that if you are so desperate you are planning to leave though, a week is not going to cut it. I would try to speak to a different GP.

You are 100% correct, Moonface123. This is why I left teaching despite my classes gaining excellent results.

I'm sorry you feel like that. Teaching is a shit job and I am a teacher.

I hate first days back. I can not sleep due to anxiety.

Good luck where ever your path takes you. Like others have said. At the end of the day it is just a job and not worth affecting your mental health. I think we teachers forget that and plough on regardless of the personal cost.

Something needs to happen soon. Retention is awful and even the best of us want out.

❤

Can you self certify for 7 days? Not sure if it is the same as in England, but we can in Scotland.
It would give you time to speak to a more sympathetic GP. Pills are not the answer IMHO, some GP's just don't understand MH issues properly.

I’m not sure if it’s the same everywhere but in the past I needed to be off for a week first (self certify) and then ask the doctor for a sickness note 7 days after your first sick day. Check your schools sickness policy and do speak to your union.

You deserve so much more @Butterfly94 . The school have failed you, not the other way around.

Please just hand your notice in and don’t feel any regrets.

You may have to work your notice, but you’ll feel so much better knowing the end is in sight!!

Secondary schools are difficult but this school seems absolutely terrible!!

I left teaching. The risk was to great to continue. Told my Dr I was suicidal, anything to remove myself from the daily threat of physical and psychological attack. Regularly called a cunt but had to engage in restorative justice to promote a mindgrowth attitude.

I think you’re doing the right thing OP - no job is worth grinding yourself down for.

I’m just so sad that things have got so bad that so many teachers feel this way. My DD (year 11) is on her fifth Geography teacher since the pandemic and in other subjects regularly has supplies who don’t teach the subject they’re covering for. I don’t know how she’s supposed to get any decent grades next year.

She’s a very good girl but finds the behaviour and disruption so distracting, not to mention absolutely no continuity in teaching.

I support you OP, but just putting the other side.

Dear god. What's going on in the schools in the UK?!! I remember watching Grange Hill on UTV as a young teenager and even then being shocked. There's no way we would have been allowed behave like that (back then). So the mind actually boggles

I'm not looking to upset anyone btw, I genuinely want to know.

The inclusion strategy aka sink or swim aka no proper support for children with behaviour needs.

I'd check with maternity pay policy too, on mine (I teach) it stated I had to work for 13 weeks before I could leave without paying my maternity pay back.

It's sad @SunscreenCentral, nearly everyone I work with seems desperately unhappy. Makes me worried for when my kids start school, although maybe primary is a little different! Worse workload though, so probably not.

Thanks for all your support. I am worried about leaving the rest of the teachers in the department in the lurch, but it is just a job at the end of the day and I can't go on pills or sacrifice myself anymore for it.

The doctor is out of order. See another doctor.

I’m so sorry you’re going through this OP. No job is worth having a breakdown over. See a sympathetic doctor. Get signed off and hand in your notice. Don’t discount going back to teaching at a later date though - not all schools are as bad as the one you’re describing.

The doc can't sign you off because you self certify for the first week now. Just go off! She can then continue it once you get passed the self certification stage.

My sister in law was once in the same situation as you in one of the schools she worked in , she got signed of with stress for months until she was better . They can not do anything about it . She then then left . After she went into supply teaching once she was 100% better . Now she is a school she lives , a school who appreciates her as a teacher . Call in sick , don't put yourself through it .

Reading things like this makes me so angry for teachers! I have a few friends who are teachers or work in schools and quite a few have left their jobs.
Teachers need to be given more authority to deal with/discipline bad behaviour. Common sense has gone out the window!
One of my now ex teacher friends told me about training she received before she left stating they could not touch a pupil even if destroying the classroom/threatening to cause harm to her. She asked what she should do in this situation and was told she would have to run away (!) she asked what about the rest of the class and was told you'll have to take them too. While just leaving destructive pupil to do whatever damage they like in the class.
It's beyond belief.

Enid Spyton is absolutely correct and I’d also add that, as well as experienced teachers leaving in droves, more droves are forced out because it’s cheaper to employ young teachers. They have no one with any long term experience to mentor them, they’re full of unrealistic and unworkable crap.

Its also true that years of pupil entitlement, parental disengagement and lack of respect for the profession have eroded any chance of providing an education service that’s effective and a work force that is valued.

Get signed off. Take your time. Is their any possibility of redundancy? If they are making cuts and you are likely to be off sick and affecting grades they may look favourably if that's an option

Redundancy might be an option, especially as it's a new head! Yet to send my resignation letter off, it's scary! I feel like I should stay there as I wanted to be a teacher for so long, and I guess the idea of freedom and giving up that dream seems weird.

Your mental health is not worth this. Make whatever arrangements necessary th

Sorry,pressed send too soon.
The system is broken and you can’t fix it alone, don’t sacrifice your mental health.

Think of yourself op and leave.
I could write a lengthy post but won’t.