What was you biggest culture shock of you moved into teaching from another career?

[Tiredforfive45]

I’m a teaching ‘lifer’ (apart from
a part time job in retail while I was at uni) so not much in education surprises me.

I saw a post recently somewhere where a teacher who had moved from a corporate job was aghast about having to share a room with a colleague on a residential trip and I realised I had never given that a second thought.

What other things that I take for given are actually surprising to people that have worked in other professions?

I went the other way, from teaching into a different sector. I remember:

The novelty of being able to go to the loo when I wanted rather than when the day's schedule dictated.

Finishing at 5pm and not having to take work home.

Getting my weekends back.

No Sunday night dread.

From marketing 13 years into teaching I have found that I:

• still struggle to only wee at break times
• worry about getting to the loo when I need on the first day of my period
• am more tired than I have ever been
• my ears ring after spending a day with noisy kids
• I love the sense of community working in primary schools
• I love all the fun days like World Book Day etc
• I've never felt job fulfilment like this (and I loved my previous career)
• i have multiple moments of real joy and satisfaction every single day.

@Georgie743 Some lovely positives in there 😀 How long have you been teaching?

Coming up to a year, so very new still. I also worked in the same school the previous year in an education support role whilst finishing my study. Definitely feel I've found my place!

and aware that I'm working in a system (not the UK) with no Ofsted pressures which many UK teacher friends describe as absolute hell.

@Georgie743 Great to hear your still enjoying it. I've been in 20 years (England) and leaving in July to retrain!

If you don't mind me asking what are you retraining in?

1. Having to pay a contribution towards tea and coffee for the staff room. Tea/coffee/milk is always provided by your employer! I really resented paying that my first few terms in teaching.

1. The expectation to volunteer to work for free (trips, residentials, parent presentations, open days ...) like it's a privilege to be chosen to work for free.

1. The amount of snot/vomit/urine/blood/God knows what other bodily fluids you would end up dealing with. Not even in EY. KS1/2.

@magdamaple My plan is to do a Masters in Counselling Children and Young People and then see where I go from there.
I'm sad to be leaving teaching, but have never known mainstream education like it is now. We are helping no-one 😢

FE lecturer here moved from nursing. Biggest culture 'shock' much better life balance, no matter how bad things are they're never as bad as nursing, worse thing that can happen is a student complains much better than someone dying on you and, finally, the holidays! Never having to work Christmas is amazing

FE lecturing is not the same as classroom teaching though. I know people who have moved from classroom teaching to lecturing and feel the same sense of relief that you do.