I feel like I’m overreacting and being pathetic

[BlueOtter9]

I need a rant. I work in education. Yesterday I had my first instance of a pupil being violent. Picked up their pencil case and just threw it at me for being asked to stop nudging the student next to them. I’m just really annoyed. I’ve actually never had anything purposefully flung at me. I’ve done supply in the past in inner city London, and even then nothing this bad. The school is generally standard comp. Same type of kids. But this just took me by surprise. I think I may have even been a bit rude to senior staff member who collected the child . I said “never in all my years have I had anyone throw something at me. I’m not impressed”

I think what pissed me off is that I worked so hard to get to where I am. And I get no respect. It’s also never ever happened before. I just feel they can do anything or say anything and the repercussions are slim to none. Working in London is tough as it is but it’s only getting tougher as the years go on.

Truthfully, I’m wondering if it’s time to exit teaching. I just know I won’t get this pay early on in a new career path. But then I wonder if I need to just accept it

You've done very well to have spent years teaching and never had anything thrown at you. You must have great control of the classes you teach and that's something to be proud of.

Why were you rude to your colleague though? It isn't their fault and agree that you should apologise for whatever you said/did; you probably need to figure out what prompted you to do it. Are you maybe subconsciously lashing out at authority figures because that's what happened to you, or is it more than that? Maybe you're trying to be rude so that it gets you in trouble with them and puts your position at risk so if you lose it you can pretend it wasn't your fault?

Or maybe you just snapped and have had enough of it!

Makes you wonder what the parents are like to have raised such a little shit.

I calmly said when they collected the child “never had anything thrown at me in all my time as a teacher the student needs collecting asap” I’m not trying to be rude it’s a mix of adrenaline and also me being like …wow why would you do that. Mind you the child picked up the case threw it at me 3 more times.

I don’t think it was meant to be rude. It was a “I’ve never experienced this in all my years of teaching” it genuinely was just shock

Fair enough. But if that's what you said I don't think it sounds rude unless you were telling them what to do which obviously doesn't look great to someone senior.

I'm sorry this happened to you though. It must be a shock, especially as you say the kid then did it three more times!

I was just bluntly saying I’ve never had it happen. I think it was shock. I didn’t mean to be rude I honestly didn’t I’m just tired burnt out and having stuff flung at me isn’t nice. I’ve genuinely felt like I only have a few more months left in me before I pull the plug but idk what I’ll do

It sounds like you're hitting burnout or extreme alienation from your job. Do you have any flexibility to move, teach overseas? My friend is moving to Spain, from mainstream South London to Spanish independent - the conditions seem good, pay decent, amazing holiday. We'll see how he gets on but looks really promising. If you feel you could still enjoy teaching could you side-step into something less bruising?

I don't see how what you said was rude at all OP.
It's an absolute disgrace the violence that teachers are subjected to in schools nowadays.
I'm really sorry this happened to you.

It’s not rude in the least, pupil behaviours due to lack of consequence and also parents not backing up schools and just a general breakdown of behaviour leaves teaching the worst job. You have my total sympathy.

It wasn’t rude, but I’d expect as a teacher with experience you to know thay children all have different issues, just like adults, and sometimes it’s not about you or what you did, but about them, their ability to regulate, their personal life, their up bringing, I feel it’s quite extreme to want to jack in teaching due to it, and would expect you to have better coping mechanisms, better training on how to deal when these whay is clearly rare, occurance happen. For your sake.

While it shouldn't have happened, it's pretty minor in the grand scheme of violence. I've had chairs and tables thrown at me and at their peers. I can cope fine with it when it's aimed at me but not when it's aimed at their fellow pupils. You will see far worse in your career than a pencil case being thrown at you.

I don't think what you said was rude. I think if more teachers reacted like you rather than seeing violence and aggression as just party of the job, the issue might be taken more seriously.

My mum was a teacher and remembers a pupil throwing a chair at her when she was pregnant with me in the late 70s; when the boy's father came to the school he was so ashamed he almost cried and apologised to her over and over and over. People should be appalled by violence. Children should not be throwing things at teachers.

Christ, I would have thrown it back! Precisely why I’m not a teacher.
But, pp is right, things have changed. If my mum had been told I’d thrown something at a teacher she would have lost the plot, I’d have been roasted/grounded/all privileges removed. Now, it seems to be expected? It’s all wrong.

My first day doing TA work at secondary school I had a teen boy lift up his chair to throw it at me, luckily he put it down. I quit after that. Not worth the stress. I was shocked how rude and nasty some of the kids were. So different to when I was a kid at school. I don’t know how teachers put up with it.