to give up a career ive just spend 3 years training for?

[cymruambyth]

I have just retrained as a primary school teacher as my previous job did not give me a good work/life balance. Always working evenings and weekends which didnt allow for quality time with my family. The problem is that teaching is not all its cracked up to be. I spend 2/3 hours every evening doing school work and all day sunday planning, evaluating, making resources for the following week. I know that it isnt a case of me being slow and that i will get faster, as all the other teachers are all working just as hard and have been for years.

It really annoys me when people say that teachers have it easy because they certainly do not!

I drop my DD at nursery at 8am and pick her up at 5:45pm mon-fri which gives me about 1.5 hours per day with her and that is spend getting her dressed, bathed and ready for bed. I dont want her to always feel like mummy is never there - but the truth is im not! Also i can never go to concerts, sports days etc.

I feel like such a crap mum and person!

My DH was so supportive about my retraining and now i feel like its all been for nothing.
DH has suggested that his secretary will be leaving in April and maybe i could work for him. The hours would be 9:30 - 2:30 mon - fri so i could always pick up and drop off kids each day. Plus i wouldnt have to do any work at home. Finacially there wouldnt be hardly anything in it.

I do really love teaching and i get a huge buzz when i see children progressing as a result of my teaching. I just wish it didnt have to be all or nothing.

Vicar- I have not worked with any teachers who didn't in some way shape or form love their job. There are some that maon about things but never one who has just gone into it for 'the perks' as such, because I think we all know from threads on here.......there are none apart from working with young people who are amazing (for the most part!).

I wasn't getting at you for calling it a 'vocation' you are right, it is, as is your job (which I would never in a million years be able to do btw!). What gets to me at the moment is whenever there is a thread about teaching (probably since the public sector strikes) there are packs of people who beat the OP with that very stick..............It's what you wanted to do wasn't it? You should do it for love! It also is a stick that the government seems to be using at the moment a fair bit. It is upsetting to be effectively told that you should just put up and shut up, almost like what you do on an everyday basis (which nonbody else knows except yourself btw, not even my DH could describe accurately what my day would be like) is not worth anything in the eyes of the general public.

Anyway, I digress, I assume the OP does actually like children and enjoys working with them (she says as much in her OP) or she would never have gone through the training. Which is not easy, we all know there are people on here who are desperately trying to even get ON the PGCE course in the first place and cannot for various reasons. To have passed her training and have gained an NQT post she must also be good at what she does (many people on here have stated how competitive it is) so I have no doubt that she is not doing it half-heartedly. I just felt some of those comments may have hurt somebody who was already feeling down. Thats not what she needs, she needs possible solutions

Go P/T if you can. It's the perfect job.
I've been teaching for five years. After DD was born I requested to go part-time. My school don't like job shares but didn't want me to leave so they asked me to do PPA cover. I work afternoons only and I do very little at home as I use other people's planning and I don't have to do reports/parents' evenings etc. I have never been happier (plus it's still a bloody good wage even when halved IMO). I see plenty of DD and have boundless enthusiasm for my students when I'm there. Don't leave unless you're 100% sure, as you'll really struggle to get back into it.

PPA cover is the pits, all the crappy re/pe/music/phse and other stuff that no other fucker wants to teach, plus you never get the 'status' of a fulltimer, so much more likely to struggle with behaviour management. No base, so you end up carting bagfulls of stuff round, never fully in the loop wrt what is going on ibn school more generally, and the parents don't trust your judgement because you are not the 'proper teacher'. Avoid, and butch out your ft. It will get easier. your own chn will get less needy as time goes by.

I completely disagree yellowvan. As someone who has worked in the same school for several years I have seen that PPA cover can be a great job, especially as a parent to a young DC. I have never had behaviour issues as I've known the children since they started school (except the Y6 who were in Y1 when I started). The parents see me as a 'proper' teacher as I've taught many siblings when I was full time. It is great experience as I have taught every year group and every class in the school. My colleagues know I am an outstanding teacher so I teach science, ICT and history as well as the "crappy" subjects (which surely depends on how 'crappy' you are as a teacher). I get extra money for doing SAT boosters in core subjects if I want to do them.
I think it is a valid option for someone who loves teaching but wants to do the best for their family.

it can sometimes work if, like you, you know the children of old, but generally it is very low status and poor for professional development and returning to ft.

poor for develpment because you don't plan and set targets I mean. And, of course, it may not be long for this world in any case, Glad it works for you, though, Vizz :)

You're probably right, but if you intend to go F/T again at the same school (as I will) it's a great way to get a 'breather' and focus on your family while they are young. Just another option and certainly preferable to going on supply in the current climate. Just make sure you get it in your contract that it's temporary and you can go back F/T when you're ready!!!

pat - trust me - the last thing i want to do is beat anyone with a big stick....

actually......

seriously. that wasnt what i meant. i made a flip and off the cuff remark i realise that - but i am also a public sector worker. The government is as down on us as teachers at the minute, so thats seriously not what i was aiming for - its just that teaching is the last thing i would do for work/life balance.

my job is hard, i work shifts, i do 6 days on (7 days every 10 weeks) which equates to a 56 hour working week, but i went in with my eyes open and thats why i didnt apply when my kids were small (they are 14 and 20 now)
my job isnt all i wanted or expected either, but i will get through my qualification and then try to specialise in an area that i feel will suit me more than tear arsing around in the middle of the night chasing people....just got to get through the first 2 years.

i would say the same of teaching. Get through the qualification, then make it suit.
but if you hate it, dont do it, because it shows! (have met 2 (only 2 out of many lovely teachers) who should have never been let loose anywhere near a child....)

I'm curious at the advice on this thread regarding work/life balance. Would this advice be given to a bloke?

(Just curious...not looking for a fight)

I have 3DD and admit to talking to them about jobs with good work/life balance and how they might juggle if they had DC. (They have stared at me like I have two heads)

There is plenty of advice here saying exactly that though.... enter any career with your eyes open.