To leave a teaching job after 3 weeks?

[nocontactforevermore]

I am ready to break:/

I left a very stressful head full time of department job in the October half term. I decided to go part time, without extra responsibilities etc and my DP is supportive of this. I had originally felt so bruised by it all that I wanted to leave teaching altogether but was approached by a very local school to me who offered me part time and I thought I'd hit the jackpot. On paper it sounds amazing - 3 miles from my house, working only Tuesdays and Thursdays. The trouble is....I've inherited a department that doesn't have a leader (it's very small anyway) but also is in a big mess. Kids have been entered for wrong exams, haven't completed coursework and to top it off, they've been wild in my lessons:/. I started just before Xmas and within the first day I was sick with anxiety. It built up all over xmas and now that I'm back, it's worse than ever. I am only contracted two days, but the workload means I will have to work at least another 2 from home. They also schedule me for meetings that are the responsibility of a head of department, but that was not the deal. I've pointed out that they are asking too much of me and pushing the kids to achieve too high a level of the qualification that I will never get it gone in time for summer. All I keep getting reminded of is that I was a former head of dept and 'can handle it'.

I can't though. Well I could, if I didn't sleep or felt resentful that I left a full time job for a part time one only to realise I'll be working just as hard. The reason for this is purely and simply because the department has been left to shit. I am on a temporary contract (suited me fine) and feel like they are simply going to 'milk me' until summer, while I'm sent over the edge.

How bad would it be to walk? I've an unbroken 15 year employment history. I am not flaky, but I didn't sleep at all over Xmas and this isn't the fresh start I envisaged.

Are you in a union?

I would leave. That sounds like an absolute nightmare and even if you hang in there you wont see the benefit of your efforts because you will have left by then. I think employers understand that everyone has the odd nightmare job and don't see it as flaky if you leave under circumstances like that as long as it isn't more than once. Could you do a bit of supply instead?

Leave and do supply - from one who's been around the teaching game for over a decade.
Life is too short to be miserable - you'll earn enough doing supply which may be right for you anyway.
Do it and don't think about it x

Sorry, what a businesslike message. It sounds awful, and they're completely taking the piss. I would see what your union say first though before doing anything drastic. Why is there not a HOD? Who is the member of SLT responsible for curriculum, specifically KS4? How many others are I the department?

This is a horrible situation. I can understand your dilemma. But it doesn't make sense to take on a stressful job, doing 4 days work but being paid for 2. My only suggestion is to go back to management and tell them you are serious about leaving so soon. This might get them to reconsider their expectations.

It wouldn't be bad to walk at all. They are not treating you with any respect. Too many people are treated like dirt by their employers these days and take it.

If they want an HoD then they should pay for one and allocate time in your paid timetable for all the extras you've mentioned. But you don't want to be a head anyway, so why have the responsibility without the pay? I feel very sorry for the pupils, but sorting them out and turning it all around is not your responsibility. You sound worn out.

Either lay down some ground rules of what you will and won't do (no work on your days off, no HoD meetings etc) or walk.

If you really want stress free two day weeks for a while, would you consider doing supply work?

Sorry, what a businesslike message. It sounds awful, and they're completely taking the piss. I would see what your union say first though before doing anything drastic. Why is there not a HOD? Who is the member of SLT responsible for curriculum, specifically KS4? How many others are in the department?

It does sound awful, and not what you wanted/ needed at all.

Union.

Put everything in writing. Keep copies.

Do not take on HOD jobs. Attend meeting, writing in advice that you are there as a PT teacher. Do not agree to do any HOD functions in meeting.

Send the names of the students entered for the wrong exam to your exams officer. Copy to HT. Usually there's an SLT person with oversight of of a department/group of departments. They should be handling all this.

Send names of all students with missing coursework + details of the cw to HT.

Look for another job. Good luck.

To be honest, I've only been there 3 weeks and was considering just not mentioning it in any future applications. What do you think? I could just say I had a short break for family reasons. I know my previous employer will give me a good red - they didn't want me to leave but I had had enough of the stress. To be honest, I thought I was 'better' at management than it truly am. My line manager in my previous job disagreed and was very positive about me but all of this is at great expense to myself and my family. I no longer want to work at home on my days off. I just don't.

In my subject area, the supply offers tend to be long term - an approximation of what I have now (except i signed a contract). That means it'll end up just the same as it is now - me inheriting disaffected groups half way through the year and a big mess to sort. I was actually thinking of trying support work.

What do you think? Will I get sued for leaving? I know I won't get paid but can they do anything else? Do you think it's wise to just not mention to any other employer that I worked there at all?

Also, if it's a small department like food tech, is there an overall manager responsible for it?

There isn't a specified person responsible- although one of the SLT has been teaching it and doing some admin for it. She had the cheek the other day to tell me they are very scrupulous about marking and assessment and will be monitoring how effective my feedback to kids is etc, and then hardly a scrap of their work has even been looked at this year or last. I am staggered. She stood there putting the willies up me....I literally felt my heart sink as she talked of scrutiny and monitoring and reviews, and policies etc- all the stuff that did for me in my last job. And yet the whole time she is planning on making me accountable for her groups.

Also I got some sinking feeling she was being devious. This member of staff is also responsible for Assessment and there she was telling me she was gonna be all over me in not so many words.

I don't see how you could be sued for leaving the job when it doesn't sound at all like the job you agreed to do. I think they have already broken the contract by demanding you do Head of Department duties, which is another role entirely, when you signed up (and are being paid) as a part -time teacher. However, I would advise consulting a solicitor about this just for confirmation.

I think you should - after doing the above - follow your instincts and run. This is not the job you wanted or agreed to do, and there is no shame in abandoning it as soon as possible. You left one very stressful job because you were burnt-out and miserable only to find yourself in another one with less money. Your mental health and happiness should come first and this is not the fresh start that you need.

As for the significance of this episode on your CV, it won't even register - three weeks is a blink in your employment history and you have the choice of either not mentioning at all, or of defending your decision to leave with all the valid reasons you have mentioned. As a previous poster said, everyone is entitled to the occasional false move, and the fact that you only stayed for three weeks will actually be seen as a point in your favour.

You really think so? That makes me feel better, thanks

I feel bad on the kids I left in my previous job for leaving half way through the year- but they are now in good hands, the new recruit is excellent. I also feel bad on these kids in my new role as some of them were nice but the majority of them were awful. Laughing in my face , taking over me, doing nothing for hours at a time. When the SLT person came to me after the lesson, she feigned 'surprise' and this and said they were lovely. To give you an example of what they were doing, I'm talking charging their mobiles in lessons, texting, caked in makeup, screaming over the top of me with hysterical laughter at my accent, spinning around the classroom on swivel chairs etc. I do not have a track record of ineffective classroom management but I was SO shocked at how far they were willing to go. They just didn't care. Can't say I blame them though. They've had tons of supply staff through the door.

I'm not a teacher so don't exactly know what you're going through. BUT I did find myself in a similar situation to you where I thought "what the hell is this?".

I walked. I lost it from my cv. It has honestly never been an issue.

Leave!

I tried to politely talk to the SLT person about the fact that the kids just simply will not be able to achieve what she has planned. She is basically putting them through a qualification that is beyond them. She said it was for the league tables and 'surely I understood that?'. She was looking at me with indignation all the time and implying I had no ambition for the children. I replied that there is such a thing as quality over quantity!

It's as clear as the stars in the sky that they want to me to pull whatever stunts I can to get them this qualification, and that the responsibility will not be the children's.

Do not feel the slightest guilt in leaving, OP. I have just read the details about the classroom and it sounds like torture. Do not tie yourself in knots, overthinking the situation and feeling guilty. To objective ears, the situation you have found yourself in sounds unfair, extremely unpleasant and not at all what you agreed to. I think the only reason you are hesitating to make what seems to be a very straightforward decision is that you are very stressed and emotional (which is hardly surprising) and this can sometimes lead to paralysis. You are absolutely right to want to leave - all this situation is doing is draining your self-confidence and making you miserable. Leave as soon as you can and move on.

Thanks better.
To be honest I should have had a break in between this job and the last. I don't feel strong enough to take it all on. I would have to work like mad or do the work for the kids themselves. Thanks again

Hi OP. I was in a similar (ish) position when I took up a teaching post abroad last year. In my case I joined in November and found that my year 13s had not studied the correct syllabus and had done no coursework, my year 11s had done virtually no work for their GCSEs, there were no schemes of work, assessment material or records and I was going to be responsible for writing all the SoW and associated paperwork for years 8 to 13. Plus I had a bunch of issues associated with pay/conditions.

I stayed because I really liked my students and felt sorry for them and I had a lovely departmental colleague. I quickly learnt that the problems in my subject were illustrative of a badly managed school - constant demands for paperwork, hours wasted in meetings, the inappropriate pushing of responsibility onto class teachers. The requests for paperwork were endless, but yet there was nothing in place when I arrived. My instincts were right about that school and I am sure yours are too.

You aren't responsible for the mess that you've found in the school. It is a shame for the students but it isn't your problem and it isn't worth your health. My experience was that there are more and more problems to be uncovered in a school that is being run poorly. Don't feel guilty for leaving - the school is responsible for providing you with reasonable working conditions (and for putting the students in for appropriate exams!) and you have already told them that their current requirements are unreasonable.

If you do stay, I would suggest putting in writing (an email) exactly the state of affairs and the steps you will take in the time you have. Use the fact that you have management experience to be very clear about what they can expect from you (e.g. prioritise coursework for exam classes between now and March) and the level the students are currently working at. This worked well for me. If they aren't happy with what you can do, then they can do without you.

I could write all day about how bad schools take advantage of conscientious teachers. It drives me mad. I'm a teacher because I like working with young people and that is why I couldn't bring myself to leave my job and the students - the guilt of "letting them down". I know that I was wrong to feel guilty and in many ways I regret not leaving. A job is a job and it is totally reasonable to put your life, your family and your health (certainly your stress levels!) before your work.

It sounds like they want a head of department without paying for one. Leave and don't look back!

I opened this thread ready to say don't leave a job without one to go to.

Having read the thread I want to scream LEAVE. Put your reasons in writing and keep a copy, making it clear that the situation was created before you started.

Walk - life is too short.

I would go on the sick tomorrow and then put in a resignation, don't step foot there again. Once they know you have no intention of coming off sick they will be glad to cut you loose.

They sound like a shower of twats.