AIBU to consider giving up teaching?

[PenguinBear]

AIBU to think that maybe I don't want to be a teacher anymore?

I have been teaching for a number of years and for the first time this year I am really not enjoying it. I have a difficult class (one child in particular who is making things very hard work).
There is massive pressure to achieve a good OFSTED grade and it's a whirlwind of constant book scrutinises, planning analysis and book comparisons, pupil progress meetings etc.

I love working with children and enjoy helping them to learn but the pressures for everything else are getting too much and ruining the enjoyment of the job.

I think I'd like to be an HLTA or something (definitely went to remain in a school).

Dp thinks I am mad to even consider it due to the drop in money but if I went for a HLTA position/ supply teaching it might be okay.

I just want to work in the classroom without the responsibility and pressure. I watch my TA breeze out the door at 3.30 with a smile and I'm stuck there till 6.30 every night. There's always so much to do and I feel like I'm constantly on a treadmill with no exit!

Anyone done similar? AIBU? Dp doesn't want me to do it at all and is being off with me for even considering it.

I am a secondary teacher and it is a lot easier than primary. A lot less marking, but you do have to put up with the behaviour.

I am not a teacher. But as a parent this makes me sad. As it sounds like some amazing teachers are being forced out of teaching due to paper work pressure. I really wish someone from government would read this and take note. Something needs to change before all our good teachers are gone.

I totally sympathise. I currently work part time. I do ppa cover in one school which I love. I look forwards to that day. I then job share and ppa cover in another school and quite frankly it's killing me. I have resigned from the job share part from Christmas in the hope it will help my sanity. The only reason I have not seen the doc and got signed off with stress is because I would not be able too my nice day if I did. I just wish I could get more work in the nice school. Maybe look at changing schools????

stealth its been happening for years although probably slightly slowed during recession. We already have the youngest teaching force in Europe.

Op its a shit, thankless job ime and is unlikely to get better. I left in 2007 and things have got much worse since then

Why is there less marking in secondary? Surely older children have more homework and it's more complex

I am a secondary teacher and have been doing supply since finishing maternity leave. I am really enjoying it. I arrive just before school starts, have no responsibility re preparation and marking and I leave straight after the last lesson. I have been to lots of different schools including a special school, new free school, middle schools and RC school. It's been fascinating seeing how different schools work and how pupils respond to the different approaches I have seen. Obviously there are down sides. I only had two days work in the whole of September. But since then I have been employed on all my available days. Behaviour for a supply teacher isn't always the best, but I know that I can simply walk away at the end of the day if it has been truly awful! I am lucky in that we are not dependent upon my wages and could just about manage without them so a couple of weeks with no work isn't the end of the world. I eel I have a dedicated the right decision by not going back to a permanent position. I had a year back at work between two lots of maternity leave and I know I wasn't a very good teacher in that time. I was too tired in the evenings to do the amount of work that I needed to do and I wasn't being fair to the kids at school or my own child. Now I can shake work off at the end of the day and not worry about it. It's great.
Op I hope you work something out. Good luck

I'm in Scotland but consider giving up teaching every sodding week. I've started threads in the staff room here before about what to do instead of teach.

Currently I've moved into SfL part time to see how that works out for me.

Burnt out, lacking enthusiasm and beyond fed up with teaching bashing from every single quarter. It's not about education any more, it's all about data and money .

No, YANBU. I'm starting to consider the same thing. I'm a SENCO and I am actively looking to SENCO part time in more than one school in order to get out of the classroom.
My lessons are judged as good/ outstanding but I just can't take the rest of the crap that goes with the job now. I'd never recommend that anyone went into the profession- something that has only changed in the last 18 months for me.

I was teaching before having ds and then was a sahm. Now he's started school Im going back but as a TA. The hours more or less fit in with ds and of course I will have the holidays.

The pay isn't great but I will pick up around £500 a month and I'm not full time. For me it's the best option at the moment.
And it's more likely I will be able to go and see ds's nativity, school plays, sports days etc.

Just a quick question to TAs - do you literally just go in at 9ish and come out when the children finish? My TAs used to but I'm worried more is expected now. Trouble is if I don't ds will have to use more childcare and financially then it will be barely worth it. Plus I took a ta role so that ds WONT have to spend a lot of time in childcare.

I am a primary school TA and officially start work at 8-30 but I am in class around 8-00 every morning as this is the only time I really get to speak to the class teacher about what we're doing that day, problems from the day before etc.
I have to mark the books of the group I work with in Maths and Literacy and as there is really no time allocated to do this I end up doing it in my unpaid break or after I finish at 12-00.
There is never enough time to prepare resources for displays, laminate class resources etc and I take this home and do it in the evenings.

I suppose it depends on the school you work in and how much you are appreciated. I do it because I feel sorry for my class teacher who is often overwhelmed with an ever increasing workload with constantly moving goalposts.

So no, I don't 'swan off with a smile' at the end of my paid day.

Have you considered applying for a new job at another school? Since having my children I have been lucky enough to be able to afford to work only part time which does help but I was also feeling very much like you in my previous teaching post and got a job in a different primary school, as a job share. I found that, in a different, less pressured, more 'human' environment, with like minded people my job as a teacher meant no less work but a lot less stress and much more fulfilment. Also, regarding difficult children. Do you have a Behaviour Support team that the school could access? I have just liaised with our local team and was given some extremely useful, practical tips which were easy to put in place. Good luck.

YANBU. I left teaching after 10 yrs because it was really getting me down. I'm now a peripatetic music teacher and it's so much better - I can choose my hours AND I get all the school holidays (unpaid tho') so it's good for the dcs.

YANBU
But you say you find your current class difficult, before you take the pay cut is it worth considering a change of school and/or role?
A change of school really can make all the difference.

I did supply teaching, job shares and PPA time over the years. It lets you stay in the classroom but gives you a life back.

Have you considered going for a TA role in a special school?
I work in an independant school for children who have been excluded from mainstream. It's very challenging but pay is good for a TA (just over 18k). I was an LSA previously and I earned a pittance. I'm so glad I enjoy my job because I can't imagine going back to mainstream financially!

I walked out at June half term and did supply until summer. Loved it. Exactly what I wanted from teaching. The logistics of not getting paid through holidays scared me though and I accepted an offer of a full time teaching job at another school. I thought it would be different. It was a bit, but not enough. I still want to leave the profession but have no idea how or what I'm going to do with the rest of my life.

I don't mind working through lunch and taking stuff home but really don't want to put ds in further childcare. It will already cost me over a fifth of what I'm earning!

I would consider this very carefully, if I were you. For two main reasons -

Firstly, that the financial loss would be quite considerable, not just the salary loss right now to your incomes but across your entire working life plus your pension. Of course, money isn't everything but you should take a proper look at the figures before you decide. Your husband gets a say in that too, it's not fair to unilaterally decide to reduce your household income considerably.

Secondly, you should think about whether you would really be happy as a TA, being managed by people who used to be your peers. I'm not saying that you would definitely find that an issue but I think you might. I have hated it when I've been managed by people who are less capable than I am - how would you feel if the teacher you were working with was less good as a teacher than you?

It might be worth it but it sounds like this is the first year that you've not enjoyed teaching so it seems quite quick to jump to quitting. I would urge you to consider waiting a year to see if it is just this difficult child/class that is making you feel this way and/or to explore other possibilities like changing schools, changing type of school, perhaps switching to secondary, etc.

Sounds tough but it's a bit unreasonable to ditch teaching without trying another school first, especially as the drop in money is not something your DH is happy about. Ive heard from friends that teach that different schools can vary hugely. Unless your family is very secure financially and DH is bu about a small loss.

I'd second / third (?) Trying another school / HT. There is a lot of focus on £ / data but a good HT / manager can distinguish better what falls to the teachers and what is a different staff role. So many teachers are duplicating paperwork into different systems etc. This shouldn't be the case. HT need better grasp on what work is being done and work for work's sake

YANBU. I'm leaving at Christmas for very similar reasons OP. I know I'm an excellent teacher but I can't continue to jump to reach the ever raising bar. I'm very sad but if I don't leave now I will implode.

This job, which I have loved for many years, has taken over my life and I have nothing left for the people I am closest to. DH and DC are getting the thin end of the wedge.

I know personally of two other experienced teachers who are also leaving at Christmas for similar reasons. Both, like me, with nothing else to go to yet.

Good luck with your decision OP. It's such a hard one.

I've also been a teacher for quite a while and was looking to jump ship. What changed for me was a change of role - out of classroom every morning and PPA/TLR cover every afternoon. I feel a huge weight off my shoulders and my sanity levels are so much better.
OP, consider the point that another poster made - how would you feel having to do someone else's planning whilst they're in the room, maybe knowing it's not suitable/pitched wrong or just plain awful? You wouldn't have the option of tweaking a little as you would as a supply. I cover for an NQT who I feel is struggling (and very poorly supported by her mentor) - I do gently try and do a bit of steering in the right direction, but it's very difficult when it's not my job.

My lessons are judged as good/ outstanding but I just can't take the rest of the crap that goes with the job now. I'd never recommend that anyone went into the profession- something that has only changed in the last 18 months for me.

I feel exactly like this. I've tried different schools and different heads and it's not that, it's the job.

What now though? I've got another 30 years to work...

I left to go on supply and it's so much better for all of us. Less money is the only stresser now, but I enjoy my unbroken sleep, my evenings and weekends and my increased energy levels.
Lay out the facts for your DP; the consequences of you having a breakdown, what you'd do with the increased time you'd have at your disposal, what you plan to do instead to be a wage earner, where you could all cut corners to deal with the income drop.
It depends on whether he sees you as a team, and if he's prepared to face the rough with the smooth or not. He should be able to listen to your reasons and understand why you want to make the leap, but he's also probably afraid of losing the roof over your head and not being able to meet basic bills.
So you need a plan.

This is such a worrying thread. I'm in a similar position. Have loved my job for 22 years but have had enough. I was considering moving to the private sector as I wonder whether there is less beaurocracy and pressure? I bumped into an ex colleague of mine who was a Headteacher. He was signed off on stress and has now moved to the private sector. He said it's the best thing he has ever done.