AIBU to want to leave teaching?

[Timetochangeisnow]

AIBU to want to leave teaching?

I'm a Primary School teacher. I love working with children, it's incredibly rewarding and no two days are the same. What I don't love however, is the mounting pressure and constant paperwork and pressure. There is barely time for anything outside of teaching and evenings and weekends are taken over with marking, planning, analysing pupil progress etc. the job in the classroom is increasingly difficult too and I think I need to leave before I have a breakdown.
I am finding I am enjoying the things I used to love less and less. I'm even having dreams about school so can't even escape at night.
I think it's particularly pronounced this year and I have some very difficult children that make every single day a battle.
I think I want out of the classroom now but would still like to remain either in a school or in education.

if the pay was better I'd be a TA no question

I'd consider retraining or studying again but I'm the main breadwinner and we have to renew our mortgage next summer!

Has anyone done similar? I don't know what's out there etc and haven't found anything online the last few months.

If anyone can point me I the right direction or has felt similar and stayed in teaching after feeling like this would be good to know!

To be fair to Heads ( and I'm not one!) the pressure they are under is enormous too. Our "school advisor" is in every 6 weeks with a list of things to do as long as your arm, they have to justify every single thing they do, deal with sometimes ridiculous complaints ( a whole day spent on whether it was a health and safety issue that children went out to play straight after eating!)the most harrowing child protection issues to deal with, and are set ever increasing targets, every time one is achieved, the standards expected are just upped and upped.
There is NO WAY I would ever move from teaching to Headship!

not a teacher

marking place on this thread, though, so I can link to it next time someone starts a thread moaning about INSET days

this culture is horrific. I really hope some spad in the Education Secretary's office sees it and has damascene conversion

...I know. Not holding my breath

Another teacher who got out before I had a breakdown here. And I was only part time. I was good at my job but could no longer cope with the relentless pressure. As PPs say,the job changed beyond recognition. I now teach students without school places, still employed by County. School hours only so I'm here for my children more than I ever was. I adore what I do now, and look forward to going to work!

How did you hear of a role like that if you don't mind me asking?

Relatively near Misty, can you
Pm me? I am not sure how to from
the app! :)

Relatively near Misty. Can you on me please? I am not sure how to from the app :)

There are many things that could make headship more appealing Starlight; training is not really one of those things - most have already undertaken NPQH. Funding in recruitment isn't really going to make much difference either - jobs are advertised nationally (often more than once!), relocation packages are often available.

Improved pay scales may help, especially in primary schools. There is not really much difference between DH and HT salaries, so the added workload and ultimate levels of responsibility make it not worthwhile.

The biggest issues, IMO, would be support but not constant interference from LAs; not having the constant sword of OFSTED over our heads which could herald the end even a good head's career if it doesn't go well; government not constantly moving goalpost; a break from new initiatives that we don't get time to get to grips with and embed before they change their minds again; not reducing children to just data and recognising that individuals and cohorts vary; recognising we cannot solve every one of societies ills by adding it to the school's remit; enough money to fund the right resources, skilled teachers, support children with additional needs, staff that fix the bl@@@y IT ... ; the freedom to let us trust our teachers without external people needing constant evidence so we can keep the great teachers who actually make a difference to children's lives, by giving them a reasonable work-life balance! ...

And breathe Bright!

I am actively searching for a new job as of today, this thread has made me realise that my life is too short to put up with the types of ridiculousness that have come up at work today.....

Don't want to out myself with details but you all know the sort of guff I am talking about. And it is heartening to hear that others are earning well and are happy and content.

Am trying to work out if I can afford to do it now......

Good for you, Checkpoint. I won't be far behind you.

the most disturbing thing about this thread is no one has come on and said "you're all talking shit it's a great job"

It's scary, isn't it, Tobysmum. I'm pleased it a sick sort of way though as I'd thought it was just me getting older and not coping, but it's not.

rollonthesummer - one of them was the head.

It is the system that fucking sucks

yes I always think it's just me, maybe I'm just a bit crap.... or I am not working efficiently enough or something. Not true.
Thus is such a depressing but illuminating thread and I think a bit of a life-changer.... Have already found a job that would suit me in a year or so.

Watch this space!

roll maybe we should set up a support group for burnt out teachers! You bring the cake, I'll bring the gin....

I went to 2.75 part-time and PPA. It saved my life and sanity and I thank whichever deity daily I got the job, I love it. It allowed me to enjoy teaching again without the horror of the pressure of SAT's and pupil progress meetings every 5 minutes. I'm paid shite though! I will work till i'm 75. Luckily, I am in possession of a small mortgage so can do this. I will have piss all pension, though, but at least i'll be sane and will have seen my kids as they grow up, even if I do die slumped across a desk teaching RE because no-one else wants to do it. FT left me a maniac, a poor parent and weeping with tiredness and stress.

You're on. Stuff the cake though- I'll just bring more gin ;)

I have thought of this thread often this week, and told other colleagues to look at it too.
At the very least, it has made me feel slightly better, in that I did think it was just me that was crap/struggling.
We are receiving 'support' from another school. Basically, we give them £5k and they suggest a few minor changes to our SOWs and other such gems, such as 'have you tried a boy/girl seating plan' while we all ignore the elephant in the room that is that their SMT is effective, visionary and supportive and ours is none of the above.
Anyway, one of their team gave me some wise advice. Stick to your own ethics and standards, make sure your own back is covered in terms of providing evidence for what you've done and don't worry about anything else. Also, say No a lot more. I'm finding this approach rather refreshing.

This thread is like reading my FB newsfeed at the moment so many friends in teaching who are at breaking point.

We had similar, threepiecesuite. I don't think we paid for the priviledge but the LEA teamed us with an Outstanding school. Their head was superb-he was big on AFL and working walls, but honestly was not fussed about marking (wanted teachers to tick and flick during the lesson and give as much VF as possible, but they didn't have to write everything they said down), didn't think displays were a priority-just wanted some good examples of a variety of subjects up and trusted teachers to do their planning and wasn't picky about book corners.

Our managament, on the other hand (one head, 2 deputies, 3 AHs-all non-teaching) insist on...

--deep marking-coloured highlighting for different things and all marked to the LO and the individual targets. Half termly book scrutinies to check we aren't slacking. Marking takes hours and hours and hours.

--displays-everything has to be triple mounted (what a waste of flaming time and paper!) and with no errors, so has to be top copied until perfect.

--book corners-must be exciting. With drapes. ??!

Our school focus on everything being a top priority all of the time, or else Ofsted won't like it. It makes you wonder why that head's school was Outstanding and we weren't...

I bloody hope our DH isn't on here. He'd love the triple mounting.

One of his absolutely favourite things is to go round school photographing displays he does & doesn't like, & pasting them into a PowerPoint, & then talking us all through what he does & doesn't like, & precisely why, for an hour of next INSET day.

Clue: He really likes any display designed by himself, or by the over-promoted but extremely pretty (Air)Head of Dept he has a painfully obvious crush on .

WOW - how utterly depressing. I'm a SENCO - and tbh its less work than teaching - still lots - I teach a day and a half and SENCO for two, I'm on .8
I feel really guilty that I'm not putting in 50 hour weeks - I'm just not prepared to do the crazy hours. It is easier being an SEN specialist. The only teachers I know who are loving class teaching are working in special schools.
The lack of respect though - its just horrid, the atmosphere, the moral. Its so horrid that so many good people are leaving. I worry for my children, for their generation.

Things need to get better.

Things do need to get better wonderstuff - so many good teachers are going. I am thankful my children are through it,but worry for future ones.
You can see and hear these conversations everywhere- (plenty on Twitter)-it is so depressing.

Ah yes, the joys of triple mounting! I had an elderly Head in Edinburgh. He examined my class's triple-mounted work on the wall, looked at me over his glasses and said, "Aye, it's all o'er the wall, lassie. But is it in their heeeeeds?"

My last Head was display obsessed. He used to go in on Saturday mornings to inspect them.

I'd thought it was just me getting older and not coping, but it's not

But lots of Heads would have you believe you are. The year I left two ther staff members went. All HODs, expensive and nearly 70 years of experience between us. All too sick to carry on. One staff member went to the Head to express concern and as told "Not my fault if they can't hack it. Younger teachers are thriving here."

Since then: I've retrained and am self employed as well as working in criminal justice maintaining the energy of my colleagues young enough to be my children. The other two? One has a lively mixed contracting and self employed portfolio, and the other has set up his own successful business.

Some of those younger "thriving" teachers have left now too.

I'll just drop in that I saw OFSTEDs new for Sept 2015 guidance is out for consultation. They have a survey monkey - it all seems reasonable - but of course they aren't asking the crucial - how many more fucking hours will we spend preparing for the new guidance question.

I'm going to bed now - I have duty and a full day tomorrow - I've been off with norovirus since Thursday and haven't a clue where my classes are up to. Dreading it.

Oh, joy, is the new Ofsted guidance out for all to read? Let me guess, does it say lots of things like, 'we don't expect to see extensive planning or one specific lesson type' but doesn't actually say what they are looking for...?!