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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask ex teachers...

66 replies

verytiredmummy1 · 08/05/2016 19:33

Is it super nosey of me to ask what job you are doing if you've left teaching?
My degree is very education specific but I find that I can no longer continue in the current education system.
Feel at a loss..it's all I've ever done or wanted to do!!

OP posts:
acasualobserver · 08/05/2016 21:00

Why would anyone want to leave? People "worship" teachers apparently! (Yes, I read that here on Mumsnet!)

IonaNE · 08/05/2016 21:00

Owlina, I admit that my first ever job was teaching. But I still have the Twitter account from my teaching days and if I logged on now (Sunday, nearly 9pm), my home stream would be full of tweets from teachers saying that they still have 2-3 hours of marking/planning/other paperwork to do. And that's at the weekend. On weekdays it's still going on at midnight. For me this is no life to live. Mo-Fri, 9-5, thank you. Grin

ilovesooty · 08/05/2016 21:05

IonaNE - no risk involved. I counsel in addition to working full time.

Kitsandkids · 08/05/2016 21:05

I wouldn't have left teaching if I had got a permanent job but after 4 years of long term supply placements (generally covering teachers off with stress) I just couldn't seem to get a permanent role. At that time, in my area, there were at least a hundred applicants per advertised role. That was about 6 years ago now so I don't know if that's changed.

I got a job in Customer Services, answering emails, for about 3 years then became a foster carer.

When my foster children are older I might look into possibly going back into teaching, as it seems there might actually be a permanent job for me with everyone else leaving! But at the moment I am loving being basically a paid SAHM. My kids are school age so I have day times free and do all sorts of courses and interesting things that are free in my area.

LikeDylanInTheMovies · 08/05/2016 21:06

Maybe it's because I had so many shit jobs before I became a teacher

I wonder if this is significant. My parents were teachers and did the whole school > teacher training college > school path and knew nothing else. They seemed convinced teaching was uniquely stressful and were genuinely surprised and shocked when my sister and I started work and our jobs were every bit as stressful, but without the security, career progression opportinities and decent pay that accomany a career in teaching.

joangray38 · 08/05/2016 21:26

Know several who are now paralegals and training to be solicitors.

cheezy · 08/05/2016 21:31

I'm a school counsellor

Cataline · 08/05/2016 21:34

I left to work for the civil service. Love now having no work to do once I leave work in the evening. My stress levels have massively reduced and my family love having me around and actually being 'present' rather than always being completely distracted by work that needs doing for school.
I can even cope with the massive reduction in holidays as the evenings and weekends free of schoolwork make up for that.
I did have to take a pay cut but would think i'll exceed my teacher wage within 5-6 years of successful promotion.

peachypips · 08/05/2016 21:35

Mental health campaigning and working with the gov to spend mental health budgets. Random I know!

MrsMook · 08/05/2016 21:52

I've got my eye on becoming a fitness instructor if I end up coming out of teaching. I've never had a permanent job, it amazes me that I've clung on so long.

I'm finding full time work too demanding. Dh also has a demanding job but at least is significantly better reimbursed for his efforts. I have to be employed close enough to home to cover the slack in his unpredictable absences. It makes for a pretty tight criteria, especially if I'm looking for part time which is rarely advertised.

It's a shame as I still love teaching, but just find the baggage tough.

Junosmum · 08/05/2016 22:54

DH went down to part time for a year (2 days per week) and did a master's to retrain - we couldn't have afforded him not to work at all. He's now a software engineer.

Headofthehive55 · 08/05/2016 22:55

Nursing. But I do teach. Have just started a job where I will be running day workshops on clinical skills. As creative as I like, no ofsted, it's like the training department.

Original poster
verytiredmummy1 · 09/05/2016 11:41

Thank you for your replies :)

Anyone that has set up their own business what sort of business did you do?
X

OP posts:
HuckleberryGin · 09/05/2016 11:49

I now work for a union. I had done some crap jobs before teaching so it wasn't that I didn't know what the real world was like. And now I work 9-5 in an interesting an fulfilling role, I feel valued and I go home and spend time with my own children. I don't even miss the holidays. In my office there are 4 ex-teachers!

I was a teacher for 15 years, but I couldn't do the hours and the stress. I loved being in the classroom. But all the data, the pressure, the constantly being told you are rubbish (SLT) or lazy (media) did me in. I don't regret it, apart from a bit sad that I left a career that I was good at.

Original poster
verytiredmummy1 · 09/05/2016 12:06

That sounds interesting. Thank you. Do jobs come up much in unions? X

OP posts:
Barmaid101 · 09/05/2016 12:17

I'm now a barmaid/waitress. It might be minimum wage, but with tips (enough to cover two nice days out a week with my daughter with lunch etc) I really do alright, I get to spend days with my daughter, I will get to take her to school/pick her up etc. I don't have parents moaning on the phone to me. I eat and I'm not stressed, and in a happy marriage which was being affected by both husband and I working stressful jobs, I cried going to work, he goes in with a smile, it was a no brainier who was going to step down from their job.

slug · 09/05/2016 12:26

I work in learning technologies in a university.

shiveringhiccup · 09/05/2016 12:38

Kitsandkids if you don't mind me asking, can you earn a decent amount from fostering?

To those who are implying that teachers who complain of stress don't know anything about the real world/ other jobs, that's ridiculous and kind of ignorant considering all the stats about the numbers of people leaving the profession.

OP you don't need much space to childmind. Can't remember the exact numbers but it's around 3m squared per child. Long hours and low salary though.

EmmapausalBitch · 09/05/2016 13:16

I run my own business doing leadership and management training. I did a master's degree to retrain, while tutoring part time. I love it - no bosses or bureaucracy to deal with, and no homework to mark! Smile

HuckleberryGin · 09/05/2016 16:20

www.tuc.org.uk/about-tuc/job-vacancies?tid=All&page=1

Werksallhourz · 09/05/2016 16:26

I went into academia. Not sure I'd advise that though, HE is changing these days and starting to get a certain "multinational corporation" style of atmosphere.

HuckleberryGin · 09/05/2016 16:52

I also looked at all the local university job pages, local council pages etc

Flossiesmummy · 09/05/2016 21:33

I'm self employed - own a home and gift shop.

amarmai · 09/05/2016 22:38

my dd gave up teaching after her first 6 mth contract=way too much work! She makes much more now training personnel in different organisations-banks, investment firms, businesses etc. There is a whole world of teaching/training out there for virtually anything you can think of.

ElegantDream · 10/05/2016 17:54

How do you get into that training, though?

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