Dreading returning to work tomorrow (teacher)

[Bananasandchocolatecustard]

I'm a primary school teacher and I'm dreading tomorrow. I love my job, and the children, it's the other members of staff.
Everyone is in a clique, I'm not in any group, everyone else has been there for a lot longer than me. I have realised over the holiday that I don't enjoy talking to my colleagues because the majority of the conversations are false and meaningless and I therefore prefer to be quiet.
Am I the only one who feels like this? Any advice?

Mark and prep in your breaks instead of being in the staff room. Or leave the premises at lunch. Keep smiling and being civil, you don't have to be friends, but you need a working relationship.

For the first time this year I don't have a class, I am currently supplying and honestly it is SO liberating. No pointless politics and if I feel staff are unwelcoming I don't have to engage. It isn't for everyone but this September is the first I am not having panicky feelings or anxiety about things and it's honestly made me question why I felt it was acceptable to put myself through it all??

Just a slight viewpoint but I wanted to show it doesn't have to be this way.

Can you go onto the playground with the kids? When I was a TA that was my favourite part of the day. I loved chatting with all the littlies

No, you're not alone! I'm in a large school and can count on one hand the number of colleagues I like and more importantly, trust.
I like working with the children and am looking forward to seeing most of them!
I get on with my job and don't worry about cliques - some people build their entire social life around work.
I am polite but don't get particularly involved on a personal level. I have found that many people I work with love to talk about themselves so I listen to their shallow crap and that keeps most of them on side.

I've just started a job where it seems to be similar - I'm a lot older than most of them and they're just not bothered about including me, and I'm too socially inept to include myself, IYSWIM. But I have family and friends elsewhere and no real need for social contact during the day, so I keep my head down, am polite and friendly but have zero expectations, I do the job and then leave. Can you do the same - just sort of detach yourself a bit and accept that work isn't the place where you'll make friendships?

It's not easy when you feel so unwelcome at work OP I agree with what has already been said, particularly what Eyes said. The thought is often worse than the reality. Just get yourself through tomorrow and reward yourself with and . Good luck!

I don't really like my school either. I feel it is cliquey. I tend to spend break and lunch mainly marking than making small talk.
Not really sure about the job either tbh thinking of ways to escape! I remember having a conversation with someone 2 years ago who was quitting at Christmas and wishing that was me. I moved schools but still feel the same. I really need to do something about it. Life is too short to feel like this.

Nod and smile and keep it light and save your emotional energy for your real friends. In my first job I tried to get in with the clique and got my fingers burnt massively and then was deliberately excluded and sidelined socially and it was awful. Job number 2 I kept things light and never socialised outside of work, and just chatted to everyone about X factor and what we were having for lunch and never gave them a second thought. In my current job I teach throughout the school, get on with everyone and have some better friends, but don't hang around exclusively with one particular person/group of people. I completely sympathise though, it's horrible to feel excluded but try to distance yourself from it and just keep your head down, use lunchtimes for marking and rejoice that you have less work to take home

I understand.
Thankfully this year some of the most "difficult" ones have left. I find it difficult but I made the effort to speak to nicer people who also sensed the unfriendliness from others and feel better going back.
Still not the same as my old place where it was so easy to talk to most people
Almost wish we could go straight into teaching!

I sit at my desk and read the paper at lunch, or go for a walk if I have time. I need quiet, not more people talking at me at lunchtime

Thank you all so much for your replies. It helps to know I'm not the only one.
Will smile and chat as suggested tomorrow and look forward to the children arriving on Tuesday.
Good luck to everyone else in a similar situation.

I could have written this post.
Im going to combat it by just marking in my classroom at lunch time.
Good luck OP.

A secret stash of chocolate to nibble on during breaks is the answer 😀👍🍷

I also could have written this post. The kids are lovely, staff are vile. Shut your classroom door and keep your head down.

The reason I didn't go into teaching in 1987 was the staff.
Children and parents fine, but other staff dreadful.
Limp-wristed, woolly liberals, who wouldn't say boo to a goose.

Get marking etc done at lunch and you can go a bit earlier. I think sometimes there's a vocal minority who shape the staff room but there's probably others who feel as you do and stay away?

Yes to snacks at break time too...

I'm in a similar situation at work op. I like my colleagues but they're very cliquey and I feel like a don't really belong as I don't have the energy to be a part of their lunch/social circle.

I tend to smile a lot , keep a good professional relationship but stay on my own at lunch time mostly.

And I do agree that this seems to be worse in teaching than in other jobs. There are some right old odd bods around - teachers and TAs.

teacher cliques are so sophmoric dont you think
i was an arts teacher ,so not quite normal in their eyes,
i spent my breaks and such, in my class talking to the outsider kids that found me ,and took small walks on the grounds.the children are your concern not the backbiting,so called adults.ahh and we wonder where our young ones get some of their ideas.
have a nice evening and just do what you were trained to do and babysitting bunch of childish adults wasnt it,was it?
honestly i would love to be back teaching again,i miss the little monsters.

Maybe start looking for a different school? Do you think your people might be in a different sector- Independent or one of the types of Special maybe? There are different breeds of people in different sectors.

Do as much planning as you can in the day while at work and then you can leave with a smug grin on your face knowing there's not so much to do later, while the other staff will have loads to do at home as they have spent their free time gossiping over mundane stuff!

Totally understand you, OP. Primary staffs are teeny, too, so it's obvious if you're quieter than others. Tbh, I spend time working at break/lunch in my current school, I don't feel a connection with the others. I've completely ignored thinking about tomorrow until this evening. I know I won't sleep. .

I mark and plan at lunch and break. The mission is to have as little to do at home as possible. Sod the socialising.
Does make training days slightly awkward