To feel broken by teaching, and need to know how to get out?

[SachaStark]

Name changed for obvious reasons.

I haven't slept all night after coming to the realisation yesterday that I'm finished with teaching. My school is unsupportive in every way imaginable, so I can't ask a colleague for help with figuring out what to do (it would all be fed back along to SLT), so can I please ask here?

How do you leave secondary school teaching when you're not going into another teaching role? Could I leave before the end of the school year? At this point, I don't even care if I don't have another job lined up, I just can't bear the thought of work.

Get yourself to the doctor and tell them how you feel and get yourself signed off and take it from there.

I really feel for you, OP. I had similar feelings in a previous job (not teaching) and I got to the point where I had a panic attack when I got near the building.

But you don't have to make any major decisions today. Go to the GP and be really frank with him/her about how you feel. They're sure to sign you off and that will give you breathing space to consider your options.

I'm shocked that the school aren't supportive. They have a duty of care to staff, as well as to pupils, and they should have some sort of stress management policy.

Bless you, I'm a social worker and often feel the same. I got just like you a few years ago and was waking up through the night and crying all the time. It tuned out I had an underlying issue so I'm ok at the moment but yesterday I had visits and meetings all day so didn't eat or drink and then went into work and was bombarded with messages. I went into the loo and stared at my pale tired face and wondered how long I could keep going 😳
Goof for you for making the decision, life really is too short.

If you are state school you can leave almost certainly at May half term, so you would avoid the stress associated with abandoning year 11 guilt but not have to wait til summer.

Don't become my DH : he has hated teaching for 20 years and never done anything about it. Act while you are still young . Is there any type of job in education or tourism in Cornwall (not sure where you are ) : it would probably be a pay cut but places like The Eden Project / Tintagel etc might want people with your skills.

Good Luck and take deep breaths.

I'm not going to set heaps of complex cover work, but unfortunately must set something. I would be in a lot of trouble if I sent nothing in, my school doesn't have the HOD set cover for us.

Just to sound a note of caution our GP didn't automatically sign my DH off. She referred him to group counselling which he never went to.

I'm sorry you are feeling like this. Speak to your school and let them know how you feel. For the future there are other types of teaching you can do. I teach GCSE English in Adult Education. The money isn't as good but it is very rewarding and without the pressures of schools. We still have pressure just not as much. You could also set up a tutoring business. I am asked constantly to tutor. I always am asked at least 6 or 7 times every academic year. That's without advertising or letting people know I am available. Good luck!

Well done!

There are lots of opportunities... But you need to get ducks in row for next few weeks...

You sound exhausted and probably burnt out....

Time/ recovery /new job either within /outside teaching.

I wouldn't rule out teaching totally.... A new school /team/time away will give you better sight over your next steps

No, you wouldn't be in trouble. Cover work is not a contractual obligation - there is literally nothing they can do if you don't do it.

I e also felt similar in a job. You need to prioritise your health here. Go to your dr and get signed off with stress and depression because that's most certainly the case here. You do no one any favours, not your students, and definitely not yourself, by soldiering on here.
Ask for leave at Easter and sight ill health if you need to.
Could you do some tutoring to keep some money coming in once you are better? My friend does this and it pays fairly well on an hourly basis. Plus it's after school hours and weekends so she can work elsewhere in the day and has started at a different career-but in a training position.
Once you feel like this about a job you need a break from it and you needn't feel bad about that.

Pal does Skype international English teaching... Language and literature.

Also acts an gsce /a level examiner...

They always need support tutors at Falmouth uni for folk with disabilities (eg dyslexia/dyspraxia /physical /mental health difficulties)

the staff room on here might have advice.

and yy to feeling brokenby teaching. not surprising.

part time seemed to work for me for a while. less pay obviously. different school. some schools (primary) were horrible and unsupportive. some were better.

in the mean time getting signed off is good idea.

Depending where in rural Cornwall you are, what about private schools? St Joseph's in Launceston, think there's one in Truro, and Kelly in Tavistock, plus ones in Exeter. I think they do some English teaching at places like Duchy at Stoke Climsland, and the FE colleges do GCSE retreads for the post 16s iirc.

I used to teach in rural Cornwall but left to move abroad. Best thing I ever did....I loved the teaching and the kids, but not the effects of feeling like a hamster on a treadwheel all the time.

Good luck.

Be very honest with your GP

Are there any prisons in your area? I've worked in prison education for years, and whilst it has different pressures the workload is much more manageable and in my experience the staff are kind.

Could you work in FE, helping those who didn't get an English GCSE to get one? I know a lot of people in my Uni who are resorting English as it's needed for their future.

As an Eng lit teacher you will have no problem finding students to tutor, whether face to face, or more likely given your location, online. You can also write and record courses for pupils to pay for and download, teaching English to international students is another option.

I also left a teaching role without a job to go to.

I left secondary English teaching after 5 years many years ago. Your degree is fairly recent really, I got mine in 1997 :o and I'm retraining now aged 42 :o

I went into teaching as a second career already, having been disillusioned with my previous better paying career which was entirely based around money. I foolishly thought teaching would be about people... I never hated my previous job though - just thought it was essentially pointless and wanted to do something less pointless. How idealistic of me. I felt exactly as you do after 5 years. The "group think" and party line towing and strict taboos about mentioning the open secret of how utterly futile a lot of the non contact workload was, and how half baked, and how likely to be fairly quickly abandoned 99% of the "initiatives" were, got me down almost more than anything.

It took me years to find the career I really wanted, but I think I have now though my life has taken me down lots of roads first!

Good luck getting out, you'll find plenty of opportunities await.

My friend just left...gave a months notice ...she struggled in that last month mentally,but still went in..much happier now

Have sent cover work. I know there's no contractual obligation realistically, but it really would mean being dragged in to the deputy head's and given a dressing down when I go back in. Have seen it lots of time with other colleagues.

Just get signed off and keep yourself safe. Anything else can wait.

I’m so sorry you’re feeling this low.

In my previous teaching job I had the crashing the car fantasy too. I once mentioned it in the staff room and the number of people that had thought the same was terrifying. My GP was amazing when I needed to be signed off, she actually said she didn’t know what was going on in teaching but the number of teachers she saw was concerning.

I thought I was on my way out of teaching, but I got a part time job in another school and it made all the difference for me. Just something to consider! My exit plan involved tutoring, exam marking, supply, invigilating and tutoring while I figured out what I wanted to do long term.

I know 4 people who have left teaching,the women went into admin type jobs.One man went into delivery driving and marking and the other became a kitchen assistant. All were a lot happier.
OP do whats best for yourself.

Am about to ring the doctor, what do I say to the receptionist?? Do I say I think I have work related stress, or do I say I feel anxious about work?