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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To leave teaching

87 replies

Cookiedough123 · 07/02/2019 13:04

I am 25. I have been teaching for the last 4 years. I cant say i hate it but i dont enjoy it. Im happy with my wage and the holidays but i dont actually enjoy the other side of teaching, massive workload, extra marking, planning etc. I love the actual teaching side and teaching my really nice classes. In reality though that is only a small portion of my job.

Before training i was torn at whether to go into social work or teaching and chose teaching. I am tempted to retrain even if it wasn't social work something else. Anyone done similar?

OP posts:

malificent7 · 08/02/2019 08:05

Leave...im 40 and have started retraining. Have not looked back. Life is immeasurably better.

malificent7 · 08/02/2019 08:08

I think we should encourage teachers who don't like it to get out asap....life is too short.

Dyllan1712 · 08/02/2019 08:09

hi just applied for a TA job iv got to the interview stage, but they have said they want to observe me with a small group of children that the task provided by the teacher, just wondering has anyone done this and what kind of task does the teacher set.
I'm really nervous as I've been out of the childcare/education sector for 8 years
thank you 😀
But reading this about work load etc it putting me off shud I stil go for it

echt · 08/02/2019 08:13

Dyllan, you need to start your own thread. Looking for advice on starting career on a thread about leaving it is 1) derailing 2) You'll get ignored.

Bromeliad · 08/02/2019 08:26

I've very recently left. I can't get over the relief at thinking that I never have to go back and get to actually see my child when it isn't the holidays. Leave, the job isn't worth the pay or the holidays at the minute.

hollieberrie · 08/02/2019 08:31

I left in July and joined the civil service. I am soooooooooooo much happier.

txtbreaker · 08/02/2019 09:27

Try something else. And please ignore the sanctimony of the SL poster. I think the better the teacher you are the more likely you are to see through a broken system that just seems to reinforce inequality. Teaching is rife with bullying. I personally found it to be soul destroying. All the hours and good results are not really valued by anyone. There is a mindset in teaching that seems to trap people in a job that they don’t like. We all love children and it’s great to help them learn but it’s not really the job is it? It seems more to be about making senior leaders look good and placating bullying parents. Children come such a poor second.

Aeonium · 08/02/2019 09:34

Get out while you still can, before you’re trapped by a mortgage etc. The workload is unbearable - it will destroy you, ruin your life and ruin the lives of your family and kids in the future.

DisappearingGirl · 08/02/2019 09:39

I would echo others about being cautious about going into social work. If you're serious about this option maybe see if you can talk to a few social workers first.

As others have said I suspect it may be similar to teaching in the sense of mountains of paperwork and little time to actually work with clients. I may be wrong though.

Such a shame as both teaching and social work are so valuable. My kids' teachers so far have all been young and absolutely fantastic, and I look at them and think, please don't let the system burn you out.

I think teachers with their own young families have it hard. Possibly the same for social workers (not sure)

weegiemum · 08/02/2019 10:47

I was a secondary geography teacher and just didn't go back after dc - it wasn't worth it (not about the salary, but about the stress).

I now teach, but basic skills to adult learners through a great women's charity, and did my TESOL and volunteer teaching asylum seekers and refugees. I still get to teach, but without the crap. I'm lucky in that my dh is a gp so we don't need me to earn, and my dc are teenagers so I can not be home in the afternoon (and I do a regular evening slot).

Do have a look and see if teaching in the 3rd sector is a possibility. I also mark for an exam board and tutor, which is good fun (marking not so much but it keeps me up to speed with my subject).

Aeonium · 08/02/2019 10:54

So basically what we’re saying is that teachers should teach for free because a proper paid job won’t offer acceptable hours and workload? That isn’t a workable solution for most people who have bills to pay.

Asta19 · 08/02/2019 10:54

Many jobs have the same issues that teaching does. As other's have said, don't jump from the frying pan into the fire. I went into a "helping" job working with people. Now I've taken a demotion to a working from home job as I couldn't take the stress. When I started I loved the job but by the end it was 10% people time, 90% targets. We were all massively overworked too. For me the stress just wasn't worth it. Look at the boards here, you see similar complaints from NHS workers, the police etc. I'm not saying you should stay in teaching but put a lot of thought and research into it if you do decide to leave, as you may come to see the grass isn't greener elsewhere.

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