To ask: how many good teachers are we losing this year?

[SachaStark]

I am one of you.

Asking partly out of a place of seeking solidarity as I plan to leave a profession I love very much, but which has exhausted me both mentally and physically in just six years.

And partly because I think many parents still need to be made aware of how many teachers their children will lose over their school careers these days. I think, really, we need to rely on their voices to speak up in vast numbers before any changes will be made in state education.

We are a month now from the end of the school year in England, so notice hand-in period has ended, and I wondered how many, like me, who are passionate teachers, who in another life would have spent another few decades in the profession, are going?

So worrying to read this thread. All our kids suffer because of this system that creates such stress in teachers.

When is the government going to wake up/give a toss?

I often feel low but I don't know what else I could or want to do. To be honest what is really stressing me is the lack of support we now have. we have children in dire need of 1-1 support as they cannot access the curriculum by themselves and distract others. We have to manage them and keep them safe whilst teaching 29 other children.

We could hire but not many people want to be TAs now because the job security is not great.

And of course who will be blamed if my results are down this year?

I'm the opposite. I know of 4 who have chosen teaching as a 2nd career and retrained and are thoroughly enjoying it. 3 are nurses and say it has a much better work/life balance and childcare is easier.

It probably is a better work/life balance than nursing but that isn't saying much. Nurses have shit working conditions and the pay is shocking. In my opinion they are one of the most undervalued professions. My friend who is a nurse has such excellent medical knowledge and an amazing skillset which allows her to be both one of the most caring people I know and one of the most resilient.

This country should be ashamed of how they treat nurses.

However I would say there are plenty of professions that have a far better work/life balance than teaching too. I imagine if you leave teaching for an easier life you won't be joining the nursing profession!

Has anybody else been keeping track of all the threads on why teachers are awful this September?!

I think the latest is “teacher has an accent”.