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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To love being a teacher?

33 replies

Candycanes246 · 13/08/2019 13:57

I am a teacher, currently working in EYFS (FS1) and I LOVE IT!!!!

I hear so much negativity about our profession, and although I will be the first to admit it is no easy feat, I think it's important to share the great elements of the job, that only a career in education can bring.

Sometimes, because of the challenges, it can feel that there isn't a safe space for voicing positivity!

So... What do you teach? What do you love about being a teacher? AIBU to shout it from the rooftops? There isn't a job I would rather do, I would year my hair out in an office all day!

OP posts:
BiggerBoat1 · 13/08/2019 14:00

I'm guessing you haven't been a teacher for long...?

I'm also guessing you're young and don't have a family!

Original poster
Candycanes246 · 13/08/2019 14:04

Incorrect and incorrect again! But thank you for proving my point about not being able to share the positive aspects of the job.

Perhaps my experience working in a demanding sector outside of education beforehand has made my outlook a little different. Or maybe it's an early years thing?

OP posts:
annie987 · 13/08/2019 14:05

*I'm guessing you haven't been a teacher for long...?

I'm also guessing you're young and don't have a family!*

I was going to say exactly the same thing! Grin

PixieLumos · 13/08/2019 14:06

I’ve been a teacher in two schools - in one I felt like you do now and in the other I felt the complete opposite. To be as enthusiastic as you are you must be working in a great place - appreciate every moment because a new head or bad ofsted can turn it all upside down.

Caaarrrl · 13/08/2019 14:07

I'm ks2 teacher and I love it too op. Yes it has its bad points and challenges but despite I still love teaching.

I too came to teaching from a different career path and have a family so the pp who thinks that you have to be young and childless to enjoy teaching couldn't be more wrong.

lazylinguist · 13/08/2019 14:13

Perhaps my experience working in a demanding sector outside of education beforehand has made my outlook a little different.

Perhaps, although most people I've heard of who have made that kind of move have wished they'd stayed where they were.

I loved teaching for about the first 5 years (20 years ago). I find it ok now, but only because I'm part time, work peripatetically and have zero responsibilities in each school beyond planning and teaching my own lessons. I do really enjoy some of my lessons.
I also teach some adult classes, which I love. So much easier than teaching children!

SaintEyning · 13/08/2019 14:15

I truly love it too. I’m a single mum who is NQT2 in a tiny independent special school. I teach KS2 (have the full range of ages in my class due to abilities / needs). Best thing I ever did was retrain. My awesome setting and the SLT being super relaxed and supportive makes it what it is though - I could never work in mainstream MFL (which is what I trained in).

I have done a gruelling, travel-heavy, work every evening, high-stress senior job in the civil service; i worked for a gigantic international law firm and in publishing before that. None were as demanding of me as the PGCE year - equally none were as joyful and fulfilling as teaching.

So no, not been teaching long but i’m old enough to know what sort of teacher I want to be and canny enough not to make it harder than it needs to be.

PixieLumos · 13/08/2019 14:15

Perhaps my experience working in a demanding sector outside of education beforehand has made my outlook a little different.

It’s great that you enjoy teaching - but statements like these are quite disrespectful. For many teachers workload is unmanageable and expectations are unfair and unreaslistic, causing a lot of stress - their struggles have nothing to do with their ‘outlooks’.

kimikoglenn · 13/08/2019 14:16

I love being a teacher OP.

I work in a school of people that love their jobs too, no turnover for the last few years, only additions as we have expanded or after retirements.

I love problem solving, being creative and interacting with people so it's pretty much perfect for that. I love planning, not so fond of marking, hate data entry but luckily our school policies are all designed to reduce workload in those areas.

I love seeing children achieve and grow and developing a positive classroom environment.

I love my colleagues and the comradery to the point where we all see each other outside of school a lot; it's very social.

I also love knowing Im only ever 6/7 weeks from at least a week off and that the culture of the school means I work 7-4 M-F but never any more than that unless it is report writing time.

It's a great job, Im actually getting to the point of the summer hols where I miss going in now.

Bananagate · 13/08/2019 14:18

My sisters just qualified as an EYFS teaching and she's absolutely loving it - she loves how rewarding it is and it seemed like she'd tried a whole load of different career paths before finally settling on this one. She's been looking at different online courses to try connect with people in the same kind of situation
earlyexcellence.com/national-events/getting-off-to-a-flying-start/ ...has anyone tried anything like this and are they worth it?

FudgeBrownie2019 · 13/08/2019 14:19

I've been teaching for 8 years and have two DC and a busy life. I still manage to love it. There are downsides, there are difficult moments, but I adore it and wouldn't do anything else.

I think it depends on a lot more than just 'teaching' though; we have fabulous family and friends locally who give us lots of support, DH has his own business so is able to work around the DC when the need arises, I'm in a brilliant village school with very little by way of difficult pupils, poverty or parents who struggle. It's a charmed job because of all of those factors, not simply because I teach.

ChanandlerBongsNeighbour · 13/08/2019 14:19

I have DC and I'm in my 13th year teaching and I still love it too! (Also EYFS!)

Original poster
Candycanes246 · 13/08/2019 14:24

@lazylinguist
No offense intended, I'm just toying with observations I've made that those who have joined teaching following a different career, and those working in the early years, often seem to have different outlooks on teaching.

OP posts:
Basketofkittens · 13/08/2019 14:25

I’m training to be a teacher and I really like it so far, I’ve had several office jobs before and not liked them. Teaching is the only work I’ve ever actually enjoyed.

I don’t know if I’ll still feel that way in 1/5/10 years but I’m happy right now.

experimentnumber626 · 13/08/2019 14:29

I love the positivity in this thread. Currently employed as a learning support in a wonderful school with great teachers and I am tentatively researching how to go about doing a PGCE sometime in the next few years. I know it's not all sunshine and joy but some parts of the job really can be wonderful especially in a supportive environment.

IHeartKingThistle · 13/08/2019 14:31

I bloody love it. BUT I teach 2 days a week in a school that's right for me.

I was miserable in my last school working part time and I burnt out doing full time in my first school.

So, I love it but it's quite dependant on circumstances!

IHeartKingThistle · 13/08/2019 14:33

Shit, I mean dependent - it's the holidays! Blush

fishonabicycle · 13/08/2019 14:35

My stepdaughter is a secondary school teacher and loves it too! So you are not alone. 😆

Violashift · 13/08/2019 14:36

Are you all not on holiday?

We are only halfway through!

I mean I love being a teacher but we all need downtime.

ThisIsNotARealAvo · 13/08/2019 14:37

I'm an AHT leading EYFS and KS1 and I love it. I've been in those phases since I qualified (17 years ago) except for 1 year in y4. It is hard work but I've never mined that. Sometimes there's a lot of pressure but I don't mind that either. I love seeing how my work has moved the children on and moved the school forward!

SabineSchmetterling · 13/08/2019 14:37

I love it too. In the right school it’s an amazing job. I wouldn’t swap it for anything and I’m a decade in.

likeacrow · 13/08/2019 14:38

How long have you been teaching for out of interest, op?
I love supply as it means I'm still working with children and in schools, but without the stress & strain that the workload of permanent teaching brings.

CathyTre · 13/08/2019 14:38

I did 13 years in primary, mostly KS2, and lots of it was great but I was glad to get out at Christmas last year to a completely different sort of job. I’d never say I’d never go back, but for now, I’m enjoying my job in the non education private sector so much more than I did the last three or four years in teaching and am very glad to have left it behind.

Apple23 · 13/08/2019 14:38

It's probably a school/ SLT thing. Possibly also a time-of-year thing with a shiny new class just about to start. It's a bit different 10 days from the end of term when someone says, "You must be winding down for Christmas/ the Summer now”.

Teaching is a great job. It's like being on a tight-rope - exhilarating whilst things are going well, increasingly difficult when they are not going so well and impossible once life starts chucking stuff at you.

Youngandfree · 13/08/2019 14:38

I’m a teacher ( in Ireland though) and I ADORE my job! I’m home with my own dc by 3.45/4.00 and even earlier on sunny days!!best job ever!! I also haven’t stepped foot inside the school all summer!!