Tell Me What It’s (really)Like To Be A Teacher

[LucilleBluth]

I have applied and been accepted for a couple of School Direct and SCITT places for 2022. I’m 40, I work in a special school in a support role and feel like now my own DCs are older that teacher training is something I want to pursue…I have a good degree.

I obviously work closely with teachers and have teacher friends… BUT MN is so so negative about teaching. Will some of you MN teachers tell me what you love/hate about teaching. Am doing the right bloody thing here?

@coconutmonkey

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone except those who live for their job and don't plan on having children and family of their own. I'm sticking it out until I go on maternity leave with my third child and then will be focusing on retraining or just utilising my skills to go into a different job.

Let me know what your escape plan is. I'm in a similar situation.

Frustrating, exhausting and brilliant!

I went into teaching in my late 30s after leaving a high pressured career. NOTHING prepares uoh for the demands of teaching. I'm a robust resilient person and I ended up off with long term stress

You are never "finished" you have zero work life balance there are some great bits bit behaviour has got worse and worse over the years too and demands are getting more intensive too.

It's really tough

If you can find a good school that is supportive and has staff's best interests at heart then it is the best job in the world. Unfortunately, in my experience at least, these are few and far between and the workload can quickly become unmanageable with added pressures put on you by SLT and unnecessary paperwork etc. I know many teachers who work in wonderful schools and love it. I also know many who feel trapped in the job, are stressed beyond belief and never have any time to themselves. I hope you have found the former and are entering the career that is meant for you! One thing is always amazing...the children will never fail to brighten your day.

Similar to a PP, I worked for five years in an Outstanding school, and would sleep for 1-2 hours per night during the working week. It was awful. I ended up having fantasies about crashing the car on the way to work so that I would never need to arrive. That was when I realised that I needed to a) get to the doctor, and b) get the hell out of dodge.

(As a side note, if I become a parent one day, I think it would really make me think VERY carefully about “Outstanding” schools. I’ve found that you very rarely come across one where the staff aren’t miserable and dreadful things happen behind closed doors.)

I got out, took a mental health break for a couple of months, then went down the supply route for the ease and the money. Signed for a 4 week stint in a small independent school, and it’s over two years later and I haven’t left yet 😂

It’s remarkable how happy I am to be a teacher now. I drive to work in genuine wonderment some mornings, amazed at how happy and excited I am to go to work. I really, really hope I am able to continue like that for a long while.

For the OP, as you can see, it really depends on the school you end up in, particularly the management.

It's better in an independent, generally. Secondary can also be very timetable dependent, though. I have had done lovely years, with lots of A level groups, sweet KS3 classes, and engaged GCSE groups. Fantastic.

This year, however, the Timetable Gods have not been kind.
It's like Dante's fifth circle of hell. I just have to make it through the year. One day at a time.

@SachaStark2

Similar to a PP, I worked for five years in an Outstanding school, and would sleep for 1-2 hours per night during the working week. It was awful. I ended up having fantasies about crashing the car on the way to work so that I would never need to arrive. That was when I realised that I needed to a) get to the doctor, and b) get the hell out of dodge.

(As a side note, if I become a parent one day, I think it would really make me think VERY carefully about “Outstanding” schools. I’ve found that you very rarely come across one where the staff aren’t miserable and dreadful things happen behind closed doors.)

I got out, took a mental health break for a couple of months, then went down the supply route for the ease and the money. Signed for a 4 week stint in a small independent school, and it’s over two years later and I haven’t left yet 😂

It’s remarkable how happy I am to be a teacher now. I drive to work in genuine wonderment some mornings, amazed at how happy and excited I am to go to work. I really, really hope I am able to continue like that for a long while.

For the OP, as you can see, it really depends on the school you end up in, particularly the management.

So much of this I could have written. Looking back, it is scary how dark it had got.

I too would never choose an outstanding school for my own children. Never.

@Kollamoolitumarellipawkyrollo this is a bit silly. Yes I slept for an hour a night in one outstanding school I worked in. And I didn't just fantasise about crashing me car on the way in, I did (not on purpose) and my first emotion was relief that I wouldn't need to be in that morning.

However, I have worked in two other outstanding schools which have been brilliant places to work. Purely done to the head teachers which filtered down to the rest of slt. And I would 100% send my own children to outstanding schools.

@MasterGland

It's better in an independent, generally. Secondary can also be very timetable dependent, though. I have had done lovely years, with lots of A level groups, sweet KS3 classes, and engaged GCSE groups. Fantastic.

This year, however, the Timetable Gods have not been kind.
It's like Dante's fifth circle of hell. I just have to make it through the year. One day at a time.

This is just not true. It's not better in independents as a rule (unless the only thing you struggle with is behaviour management or differentiation). It's slt and staff culture that makes or break a school.

My dad worked in a private school that nearly broke him. He managed to stick it out for 25 years but in hindsight he doesn't know why he didn't move schools earlier (he only retired last year and his colleagues report back the culture of over working and teacher blaming by parents and the head is still the same).

My work life balance in some outstanding state schools by comparison has been wonderful, plus behaviour is impeccable, and although we get some difficult parents it's not quite the same pressure as working in a top private school.

I'm sure there are equally lovely state schools to work in that aren't outstanding. It's got nothing to do with ofsted grade or state vs private. Just the head and slt, that's it.

I would take the experiences given here with a pinch of salt OP. You don't know any of the people behind them. Imagine hearing them firsthand from within the staffroom and then visualising what kinda of people you might actually encounter within a school. You're going to get a mix of people - the burnt out ones who've been in the job too long; the people who went into teaching for the wrong reasons; the people with enormous chips on their shoulders; the people who can't manage their time and then complain they have to take all their work home; the people who thought they'd get to leave at 3pm; the people who used to be able to smoke with a fag on and smack the naughty ones across the knuckles with a ruler...

Honestly, you will find your own experience. If you really want to teach you will love it. Sometimes the best teachers are those who have done other things first because they know that the grass truly isn't greener on the other side.

That should obviously say teach with a fag on!

@Postmanpatsucksdick

I would take the experiences given here with a pinch of salt OP. You don't know any of the people behind them. Imagine hearing them firsthand from within the staffroom and then visualising what kinda of people you might actually encounter within a school. You're going to get a mix of people - the burnt out ones who've been in the job too long; the people who went into teaching for the wrong reasons; the people with enormous chips on their shoulders; the people who can't manage their time and then complain they have to take all their work home; the people who thought they'd get to leave at 3pm; the people who used to be able to smoke with a fag on and smack the naughty ones across the knuckles with a ruler...

Honestly, you will find your own experience. If you really want to teach you will love it. Sometimes the best teachers are those who have done other things first because they know that the grass truly isn't greener on the other side.

I think this is true.

Although some of the worst teachers I've worked with did other jobs first, and went into teaching very openly so they could spend more time with their own children. Ha. They soon realised what a joke that was.

If you really want to teach you will love it.

I wanted to teach since I was tiny-never wanted to do anything else. I did a degree, rather than a BEd as I got good A levels (as my grammar was appalled I was ‘wasting’ them on teaching so said this would give me more options) and PGCE and loved teaching for a good ten years. I’m now nearly 25 years in and I hate it because the government changed the job and expectations beyond all recognition.

Does that make me, and thousands of others …burnt out ones who've been in the job too long?

Why couldn’t the changes just not have happened (as they haven’t benefited anyone) and all those teachers still happily be teaching?

Then there wouldn’t be a recruitment and retention crisis. It didn’t have to be like this.

I’m only 45!

I’m in my 7th year of teaching and trained via TeachFirst, which was pretty brutal but also very interesting, and I’m glad I did it that way. Plus, you’re paid to qualify, rather than having to pay your way on a PGCE.

I started on 21k 6 years ago, and I’m now on 52k. I taught in international school after my first school, but have now returned to the UK and am teaching in an independent prep. So, pay progression is there. If I’d stayed in state and got onto SLT (would not have wanted to do that though) I’d be on similar, probably.

Basically, it’s fun. That’s how I think of my days. Very, very busy, but I do like to be busy. I’m happier in an independent than state, as I feel staff are trusted more. My hours are longer in independent though (but we do have longer holidays - 18 weeks).

The days are very high energy, so that can be tiring, but behavior management, prepping resources etc gets so much easier the more experienced you are.

I do sometimes think (when I’m exhausted, or still at work at 7pm) that I should try another career, but then I don’t think I could give up the holidays, the fun of the busy days, and the salary. So we’ll see.

Whatever happens, you’ll have an interesting time. Good luck!

Depends on the subject and phase you want to teach. If you want to teach primary then it’s a matter of who you know, not what you know.

@notyourmummy

I have to plan and prepare all my group sessions for the groups I do involving my 1:1 child, then write them up after each one (10 a week). I have daily sheets to fill in evidencing how I'm working towards ehcp goals, plus planning for adapting the curriculum/planned activities to my 1:1 child's needs. In addition to this I have responsibility for an area of provision (I work in early years) so have to plan and resource that area and feeding back to 1:1 child's parents and class teacher daily and to Phase Leader, Sendco and Head Teacher weekly.

Gosh, that’s an awful lot of work for the pay. I used to do similar at a different school but we were given time during the school day to do it. At my current school, the teachers are expected to plan the differentiation. It felt weird at first but I’m definitely happy with it now! You sound like you’re slogging your guts out for little reward. Although the reward is always in supporting your child and I think that’s why they get away with poor pay. Maybe your talents are being taken for granted?

I'm a teacher and I find it really strange to say it's not family friendly. It's a lot more family friendly than my previous corporate job. It's early starts but I'm always home for bedtime, the hours are predictable and the holidays are amazing. I get that you can't take time off in term time but I'd still say it's family friendly compared with other jobs

still say it's family friendly compared with other jobs

some other jobs, possibly.

I

still say it's family friendly compared with other jobs

My DH (who earns more than double my FT salary) is the one that steps in when needed. He covered both of DS2s covid isolations last year, a quick call into work and he worked from home both times. I had to cover one day as DH had to be somewhere and there was a lot of huffing and puffing from SLT. Even before Covid it was DH who was home when the DCs had chickenpox. He has worked for different companies since we had our DC and all have been far more accommodating when it comes to time off / working from home due to the DC.

still say it's family friendly compared with other jobs

I don't. There are lots more jobs that are better suited to someone with children especially young children who are often unwell than teaching.

Teaching is only family friendly because of the holidays and other than the summer break the vast majority of teachers still spend a portion of those holidays doing work.

Im not sure about secondary schools but in many primary schools teachers cannot take days off to go to any of the events their child may partipate in during school hours. That means concerts, special assemblies, plays etc are all missed.

It's also often not possible to stay home with your child when they are unwell and attending medical appointments with your child during school hours is often frowned upon. Added to that the staff at many of the schools I'm working with at present are all terrified about what they will do for childcare if their kids have to isolate.

The holidays might be family friendly but the day to day culture in many primary schools is anything but.

@Lacroix11

Broadly speaking, people who:

• Have supportive families
• Are good at maintaining their own boundaries
• Are expert at time management
• Have sturdy mental health
• Are independently minded
• Love the children
• Do not care unduly about professional advancement
• Are good at keeping things in perspective
• Have a fantastic sense of humour

… enjoy teaching and are great at it!

And people who:

• Are perfectionists
• Are people pleasers
• Have fragile mental health
• Have fragile egos or self esteem
• Care about being recognised and appreciated by anyone other than the children
• Struggle with organisation and time management
• Take everything very seriously and/or personally

… Will not last beyond 5 years.

By and large, I stand by this. There are some schools with psychopathic heads (not even joking) where the former group are chewed up and spat out for their courageous individualism, and there are some incredibly lovely schools that can accommodate the latter category to an extent.

But generally speaking, if you aren’t in group 1, run for the hills.

Couldn’t agree more with this. You have to be pretty robust and also able to switch off. I have an hour in the bath with my book most school nights.

@PinkWaferBiscuit - that’s terrible. Surely if you have a sick child you stay home? I’ve always just told my Head if Dept I’m not coming in and set cover work and it’s never been an issue. Same goes for all my colleagues.

Musmerian - my school used to be great if you need time off, but that has changed over the last 5 years, even though SLT hasn't changed. It comes down to budgets and increasing pressure from governors. Only a few weeks ago we were told we would only be allowed a maximum of 2 days unpaid leave a year! Many of the requests for unpaid leave would have been paid for a few years ago.

Surely if you have a sick child you stay home?

This is absolutely not the case in my school or the last one I worked in-both LEA schools.

Our absence policy is clear that you are not permitted time off to look after unwell children past the first day for any childhood illnesses like ‘common cold’ or ‘chickenpox’. If it’s something serious, you can appeal to the governors for approval, and it would be unpaid.

Our absence policy is clear that you are not permitted time off to look after unwell children past the first day for any childhood illnesses like ‘common cold’ or ‘chickenpox’. If it’s something serious, you can appeal to the governors for approval, and it would be unpaid.

This has always been the case in schools I work in as well.

I also agree with the posters like @PinkWaferBiscuit who say teaching is only family friendly because of the holidays. During term time your own children unfortunately often take a back seat to your pupils.