Took 16k paycut &I’m happier but struggling financially? Return to teaching ?

[Pinkpantsplesse]

I left teaching after covid. I was totally worn down by it and hated the system . After 9 years and 3 very different schools I was so stressed i left . I was a senior leader and maths lead and in todays money that’s £45k.

I left because -

Planning and marking took all evenings and weekends

Behavior was awful in my last school and it was exhausting .

We lived in fear of constant observation/ book looks by the Head and the academy as Ofsted were forever looming.

I spent every day feeling like I was about to be found out that I was rubbish . I was so stressed.

ironically I was always told I was a very good teacher .

Anyway- I now work in a role which I love , no real stress in comparison to teaching ! No constant anxiety and fear of Monday/ going to work. No work out of hours. It’s just I earn 29k working for my local council in Manchester in an Education Department . But there is no real progression in my current role and many wanting it .

I now have twins and we need money . I can’t help but wonder if I should go back to teaching ??? Do I put my big girl pants on and just try again and try and be less stressed and refuse to take on all the extras which they demand ?! Could I grind it out . It’s a good pension and it would be great for when my kids are off when they go to school.

I have taken a 16k paycut which is about 700
pounds a month I think . Thats so much. . . I am also late 30s. I feel I have failed as I now earn so much less . But I am so much happier. But now I have chicken and I need
money.

The thought of walking back into a school
fills me with dread but then maybe it could be different ? I need more money . Could this be the solution ?

Can you get a second job instead? Perhaps it wouldn’t make up all of the money you are short but it might go a long way.

Don't do it.
Your sanity isn't worth it.
You'd be better signing up to a babysitting agency and earning a bit more one evening a week.

Remember how draining it was, and (if I've read right?) that was before you had your twins. Add all the energy and time they need you to give on to what was impossible before.

There's no way you are going to be less stressed teaching with twins compared to teaching without.

Look at outgoings, anything you can change? Extend the length of the mortgage for lower repayments whilst in the expensive childcare years? Then over pay once out of it. Look more widely for jobs that pay more not just in the area you are in now. Add on some tutoring work in the evenings, weekends or holidays.

I don’t think you’re unreasonable to consider it, but the options available to you are not simply your current job or teaching. There could be other options including:

-keep your current job and do some extra tutoring
-find a different job using the skills you’ve gained in this one. It sounds like your teaching experience was an assett for this role. Well now you also have experience working in a LA and that could be transferable to other departments with more progression
-wait for the change in govt to see if conditions improve in schools and then make your decision about returning
-retrain

Personally I would look at the second option, but maybe try the first in the short term. There are many good things about teaching but it sounds like the stress and the workload are going to be incompatible with your family life anyway. If you want a good job with pension etc then you could certainly do worse than trying to carve out a career path in local government.

dont do it. More you earn more tax and child care bills. Do something flexible like agency work tutor work exam work

Would teaching in a private school be better?

Can you do some tutoring some evenings/weekends? Ex maths teacher would be quite in demand for tutoring I think.

I wouldn't even think about doing it.

Are you new to MN?

If not you must know what the majority of teachers/other MNetters are going to say?

Also, naming the council and department you work for, along with the other details like your age and the fact you have twins, is rather outing.

Don’t do it. I am in teaching and desperate to leave. I hate my evenings as I’m working, can’t sleep properly and start dreading Monday morning about Sunday lunchtime.

Is there anything else you can do to raise money? How much are your childcare costs with twins?

You only have one life.. don’t do it..but also don’t undervalue yourself.. you are a teacher with other experience.. look what’s around with ability to progress
in the future.
Tutoring sounds like an excellent idea!

It’s not got any better! I’d look at tutoring if you need more money.

Like you, I left the school and moved into the council, took a pay cut etc.

I'm on maternity leave at the moment.

I would not go back into school x my stress levels were through the roof... it's just not worth the robotic notion of life it brings especially with a baby too x I want to be present x

My council have a talent pool section where you put your CV on it and HR Recruitment will screen you for suitability.

I started off in adoption and Fostering, moved to school improvements with my future hopes of moving into The Virtual School. My current role is pro rata.... so suits me with the holidays off. VS is where I could make the most career progression.

You may need to switch department, move along, before you can actually move up x

Tutoring and any other side hustle. It won't be any less stressful..

Definitely don’t do it! If you thought things were bad 3-4 years ago, you’ll be in for a shock with just how bad things have got now. As others have said, extra tutoring or something is a much better option. You’d totally regret giving up your current job to go back to education with the way things are at the moment!

What was your specialism? Could you teach 1:1 or a small group after school a couple of days a week? Lots of demand from home educated kids and state educated.

or look for an internal promotion

OP, if you don’t mind me asking, what role do you do?
if it’s of a certain type of role which every LA needs …. Such as a SEN caseworker …. You could look at doing agency work as it pays significantly more. Or you could transfer to a different LA and negotiate remote working? In the LAs directly either side of mine, the difference is between 5-12k for the same role! Could you look at that?

Don't do it. Could you do private tutoring ?

Thanks all! That’s what i needed to hear ! Im
out of teaching. I love my job. I will need to think logically and work out how I can love departments / roles and build up my money . It took me 9 years as a teacher to get to my position so I am sure if I give myself 6 years i will have climbed the ladder abit ! Money isn’t with sanity.
Thanks all xx

I was going to suggest this too.

There aren't just two options - current job or teaching. Look on indeed for jobs over 45kpa that match your skillset in your area and apply for them.

I think your mental wellbeing has to come first unless you are literally unable to put food on the table.

Was going to suggest this too.

Tutoring? Exam marking?

Agreed. Working in a private school you'd earn the same money, but with smaller classes, therefore less marking and you'd almost certainly have better behaved DC.

Not all DC in private are angels, of course, but private schools can pick and choose who they take and IME they manage out the most difficult DC, because the other parents (who are all paying large amounts of money for their DC to go to the school) complain and it's much better to get rid of one badly behaved DC than have a mass exodus of better behaved DC who actually want to learn.

You'd work for fewer weeks too. In private you get 16 weeks off a year.