To not want to teach

[idontwanttoteach]

This is probably going to be a frustrating thread because there’s literally no way around it, I sort of have to teach because it’s the only thing I’ve done and the only thing I can earn the amount I do and plus the holidays (have young children) and so on.

But. I. Do. Not. Want. To. Teach.

I know about the FB group by the way but there’s no real feasible alternative for me at the moment.

I used to teach & the staff room was full of whinging teachers, many of whom are still there & still whinging. Several of us made a plan & got out. Don’t play the victim. You can do something about it. Downsize your life/house if you have to.

@pandapopadance if we did that … blimey where to start.

It isn’t really possible but let’s say for arguments sake we do that. DH would need to find a completely different role in a different company and lose the benefits he’s gained in many years working for that company.

He’d be on far less money so we’d all be on significantly less money as a family even if I was FT. Childcare costs would also increase so we’d have to sell up and move somewhere not as nice.

It just isn’t doable.

Kindly, very few new entrants into another profession/role get the flexible part time offer as a a first job....
To move you need to have something that matches your skill set (which will be different for all due to previous experience, subjects studied, other transferable skills). You'll likely need to apply to full time roles and ask for compressed hours once offered. When you've made the transfer and bedded in/shown your worth you can apply for more part time roles or negotiate PT/Flexi from a proven position....

Lots of people loving the ‘victim’ comments tonight. I’m not sure why it is being a victim to do something you don’t particularly enjoy; people work in jobs they aren’t particularly passionate about all the time to pay the bills.

I think that’s the point she was making; that as much as people might say there are all these part time flexible roles available, actually there are not.

I’m three years into teaching and I’m growing to despise it. I desperately want to re-train as a midwife but can’t afford to leave the profession to study for three years and cannot afford a pay cut. This makes me resent the job even more, as I view it as something blocking off what I truly want to do.

It’s definitely not the job it’s made out to be

@Mynameistallullah
Business Analyst
Virtual Assistant
Personal Training
Content Writing
HR roles
Education Liaison
Corporate Learning and Development
Publishing
Project Management
IT jobs eg. Networking & switching
Career Advisor (at a college for example)
Pharmacy

There are so many options

problem for me is realistically I am UPS3, so finding something t else for three days a week is unlikely to happen on the same amount of money!

Yep-I’m in exactly the same predicament.

I think people in other jobs sometimes don't get that teaching is so draining and time consuming after school that it's really hard to have time and motivation to even research other jobs.

Yes. But that's the point... There aren't initially... You either accept some short term pain for longer term gain or stay stuck, feeling like you've got no choice and hating your life....
I mean fine to whinge (a bit) but honestly you do have choices, they are just hard and come with trade offs.
I suppose you could argue you didn't see the all the eggs in dh's 'very important bringing home the most money' job has left you tied with the part time flexible duck it up job. But if one person becomes the default parent there is always that risk.

I do try not to whinge at school much, I know it can drag the general mood down, but I had a shit afternoon in the rain with surly unpleasant y11s on very little sleep and I am unashamedly feeling a bit sorry for myself. I’m not a habitual whinger.

@hettie i have choices but it’s a bit rock and hard place isn’t it?

Its a bit frustrating to be brusquely told that you have choices when actually and realistically, you don’t, when the ‘choice’ is one that would have a serious and detrimental effect on everybody else in the family. You can’t just do what you want when you want when you have little children.

do you have a straight teaching degree or a pgce? Could you not jump onto a different graduate career path- some of them have surprising salaries (40 upwards)

A colleague decided to leave teaching and got a junior position as an auditor in financial services (probably about 25k starting). But a career like that can get you quickly promoted to c£50 in 4 years or so.

Are you sure that you can’t do something else?

I feel exactly the same. Both DH and I are UPS with TLRs working full-time. I cry most mornings driving into work because I am so exhausted. We both feel trapped and don’t even know where to start looking or how to find the energy or time to look. As soon as kids are in bed we work frantically until midnight to try and stay above water. And it’s still not enough. We both love being in the classroom, but I can’t live in this miserable state much longer.

I’m mid forties @Phonicshaskilledmeoff … I definitely feel too old for graduate schemes!

@Odellio so grateful I don’t have a tlr to contend with. I don’t know how people manage!

I hear you. I was a p/t ups3 secondary teacher. Saw a job advert for a job with a charity and went for it and got it!

I work FT and earn same as I did on p/t teaching so I am 'down' a lot of days and holiday time but gained so much in actual time.

I am not going back into a classroom.

You might be surprised who is on them.

@idontwanttoteach hmme, look I'm a random on the internet....Its just I've been in a similar position and I've seen far too many capable dare I say brilliant women tell themselves they don't have choices due to the impact on young children/family. When what is often the case is that they don't have choices because gradually they've been boxed into a corner, but oddly their dh hasn't had to think about the same compromises or choices and oddly dh's career/retraining/additional courses etc has not been impacted and dh's career has gone from strength to strength...
If you were my partner and you were so clearly unhappy and it was clear there is no easy fix/option then I'd be moving jobs/selling houses and disrupting stuff basically moving heaven and earth to support you to find a solution. Life is too fucking short to be miserable or passive. You need to work together to find a solution or demand one if dh isn't quite getting it....

Maybe @hettie bur things are as they are.

I have had choices all the way along. I chose to teach, to stay in teaching, to marry DH, to have children. I’d make those choices again, teaching is awful but I can and will put up with it because it’s best for us all at the moment.

As I’ve said though … I will reserve the right to whinge about it!

The strike through to ‘passive’ is passive aggressive, by the way.

Have you tried private schools ? The students are easier to deal with (less social work and more actual teaching).

What do you do after teaching? And what do you do now?

Look at college teaching? Either the subject your degree is in or an Early years course as you’ll have all the knowledge and experience.

Aren't the parents harder work though? And general expectations?

Have you tried different types of school - 6th form colleges, private schools. You may find it better elsewhere.
Quite a number of teachers leaving to do full time tutoring. Depends on your subject specialism.