Need to escape the classroom

[stressedteachersos]

Can anyone help please?

I work 2 days as a primary teacher and I’m on UPS3. I earn roughly £1300 per month which is about £18k per year. My other half is a teacher too but in management ( class based) so has a lot of responsibility. I have three small children and I/we am/are really struggling to manage it all.

The lack of flexibility and stress of having such young children is really taking its toll on our stress levels and we simply cannot manage. I need to find an alternative job but I think I am going to struggle to find something that is paid similarly with the holidays.

Has anyone been in a similar position? I have the option of doing 3 days in a year or so.

Would you not be able to stop working and claim tax support at all, op? x

£1300 for 2 days is on a par with minimum wage in a different job on a lot more hours. What precisely are you struggling with? I ask not to be horrible but to understand. My DD is a teacher, works 4 days and has 3 children. Her DH has a professional job too

@MumOfOneAllAlone I'm not sure how it works. What's it based on? OH earns about 50k.

Is the £1300 per month your take home pay? I take home just under £1900 per month working five days a week 9-5:30 so it sounds like decent pay for two days a week term time (I do know you will have to do work in evenings and planning etc in your unpaid time, I know teachers don’t have an easy life!). I’m not sure what else you might find that pays reasonably well only doing two days and still gives you school holidays.

You work 2 days a week? How old are your children and are you able to articulate what you’re finding so stressful?
I’m not sure you’d find anything with only those hours that is much more flexible to be honest.

I'm a teacher and need another job too. But I'm not earning as much as you! I'm guessing your 2 in work days includes another wfh day in effect?

Its highly unlikely you'll find another job at the same salary but Im happy accepting lower pay for lower intensity and stress.

Oh I'm really sorry, I don't know

You'd have to fill out the turn2us calculator to see what you'd be entitled to x

@GranPepper yes I thought that but I'm trying to find something with similar hours, perhaps an extra day in a year or so.

The reasons are complex and multiple. I've never really wanted to be a teacher so I don't particularly enjoy the job ( not that the students would know that!) and I am ALWAYS surrounded by children which I find exhausting. So one aspect of it is job satisfaction. However it's mostly the balance of getting all three of them out of the house to 3 different childcare settings and then the work after school combined with the insane amount of housework which 3 children seem to generate. It seems so hard for 2 parents to be in teaching and raise the 3 of them effectively.

You have to decide whether you are willing to take a pay drop. You won't find a job paying the same money for the same hours. I suspect that the answer is your dp contributes more at home.

Yes take home. I realise that I'm well paid for 2 days and this is the hard thing.

You could also do supply. It will be less well paid but there will ge less responsibility.

That’s the equivalent of about £45k per year. What are your qualifications and experience other than teaching?

I work 2 days. They are 7, 3 and 18 months. Yes I thought that would be the case. One of the hard things is missing the school plays etc because we're at work ( they always seem to fall on my working days) and I wish I could have a job which offered flexibility around school drop offs etc so we didn't have to faff around with multiple childcare providers. The reasons for stress are in a post above ^

You will not be eligible for any benefits or top ups if your dp earns 50k.

Working and raising young children at the same time is just hard. However unless you can afford not to work, then two days term-time for your salary will be hard to beat.

Don't forget getting the school holidays op. Fwiw, I also work in a school. I make less than you do for five days a week! But it is worth it to get the holidays off with my kids.

I worked in private sector before and holidays were a logistical nightmare.

Just worth thinking about before you give up on teaching 💐

Could you get into a non classroom based role in your school? I've worked as a TA and an LSA and liked it, but my school office job is much more peaceful. Terrible pay compared to yours though!

It feels like lots of teachers feel the same! No I don't work from home so just 2 days a week at school.

I think you're onto something!

I get that you’re trying to think of something else you could do, but in the shorter term…
Why 3 childcare settings? Can this not somehow be cut to 2?
Housework - can you get a cleaner in a few hours a week? If your children are really young though, you might just have to lower your standards for a year or two! Things will get easier.
Also, just because your DH works full time, doesn’t mean he can’t pull his weight when he’s home. Only you know if that’s an issue and if it is, you need to speak to him about it, because things shouldn’t feel quite this overwhelming.
Do you think it feels worse because Christmas is coming up and you’ve got so many things to think about? I get a bit like that at this time of year but it passes come January.

I also get to go to my dcs school plays etc. I just have to make up my hours another time by coming in early /staying late/ working through lunch

Could you stop for a while and go back when the kids are a bit older? I honestly don't think that pay, a two day contract, plus all the school holidays really exists, unless you can contract in some very niche area.

In the gentlest way, I don't think you'll find what you're looking for either the salary you have. Another job would also require you to do multiple childcare provider drop offs wouldn't it?
If you're not having to WFH then I think you're doing pretty well. I'm a teacher too and do have to work at home.
Small children are hard and teaching is hard. But I think you'll also find difficulties elsewhere with the logistics.
Job satisfaction is important though! What would you like to do?

It's insanely difficult for any couple with 3 children and, sorry, not to be critical, but many will be on a lot less of an income than you are with hours a lot longer than teachers are. I know this because of my DD hours as a teacher. You're unlikely to get another job at your income for 2 days a week with school holidays but good luck if you do. Job satisfaction is difficult to achieve unfortunately these days. There may be other ways of mitigating your situation - could you get a cleaner to decrease home chores; could you pay someone to babysit your children once a week/pick the older ones up from school/nursery whatever. It isn't easy with 3 young children but it won't be forever. Best wishes

Cross posted with your reply to me, but yes, I get the missing out on Christmas thing. There are schools that are a lot more flexible in this respect, if you liked your job and wanted to continue teaching.
I get it though, I left teaching for that reason, I felt like I was missing out on my kids’ lives too much.

You won’t find a job paying that with the holidays & don’t forget the big pension contributions.

Could you do one day? I think it’s 3 young dc more than anything.