Returning to teaching Ad on here?

[cocoaero]

Just seen an ad on here from the department of education about a teacher who dropped out of teaching after initially hating it and finding it took over her life to going back to it and loving it saying "time healed the wound".

I don't know if the teacher in the ad is real but as an ex-teacher I thought not on your nelly will I be going back to teaching, life is 1000 times better now out of it.

I get that they are desperate to get teachers back but the ad felt a bit manipulative and I don't feel that the things that made teaching untenable for many ex-teachers has fundamentally changed.

I guess it's a great option for them, they don't need to pay to train them and if they do go back then they are more likely to know what it's like so perhaps drop out rates will be a bit lower. For some people at a different point in their lives and perhaps having seen that for them the grass is not always greener will go back. I can't imagine I ever would, but even if they found 100 extra teachers who can start in September that would save tens of thousands against training someone new, who may drop out in two years. That said when the economy is shit they recruit a lot more good graduates as there are less options elsewhere.

I know a teacher who thought she hated it, left and then realised that actually it offered her much of what she wanted from her career. She's now been back teaching for 9 years and is very happy, (or as happy as anyone is who works!).

Just because you don't like it, it doesn't mean others won't.

It would also be a bit shortsighted of any government not to at least attempt to lure experienced people back. Have you never heard of 'the grass is never greener'?

I do not think this will prove a fruitful tactic. So much has changed since I trained and then worked as a teacher, and what was once a fantastic job has changed immeasurably.
I was reminded of the "boiling frog" analogy by a good friend of mine. She and I trained at the same time and began our careers at the same time. She was well-regarded at the school where she worked, and was taking on additional responsibilities, when she met her DH and had two sons. She had always intended to stay at home while her boys were little, although she was involved in what was going on at their school, and her DH supported this. Eventually, they lads were confident and settled, and she felt that she could go back into education, but realised, partly from chats with me and other teaching friends, that she would need to get herself updated a bit.
Her local authority was running a "Return to Teaching" for experienced teachers such as her, so she signed up. The next time I saw her, I was saddened to learn that seeing how different the job was had put her off completely; I had been taking on all the changes by small increments, where her time away from the classroom gave her a completely different perspective, or, as she succinctly put it - "Bloody Hell!!!!!"
She found another role (basic IT skills for adult learners).
Believe it or not, teaching was once regarded as a good career choice for young women planning a family, as the hours and holidays fitted so well with family life!
I have mentioned before that, during my long career, I attended exactly one retirement "do" for a colleague who had remained in the state sector and reached statutory retirement age. Others had moved into the independent sector or deployed their talents elsewhere.

@HoskinsChoice I can't say I know a single teacher current or ex who isn't glad they left or isn't wishing they could leave.

I’m a retired teacher (many, many years). I’d never go back. Never.

Schools won't even employ above M3 max in most cases now, and that's being optimistic. Can't imagine anyone hating it enough to make the big decision to leave then going back on less money than they were on before.

I left 3 years ago and my life has improved immeasurably, no amount of money would get me to go back nevermind go back at a lower pay point.

Another ex teacher here, of 22 years.

I left in July 2021 and will not be returning.

Then you don't read mumsnet much as there was a post about jobs you love the other day and loads said teaching.

I teaching in a secondary school and love my job.

Most my colleagues love their job.

I dislike some of our flakey senior leadership team but I never have a dull day at school.

Some people are just not cut out for teaching. Others are. That's life.

Some people are just not cut out for teaching. Others are. That's life.

To say this about what some ex teachers have been through is shallow thinking.

It's also a but victim-blamey, like saying that it's not that the demands of the job are ridiculous it's that the individual teachers are just rubbish at it.

I wasn't rubbish at teaching, I was just not able to sustain working so many hours a week at such a fast pace without becoming ill.

Having been a state sector teacher and a PRU Headteacher I can definitely say I earned my final salary pension. Would I do it again? Probably not. Loved my time in the PRU but mainstream was beset by political mismanagement and poor resourcing.
Politicians do not value teachers and for the hours put in the pay is comparatively poor. Teachers have to make immense sacrifices to do their job properly and anyone seeking a job with a decent work life balance should look elsewhere.
Sometimes a simple error of judgement can be and is penalised with the sack by bullying senior staff. The job gets tougher with age and the expectations are often unrealistic. No wonder the take up of ‘come back to teaching’ is so poor.

I think it's dreadful saying that people who have left were not cut out for it. I will ask you in 5 years hoe you're doing and you will come to the same conclusion like everyone here. My husband was in the classroom for 20 years he was damn good at his job. I saw his health deteriorate immensely, drinking far too much and his colleagues suffered to . They have all left and their lives are far much better. No amount of money would get him back.

It’s hilarious, made me laugh when I read it 🤣why not just invest in those who are currently there, show them some respect so they don’t want to leave in the first place? It’s not about money for me or the children, it’s about completely unrealistic expectations and taking away all respect for the job itself. Plus these secondaries with bizarre headteachers who want D-list celebrity status running the places like a business- no interest in the children whatsoever. Any graduate going into it needs their head looking at.

I had to chuckle at your objection to do the ad being manipulative. I mean, it’s an ad. That’s what ads DO! Manipulate, persuade…

Me! Have been teaching for 30 years but now I’m in the independent sector with additional responsibilities. It is completely crazy and all consuming for 6-8 weeks and then we have a week or more to recover. I love it, but without the holidays I would probably burn out!!

I absolutely loathe these ads- it’s pure propaganda. I also can’t bear the ad with the jaunty male teacher who plays table tennis, goes home at the same time as the kids, and the worst thing he has to deal with is some sulky girl giving him the stinkeye. Oh and there about 10 kids in his class.
Teaching robs you of your life. I’m out now thank god and nothing would persuade me to go back.
Also schools can’t afford to pay us oldies, so anyone going back would be paid on the lowest rung again as there’s no money for pencils now.

I used to think I was great because I could put up with the endless work and stress and used to feel sorry for people who only managed a year or two. Now I’m out I look back on that time in horror - my energy, enthusiasm and good will was exploited to the limit and once I cost too much I was out. I’d only go back to keep my kids from starving in the street but if they’re only paying m3 anyway I’d rather do any other mid paying job instead.

Same here - not a chance I'm going back.

As it is from the government it sounds more like propaganda than an ad.

Teacher saying 'just seen' must be any other subject than English/MFL.

Sorry, just a daft rib, because people expect teachers to all be grammatically correct and most aren't lol 😆 Also having colleagues who have a degree in English but don't display any concept of grammar at all.

You will be brilliant at your subject, probably one I could never teach so again sorry, just my reaction to first line, being a t##t.

When I left secondary school teaching after 23 years I did go back, but as PT supply alongside my new main job. I couldn't bear to go back full time contract, like you, it's all changed so much and too overwhelming in all aspects. Xxx

If they want to lure experienced teachers back they need to do something about the toxic environments pushing them out via support plans as they are too expensive! The whole system is very broken.

'Just seen..' is not grammatically incorrect. Your second and third paragraphs would benefit from the red pen though!

I spent 20 years in education, you couldn't pay me enough to go back to it.

I left in 2008 and no fancy ads would ever induce me to return. It was hell then and has only got worse. I now work for the NHS as a senior manager and despite all the shit we have to endure, I wouldn’t change it to return to teaching 😬

I read the story supposedly written by teacher returning to teaching and saw it was a recruitment ad - found this rather dishonest as I'd thought MN was supposed to be people's individual experiences.
Not impressed.