Did anyone else regret training as a teacher?

[Wisdomtoothpain]

After my degree I did a PGCE, which i passed. In my first role I got put on an informal support plan so I quit before it was made formal.

Went to another school with horrendous expectations, an awful bully of a line manager who had several complaints made against her from other staff, very poor behaviour from pupils including threats and violence.

I put in all the hours as I was told it gets easier after the ECT, but I just couldn't pass it. So I left and now work in a low paid admin role, though I am applying for other things.

I regret ever becoming a teacher, I see my old schoolfriends and course mates and they're all doing really well, some people are head of department, some are band 7 or 8 NHS, basically all in senior roles.
I just feel like a joke, I wish id gone into another industry. Anyone else?

Kindly, yabu. Why did you want to teach? If you wanted to earn a high salary teaching probably wasn't the path to train in.

I bet you're young enough to retrain. Not many people leave school/uni and pursue the same career until retirement. You wanted to be a teacher, the reality has not met the expectations I imagine.

This is your new reality, accepting it as so and then thinking about your options is the best way to go. It sounds like you're comparing yourself and you're not coming out great from it.

I retrained at 47, best thing I ever did - I am so happy in my new role.

It sounds like you did less than 2 years? How long ago was this?

I did a pgce when I was about 25 and like you I hated it, was also bullied relentlessly on one placement by the Head, and I decided even before Xmas it wasn't for me but I wanted to see the course through. There was a lot of pressure to do my NQT year as it was then called, but I refused and never went back. Like you got a low paid office job while I sorted myself out and recovered from the brutality of the pgce.

I went into another field and am very happy, not on mind blowing money but I certainly do all right. I consider that year just a bit of a blip tbh. There's no reason you can't still end up in a well paid job you enjoy because you spent 2 years teaching, it's not all you've ever done for 30 odd years.

It's certainly not for everyone. I didn't regret it but trained 20 years ago and left four years ago when teaching, in my opinion, had changed so much and I decided it wasn't for me anymore.

I'd take a long hard look at where I want to be in years to come. Think about a new career path, OU study perhaps, NHS? Remember that one quarter of teachers leave teaching within the first 3 years of entering the profession. You are not alone OP.

I left after 22 years - you can do a Master’s conversion and do something different. Be happy you’re free of toxic environments. There are some good schools but I got tired of the micromanagement and egos. This is just a glitch in your life. Good luck 💐

Thanks a lot, I'll look into the Masters conversion, and it is certainly better paid than a lot of low wage admin, care and retail roles!

I studied print journalism and specialised in photography and obviously that was a bad idea in hindsight. I retrained at 32 and got an MSc and at 42 I'm doing another which isn't reinventing but building upon what I do now. I have a senior role in tech and a small child. It isn't easy but it's not to late to pivot your career.

Yup, me. I left a decent job to retrain as a teacher and regret that decision bitterly. I got through my PGDE fine but had a horrible NQT year and ended up being signed off with stress. I’m now working at a lower level than the job I did before teaching which stings.

I was a bit older though. Sounds like you have more scope to retrain as something else.

I did a Pgce when my youngest started school and only did about 5 years in the classroom - some schools toxic/ some great (behaviour was awful in all schools )
DD sadly starts a 3 year teaching degree this September despite me trying to put her off . Her life and decision
I still work in education (further education - dull role but balance work and life )
May return as miss kids ( doubtful in this country though )

You can do other jobs with a teaching degree that are now low paid admin roles. Many jobs just require a degree, no specifics. Also doing a diploma in something while working can get you a higher paying position. My brother has a master's in education and he produces education materials and teaches others on how to tun courses. My cousin has a master's in education and she works in HR, another fanily member is kn a senior role in a charity. At least here education is a well regarded degree to have.

I loved being a teacher and worked in various teaching roles for 30 years (think I deserve a medal for that). I loved the job for about 3/4 of my career and never dreamed of doing anything different. However, as a few other posters have said, it all changed horribly about 5 years ago and I found myself not sleeping and dreading going in. I left two years ago and whilst I was sad at the time, have no regrets.

I trained in my 30s and have mostly been at the same school for over 20 years. I love the school it’s very multi- cultural and has some challenges but the staff are a great supportive bunch.

Behaviour is generally very good and tightly controlled and we have a fantastic pastoral team with good links to the police and social services, and this has taken a lot of the pressure of of teachers as there is a lot of safeguarding work within the school.

We are not an academy and not micromanaged and I think that this has made all the difference to my happiness. I have heard horrific tales of bullying and micromanagement and basically of teachers who have joined our staff, of being treated like naughty kids by smt!

Everyone works hard but there is not the relentless pressure to all be the same and teach in exactly the same way, sometimes we swap classes to teach to our strengths for things like PE or music. My DC was teaching in a large village school and really enjoyed it, encouraging kids with lots of clubs after school including sport, which is their passion. A new headteacher turned up and wanted to change everything at once and micromanage every single thing. So he
left after nearly having a breakdown about it all. Such a loss after only 5 years.

I think it’s the environment now that has become so managerial and corporate which has ruined it for teachers. We all used to visit other schools and share ideas and resources willingly and now it’s all paid courses and specialists.

The parents at my school are generally great and supportive of the staff.

I am coming to the end now and will soon switch to part time hopefully. I found it rewarding and enjoyed spending the school holidays with my own children. Luckily my school is very good about releasing us to see our own kids sports days etc. which I know it’s unusual.

So for me it has been a very positive experience, but I have earned considerably less than many of my uni friends. However, on the plus side I have had a lot of job satisfaction and I have especially enjoyed developing some expertise in teaching children with autism and dyslexia and those with English as a second language which my school has supported through paid courses.

I despise the changes Gove made, especially these academy chains so I’m glad I’m near the end of my career not the start ( also the now 2 year ECT process, which involves extra work).

Do I regret the training? No.
Do I regret staying 10 years too long? Yes.

I now have a job which has a very small overlap into education, and I absolutely bask in these rare lessons and assemblies - I was a good teacher. I do not miss any of the other crap that made up 2/3 of the job though, or the absolute and blatant bullying of the senior leaders by Ofsted.

It's the constant observation, the fact that nothing can ever just be good enough, there is always xyz you could have done better, the constant book scrutiny and getting the blame when kids didn't achieve good grades even though they messed about in your class or truanted the entire year.

See it as a lucky escape. Onwards and upwards to a job where you’re not under a microscope.

If you didn’t pass your ECT years then you’re not a qualified teacher so you haven’t trained to be a teacher, you’ve tried to train to be a teacher but haven’t passed your ECT years so you have a PGCE but not QTS. It’s a tough couple of years to get through and the school you’re in makes a huge difference. You’re responsible for kids messing around in your class, you need to create an environment where they don’t do that. It doesn’t sound like the right career move for you. I was a teacher for 21 years and still work in education albeit in a different role.
I’d just accept that it wasn’t the career for you it doesn’t mean the only other option is low paid admin work though.

I managed 12 years as a teacher somehow. I was a good teacher, but it was a stressful job and ruined my mental health. Dealing with poor behaviour broke me in the end.
I was 36 when I changed career and never looked back.

Try to think of all the skills you’ve gained…Teaching is bloody hard…and when you have a tough situation going on too it’s the final nail in the coffin. There are many who stick in it and are absolutely miserable…try to think that although people are successful you’ve been brave enough to quit and find something else whilst looking for something else. That’s not an easy task don’t be too hard on yourself. Keep going you’ll find something that appreciates you and lets you shine you’re just not quite there. Try not to compare yourself to others just do you and you’ll get there.

The PGCE is easy, but no-one goes into teaching for the money! And there's loads of bullying/ toxic work environments in education.

Also Op, would you consider teaching adults? It's a totally different vibes to schools and you don't need QTS. What's your degree in? If you have a degree and a PGCE, you can teach anything vaguely in the subject area of your degree.

Totally agree OP. Awful, awful job. Ridiculous work load and still nothing is good enough. Far too many competing needs in the classroom to give any of the kids what they need. Then you get pulled up because the backing to your display boards isn't acceptable.

I used to ask my waste of space mentor how she would approach my to do list in the hours available. Her response? "That's teaching!". I eventually told them that they could stick teaching up their arse. Left mid-term. Took a couple of years to sort myself out after that and still paying the student loan, but couldn't be happier.

I personally don't regret it - about to go into my 15th year. This will be my 4th as a HoD, I did 2 years as a 2nd in dept prior to that and 3 as a KS3 lead.

For the most part, I genuinely do love what I do, but I have been lucky to teach in good schools (this is my 3rd school - spent 5.5 years in the first and 6 in the 2nd). My current school has great colleagues and senior team, plus we work very hard to make sure behaviour is excellent (and it is!).

That having been said, it is an extremely tough job - it is hectic and non-stop in term time, there is pressure for results because the kids need them! It's certainly not for everyone and there is no shame in that!

Have a think about the skills you have and perhaps look at a different career. What was your degree in?

I know what you mean, and many schools are brutal, but not all are like this. I've been a teacher for 30 years. It's all I ever wanted to do. I've worked in some good schools and a couple of awful ones. I now work in a lovely girls' grammar school. Very few behaviour problems. Observations are infrequent and positive. I won't leave until I retire.

You’re responsible for kids messing around in your class, you need to create an environment where they don’t do that.

Ha! There are some schools where virtually no teachers can achieve that. Especially schools where SLT have that attitude and do not suppport their teachers.

This is not true. You gain QTS via successful completion of the PGCE or via various other approved routes. You gain an induction certificate after completion of the NQT/ECT. They are two separate things.