Teachers who still enjoy the job after covid, what helps and what are the positives?

[DancingThroughLife02]

Repost from staff room as I realised that people probably weren’t on it due to it being the holidays!

I’ve recently got my PGCE and QTS through teach first, which means I’ve got one year of teaching (albeit being my training year) under my belt. I feel like as I’ve been teaching 80% all year, it’s given me a great insight into how other teachers go about doing things, the stress levels associated with the job and the general mood.

Now I’m aware that things do vary across trusts and mine does seem very rigid and micromanagy, but I was looking for positive reasons people stay in teaching post Covid but seem to come across more people leaving. I’m sure that this is just due to people being quite vocal about their reasons to leave - which I completely understand as the stress this year did make me ill at some points, but I genuinely love the teaching aspects and making a difference to children’s lives.

I love hearing them say that they enjoy my subject whereas they struggled previously, or that they look forward to coming to my lesson especially if they generally struggle in others. Of course I get very negative comments too but I want to hear from other teachers who want to stay for a few more years, if there are any.

AIBU to ask for experiences of other teachers who genuinely enjoy their job, what makes it enjoyable and what boundaries have you kept in place to keep it enjoyable for yourself?

I’m starting year 24 and still love it. I make sure I reuse as much planning as possible and try not to work at home, even if it means staying late. I also really try hard to focus on moments of joy with the children within my day.

Hi @hopspot it’s really nice that you’ve been in the profession for so long, I feel like so many teachers that taught before Covid have left due to it turning into a different job.

I’ve tried very hard to also not take work home beyond the studying I had to do, and also just arrive early rather than working from home. Do you feel like people (managers mainly) judge you if you only do your work at work?

I feel like the culture sometimes expects it, and while I’ve managed to avoid scrutiny over it, I have seen other members of staff get insinuations that it’s not good enough to just be working at school. Again this might be my trust but it’s so hard to switch off after work already without being expected to take the planning home.

About to start year 26. Semi-retired and will be doing supply in the school I just retired from. Not ready to hang up the pen 🖊️ yet. Holidays were an incentive; now I am almost 60 and can please myself.

The culture definitely expects it. I’ve struggled with that for a long time as I’m inherently a people pleaser and want to show I’m doing a good job.

What I’ve realised is that whatever you give will never be enough and as long as I’m confident in myself and making sure I’m a good team player, pulling my weight then it’s enough.

Thank you!

I’ll try and keep that in mind, as much as I’m hoping the culture can shift, I think naturally we want to do what’s best for the students which is why so many end up working outside of work. As well as all the useless tasks that do take up work time that could instead just be used for planning 😬

I’m just starting year 27 I think?
For me it’s finding the right school, the right combination of the kind of kids you like to teach (as in area of high deprivation, or more middle class intake etc) and the right management. If you find that; it’s a brilliant job.
Also don’t be afraid to not want to move up the ladder. I tried the responsibility and ended up realising I was missing the teaching.

Wow that’s amazing @tinytemper66

I love the holidays, I think it really is one of the biggest teaching perks.

Aside from the holidays, what do you enjoy about teaching during term time? And are there any ways that you made it easier for yourself full time?

I absolutely loved it this year but I feel like maybe I put too much pressure on myself and made myself ill at times which is unsustainable if I want to stay in teaching for years.

I definitely already feel like I just want to be a teacher. It seems as if people who move up the ladder get a whole lot more stress for not much in return.

I think this is hugely reflective of school. I work in a school where people work hard (and every minute of the possible 1265 is directed) but no one bats an eye if someone leaves at 3.25pm or gets in just before the bell. This is a shift from my last school. I notice it in some newer staff who when they leave hugely justify why they are going earlier and that they will work at home without realizing no one minds, they are professionals trusted to do their job. A school with this culture makes the world of difference

Agree with this. Ambition can come from wanted to be a deputy/head/SLT and it can also come from being a wonderful teacher and building great relationships with children. That’s enough for me. Not for everyone I understand!

I’m just going into my 20th year as a teacher. I started as an NQT and I’m now a SENCO with a small teaching commitment. Like a previous poster I try not to take work home with me, I’m as efficient as possible while I’m at work and I never take a full hour lunch break! Enjoy it!

I've "cheated" and become a cover supervisor after returning from a lengthy SAHM phase. I get the joy of the classroom interactions and the school community, but at 4pm the evening is mine and I'm free until 8am. While it's significantly less salary than my old MPS6, per hour worked it's not that unfavourable, and I just don't have the stress.

Finding a school that fits you is important. I like "salt of the earth" type communities rather than exam factories, and I've felt more comfortable being myself in several schools with those kinds of catchment.

I love working in schools with young people but I don't live to work.

I'm another who has been in the job for more than 20 years.

Enjoy the small moments that make it a great job. The kids are generally lovely. Even the ones that test you have times when they can be pleasant. I still really enjoy chatting with them, answering questions and just showing them something new. Most of the time the teaching is fine and it doesn't half make the time fly. I've had jobs where I was bored and I hated it. Teaching is never boring.

Find a school where you get on with your colleagues. It can be lonely at times in the classroom and that adult company can really help. It's a reason I try not to work during lunch as I think that time chatting with colleagues can be good if you're at the right school. It won't be a nice place to work if you can't trust anyone or they're all twats.

Try not to get too anxious about anything 'new'. You can guarantee that within a year or 3 at most something else will have come around to replace it. There are trends in education and these days I just do what is expected of me and embrace as best I can whatever SLT have decided is the current must have in my lesson.

I try and walk out of school at 3pm at least once or twice a week. It's nice to finish that early and you then have hours before bed to do stuff in.

More than 30 years for me. I really like my subject and I really like teenagers. I just tune out some of the SLT nonsense and get on with doing a good job. No two days are the same and you never sit down, but it's incredibly rewarding.
I think you just need to get confident with your practice in the classroom and don't worry too much about minor things.
Most parents and most students are great 👍.