21 years of teaching and I'm done

[everychildmatters]

The title says it all really. I'm 44 and totally exhausted, and that's with only teaching directly part-time in primary (currently Y6).
The job is nothing like the one I started out doing.
I'm now considering SEN tutoring (EHCP primary) as SEN is my absolute passion. It will be in homes, with children currently unable to access mainstream settings.
My biggest worry is it's not going to work financially? I need at least two students, a minimum of 20 hours pw. Below this and we're going to struggle to pay the rent, CT, food bills etc.
And of course holiday pay and pension affected too as through agency and not a permanent contract.
Any words of wisdom?

https://www.ntas.org.uk/recruitment

This is the company I have worked for for 8 years now since leaving teaching. It’s about £28 per hour but you get extra time added for planning so works out more per hour for what you actually teach (planning doesn’t take long to be honest). Full pay also if sessions are cancelled within 24 hours, eg if child is unwell (this happens a a lot in my experience).
At the moment I’m only doing 15 hours per week (2.5 plus the extra 30min a day), starting at 9.30am. I get housework done in the afternoons. It works out well. Obviously holidays are a pain as there is no pay. I do get offered more cases but don’t always want to take them.

I think we have used that agency in the past with a child at my school unable to access mainstream provision. I think you could buy in blocks for 3 hours each day with the same person (so that’s the 15 hours per week. I presume if you wanted more hours, then you’d sign up for three hours in the afternoons and do 30 hours?

There’s got to be me something else out there for burnt out teachers jaded and utterly fed up of the job

Have you looked at the ‘Life after teaching: Exit the classroom and thrive’ Facebook page?

Would you consider doing some supply work to supplement your new business? You can pick and choose hours and drop it entirely when you can.

We looked for a mentor for DS (he's in school but it was for out of school time through a tutor agency). They wanted £75/HR!

I tutor and you should be able to pick up plenty of private work, paying around £40-45 per hour, as well as perhaps working through an agency with EOTAS pupils. Join the Facebook groups Twinkl private tutors, Katie's tutor support UK and Grow your tutoring business into a full-time job for lots of supportive advice from others doing the same. I love tutoring, it's so rewarding. Almost all my pupils have ALN and it's so lovely seeing their progress and being able to tailor things to their interests and needs

It took me about a term to build up my clients to 15-18 each week. I earn roughly equivalent to 3-4 days a week of my teacher salary. I tutor 3 sessions after school each day, 3.45-6.45pm and have some daytime home ed children as well. Definitely get your pupils to come to your home, as this saves travel time and means you can fit more in. When I started I offered some Saturday sessions and these were extremely popular with families, so a good idea when starting out. I don't mind the evenings as our DC are Uni aged now - and I like having some time in the daytime to exercise, next friends, do my planning and admin etc. But I could do more daytime tutoring with home ed families if I preferred and drop and evening or two - word of mouth means I get lots of enquiries for that now.

Definitely get your pupils to come to your home, as this saves travel time and means you can fit more in.

If OP wants to work with DC who have EOTAS/EOTIS packages, insisting on this will cut down the number of potential clients. Some EOTAS packages (good ones) will cover travel time/costs too.

@everychildmatters I've just done exactly this! I work for agencies with SEND children out if school. Ask for £33 per hour at least! Could do a few hours tutoring after school too? Pm if you would like to chat.

@southchinasea One of the children is just 4 and being out of her home environment wouldn't work for her, so I will have to travel to see her (I don't mind doing that though).
The children I am working with as a rule will need the comfort and security of being at home as they have very significant SEND needs.

Yes the children who are EOTAS will be much more likely to need you to visit them at home. I was thinking more about if you supplement this work with some of your own independent clients. Which could help to give more income and security, especially when you first start out.

If you could offer yourself as a therapeutic tutor they charge more than a standard tutor.

It sounds like more parents are going for EOTIS and direct payments these days which could mean for you, cutting out the agency and being able to be paid more?

Those of you who are doing tutoring, can I ask what you’re doing about pension provision? Have you set up private pensions?

If the pp is right and you will be starting a counselling course next year, please tell the families you would be working with. Many children with SEN would find a transition so soon after starting to build a relationship too difficult. It would put me off, I’m afraid.

@BrightYellowTrain Not sure what you mean? My course is for one day pw from next September, extending to two in year 2. I am tutoring over the other three days so they would remain unaffected. The agency are aware of my plans and think it's fantastic that I'm going to be going for an MSc as this will further benefit the children I'm supporting ❤️

@Redlocks28 My husband is the main wage earner.

Obviously it isn’t relevant given your subsequent post, but I meant if the course would mean you won’t be able to continue the tuition or wouldn’t be able to continue at the same time, inform the families.

@BrightYellowTrain I would be doing it alongside - no way could I afford to not to work/reduce down my hours.

So...after much thought and sleeplessness I've decided that I can't risk leaving teaching to pursue my dream of tutoring; it's just too risky.
Zero pay in August, for example, is nor going to pay the rent and my husband's wage alone won't cover it.
I'm absolutely gutted, and I know I'm not going to be fulfilled or even happy keeping doing what I'm doing until retirement, but there's just no a way to make it work 😞
Thanks all for your advice and suggestions - much appreciated ❤️

Would you consider PA/mentor work?
That would continue year round. My DS has direct payments and is supposed to have 12 hours per week in the holidays (6 in term time) but we can't find anyone to do it. Good PAs for more emotional work (not physical care) are like hens teeth.

Good luck with it OP. I'm 30 years in and had enough too- secondary. No kids so probably a bit easier for me. Plan is to be TA or cover supervisor elsewhere.

I tutor as my main income and there is work available over the summer holidays. If anything I'm usually busier than ever during August. Some of my termtime families like to continue the learning routine over the summer and I pick up new families on top, who want booster sessions just for the holidays. I tutor Primary English and maths and almost all my pupils have ALN.

It may be worth taking a look at the Facebook groups I mentioned before, there are so many other ex teachers doing the same thing. I think many people are doing a mixture of private tutoring, working for themselves, in the evenings and agency work, eg working with international clients or EOTIS families in the daytimes. Tutoring is so rewarding, all the best bits of teaching without the politics of school!

I'm absolutely gutted, and I know I'm not going to be fulfilled or even happy keeping doing what I'm doing until retirement

I thought you said in one of your previous posts that you were retraining as a counsellor next year with a funded masters and that was your long-term plan?

I work as a specialist teacher with my local authority working with children out of school for medical reasons.

I teach 1:1 in their home, or community venues or help transition them back into their school.

It’s very rewarding, I’m paid as an ordinary teacher on UPS3 and have an SEN point.

@Redlocks28 Yes but that's pt. I have to earn a wage to pay the rent, bills etc.