Teachers... Do you like your job?

[CherryBomb87]

Do you love every day or do you cry in a cupboard at lunch? Are you primary or secondary? What subject do you teach?

I'm about to start my maths degree so I can teach. Would love some honest feedback (I've done a number of experience days but I feel like they're a bit biased ! 😂)

TIA

Early Years teacher and SLT
I love it.
Been teaching 10 years.
My family will ALWAYS come first and I think I have a realistic view of how much work I can physically do. Maybe that's what makes it for me, the realistic attitude and acceptance that I can only do my best with the hours in the day.

I loved the actual teaching and working on my classroom practice.

I loathed the increasing demands and pressure.

Add to that the politics, the denigration of teachers who didn't want to climb the greasy pole, the pressure on UPS teachers as well as the decreasing budgets, rhetoric from Whitehall and the media and it just became toxic

i left, after 20 years. I am just discovering now the joy of the so-called "real world" and getting my life and mental health back.

It's the best job in the world and yet one which will drain you unless you are very, very disciplined.

I love being a teacher (20 years and still going strong) but I am not sure that I’d recommend starting now. A number of the ECTs that I work with are having to take on second jobs to help pay their (extortionate) rents.
Maths teaching is a tough gig - I teach humanities / social sciences - as there’s less to hang the material from. I am aware that could be my bias rather than the reality - but I suspect there’s a reason that so many maths teachers are leaving teaching.

It’s an incredibly rewarding job. It has its ups and downs. I have periods when I think I should quit, but I love it way too much.

Not me, but one of my daughters is in her first year as a teacher. She teaches 6th formers only: psychology and sociology A levels and she has a year 12 tutor group.

Obviously it's early days but she absolutely loves it.

Loved being a classroom teacher both in secondary and primary.

Really loved being an assistant head for teaching and learning.

Being a head is the most boring job ever! It’s endless cleaning up mess and doing stuff that nobody else wants to do.

monthly legionella test anyone???!! I can hardly hide my excitement.

Secondary,middle leader in a school with high levels of disadvantage, 11 years in. Currently on mat leave with first kid. Enjoyed probably the first 8 years, since Covid it's been awful. Dreading going back and trying to balance the job with a baby. Looking out for opportunities but feeling stuck cos can't match the salary outside teaching. Tips welcome😂

Secondary science, 23 years in. Love being in the classroom but it gets harder each year fulfilling expectations with limited time and resources and photocopiers that constantly bloody jam.

@thatsn0tmyname photocopier all need to be sent into space as a warning to all uncooperative tech. Teaching 20+ years. Love the classroom. Love the kids (I don't know if anyone who isn't teacher understands the degree to which you feel a particular kind of in loco parents love). Love my subject (maths). Hate stupid pointless meetings and irrelevant expectations from Dept of Ed (Ireland), management and some parents. The kids are worth it though.

As per every one of these regular threads.

Loved the teaching, the children, seeing the progress, building the relationships, problem solving, but hated pretty much everything else in the end. Micromanagement, behaviour, rudeness, SLT, bullying from SLT, excessive marking, book looks and observations framed as learning walks. Paperwork. Pointless meetings. Crap training. Classes of 35. Lack of support. Removal of staff rooms ....Above all the lack of inclusion for SEMH/SEND - they are being lost in the system as teachers don't have the time for individual care with everything else they have to do
..........and I'll add OFSTED and how they come in with their own moving goalposts rather than ever being willing to look at a school with an open mind ....... the absolute tragedy of the politics of stuffing all the children with the most significant and complex needs into mainstream schools and just expecting teachers to somehow 'get on with it' ........ the 'entitlement' of a minority of parents who take up the majority of time ...... the loss of trust in the teacher's skills and knowledge of learning ......... the curriculum now being all about teaching dc to pass the next exam / assessment' rather than learning to learn / follow interests / investigate / be creative / problem solve / etc.

Fair to say some schools are less bad than others.

Secondary, Art teacher, 12 ish years in

Previous job in state school - horrendous, regularly cried in the cupboard/all the way home in the car. Made me ill. Almost quit teaching altogether - mainly because of student behaviour, unsupportive SLT, blame culture, foster pressure and bullying by HoD

Current job in independent school - love it. It's not perfect, and still can be stressful but none of the above applies. I am actually trusted as a professional again and have a support network.

Teaching is an amazing ticket to see the world! Once you are qualified, you can put a pin in a map and find international schools in that country. I'm primary, and left the UK a decade ago as teaching was dreadfully high pressure.

I've lived in various countries teaching in international schools. The pressure is lower and you get to travel and have fun. We have colleagues who work in a school on the carribean now!

I would never teach in England ever again though.

I’ve been teaching a secondary core subject for over 15 years. It’s exhausting for all the reasons people have mentioned but I love it and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I love the challenge of trying to engage students and having an impact on the lives of young people.

Secondary, HoD of a small essay subject, 30 years in.

As per PP; love the teaching, especially at A-level.

Even in independent sector, I don't like the shift from "collegial" to "corporate" under new SLT. Or the loutish behaviour from the younger kids. Or the endless paperwork.

If I could just turn up, teach, and go home, it would be fantastic! But, as it is, I'm counting the years until retirement.

A slightly different perspective, OP. Until last year I was a Higher Level TA, essentially an unqualified teacher. I have a degree but wanted to test the waters before gaining my QTS. Had always had an eye on teaching but something always held me back.
I’m glad I did it, after all covering teachers arguably affords you the best part of the job - teaching, without the bullshit and only a little less £ than an NQT. But I left because of bullying SLT, parents complaints, behaviour etc. Plus, I saw my teacher colleagues on their knees and knew I could never commit fully. I returned to my previous profession with a healthy dose of gratitude that my current complaining colleagues haven’t a clue what a hard day at work is like!

Thank you all for your messages, there's definitely a common theme emerging!

For my part I've already done my time in corporate and experienced that world so it's time for a change. I do have two young children who will be starting school when I start my ITT - my husband is very supportive though and should be able to do a lot of the heavy lifting while I get settled. I can't this year but I'll try and get a TA role while I study next year. This year this kids are too young and I'd fail at both.

Thank you again, this is incredibly helpful.

Primary teacher. I actually have really good hours now and I do think it depends on the borough you work in in London.
Monday 7:45 to 4:30
Tuesday 7:45 to 4:30
Wednesdays 8am to 4:45
Thursday 7:45 to 3:40
Friday 7:45 to 3:40

I roughly do this give or take. Do not take work home - never work weekends and maybe do a couple of days work in holiday to have an advance start on the next half term not because I have to catch up with past work. I am considered to be a very good teacher by the school I’m currently in.

I have worked in London, abroad three times and done state and private and supply. I have worked in other boroughs in London and can definitely say the borough I’m in by far is the best in terms of workload.

Therefore I actually really like my job and really like my current class.
My advice would be to pick your school carefully.