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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

Original poster

Do you want to/are you going to leave teaching?! What would you do instead?

91 replies

LauraPashley · 20/09/2012 21:29

I think it is a pipe dream but for the 1st time in 10yrs I am thinking I want out...but is there anything out there that pays roughly the same and would want an ex-teacher? Feeling stuck!! Am primary btw.

OP posts:
Whenisitmysleepytime · 21/09/2012 06:51

I'm leaving! :)

I will be a sahm for the first time ever! It pays about the same as my 0.4 job as all my wages currently get eaten by nursery. Hmm

I've been unhappy since I went PT when ds was born 3 years ago. the school has been one step above special measures for the last 5 so it hasn't been easy.

I have 5 weeks left and can't wait to finish! :)

Whenisitmysleepytime · 21/09/2012 06:52

Ps I saw your other thread about how the jobs making you feel. :(
Is it getting any better/ more bearable?

icepole · 21/09/2012 07:26

I think I want out. Love the subject and working with the pupils who enjoy it. Hate everything else, is soul destroying. Can't afford to get out yet, might also be that I need to try a different school.

Original poster
LauraPashley · 22/09/2012 19:51

Sorry for the delay, been trying to forget about school ha ha!

I think maybe a different class even in the same school might be enough of an improvement to get me through this year, but this lot are just unbearable and it is a loooooong time till summer.

Longer term, the job just seems to be getting less and less about teaching as the years go by! But are primary teachers employable elsewhere?!

Icepole how are the jobs where you are? They are scarce up here so I'm a bit nervous of trying to move!

OP posts:
icepole · 23/09/2012 11:19

Scarce for my subject so am trapped at the moment, really hoping something will come along soon. I dread most days now Sad. I enjoy the extra curricular stuff, I feel the pupils really learn then.

Teamthrills · 23/09/2012 11:26

I want out, but don't really know what to do :-(.

I've been pt for 5 yrs & now have 3 dc, so I'm finding life in general is pretty hectic & stressful at the moment.

Things are difficult at work & I spend most of my days off worrying about being there. I am considering supply work, but would only be available on certain days, so not sure how easy that would be.

Please help!!!

mycatoscar · 23/09/2012 16:25

I too would live to leave, I've been teaching for 10 years and part time at the moment - my head hates part timers and hates the fact I have priorities other than school in my life and makes my life really difficult.

I've just been made maths subject leader with no extra pay and have a feeling I'm bring set up to fail as maths will be thud focus for ofsyed next ting they come.

I feel constantly stressed and not even sure of I want to be a teacher anymore. I just can't think of anything I could do that would pay the same without retraining which we can't afford for me to do Sad

raininginbaltimore · 23/09/2012 17:44

I want out. I've been teaching 8 years now. I'm on ML at moment, but already dreading going back.

I'm secondary, HoD, no idea what else I could do though.

busyprocrastinating · 23/09/2012 18:55

Was going to start a similar thread. I'm really unhappy at my school at the minute. My head is the same with part timers mycatoscar and they have made it clear that we will all be on split days from now on. Was struggling on 3 full days but now it's spread over 4 I feel like I'm there all the time plus I'm paying childcare for 4. I'm secondary, also can't afford to retrain and my initial plan was to find a new school. However, no one wants to take on part timers and the longer I feel trapped my enthusiasm for the job as a whole is waning

Original poster
LauraPashley · 23/09/2012 23:36

Maybe my new career could be to start an agency that helps teachers get out of teaching Grin. Although I wouldn't be very good at it,as I don't have a clue what we could all do instead Sad.
I occasionally wonder if being part time is the problem, I feel constantly squeezed, effectively trying to do 5 days work in 3. But my days off are the only high point in my week, would be so loathe to give them up, would miss the Dcs too much. I simply can't imagine who else would hire me now!

OP posts:
tethersend · 23/09/2012 23:47

I sort of left- am still a teacher, but now an advisory teacher for children in care.

Getting out of the classroom was the right decision for me; it doesn't necessarily mean getting out of education altogether.

busyprocrastinating · 24/09/2012 20:27

I'm sure your agency would have plenty of clients Laura but you would need some ideas first Grin.

Tethersend that is exactly the kind of thing I want to do. I started off working in children's homes working with the young people in the education unit. I loved it but I'd got as far as I'd got without been qualified so left to do my pgce and have been in schools since. I want to stay in education but not in a classroom but just can't seem to find any opportunities

busyprocrastinating · 24/09/2012 20:28

Sorry that is meant to say as far as I could not as far as I'd got

busyprocrastinating · 24/09/2012 20:29

Re being part time I think you do have to squeeze a lot in but if I didn't have the time off I don't think I'd have the the time or energy to enjoy dd

scurryfunge · 24/09/2012 20:32

I left after 8 years. I was paying for full time child care for a part time wage due to crappy hours. I have been in my new career for 15 years and it was the best decision I ever made.

Gooseysgirl · 24/09/2012 20:40

I would love to get out too... Just went back after ML but am going to hold tight until I've finished having DCs as the ML deal is brilliant where I work (3 months full pay, 3 months half pay). Am so fed up of useless meetings, ridiculous paperwork etc and the constant teacher bashing in the media... I feel like there is hardly any respect left for the profession and the pay is rubbish unless you live in London or are willing to take on a leadership role (been there, done that, never again!!). I never went in to teaching to become a millionaire, and I know the hols are great but I spend mine recovering from each term!! I swear minding a newborn baby was about million times easier than being at work... And then there is Mr Wilshaw Angry don't get me started!! Rant over (I feel better now Grin

icepole · 25/09/2012 05:44

What do you do scurry?

scurryfunge · 25/09/2012 17:18

Police- the pay was lower to start with but has caught up. It can be difficult to do any sort of flexible working so I stayed full time throughout. Change of duties at short notice and long hours means child care can be stressful so back up plan is essential.

Original poster
LauraPashley · 25/09/2012 19:47

Handcuffs and a baton could be useful in my current class!

If I could afford the pay cut I think I'd quite like to be a TA. But there are no vacancies there either. A few of my college mates from my pgce now are climbing the promotion ladder, every single one of them is not enjoying it and general consensus is that it's not worth it.

Would anyone like to lend me a year's wages Grin?!

OP posts:
Teamthrills · 26/09/2012 22:45

I'd like to be a TA, but couldn't afford the pay cut either. I don't feel as though I'm particularly developing in my job - just keep plodding along...

Original poster
LauraPashley · 26/09/2012 23:05

Teamthrills I'm sure i am actually regressing!! Am slowly turning into one of these moaners in the staff room who is completely threatened by overly critical of the confident young upstarts coming in each year. New recruits I mean, not pupils!

OP posts:
sparkle9 · 26/09/2012 23:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IHeartKingThistle · 26/09/2012 23:34

I've just done it and I still can't believe I didn't have to go back after the holidays! 11 years, p/t for the last 5. P/t just didn't work for me - earning naff all and spread too thin both ways. And tbh, the education system has pretty much broken me. I've always been a teacher, I just AM a teacher, but the relief of being out of education, even temporarily, is extraordinary.

I'm going to be a SAHM for a couple of years, then reassess. In the meantime I'm going to be doing some proof-reading, a bit of tutoring, and if I need a bit of extra cash and can bear the idea, GCSE marking.

What I'd really love to do is create teaching resources and get paid for it. No idea how to get into that though.

How many good people is this profession going to lose? I've seen so many go.

(Goosey I need to know about Mr Wilshaw...)

IHeartKingThistle · 27/09/2012 22:22

Oh no I've killed the thread...

Whenisitmysleepytime · 27/09/2012 22:26

Think we're all jealous!

I'll be an ex-teacher in 4 weeks. 8 teaching days to go! Grin

We're relocating and this is the wrong time of year to look for a job. TBH tho I really don't want another teaching job. For the first time I'm happy with the idea of being a sahm because I know I can't give my family what they need AND meet all the demands of the job. Something's gotta give and it's not going to be my family!