Anyone ever walked out of a job....literally walked out?

[nocontactforevermore]

I posted a thread on AIBU a few weeks ago and fb eh suggested asking on here as well. I have been in a temp post 6 weeks approx. Its part time, an academy and basically awful. In the briefest terms, the dept is a mess, kids are wild, and have embarked on an almost predicable witch hunt against me because they are disillusioned, fed up etc. The kids seem to rule the school, calling me foul names etc. Line manager tries to support, takes naughtiest out etc, but it's truly awful. No books, little ICT equipment, kids wee even studying wrong exam board. It's dreadful.

I want out. Union just said 'check their terms and conditions to see when you can leave/read the behaviour policy etc. useless.

Trouble is, I don't even want to go back Monday. I feel ill already and I'm only part time. I literally cannot face it.
I've had an 11 year unbroken career before this and took this jib so I could be in a less stressful role. I was a middle manager before this with a successful track record. I'm an idiot.

yes, but not education, in an IT company.
I don't regret it for a minute. I went home and worked out my notice at home (it was a bit pointless really, but they were good enough to pay me til end of the month. There were no consequences - the company was sorry and very surprised. I was hugely relieved. We were all very reasonable about it.

I'd only been there about 5 weeks I think.

Have you got a written contract with T&C? You know the usual thing in state schools is that you can resign in half term and leave at Easter, but I haven't a clue about academies.
If you do walk out/not show up on Monday, it may impact on future employment, so if you can't face it get a doctor's appointment and ask for time off for stress. Horrible position to be in, but feeling an idiot won't help, you need to focus on escape.

Yes. But I did it very early before I met clients, the commission had been paid to the rc and they have invested any time at all in training and meetings with senior people.

Not a teacher I should add.

I have. It wasn't my finest hour and I then 'erased' it from my CV.
I'd taken a full time role on as my youngest started school. Literally dropped him off and went into my new school for an inset day. When I went to collect him he was fine but I realised that I'd not manage to ever collect him on time and that the 3dcs would have to go into before and after school care once my new school was on normal timetable. That night I worked out the sums, went in and taught the morning (very badly) and left before the end of the day- I had a free last thing.
I went into the heads office and said, 'I'm sorry, I've bitten off more than I can chew and I can't do this.' He was lovely and I walked out!

You say temp post. Are you employed by the school or agency? How long do you have left if you have a contract?

I remember your previous thread. If things haven't improved and it's affecting your wellbeing, then go. They have massively screwed you over, it wasn't what you signed up for, and any future employer will understand that. Given how you were feeling at the beginning of the month, I'm incredibly impressed you've stuck it out this long.

From a legal perspective though, getting signed off for stress seems like a sensible (and valid!) first step.

The alternative would have been doing as Mothra suggests which you need to do to claim unemployment benefit, or want to stay in teaching. I didn't and we soon after emigrated and I changed industry.
I think your best way forward is via the union. The job you're doing and the conditions are so not what you were led to expect that you should be able to negotiate an earlier leaving.

Thanks all. I've contacted the union, they were utterly useless. It was my first time contacting them in 11 years and have paid bloody subs all that time! They literally told me to read the behavioural policy and ask the school what they were going to do. They then told me to ask for a copy of my contract (I signed the original and gave it back so have no idea what the conditions are for leaving). I simply don't want to go in there causing ructions, asking for the resignation policy, the behaviour policy or whatever. I can't face it.

I was called a 'cunt' today by a kid, and she proceeded to film me as I shouted at her. She then had the audacity to take the video to the deputy head and make a complaint. The head said I seem to be having a problem establishing a rapport with the kids. For real.

Does that sound like someone who will take kindly to me asking for their policy's on xyz?

Doesn't sound like the NUT's advice line, try them if you aren't a member, and say that if they are any good, you'll swap unions!

Aren't the policies available on their website? Or on the school system, without having to ask anyone?

Gosh rambling now but I am so reluctant to go down the stress route. I've been there a matter of weeks, will feel hugely guilty to take the money and not be there. I will also worry incessantly about it showing up on a future reference. I would LOVE to drop this hell hole from my CV. I worked for a very good school before this and know they will give me a good ref if ONLY I didn't have to mention this hell hole. I can't though, can I? Future employers want your last place of work and I would probably not even be able to work in the borough if I just walked:/ Could I?

Yeah I went onto the system just now looking for the policies and can't find them but will try again now, I'm just wound up. I also know I need to try the union again.

Get your GP's support, it's incredibly common now in teaching.
If you do just walk, then yes, the school can put whatever spin it likes on your going. Can you last out until Easter?

I guess I could last til Easter but I think I would still end up with a bad ref for walking out before the summer

Can you ask another, friendly member of staff to help you locate the policies?
They should really be easily accessible to everyone, including parents.

I feel as though I'm doomed already. There is also another temp teacher there who is having a terrible time. They don't seen to care. I feel damned if I stay on and damned if I walk.

If you can last until Easter, resigning at half term, there is nothing they can do. That would be my choice, if I felt my sanity and temper would hold out.

You are not doomed, you are tunnelling and planning your escape!
Freedom is a few steps away, don't despair.

Does it matter if asking for the policy causes ructions? You're not doing it to hurt the school, you're just politely saying you plan to leave and finding out when you'll be able to do so.
If you need to work some notice just take it all slowly, provide lots of wordsearches and activities that keep the kids calmer.

Sounds absolutely horrific.

You need to remember that it's your life. You don't owe anyone anything. If you keep going at something which you hate and is making you ill, you won't get that time back.

Can you be signed off?

This is such a problem in teaching and the government refuses to acknowledge it. The teacher bashing media and public don't make it any better.

Surely other staff must feel as you do, in which case the school must have a high staff turnover, which speaks for itself.

As far as your CV is concerned, can you not say that the ethos of the school simply didn't match your values, so you left after time?

Thank moth, you're kind.

I honestly don't know if I can last. I know they are going to bollock me for shouting at this kid and imply I have no relationships with the kids. This is par for the course when a school knows it's shit. I absolutely know they will pin it on me and it's gonna take everything I have not to blow my lid and tell them the place is a mess. (It is)

I hate that teachers are subject to conditions that others are not. The abuse is awful....being made to stay in it for a terms notice is worse again.

Fuck guilty. Get out of there.