Decision made - I NEED to leave

[BobPatSamandIgglePiggle]

After 13 years in teaching I've finally admitted that I need to leave. I've taught across a massive range of ages and abilities and I used to love it.

I feel that the passion, enthusiasm and, to be honest, interest has gone. I hate it.

It's making me anxious and ill. I never get any quality time with ds. I hate it.

I am handing my notice in at Easter whether I have another job or not.

This will affect everything - ds' nursery - everything. I'm terrified but I honestly can't cope any longer in this awful, awful 'profession'

Not sure why I'm posting - maybe tp make it feel more real?

That's already happened in FE -massive restructures, lots of lecturer colleagues downgraded to tutor roles. Massive paycuts... colleges running on low paid or under qualified staff amd the odd lecturer for whom the workload is suffocating. ..

I left last year with no job to go to, after 20 years. I never ever thought I wouldn't be a teacher...loved it, it was truly my vocation. But the stress really made me unwell, very depressed and anxious.

Currently not working, I am being a SAHP. I feel like I have no confidence to try anything new...TBH the job knocked the stuffing out of me. Even though I was very senior and 'successful' to anyone looking on.

Hope it works out for you all.

I really need a different job. I'm looking at family support worker roles and even though It's a drop in pay I dont think I'm qualified enough! It would be stressful in other ways.

I've looked at ed psych training too but I can'tbsee how I'd make that work.

I've got 2 good degrees and just feel lost.

someone should send Gove all of these kinds of threads. There seems to be so many of them at the moment

I was chatting with a teacher friend and there's no way I want to return. She spends more time planning and assessing the class than teaching it. It's all so pointless and counter to what I want to do as a teacher!

Westmorlandsausage - i couldn't agree more - ive experience of teaching in FE as a supply lecturer, it resulted in me having a nervous breakdown :( I was told i cared too much When i read these threads i know i made the right decision not to persue teaching as a career. But well, it could just be me, not cut out for the job - but this isn't what bothers me, what bothers and scares me is my DD's education. Good teachers are leaving in droves, the ones that are staying are the ones that play the ofsted game and the professional box tickers - its heart breaking.

I did the same 2 years ago after 11 years. Best thing ever.

Now I'm teaching some basic adult literacy classes, tutoring and marking GCSEs. I do both school runs every day. I'm there after school. I'm happier.

DH said to me last night that it's funny that I tell him how much I'm loving my literacy job in a surprised voice. But I'd forgotten that you don't have to hate your job.

Good luck OP.

Im doing some adult Ed at the moment but really need a proper paying job that can support a family. I'd love a "mum" job and it seems others in adult ed are all pocket money people at our one. I don't mind retaining. Would like to use brain. Doesn't have to be a people job. I just don't know what and feel frozen with indecision.teaching isn't it anymore though.

I left without a job to go to and my only regret is not doing it sooner. I took a few months off to recover my health. Then I did supply and to my surprise I enjoyed it. I now have a temporary post in a school but not whole class teaching and I really feel I have got my love of teaching back. More importantly I am healthy.

Completely agree with NoEgowoman. I've been teaching since 2000 and have always been good at what I do - until the last couple of years it seems. I believe a large part of the problem is the current constant 'Ofsted' grading of lessons by whoever fancies walking in unannounced. Constructive feedback is fine, but being given a 'grade' which is often incredibly subjective and often given by someone who has zero knowledge of your subject (and who often teaches only a handful of lessons a fortnight) can shatter a teacher's confidence. I, like so many other teachers, love the interaction with students and the buzz I get when they make great progress or are excited by my subject. But I am so worn down by the workload, the pressure from above and the feeling that nothing is ever good enough, that I'm putting plans in place to leave within the next year. Hope to continue working with young people in some capacity.
I have never known so many experienced teachers to be leaving the profession entirely - it is scandalous.

Hi looking for some advice. I am a student teacher (English) and have been been criticised by my mentor for not knowing enough about the subject and the curriculum. I have asked for any department information etc that outlines what skills need to be taught etc but have been told to just look on the English shared IT area and adapt the resources etc. The school's policy is that the class teacher sits in on my lessons and because I don't seem to know what I am doing I am becoming really anxious while the teacher looks on. I feel that I haven't a clue what I am doing and everyone else on my course (seems) to be writing units etc without any problems. Sorry for the moany rant.

goingforadook maybe best to start a specific thread for this?
Are you doing a PGCE? Is this your first or second placement? Your university tutor ought to be your fist port of call here if you are having difficulty with the school mentor.

Sorry, this is only the second time I have posted a message so still learning the ropes. I thought by adding a message meant starting a new thread. Bit stressed at the moment so not thinking straight. Btw it is my second placement. Just feel like all the other students on my course know what they are doing (in terms of making up units etc) and I still don't quite know what I am supposed to be teaching in terms of the course. Anyway will start a new thread. Thanks

driftingoff I can empathise with everything you say. But can you explain why you're still looking at the staffroom on mumsnet?

I hope I'm not going to do that when I retire (early!) in September, but have a horrible feeling that I will!

iPadquietly - I don't know why I still sometimes have a peek on here. I still feel like a teacher, I suppose. I still do loads of exam marking, and when I do go back to work, I'll almost certainly do something education related, even if it's not teaching.

This particular post really struck a chord - I felt almost exactly the same this time last year, right down to the thing about my child going to nursery changing i.e. From nursery full-time, down to not needing to go at all - weird.
Maybe I'm still a work-in-progress on this SAHM thing!

This thread is woeful reading. My DP is doing PGCE primary atm and his last placement has left him feeling so deflated. The teachers were clearly miserable and the paperwork and box ticking is stopping them from doing their job properly and getting the best out of the children. Nothing was ever good enough.
I encouraged him to apply for the PGCE as its something he'd considered for a long time but needed a bit of a nudge to bite the bullet and go for it. Now I feel like I made a big mistake. He's so passionate about it but can already see that the current situation is going to make it very difficult for him to be the kind of teacher he wants to be. I fear for his career before its even started :(

It is woeful isn't it coldtea? Your DP may really like it, lots of people do, and I did for a long time. But I'd say that it's not a 'forever career' any more...it's too exhausting.

I just hope that the situation is reaching breaking point and things will turn around in the next few years.
I don't blame those of you who have made the decision to leave but I really hope that enough experienced teachers stick around. The thought of DD going through her school years being taught by new and young teachers in the most part does not fill me with confidence. That is not to say that new teachers cannot be great but they need the support of the more experienced staff. And who is going to train new teachers if too many experienced teachers leave? Inexperience guiding even greater inexperience, oh deary me :(

Good luck to all those who have decided to leave but I do hope that the option of returning one day isn't ruled out completely, your experience in the profession is so valuable even if your employers do not make you feel like it is worth much.

May I join the club?

I've been in the job since 1996. Progressed well up the ladder fairly quickly. Have been an Assistant Head in my current school for 8 years, I have always taught in London in many a challenging school. Got lots of skills under my belt. I actually really enjoy working in my school most of the time. So what's the problem?

We moved out of London nearly 3 years ago while I was on my second maternity leave. I didn't want to change jobs, so decided to commute. 3 hours a day minimum which is ok some days but can be a killer when the trains are all over the place. I work 4 days a week so that I have Friday at home with dd aged 3. But I'm always shattered and struggle to enjoy my time with her.

The big problem really is the impact on my health. I seem to pick up every bug going (like an NQT!) and am currently off sick with pneumonia. It started in the last week before half term, I struggled on and then as soon as the weekend rocked up, that was it. Will be off for at least one more week.

In the past 2 years I've been off with regular bouts of tonsillitis, depression and anxiety as well as time off when I lost my dad last year. Not counting the tummy bugs, colds etc that we all muddle on with.

But now I think I've had enough. Enough of barely seeing my own children during the week, enough of being ill and tired all the flipping time. Enough of jumping through every hoop at work to push children to meet targets that they are not actually ready for but we have got targets to meet. I've had enough of pushing children in Year 6 to be Level 5 when they have so many gaps at Level 4. But by goodness am I good at making sure they hit that Level 5 on the test. So now the pressure is in to turn the Level 5s into Level 6s when they are plainly not ready to be so.

I live in an affluent SE town that is pretty much the land of the home tutor. So the decision should be straight forward but it's not. My husband is a free lancer and the prospect of giving up the security of my job is very, very scary. Thank you so much if you have managed to read all of this rambling post. I know I need to leave. I am only 39, surely there are other options out there?!

Very interesting reading. I am a mature trainee, so now halfway thru my PGCE, secondary, not primary. And only today there were some teachers in the staffroom planning their escape route. But there are also a cohort of young keen teachers who are enjoying the job, working hard, and not assuming they will stay in the same job for 40 years and then retire. I spent many years in a tough industry, where long hours and unreasonable demands were similar to those I hear complained about in the staffroom - but without the holidays - which are a perk - nowhere else do you get those! So it is the same the world over - things have changed in all workplaces - my previous workplace was a doddle 20 years ago, now relentless pressure just like teaching. But maybe there is no such thing as a 'forever job' - perhaps wherever you are, 20 years is enough and then it is time to think of a change - teachers moving out, people from other industries moving in, and vice versa. And don't forget the holidays. I never hear teachers say they wpould trade the holidays for a pay rise...

I left FE after 12 years. I just burnt out.

Am much happier now working in educational tech in HE

I am going at Easter after 13 years too and when I gave notice had nothing in place. But now I have...in related field like so many others on here I felt nothing but relief.

Agree it's seems the only people staying are just young teachers without families who can afford to spend all of Sunday marking in their local Costa (as one young colleague of mine does), or the professional box tickers (who have an enabler at home doing all the childcare/house-running etc) or those so close to retirement they can just grin and bear it. Us mid to late 30s teacher-mums (especially lone parent teacher mums like me) have been chewed up and spat out by the system.

btw mrs young, I respect your new enthusiasm for teaching and good luck, but school holidays for teachers are not a perk but a necessity. You see we are dealing with these things called children who do this thing called getting tired and need to rest and recuperate. Comparisons with teaching and industry wind me up. Children are not part of an industrial process. They are emergent human beings who need inspiring by people who have passion, energy and delight in what they do. Not people who watch their every move and convert it into a fucking number. And to have teachers with passion, energy and delight you need to allow them to rest and recuperate just like the children. And obviously this isn't going to happen until one of us snaps and assassinates Gove and all his professional box ticking minions.

yy, no teacher would take a pay rise for shorter holidays because it's not physically possible to do this job without the holidays.

Have you thought of seeing occupational health about your stress?

Y