Please help - I don't know what to do

[Machakos]

Been teaching for over 20 years and quite frankly have had enough. I'm tired of not sleeping properly (lying in bed worrying) and constantly feeling not good enough (have always got good in Ofsted and observations).

Now a TA job has come up in a local school which I would love. BUT interviews are in November, but obviously I would have to hand in my notice by the end of this coming week. And of course I may not get the job.

Trying to weigh up the pros and cons, but it is such a huge decision to give up teaching after all this time.

If you handed in your notice and didn't get the job, do you have savings etc so that you could keep going while you kept looking for other jobs? And can you afford the drop in income from teacher to TA?

Yes, I am in the very fortunate position where the mortgage has been paid off and DH has a secure wage.

I should go for it, shouldn't I?

Yes! Go for it. If I didn't have mortgage that's exactly what I would do.

I have been doing doing part time supply for almost 2 yrs now - best decision I ever made! I have my life back! Would that be an option for you?

I am in exactly the same position as you. 20+years teaching! all good and above grades even during OFSTED, but yesterday I had reached the conclusion, I can't and don't want to do this anymore; unrealistic expectations, school life all too consuming and I'm only part time.
I cried for most if the day and evening and DH told me to hand in notice next Friday. I have nothing to go to, but have decided a TA position is what I will look for.
I say go for it, as I am going to.

RinkyDinkyDoo that's it exactly. DH and I had the same conversation last week about how I couldn't do this anymore.

Then yes, you should absolutely go for it.

Go for it. If you don't get it you could always do day to day or sort term supply.

Yes, go for it. You are in the enviable position of not having to worry precisely how much £ you bring home. Give it a go, if you get it and love it great, if you don't get it you have the luxury of time to look for something else and if you get it and hate it, you can look for another job - whether that's as a teacher, a TA, home tutoring or anything else you fancy doing.

It is so very sad when good teachers get burnt out and of course the rest of us want you all to stay!! However, you only have one life and you have to do what's right for you.

Please though, do let the rest of us know what we can do, to influence govt, to make teaching something you would still want to do.

We can't carry on with all the good teachers ending up feeling this way - things have to change.

Go for it : )

I just do supply,seems to be plenty of work around. Most of the experienced and excellent teachers I used to work with have left the profession,the ones who have stayed are just consumed by school.

It's wonderful to have weekends and evenings back.Who knows what you'll end up doing? TA, ed psychologist,mentor,run your own business,tutor,run children's work shops,study,teach a completely different sector of people,run training courses... no end to what a teacher can do!

Don't hand in your notice.

Go for the job and if they ask about it, say you would talk to your current employers to renegotiate the notice period if offered the job. Normally, your current employers would be understanding and give you a shortened notice period but as you cannot guarentee this, you man have so start a little later than the new school would like.

The new school is likely to respect and like your honesty and be prepared to wait an extra week or two to get an experienced teacher as a TA, if that is what they want.

In industry this scenario happens all the time. Everything is negotiable, especially notice periods. Gettung the right person is far more important that their exact start date.

I don't know if that would work in teaching though, YeGods. I thought I had to hand in my notice by 31 October in order to leave 31 December.

They cannot force you to continue to go in for work if you are due to start work on, say, November 31st and you don't get a job offer and give notice until October 31st. This is why supply staff are so essential.

Think about it; there could be 100 people who go for each job in education. How whould it be if everyone gave in their notice on applying for a job? It would break the system!

I agree - don't resign but do apply. If you get it, you can negotiate a start date with both schools. Your new school should be prepared to wait if needed and appreciate your loyalty to your current school. Good luck!

But usually for teaching job yegods the system is designed for that not to happen - ie any teaching jobs for a January start will have already been filled to allow people to resign by Friday. The op is different because she's going from a teaching to a non-teaching post.

OP - I'd resign and see what happens!

I did it several years ago now. I left secondary teaching with no job to go to. I'd teach the end of my tether and it was making me ill. So, after a lot if thought include here on MN, I handed my notice in. Luckily dh has a good job and we knew we could cope.

I did find another job before my notice period actually finished. I went to teach in prison ed.

I have since left that - after a couple of years. Was only ever intended to be short term. I did so e primary school voluntary experience and applied for a primary school TA job and got it. Been there for abt 5 years now as a HLTA and lead a subject. I love it. I work hard and still do work outside of school hours but I have more flexibility and less of the tracker type paperwork. It's not without stress but I really do enjoy it. To the point where I've even considered returning to teaching again but only ever in primary.

Look for PPA posts. They're lovely! I am SO HAPPY to be a PPA teacher.

I'm a governor.

Lots of times we negotiate shortened notice periods, it is not uncommon.

Especially true when the leaving teacher is either (a) unhappy in their role or (b) Poorly performing.

It is often better for the pupils (pupils will always come first) to have a teacher who wants to leave gone and supply/cover in place rather than keeping a teacher on the payroll when they don't want to be there, simply because of policy.

Apply for the TA role. If you get it the new school will understand the teaching notice period. But say you will ask to be released from contact early.

If successful speak to the Head and perhaps write to the governing body. Explain how unhappy you are in your post and ask if you can be released early to finish at Christmas.

The worse they can say is no and you have to ask the new school to wait a bit.

I agree; supply, PPA, TA job. All better than staying as a class teacher when you've had enough.

I would love to be a PPA teacher!

I left nearly a year ago. NO regrets, at all! Occasionally (like today), I read the posts on this board to remind myself how bad it was/still is!!

I lucked out. Part time PPA only. I sometimes do extra days if someone is sick. No stress, and I get to do all the creative stuff like art / DT because it's mostly left for the PPA. A lot of RE as well, and history and geography. And then on my full days, the gist of the literacy and maths are left for me by the class teacher. It is heaven! Scour for the posts, they do come up but are more common in small schools where SMT still teach and have classes to cover that need consistency and a full day PPA to cover.

Doubly jealous now!