4 months from finishing teaching degree and already exhausted..

[avocadosarentmiddleclassed]

I am so exhausted at even the prospect of my NQT year this September... All the planning, givernment pressure, marking, time consuming resourse gathering, the expanding nature of it as a job. My degree has been long and hard and I'm so worried when I hear teachers talking about that knot of fear in their stomachs. Life's so short I can't justify being a stress ball for all of it. Please someone reassure me!

So sorry, but I can't reassure you. The pressure had become intolerable for me. I had that knot of anxiety in my chest permanently. I resigned last term after twenty four years and it's as though a weight has lifted from me.

I can't reassure you either. It can be great and very rewarding BUT unfortunately the expectations are unrealistic and it is impossible to do everything expected of you properly (if you want to also eat, sleep, have a family life etc)

Hopefully I will be slightly more reassuring but I do completely understand the first 2 responses ( and at times, would post similar).

Expectations are unbelievable, unrealistic and all consuming. You can never do enough and the 'tasks to be completed' list only ever gets longer. Criticism is much more prevalent than praise and comments about the hours worked/holidays etc will wear you down.

BUT

I LOVE MY JOB! It is hard, heartbreaking and demoralising at times but, ultimately (for me) it is the most exciting, fulfilling and rewarding job I can imagine.

The school, the head and your colleagues are crucial to whether the good days outnumber the bad. Choose your school as wisely as you can - it can make the difference between surviving or not.

How I think/ work - this works for me so may help.

Remember, ultimately, it is just a job. It is not you or your life; just a part of it.

Recognise you will work ridiculous hours during termtime and a chunk of time at w/e and in holidays, esp in your first couple of years. I work 7:30 to 6 Mon to Fri at school with a brief break for lunch and occasionally at w/e even now. During most week-long holidays, I do a full day in school and between 2 and 5 days in other holidays.

Be ruthless. Prioritise what needs doing - balance out the scariest demands with the tasks that will make you most effective with your classes - sadly these are not always the same.
Organise the time you have to complete these tasks and stick to it. This is hard but the bit that helps me the most. When I've used up all my allocated work time, I stop. What isn't done then, doesn't get done then.

Let colleagues support you with kind words, ideas, resources Tec. Be quick to support them back.

Be organised - files, folders, memory pen etc. Devise a naming/filing system than works for you and use it rigorously. Back up regularly. Try to deal with requests/demands as soon as you read/receive them. You look in control and you don't have to remember it later. Have a box (mine is large!) that you can put (hide) paperwork in when you start to drown under paper. Sort it at least once a month. Most important stuff will have been chased up or re-sent but I find it satisfying to action/ file/shred en masse every so often. Don't be a slave to your email. Check it daily and deal with it then. Check once at the w/e and once a week in holidays.

Develop some stock phrases you can say when asked to do something else that you just don't have time to do or ways to ask for help. These will depend on your personality and the school but I use " I can if someone else takes on X" and "No, that isn't possible" a lot!

Maintain your relationships, your health, your outside of school life by being ruthless (as above), organised and 'selfish' - you are a better teacher if you are sane, healthy and happy!

That's very long and does read more negatively than I intended but I mean it to reassure. As I say, I love my job. Like every teacher I know, I work bloody hard and stupidly long hours at times but I trade it off in my head because I earn significantly more than the majority of my working-class family could have envisaged; I do have more holiday days than the majority of my non-teaching uni friends and my day to day time with my class brings me an amazing sense of personal satisfaction.

Hope that helps, avocado

Sorry -,forgot to say ...
I am single with supportive (equally busy!) partner, friends and extended family. I have no children and am not sure my way is doable with young children.
I work in a largish RI junior school where I am deputy head, Lit Co-Ord and one of the Y6 teachers. I have a good head which is crucial, fabulous colleagues who I couldn't do without and a great bunch of kids who I love being with.

Great post PicInAttic.

I second all of it.

Dp works in retail, so over te Christmas holidays has had about 6 days off in total- including weekends. I realise how lucky I am that my job means I have had 2 weeks off with dd.

Not at all saying I solely do the job for the holidays- before I get jumped on, but that was definitely a perk.

Sorry-not a lot of reassurance here.

I wanted to be a teacher since I was tiny-in infant school probably; I've never wanted to do anything else, despite my very academic school trying to persuade me to do medicine or dentistry.

I loved the first 5 years, maybe 10, but the job is now indistinguishable from when I trained 18 years ago and I hate it. I love the children and I love the teaching but that is now such a small part of what I do. In fact, there is so much in the way of pointless things, that I almost want to get the teaching day over and done with, so I can get on with the 'real' work-the bit that SMT are concerned with-the paper pushing. I hate feeling like that about my class.

It's now paperwork, collecting evidence, more paperwork, marking in a way that takes hours and hours but benefits nobody but Ofsted, justifying why James (whose dad died) and Amy (who was taken into care) didn't quite make 3 fine grades this year and knowing that will probably be enough for me to not met my PMR targets this year.

On top of that, it's trying to implement individual education plans for the 8 children with additional needs, assessing constantly, planning takes about 2 hours a week just for maths-let alone every other subject that we need to teach.

I hate the lack of support from SMT. If a child kicks off it is strongly implied that the teacher is to blame. Observations, learning walks, drop-ins, book scrutinites-all looking for criticism and negativity. Very rarely, do you hear anything positive.

The New Curriculum, changing the levels completely (notice they have not been scrapped anywhere I know!) and the changes in SEN mean that we simply don't know which way it up this year.

I hate it. I'm planning my escape; it's making me miserable and I can't stand it. I'd rather have 4 weeks holiday and work anywhere else. The holidays are the only plus side. If they go, I'd reseign tomorrow, with no job to go to.

I wish I'd had a crystal ball to see what this job was going to become; I'd never have touched it with a barge pole and it makes me want to cry to say that :(

Just qualified and not intending to do NQT year for a while, if ever when I see how fab teachers (I observe them and they really are fab!) simply don't have time to enjoy the children which seem to be 'data' to SLT

Great post by picinattic.
I have young children and that is what makes the difference. I really enjoyed teaching before I had my own family. It's impossible IME to juggle teaching and family life with young children and no local family support for me.

I am going part time. It is about time my children, their growth and development, their welfare and their education comes first.

I realised working full time wasn't benefiting anyone I care about. The only ones benefiting are the government in their increasing drive to raise attainment for political purpose at the expense of children's mental health, wellbeing, family time and going against child development (rushing children's attainment beyond what is developmentally expected of them - 11 year olds expected to achieve level 6 which is roughly expected attainment of a 14 year old just because they achieved level 3 at Y2).

It might sound harsh, but whilst education is important to me, I would be stupid and ignorant to continue working all Gods hours at the expense of my own flesh and blood.

It feels like teachers are just fodder, with more and more life and vitality being sucked out of them until there's nothing left and they're on the scrap heap with a 21 year old, bright and bushy-tailed, waiting to take their place. Only the same thing will happen to them and the cycle just keeps on going.

Why anyone is doing teacher training now, I just don't know? It seems so obvious to every teacher I know, how awful it's got :(

So many teachers I know have left in the last 2 years. Fantastic, young, inspirational and dynamic teachers-walking out, totally sick of it.

It's the teachers, their marriage and children that pay the price of the government's interference and insane strategies.

Thanks so much for all of these responses they have helped me put it in perspective.
I haven't got children yet though I do have a step daughter.
I think what I'll do it get my NQT year done and in the bag then start my own family maybe go back part time in the future, I thought teaching would be great for family life and maybe it will in some ways but what about my heath and well- being I'm starting to think it's a job for 'type A' personalities and I can't see myself every being that!

Teaching is a terrible job for family life! You get the holidays off to spend with your children obviously but they suffer all term time and with schools having more flexibility over setting their own holidays, unless you work in the same school as them, you might not even be off at the same time!

I'm a mature pgce-er who qualified last year and got a perm job early in my course (secondary). By the time I was at your point, I too was exhausted and dreading the nqt year. Although my new school was tremendously supportive and the kids were great, I just felt I had taken too much on, too soon. In retrospect, a part time position may have been a better choice, but, as you say, the job suits some personality types more than others (i like to be perfectly prepared and have an end in sight to my 'to do' list, or I worry insanely). I left my nqt job 2 months in and am in schools in a different capacity now, which doesn't pay as well but I still get to work with an amazing team, brilliant kids and don't have any of the million and one stresses of every ft teacher I've come across. In fact, I genuinely don't know how teachers aren't all quivering nut-jobs!
The advice given is absolutely brilliant, but it depends on what you can stress you can tolerate, indeed, if you want to tolerate stress at all. If you continue, take your time choosing a school, if possible consider pt/ft and most importantly, if you try it and it's really not for you there are lots of roles in schools you can apply for and you now have recent experince too!
Good luck, whatever you decide xx

'In fact, I genuinely don't know how teachers aren't all quivering nut-jobs! '

Most FT teachers are, especially in primary.

nut-jobs, yes, that's right. Husband is on school direct and the nastiness/bitchiness he is being subjected to is unbelievable. Constant undermining of his current skills, his previous job, setting him the wrong tasks to trip him up, bullying emails received at the weekend etc etc... i know these people are under pressure but that's not a reason to abandon all dignity.

All this to say, choose your school carefully. TAs are a good source of information.

Good luck!

Is he reporting the unprofessional behaviour?
I hope so, to the SLT at the school and to his mentors (Or whatever Schools Direct have)

Schools Direct has nothing in place, it seems. We know that from someone else who's tried.

Don't want to hijack this thread but just wanted to warn other Schools Direct/nqts to really do their research thoroughly before committing to a school. It's probably worse for Schools Direct people, who are considered the lowest of the low so don't be too scared, OP!

We have Schools Direct students in our school. We really look after them and help them. No bullying or criticism. I just cannot imagine how it must be for your husband

Let me tell you all it is NOT a fun time to be on SLT either. The pressure on them is immense too. If the teachers you line manage are not doing the million ludicrous things they 'should' be to consistently be 'good' or 'outstanding' then YOU face competency. You basically have to ruin their lives to save your own arse. I did it for a year, went off sick with stress and stepped down from SLT when I went back. Never again- not unless things drastically change.

Please don't think SLT are all sociopaths who enjoy the way things have become.

Agree about School Direct. I saw awful situations last year when I did it - prepared a dossier of complaint to the Uni ( who took the fees but did not form of quality assurance) - then got bullied and threatened by the Uni, that by questioning them I was in breach of Standard 8 ( professional behaviour), they recommended that I did not take it further. They are the ones who signed off the standards... So I didn't pursue it - effectively I caved into their blackmail. So I do not recommend School Direct - it is still the Wild West - hopefully if it exists in a few years it will only be proper providers, not those Unis who think they can get he dosh without providing any actual training.

We're having the opposite problem: uni's great but school's piss poor. They want him to do the job of a teacher without having to mentor him/train him. It could be a great scheme like orangesanddemons' post shows. It's just pot luck with school/mentor/uni.

Thanks for your posts! And yes, I know that lots of you out there are doing a great job in difficult circumstances!

I know that a lot of people here will disagree with me, but I'm actually finding my NQT year a lot less stressful than I found my PGDE year. There's not as much every day pressure because you aren't being observed all the time by your mentor teacher. You do get observed a lot but it's nice to be in your own classroom with your own kids and you have a lot more ownership over what you're doing. But then again, I think that the teaching culture in Scotland is much healthier than it is in England.

Yes-I've heard that things are very different in teaching between Scotland and England.

I think Ireland is also different.
In fact, it would be interesting to have more info about how teaching/learning is in other countries. I follow a French website for teachers and they have many but different pressures and stresses to us - you'd think policy makers could look at best practice around the world and how it could improves quality of life and outcomes ( and not just quote Finland at us all the time!)

It won't get any easier, I'm afraid.
I have 13 years of teaching behind me. I Do love my job, and the kids, but I can't stand the poor management and the competition and the constant stress. I can't sleep. I want to die today.