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The staffroom

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

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Original poster

Does anyone NOT want to leave teaching?

50 replies

TaintedAngel · 28/01/2016 12:01

Just that, really.

I have my first PGDE interview next week, but reading the posts on MN has really made me doubt if going into teaching is a wise decision. I haven't read many positive posts about teaching - it all seems to be people running for the hills, or wishing they could get out, and discouraging people from getting in to teaching.

Are there many teachers on MN who don't want to get out? Would you encourage people into teaching? I'm in Scotland, if that makes a difference...

OP posts:

PurpleAlerts · 29/01/2016 13:52

I love my job but am not a class teacher.

I am a specialist teacher working in an enhanced provision in a mainstream primary school. Very busy and varied job (with nursery one minute and year 4 the next!) but I love it!

You have to be a class teacher for a few years before you take an additional 2 year course to train in my field but thankfully the 7 years I was a class teacher was before all the lunacy that class teachers have to do now.

I wouldn't be a class teacher for love nor money...

susannahmoodie · 29/01/2016 19:44

I love my job and don't plan to quit any time soon. I have just taken on a hOD role in a core subject in secondary and I am finding the workload harder but I'm not sure to what extent that is because I am getting used to a new school and new systems and faces (only been here 3.5 weeks!!). Before that I felt I had a good balance and that was working FT with 2 small dcs.

I do have a VERY hands on dh, family help, a short commute etc....so this all helps but I am also very efficient with my time, I can speed read which helps when marking and I am super organised. I am very keen to 'work smarter not harder' cheesy as it sounds and I definitely understand 'good enough'....I have seen perfectionist types burn out majorly over the last 9 years.....

GinandJag · 31/01/2016 15:28

I am very happy teaching.

I am in the private sector though.

The only way I could teach in state would be in short term contracts (block supply).

sashh · 01/02/2016 06:24

I have days I hate teaching but mostly I love it. I really like getting the 'naughty' ones to realise they can achieve and when you see something 'drop' it is the most rewarding thing in the world.

The petty paperwork, admin etc etc I could do without. I've been working supply for about 5 years so that is fairly minimal for me compared to other teachers.

ThenLaterWhenItGotDark · 01/02/2016 06:30

Me.

But I'm not in the UK.

I bloody love it.

Mine are mainly 14-17 yr olds. I'd run a thousand miles if I had to do primary. especially reading the parental angsty bollocks on MN

Fedup21 · 01/02/2016 08:32

I don't think there's anyone in my school that doesn't want to leave-it's all people talk about. If they have no realistic means to leave (most people stuck needing £X to pay the mortgage so can't afford to retrain) the conversation turns to the 'lucky' ones who can take maternity leave to escape for a bit or the even luckier-those near retirement age. There are also plenty of conversations In my staff room-only semi joking-about what injuries could be sustained to give you you 6 months off to just get away from the relentless workload.

chrome100 · 01/02/2016 12:28

Me.

I really like teaching. Yes, it's stressful but so are lots of other jobs I have had (I retrained later in life) and the holidays are fabulous. I get far more time to have my own life than I have in other roles.

chrome100 · 01/02/2016 12:29

Forgot to say, I teach Y6 in England.

Original poster

TaintedAngel · 01/02/2016 13:07

Thanks for all the feedback. It's really helpful reading real first hand advice. I will go to my interview and see how it pans out and take it from there.
I still have all of the desire to teach that I always have had, im just worried I wont be able to cope with the workload.....time will tell I suppose!

OP posts:

hollieberrie · 01/02/2016 15:59

I still really enjoy it but mainly because I've gone part time (am fortunate enough to be ok with a reduced salary). Full time is very intense and, IMO, unsustainable to do long term.

shouldiblowthewhistle · 11/02/2016 19:57

I like my job. A lot. Most days

I'm a SENCO in a special provision in England - secondary. It's cognitively challenging to find the most efficient systems and use your limited resources effectively. Plus there is so much to learn about different barriers to learning so it's never ever boring, which is important because if you teach the same book/subject for 5 years it can get dull. I work closely with a range of agencies so the work is always varied. And it's really rewarding to be able to support families who don't always know what to do next.

shouldiblowthewhistle · 11/02/2016 20:00

Oh - and the holidays are fantastic. I never work on the weekend or evening, but generally clock up around 50-55 hours per week at work. I don't think that's too bad. I'm always away for the whole of summer. And I'm not complaining about the pay either because it's really quite good once you get off mainscale.

sandylion · 11/02/2016 20:11

I'm in Scotland primary with two kids and it's just too much to jiggle to feel like I'm doing a good job at anything. I wouldn't recommend it if you had something else you could see yourself doing as in my opinion it's not compatible with a happy family life. Maybe it's the school or authority I'm in...

DanyellasDonkey · 11/02/2016 21:40

Sandylion I feel the same as you. We've had a lot to do regarding CfE and expected to get on with it without much help or guidance. I've never known morale in our school so low. Even fairly recent teachers have just about had enough. Also we have increasing cases of challenging behaviour and the head prefers to stick her head in the sand than do anything about it.

Trouble is, in our area, there's nothing else I could do that would come anywhere near the salary.

fatowl · 13/02/2016 02:22

I love my job, but I am part time (3 days a week), private sector and overseas. In a small school with lovely, hardworking students and virtually no discipline problems.

I do read the teaching threads on MN with horror.
We are likely to come back to the UK later this year or 2017 due to DHs job. I'm likely to go into supply for a while before I find the right post.
It's quite frightening

mizu · 20/02/2016 20:23

Still love it after 20 years but:

I mostly teach adults

I am part time - 0.75

With experience you realise what others have said on here, you cannot be the perfect teacher all the time, you will burn out. I had a period of time about 14 years ago (full time) when I was trying to do everything and do it perfectly but it made me ill.

If you enjoy it and are good at it, it's a great job to do.

Haggisfish · 20/02/2016 20:27

I love teaching but it's consuming my life. And despite being a teacher for twelve years, and students and parents telling me I'm very good and good results, I still dont feel good because of micro management and constant monitoring and feedback. Nothing is ever good enough.

colander1 · 21/02/2016 12:24

I do enjoy it, but only because I am now in the private sector. I am also planning on leaving but for financial reasons need to do another 8 years. I am counting down which is sad.
When I started teaching in the 90s it was very different. Behaviour was better and the kids had less of a feeling of entitlement. It's not the same job any more and I wouldn't advise anyone to become a teacher now.

bigTillyMint · 21/02/2016 21:59

I still love it after 28+ years, but I am in a specialist primary setting now, which is very different to mainstream.

ravenAK · 22/02/2016 21:35

After 16 years teaching in the UK I'm now overseas.

It's great. Wouldn't go back, I'm afraid.

DarkRoots · 25/02/2016 21:40

Me. Love it.
I work full-time as HoD in secondary. Have a baby as well.
Just accept that it is a lot of hours to work, but if you live it, then it becomes your hobby, too (how fucking sad am I?!!)

But don't martyr yourself. Love it, but your heart and soul into enjoying it, but work equally as hard from day one to remember which bits are the priority and which are not. It's a job and therefore you are allowed to switch off from it!

Also, on a bad day, I remind myself how really difficult it is to sack a teacher

Haggisfish · 26/02/2016 00:33

Not in my experience. It is in fact much, much easier to sack a teacher now. I'm glad you find your job so enjoyable, but hope that you can also see it is not like that for a large number of other teachers, and not because they don't enjoy their jobs or are not good at them.

ArmchairTraveller · 26/02/2016 06:32

How long will the government refuse to see the truth, accept the facts and allow itself to miss targets for years without consequences?
Newspeak and Doublethink are now endemic parts of educational management.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35660457

icklekid · 26/02/2016 06:42

I love my job but I only work part time and am assistant head so can balance my timetable to meet my needs. If I was an nqt now I don't think I would enjoy it as much as I did 10 years ago! I try very hard to take pressure away from class teachers but it is a constant juggling game with new expectations thrown at you left right and centre. My favourite days are those when I am teaching and close the door and just enjoy it! Planning fun and engaging lessons is what makes it worth it to me

wannabestressfree · 26/02/2016 07:57

I love it but find the work load relentless and am off at the mo. I work my arse off but had some negativity regarding the amount of green pen in my books pre half term and have a protected disability (it's auto immune and causes my hands to swell) Feel really disappointed that they are picking so instead of plowing through as I normally would I am resting.....

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