I hate this FUCKING waste of a space job.

[FedUpTeacher2]

There. I've said it.

Role on 31st May.

Mrs T is on the money.

For these reasons and more, I left at Christmas and am doing supply. I love it but how can this situation be sustained where teachers are leaving to go on supply? Something will have to give sooner or later.

I feel so uneasy reading this and downright scared, as it's brought home to me what we face. My partner was off sick for a very long time with a mental illness caused by work (he's a teacher too). He is recovered and back to work but how long before it happens again?!

He used to tell me in the years before he went off sick that this job will kill him eventually. Now he's started saying it again. I don't know what I can do - I feel powerless. He's the breadwinner, I can't earn what he does and I can't work any more than I do because of taking kids to school and caring for them. We have no family help.

Like some of you have said, the only thing he enjoys is the contact with children...making a difference to their lives. Other than that, the demands are insane.

I'm so afraid how this is going to end. He needs to get out, but into what? How have other people successfully left teaching?

I've just seen my spelling mistake in the op! Ah!

fscott I've come to the realisation that my health is going. Those are the words I used - the job's killing me. That's what helped me to realise I have to move on.

I don't know what else I'll do, I just know I can't do it anymore. What's more, I don't want to do it anymore.

I went to my doctor thinking I was depressed but he told me it sounded more like it was my job. I left. He was right. So many people said that there are other jobs that are stressful and why do teachers think they have it so bad... I couldn't answer it then or now but I know if I had stayed my mental health would have suffered.

Fed up here. I don't know it's feasible for me to change careers I'm in my mid 40s now and I live in a county which is not great for jobs. I tried changing schools and reducing my hours to part time but still feel unhappy and anxious when I am not generally that sort of a person. Part of me feels like I should just put up with it for the few days I'm in but then the only reason I'm working part time is because I can't cope with full time teaching. I career changed to become a teacher almost 10 years ago.
Have people successfully changed jobs at a similar age? I don't want to be a supply teacher to be honest I feel like I don't ever want to go in a school again sometimes. I can drop salary but is it realistic or am I on the scrap heap at my age? I feel teaching has knocked all my confidence.

I don't ever want to be back in a state school as a permanent teacher again. I do ad hoc supply, a bit of private tutoring, teach an adult class and do an hour a week mfl in my village primary. It takes a bit of juggling but there is no pressure at all - no marking, minimal planning, no appraisal, no results to worry about. I expected supply to be hard but it really isn't. I do supply for two schools who know me, and it works really well. No agencies, no being sent to schools I don't fancy.

I'd quite like to have a total career change but tbh I doubt I'd find anything that would be as flexible as what I'm doing now, pay me well and give me the school holidays. That kind of job doesn't exist!

If you are on a support plan have you got union support? Hope you are ok. I am about to resign. Making the decision was the hard part.

The week I handed my notice in I had one of those awful teaching dreams - you know the ones? One of those - only in the middle of the dream I walked out of the classroom and down a sunny country lane. It was the best dream ever. I haven't been back in the classroom since and though I miss it, it was killing me too.

I now teach adults. There's still pressure, but not even close to the pressure there was at secondary. I bring home a pile of 8 exam papers, not 60! I get paid a lot less, but it's worth it.

Hugs OP.

Try a different school. Some are definitely better than others.
Supply can be great but it's a new kind of worry about paying the bills etc could you reduce hours whilst looking?

I work in a very successful, well resourced secondary school in a beautiful rural location... it's shit!! I'm part time and have no intention of ever working full time again.

All the stresses mentioned in this thread are part of my daily working life, and morale in the profession is the lowest I've known in nearly 20yrs of teaching.

Another one who left.
I think this profession is different from other stressful jobs because of the sheer number of people who you are responsible for - to increase grades/achievement/attendance/social skills etc, with very little assistance, and half the time these ppl can't be arsed putting in the effort themselves (11R, I'm looking at you!) There's so much top down pressure to ensure others succeed. Easy to demand, difficult to achieve.

I hope you all get through your days smoothly. I'm quite lucky in my present job but there's never the time/ there's always an obstacle. I have children who will always be working towards whatever we do with them. They try hard, we try bloody hard. Can't do an awful lot more.

Needsahalo have you got any plans for what to do? Would be interesting to hear how the job hunting goes

Last week I sat with a very strong teacher who fell to pieces after yet another conference with 2 parents whose frankly awful child can 'do no wrong'. This child is destroying the class - she is sneaky, manipulative, bullying and angry. Every sanction, every help, every possible thing done to help her is thrown back in our faces and the teacher bears the brunt. The parents shout and scream, threaten all sorts and will not believe anything even slightly derogatory about their child. They have had other parents approach them about their child's actions and they still don't believe They are on SM slagging off the teacher, the head and the school and people are listening.

Last week the teacher - who last year won a prestigious teaching award - sat and cried and said she is ready to give it all up. I wouldn't blame her. No job is worth this.

and to all you wonderful teachers out there. I couldn't do it (and I've been to war FFS!)

But leave. YOU are more important than any school, any job, any profession. Don't let it tear you down.

I work in an independent secondary school and reading this thread makes me feel that I am one of the lucky ones. Yes, I'm knackered and stressed but I do still enjoy going to work and getting in the classroom. The pressure to achieve is there but my kids are polite and funny and interesting and want to please. And that more than makes up for the longer hours of the independent school week.

I left secondary teaching years ago and now teach adults. I absolutely love it; it renewed my passion for the job. Perhaps that is a route you could consider, OP?

Buckeejit I'm in a rural secondary. Not one of my colleagues is happy. We've also joined a MAT, so add the Trust's hoops to jump through as well as the government's flaming ones.

I too have worked full time in an independent school un the past (and work in one one day a week now). It's like a different job. I'm not saying all indies are wonderful or that all private school kids are angels, but from my experience the difference in behaviour of pupils and workload for teachers are huge. Masive.

I just wanted to add my voice to this thread. My contract ends in July and I'm not planning on applying for jobs in September. Every so often I have a good day or week, where I really enjoy the job and feel as if I'm making a difference. Most of my students are lovely, but don't take enough responsibility for their own learning and are too quick to place blame. Mostly though, I can't cope with the thought of being responsible for 180 children and the planning, marking and report writing that comes with it. The endless targets and scrutiny. I'm pretty sure I'm a decent teacher, but being scrutinised and questioned and complained about has taken its toll on my confidence.

That's it, isn't it? The job is actually impossible - you can never have everything, something always had to give, yet those in charge want perfection.

Leave.

I left full time teaching three years ago, after posting on here in utter despair, and I honestly feel like a completely different person.

I forgot who I was.

I now have my own business, and have time to write, cook proper meals, walk my dogs, have a bath in the evening, work on my new allotment...live, basically.

I do miss the kids, and am toying with doing a bit of supply. But in the current climate, the job just isn't worth it. The powers that be are applying a business model to the intangible chaos of kids - and it's hurting everyone, including the kids.

Just leave. If you have to stack shelves - do it.

The only - that the private sector is so completely different would motivate me to send my kids private if I could afford it. Which bizarrely I probably could if I went back to teaching, but I can't face it. Yet to find another direction at nearly 40!

I worrying that really it's just me being weak and I'd struggle the same in any job :(

I'm in Primary and would really like a different career but I'm the main earner with DC and a mortgage so it's not easy to just stack shelves as suggested by a PP. I'm toying with the idea of applying for part time teacher jobs but they are hard to find and even that salary cut would be really hard. I'm stuck, basically. And I suspect many others are too.