Drugging myself just to get through the days. I need an out.

[Ithinkthatsenoughnow]

I've NC for this, I've been a teacher for many years.
I've tried changing schools and I just swapped a school with poor behaviour to a school with a Head who is a notorious bully.

Today it was my turn in the firing line.
I stood my ground, didn't cry the Head loves making people cry but I'm taking tablets just to get me through the day.

My home life is good, there's nothing else 'wrong' with me, it's just teaching.
I'm in danger of making myself seriously ill.

My problem is that I have no idea what else I could do instead.
This is what I've done forever. I used to love it too.

I know these threads crop up often but what other job can I do?
My degree is in English.
Is any employer going to take me seriously?
I can retrain if I need to.

I think the first thing you need to do is go and see your doctor.

Sorry to hear this, OP.

I would get job hunting online and also contact a recruitment consultant who can give you some ideas and let you know which kinds of jobs you might apply for. I may be naïve but I'd say with an English degree and teaching experience you should be an attractive prospect to quite a few employers.

Are you in a union? Even if you get out, this Head needs to be dealt with as she is ruining her staff members' lives.

Good luck. See your GP if you feel you need to be signed off of work for your health.

How dependent are you on a regular wage? I'm a freelance writer and make a decent living at it, but I have training and 15 years journalism experience behind me.
That said, if you aren't wanting to work on breaking news, and you have a bit of talent, it's possible to break into.

I feel your pain, in a similar situation and can't seen to do anything right, similar bully head. Keep your chin up, lots in our position are off work, so well done for going in. Agree with the poster above...go and see your GP, a stress management course may help. I know it's hard as well but could you retrain if you can afford to take a lower wage for a while?

How do you feel about supply teaching? You wouldn't have as much responsibility and you would only have to work when you felt strong enough to do so or liked the school?

Just read it again...retrain or go to a recruitment consultant. Good luck

Honestly? Right now, get signed off for a few weeks. Breathe. Think. Piss off your headteacher.

I've been to the Drs, it was the Dr who prescribed me the pills, they aren't antidepressants.
The GP offered to sign me off but I had an accident earlier this academic year and took time off so I don't want to take any more sickness absence otherwise as/when I do jump ship I don't want too much absence on my record.

I'm telling myself it's 4 weeks, 2 days then I'm off on a school residential trip for a week so I won't be in school, then I have the final week back in school, which will be a wind down week and I should be safe then.

The Head is leaving at the end of the year so that removes the immediate problem but really I've just had enough. So there's not much point going to my union Lockedout.
I've been lucky, she's left me alone until now although she's bullied other people.

NC4now I would love freelance writing, how do I break into it?

Lockedout and Karla I tried a couple of recruitment consultants earlier in the year but they just saw 'teacher' on my CV and wouldn't take me seriously, how can I get round that? Are there any you can recommend? Please do PM me.

Tupperware I've done supply before and I really liked it so that is a possibility though as 31st May has passed I wouldn't be able to leave until Christmas now.

I would go off with stress if it's at all avoidable, it won't impress a future potential employer. You're too late to give notice for the summer so you need to use the time to make a plan and get it going. Good luck

*wouldn't

Sorry, just seen your head is leaving, do you know who will be taking over? It might be worth giving it a shot under a new one.

This was me in about 2004/5. I got out. It says it all that my last day of secondary school teaching was an OFSTED inspection!

I left with no job to go to. It was Dh who finally persuaded me to get out. I was on the verge of being really properly poorly with it all. We were in the fortunate position that DH's job had risen and we were in a financial position for me to leave and not look back.

I did get another job soon after - I went into prison ed. I began with some key skills teaching and then moved into advice and guidance - so not teaching (though it required a teaching qual) and doing 1:1 interviews about education and training, and prep for release (where applicable)

After 3 or 4 years I did some volunteer work at DD's school in infants, and loved it. A year later I applied for a TA job at an infant school and got it, and have been there ever since, though now working as a HLTA doing PPA and absence cover, subject specialist (computing - my secondary school teaching subject), online safety coordinator, and social media coordinator amongst other stuff.

When I left I thought I would never work in a school ever again. the thought made me feel ill. But now I have found something I love, in school in the end albeit a totally different key stage.

Oh - and if you really need out, you can leave at different times, if you can get the Governors to agree. I left as February half term with less than standard notice.

Be wary careful if they're benzos. I did this at work and ended up in rehab

You have lots of transferable skills as a teacher. The recruitment consultant is talking rubbish if they say it's not relevant.
I'm so bloody sick of bullies in school who stay while decent people leave. Stuff them if they're leaving. Record everything and mention it to your union. You need evidence and it can be done.

You have my sympathy. I have an English degree and used to work in education as a librarian, the whole sector has been decimated, and I've not been able to find a comparable salary in another area since. Not much help but I feel your pain about trying to start again.

There are loads of different routes into writing. Some train in newsrooms, which is how I did it, others jump in and start pitching features, and others take courses.

There are a lot of courses around - have a browse on journalism.co.uk at training. You'd want a freelance feature writing course, or getting started as a freelancer type, rather than something for established journalists.

This is a really good book, which explains a lot.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01AAM2GH2/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1&tag=mumsnetforum-21

It can be a tough living to make - you have to be able to face rejection, and keep picking yourself up, but I think all writers love seeing their work in print.

It just depends how reliant you are on a steady wage straight away, as it can take a while to build up regular work.

Copywriting can be pretty well paid, I believe, but that's not my area.

squidgy I've only been at the school since September and when I knew the current Head would be leaving I decided to stick it out for another year and see what the new Head is like.

This school suits me much more than my previous school but the situation with me and the tablets hasn't happened suddenly, I've slowly become miserable over a long period of time.

As a teacher I don't have a LinkedIn page but maybe I'll set one up specifically to see if I can search for recruitment consultants who could help. Although it was a long time ago I do also have experience in another industry so that may help.

If anyone has other suggestions I'd be glad to hear them.

You could also move into educational publishing either as a consultant or as a publisher. Have a look at the Pearson jobs site - lots of work there for ex-teachers all over the UK. There are lots of publishing recruitment agencies that will be able to advise you further if you're interested.

Pearson sounds good, a friend of mine moved to there after teaching and has been very happy.
LinkedIn is good and there are recruiters who you can add/ will add you and regularly post new jobs.
Education advisors in museums looks interesting as well.
Don't let the buggers get you down As grim as it is while you're there, there are other jobs, other places and other people.
Oh and please call these people out on their bullying tactics.

I am a junior doctor and receiving counselling via the bma for a combination of stress and bereavement. I am still working - but my counsellor thinks I am physically and emotionally exhausted, and I don't know how much longer I can do it if I'm honest. My counsellor says the bulk of her clients are teachers and doctors. I love my job, it is my vocation, but we are being squeezed and pushed to the limit of what we can cope with. I don't know what the answer is, but I sympathise. 💐