I can’t do it anymore.

[PaperThinWalls]

I just can’t.
I’m over loaded and I simply can’t cope. I just want to climb into bed and stay there.

Oh you poor thing. Is there something that has made it worse today or are you feeling overwhelmed since you started back?
Feel free to vent. I've got 7 mins of lunch before I get mine from the playground.

Hi, didn't want to read and run. Are you feeling like this about work or home or kids or something else?

Home life is fine.
I have reception and we are under so much pressure to get them all to achieve. However no one seems to understand what it is like trying to wrangle this many very young children.
The expectations are so high that I have no time to play or spend time with them.

I’m sure high school teachers are reading this thinking about how easy it must be to teach 4 year olds but honestly it is unbearable.

Secondary school teacher here. I most definitely do not think it must be easy teaching four year olds!! When I imagine being a reception class teacher I imagine it being like being at a birthday party (noise and emotions wise) all day every day! And having to get all those kids to listen, learn, behave, stay in their seats....I take my hat off to you. You are right to feel exhausted and feeling overwhelmed.

Is it just this week that you feel like this? Teaching sucks the life out of you.

Agreed...rewarding but soooooo exhausting...

I'm a reception parent and take my hat off to the teachers. I can't imagine how they manage to keep control never mind any formal learning. This week the children in DD's class are all especially tired so perhaps it's a particularly bad week and will be better once they are all more used to the routine?

I feel for you- those early first few weeks are like herding cats! It will get better once they know the routines. You are doing a great job- not long until Half Term. :)

Young children are exhausting I am part time and still shattered it is like a conveyor belt of all the things that have to be done. This job is not sustainable. I work with young TAs in their 20s who are shattered so no wonder teachers like me who are a bit older are knackered.
Yes I can really see myself keeping going until I am 67.

Paper thin walls - how are you doing? Hope your ok.

Secondary and exhausted. I know I'll push through because I feel like this every year.

Get sleep. Eat well. Relax. Set aside time for any work that must be done to be ready for Monday. Plan something fun. Make a todo list, and then make a priority list for Monday of things that can be done and that are important. Don't look at the long list unless you're adding to it. Every school night, make a short list of things you can and should get done the next day. Do your best. If it all goes tits up, you've got a new day ahead.

When my kids were in reception, I just wanted them to play with other kids, listen to stories, get used to school routines and have a nice time. they learned to read and do a bit of writing before they went to school, so I wasn't bothered about that. Same with maths. It can wait. Kids catch up. But I know it's not like that.

Also, I hate mixed ability. So stressful. At least if I have a bottom set, I can do a lesson addressed at them all, and save the difficult stuff for when they're ready.

Take my hat off to you.
Secondary teacher here, also snowed under with pressure and targets but at least mine work in silence for the odd ten minutes here and there.

Feeling a bit better now thanks.
I think the problem is that we have a new head with lots of changes and they don’t understand early years.
I couldn’t cope last year and made this clear and said that I wanted a change of year group but it didn’t happen.

Paperhinwalls will you stay at that school or move years by going to a new school?
I'm currently doing ks1 and it doesn't suit me at all. I'm an upper ks2 teacher and I feel wildly out of my depth with the smaller ones.

Hi OP.

I just wang to say, if you are my child’s teacher, we think you do a great job. And if you aren’t, the same applies. You have taken our babies on for the start of their adventure, they are happy when we collect them .... what more could we want as parents?

Sixth form teacher here, and I have always said I could never, ever teach primary school kids, hat off to you, I don't know how you do it!!! But I do see how much my son loves his teacher, and that first year was so important in setting him up to love school and learning even more. I think you guys do a wonderful and maybe sometimes thankless job, under so so much pressure, and thanks to you, many kids are on their way to gaining a great education. & to you

I usd to teach reception so know how you feel
You can do it! Is there scope for movement in your school in the future?

It gets better. Don't forget, the kids are knackered,not used to how school works and still settling in, plus they're all giving each other colds. We're all still adjusting to being back after the holidays.

Do you have a friend or mentor at school you can talk to? Lots of teachers feeling like this at the moment.

How are you now OP?

Reception teacher here! Totally exhausted- I’m sure it’s a Tuesday in July not September. The first few weeks are tiring but once they are settled and understand the routines it gets easier. I always think aargh they are never going to get there but remember it’s not all about reading writing and maths - think about the development of the other areas - the child that wouldn’t settle one day comes in without crying, the non verbal children that suddenly find their voices and the day when getting ready for PE doesn’t want you reaching for the gin. The children make more progress in reception than any other year and that’s down to good teachers x

I take my hat off to you - I'm a childminder and exhausted being needed by the 3 Reception after school children I have. I only have them a few hours but being needed by a whole class all day would be beyond me.

Thanks for checking on me, Dragon.

I’m feeling a bit better thanks. It’s getting better this week so far. They are coming in better and PE was slightly less of a shitstorm.

Another parent here who thinks primary school teachers are amazing, particularly with increased demands of curriculum. Hats off to you and I hope you can have a well deserved glass of soon!

Reception teacher here, it's very hard in the first half term. They are so young and tired! It definitely gets easier, you just have to keep going. With regards to PE, there is no obligation to have a fully changed PE session in the hall. I don't start getting mine changed till after half term and I send letters home to encourage parents to practice the skills with their children. Teaching is really hard (physically and emotionally) take care of yourself

How did the expectations get so unrealistic and what does that actually do for the child? You sound like you know what you're doing. Stick to your guns and play with the children! If they are happy, they will learn. Remember it's a job, you are only human and you can't use superpowers all of the time.