I spend more time with other people's kids than my own

[user71017]

That's just fundamentally wrong.

I took dd2 (3) to a party yesterday and was so upset because I didn't know a single other mum. Why? Because I've never been able to take my youngest to preschool.

Dd1 (7) had her first netball match on Friday. She was the only team member not to have mummy watching.

I know the parents of the kids in my class more than the parents of my friends kids. I see the kids in my class more than I see my own.

This is all with being part time but being screwed over with working 3.5 days over 5.

Yes I have to use a pink pen and a green pen to mark for the good of the children half of em can’t read the comments! They are 6!
You have to have evidence in the books in case you are moderated because there is no way that your professional judgement will be listened to that you know the child and are making an honest judgment.
I am the first generation in my family to go to university how the hell did I get there without learning objectives, response marking, sats testing?

What? You mean you went to uni without a WALT and a WILF. You rebel

Health wise I am now quite anxious when I certainly never used to be, developed psoriasis, shingles, quinsy, recurring cystitis and 2 frozen shoulders alongside all the usual bugs! I used to be healthy! I joke I am working my way through the medical dictionary but in reality I think it can’t be good for your body to be under constant tension. I know these are not major illnesses but this has all happened in the last 3 years and I feel they are a sign of stress.

How did I manage to get there eh?

What do non teachers think are the reasons behind the recruitment/retention crisis if teaching is so much easier than other jobs?

I haven’t said it’s easier OP, I think that’s just what you want to read so you can justify your feeling of annoyance. In fact, I’ve said twice(?) that I think teaching is a difficult and shitty job. (Did others say it’s easy? Where?) I think you’re running away with the idea that everyone is teacher bashing when they aren’t.

All I have said is that I don’t think the hours are bad compared to a lot of jobs, eg. Nearly every father in my year who just gets to see the kids at weekends because they commute and do t get home until at least 9pm. And I don’t see how you can conclude based on a comment about the hours that I think teaching is so much easier than other jobs. Because I don’t. As I’ll say for the third time, I think it’s difficult and shitty.

Quite frankly I don’t believe you got to uni without a carefully plotted flight path, regular EBIs and triple impact marking. It must be a fluke. 😂

I am basically a wreck. The lights are on but nobody is home half the time. Or at least I was. Knowing i’m Going has helped me let go and say no to stuff.

‘No, I will not be spending an extra hour each week chasing up form absence. There is an attendance officer for that.’

‘No, I won’t be filling out that third duplicate data sheet.’

‘No, I will not be attending the extra three hour training evening. Especially as most of it is daddy bollocks.’

Feels good.

faddy obviously.

Yes but the money is not great at all. This is a professional job. We need to have qualified (or used to). The pay is is not good enough for the crap. But to be honest they could raise my pay by £10k and I still want out.

Nanny good for you. Are you planning on leaving Christmas or sticking out the rest of the year?

It depends on how bad things get before Christmas. I’d like to hang on until Easter to see my A-level class through to near enough the end.

Before half term I was ready to walk out on pretty much a daily basis.

Half termly reports, anyone? sorry, but little Jonny hasn't made 84 points progress in six weeks because it's not fecking possible and little Sophie? No she still doesn't put capital letters in her sentences. The kid's got 196 "tailored and individualised" learning plans but she just doesn't fecking get it.

Very sad that the governments answer to the teaching recruitment/ retention crisis is not to make the job nicer but to lower the bar for doing it. That’s fucking depressing!!

Yes I had a bad first ht but i am trying to stick the year out so I can save some money up.

Yes our writing books has already been scrutinised for mastery!!!! It’s the autumn term fgs

It is depressing.

Our SLT can’t decide if the target are for now or the end of the year.

SLT: ‘Why have you given this child. Good for achievement?They are below their target.’

Me: because her target is a 4+ and she is on a 4- and it is autumn fucking term.

SLT: No, she is behind. Set it as working towards.

Bah!

We've had 'you can't give this kid a good for effort because they are missing their target'
'But they are working their socks off and their target is a bunch of shit'
'Doesn't matter, grade them as requiring improvement'.

I often think of my children’s teachers and how they are there early and often still at school after I have left work (I pick up after 5pm from the after school club). I don’t know what the answer is - just know that you are making a big difference in the life’s of the children you teach, that many parents are very grateful and that your pupils will think fondly of you for many, many years.
The third sector is quite flexible for time off during working days if you could find something there (quite low pay/pension and no perks) I think I get 25 days annual leave which is good!
What about a career break? Could you afford that - return to teaching when the kids are older. It might be easier then.

Although we have since got rid of effort grades because you can't actually tell how hard someone is trying.

I wish we’d get rid of effort grades. It is so subjective! I might give a 2 where someone else will give a 3 (or a 1).

Don’t even get me started the new GCSE specs and the probability of getting my bottom set to remember a while Shakespeare pla, a nineteenth century novel, a modern novel and a collection of poetry. Gah! Double gah!

WHy can’t they do bloody functional English and actually learn to communicate with the world? Progress 8, that’s why.

Please stop feeling guilty! My mum was a ft teacher and yes she missed out on some things etc etc but my resounding recollection is of her being a superb mother BECAUSE of her career. She was ace with helping me ( and my dd) with homework and reading and I'm still proud of her for being in a fantastic career she did well. I'm sure your children will feel the same.

Let's not make it about teachers!

And the award for the stupidest comment in the thread goes to this one! It's the Staffroom. Surely the entire forum is going to be about teachers?

OP, I've got sympathy for you. I've got sympathy for carers too, and nurses doing shift work, and firefighters in dangerous conditions. But I don't feel the need to bring them up here. Guess why? It isn't relevant. This is the staffroom, OP wanted a vent and some support, and instead she got a horde of competitive "no, xx group has it harder" and general uselessness.

Oh God, I so get you. Just been saying exactly the same to DH. All the time I spend worrying about other people's children and my DD doesn't get a look in.
As for being part - time on three full days a week, it's still shite. Having to work on days off, weekends.
Well done OP on having the guts to quit. We couldn't afford to pay the bills without my salary. I am on UPS 3 with half a TLR (although I do the full time job that the TLR was initially given for).
It's all so depressing and so stressful. I even work in a really supportive school and it's still utter madness. Constantly.

The OP wanted an opportunity to vent about some of those problems. I am sure that the vast majority of teachers who are parents would be able to relate to her situation.
She posted in 'staffroom' rather than AIBU

This.
Or is it just me who checks where someone has posted before replying.
It makes a difference if someone has posted in conception, relationships, staffroom etc rather than AIBU or chat.
Where people have posted in more specialist boards thry've done it for a reason and because they want advuce etc in line with the board.

Teacher posts about an element of their job annpying them to 'staffroom'. It doesn't mean others shouldn't comment but it does mean digs about teaching abd the holiday are just dickish.

Are there any forums just for teachers? Not TES obviously, because that went to shit years ago.