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

Original poster

Trainee quitting without notice

92 replies

Flatbred · 26/01/2020 14:31

I've just checked my work emails as I'm mentoring our trainee and he usually emails me his first plans for the week on Sunday afternoons.

Today I've got an email saying he won't be in from tomorrow, after his formal obs on Friday! He says he didn't take any of the books home with him (I had asked him to, to mark them), so he must have had this in mind but not mentioned it to me.

Obviously we as a school are responsible for the students' learning, and there might be other issues behind this than one bad experience, but I'm struggling to know what to reply, as it seems rude to leave with immediate effect.

To stop marking books and doing planning, then announce over the weekend that all this will need to be picked up seems really unprofessional, but I guess if you quit a PGCE, you don't have to be professional anymore.

I know for a fact if I email the teacher whose lesson he should have been teaching tomorrow, she'll likely only pick it up about 20 minutes before the lesson is due to take place!

Is this something that happens regularly and I'm just expecting too much? Is a trainee just allowed to state that their last day of attendance was last week?

OP posts:
physicskate · 26/01/2020 14:37

It's unprofessional sure, but they were effectively an unpaid teacher. The fact that you think marking books over the weekend is normal (and sadly it is in many schools) tells me that your expectations of the job are probably different than the student's expectations. What recourse are you expecting? No one is a slave, even in the teaching profession... of course they can leave.

Piggywaspushed · 26/01/2020 14:42

He can't have done it lightly. It'll have loan implications (and maybe even bursary).

Am guessing the observation went really badly?

The experienced class teacher will be unhappy but s/he will have to cope. This has happened to me a few times, even when a trainee is just off sick.

I am sure you are in a bit of a flap and panic but you don't sound ovelry sympathetic towards the trainee who has effectively just made a huuuuge decision. I'd be hoping someone from the school would get him in for a chat and some TLC next week?

Was it not partly his choice when to mark books and in what time frame? Or had he been neglecting this for a while? Did that come out of the observation?

Piggywaspushed · 26/01/2020 14:44

Anyway, to answer your question, if you are just a mentor within a dept and there is a school 'boss' you need to make sure you forward the email. The logistics are probably above your payscale!

Original poster
Flatbred · 26/01/2020 15:03

I take the point about the workload, which might have been some of the problem, but I didn't mean that I asked for books to be marked between Friday and Monday; he had from last Monday to choose when to mark them for tomorrow's lesson, and it turns out they're still sitting in the teacher's room. He had no intention of doing them!

The observation did go badly and highlighted a cause for concern, but the procedure would allow time to improve and extra support. I'm not particularly sympathetic to nodding in the meeting, appearing to want to improve and then just giving up. I would rather have a chat but it sounds like I won't get chance.

Of course he can leave. I just would expect to give notice in any situation or job!

OP posts:
HollowTalk · 26/01/2020 15:06

It sounds as though he's had a "fuck it" moment and realised he just can't do it. It's probably been there in the background since he started. I imagine the halfway point of any course (I assume he's halfway through a PGCE?) is the point where there's the biggest drop out.

It's very annoying and puts pressure on the rest of the staff, but it's a surprise more don't do it, frankly.

thecherryontop · 26/01/2020 15:10

Happens regularly.

Forward the email to the university tutor (who will probably follow up by phone call) and the itt coordinator at your school. Then email the teachers whose lessons the trainee would have this week and alert them that they may need to step in.

I would reply to the trainee explaining you're sorry he feels that way and asking if there's any support he feels he needs, also letting him know you've had to contact the course tutor.

He make come back but need extra coaching etc.

Tombakersscarf · 26/01/2020 15:15

I dream of a "fuck it" moment sometimes... if I was giving up teaching as a trainee I would just leave, I have had this happen and the person just couldn't cut it. They would have been supported to improve but obviously just wanted to get away.

FlashesOfRage · 26/01/2020 15:22

To put it gently; I think you need to consider the role you may have had in precipitating this situation.

I don’t know how long you have been teaching but the only thing that got me through the many, many “fuck this for a game of soldiers, it’s all way too hard” moments in my training, NQT and RQT years was my own perfectionism and stubborn pride.

I’m leaving teaching in my fourth year. This bloke decided he’d like to save himself any further suffering.
Honestly for him to get to this decision he must have been absolutely overwhelmed and down. When you’re in that state you aren’t fit to be in a classroom to see anything through and you won’t be able to find the energy to mark books.

This is his potential future career he has jacked in with all of the massive financial and emotional issues that entails. That you care most that there are some unmarked books shows that you may not have been reading the signs or offering the support he needed.

Tombakersscarf · 26/01/2020 15:24

I think the comment re the books is to demonstrate the premeditated nature of the departure - but to be fair I wouldn't want to tell staff if I wasn't coming back as a student, just as I would be embarrassed.

TheFallenMadonna · 26/01/2020 15:29

I think you can only respond by offering support if he would like it and your good wishes if not. Anything else would be pretty harsh. An experienced teacher can pick up the lesson and the books can go unmarked for a week. And yes, let the ITT coordinator/professional tutor know ASAP.

AJPTaylor · 26/01/2020 15:31

In any job where you are a trainee it makes sense to leave immediately.

Beautiful3 · 26/01/2020 15:43

Maybe hes having a moment where he thinks that he wont make it, after a bad observation? Could you send an encouraging email asking if he will reconsider? That you'll support him and help him. He could be having a "I'm not good enough wobble".

fjreflycaramel · 26/01/2020 15:43

He's going to be what, 10-20k in debt and nothing to show for it so cut hm some slack.

HollowTalk · 26/01/2020 15:51

I think if he's working his balls off and then gets a bad observation then it's no wonder he's gone.

Does anyone remember a guy on a TV programme about teaching - Teach First? - and everyone at the school was saying how great he was and then he buggered off after a holiday break and said he was going to live abroad? I think most teachers would have understood how he felt.

Italiandreams · 26/01/2020 15:55

I definitely don’t think a student should give notice, they are working for nothing, why would they continue to do so when they are leaving? Having been involved in teacher training I have some students that are not prepared for the workload / expectations but I have seen just as many treated terribly by mentors on power trips or who just want them to their work. I am saying this as an experienced teacher , I believe some teachers lack the ability to talk to other adults in a constructive professional way. However training for mentors is often dreadful.

DrDreReturns · 26/01/2020 15:58

Why would he give notice etc? He's not paid and under contract.
I dropped out of my PGCE mid placement. I'm sure it annoyed my mentor but it wasn't the career for me. Staying on the course would have been a waste of everyone's time.

SallyMolly · 26/01/2020 16:03

I cant imagine it was done lightly. Id ask if theres anything we could have done differently or if there are any reasons like personal? Something has gone really wrong to do this.

LaserShark · 26/01/2020 16:03

I left teaching in my twelfth year with no warning or notice. Went home on Monday, had a mental breakdown and never went back. I believe I left some unmarked books too. It’s a job which can be very overwhelming and you can’t come in and have a quiet day when you’re feeling stressed; it’s full on all the time. I think it’s not uncommon for someone to snap like that.

SayNoToCarrots · 26/01/2020 16:06

Why on earth would he give notice? He's not contracted and he's not being paid.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 26/01/2020 16:10

I don’t blame him. I nearly gave up two weeks before the end of my final placement. My mentor and university link tutor were both horrendous and I felt on the verge of a complete break down. I forced myself to finish because I’d done nearly 3 years of training and refused to have nothing to show for it.

You don’t sound sympathetic. Instead of demanding the marking is done, how about asking why he hasn’t done it yet? Is he not coping and in need of help managing his workload?

pinyinchahua · 26/01/2020 16:12

I had a student do something similar only he didn’t bother to tell me or the school - I only found out when left with a class and no lesson. To those saying it’s not that bad, it does leave people with difficulties who then have to scramble about and frantically catch up what should have been done by someone else. Sorry you’re in this situation OP - that trainee followed by an NQT who felt that I was a bitch to point out that names of children needed to be learnt and to set a 6 week deadline for this (10weeks into the year...) have meant that I refuse to mentor anymore.

Tombakersscarf · 26/01/2020 16:12

Maybe because there is a class arriving for him to teach tomorrow and noone has prepared a lesson for them?
I'm finding the unpaid remarks interesting, it's as if qualified teachers are overjoyed to get a student and it isn't additional work for them (which it is) and the student gets nothing out of it. Weird.

letmebefrank · 26/01/2020 16:13

You sound more annoyed with him than concerned for him. You should be concerned.

MyNewBearTotoro · 26/01/2020 16:14

He’s not being paid, why on earth would he work a notice period after he’s decided to leave!? If he’s decided to leave and dropped out then it would be very strange for him to still come in on Monday morning, and in fact he would probably no longer be covered by the universities insurance etc so I doubt you could have him teaching lessons now he’s dropped out even if he offered to.

As a school there should always be a contingency plan in terms of planning and lesson cover - even if he was just unwell there would be the same issue and the same would go if any full time teacher was unwell. What is the usual contingency plan if a staff member calls in unwell on a Monday morning for covering their lessons?

I also wouldn’t expect that a trainee would have 100% responsibility for planning any of his lessons - he would be working from a medium term plan and should have at least verbally chatted through what he was planning to do in the lesson with the regular teacher. It’s not even like he is a full time staff member suddenly going off sick where you’d need to use a supply teacher, his lessons will be picked up by the usual, experienced teacher who should know what the students are meant to be learning in tomorrow’s lessons and should therefore be able to wing an adequate lesson even at short notice.

user163578742 · 26/01/2020 16:16

Leaving the books since last Monday night not have been "premeditated" but somebody who was drowning and then reached breaking point in Friday. Who knows.

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