Totally and completely fed up with my job

[CloudyDreamerZZZ]

I have been teaching now for 11 years in the primary sector and have gone part time since the birth of my DD.

I just hate my job now. I used to enjoy my work and always had a great relationship with the children in my classes (even the most difficult ones) and parents. I could deliver engaging lessons and got the best from the children.

On Friday, an ex pupil actually came back to visit the school and told me she remember how I used to push her to do her best in primary 7 and now she is a straight A student. She thanked me and if felt great.

However I don't know if it's me or society but I find the children I have taught the past 2 years are rude, entitled, don't want to listen, don't respond to rewards or sanctions and my work life is utterly miserable. They question everything!! The behaviour management in my school is non-existent which doesn't help but I find myself battling every minute of every day to get basic respect.

Oh top of this, I cannot keep on top of all the extra stuff that goes along with day to day teaching like planning, marking, meetings, cpd. I'm drowning! My RCCT time is usually used for parents meetings, phone calls, tracking meetings with management.

I'm in work till usually 5 every night and cannot take stuff home as I have a small child and need downtime.

My co-workers feel the same but seem to be muddling along but I have the dread every week now going to work.

My plan was to return to full time teaching once DD is at school however I feel for my own sanity I could never go back.

Is this a country wide thing? What am I doing wrong?

"However I don't know if it's me or society but I find the children I have taught the past 2 years are rude, entitled, don't want to listen, don't respond to rewards or sanctions and my work life is utterly miserable. They question everything!! The behaviour management in my school is non-existent which doesn't help but I find myself battling every minute of every day to get basic respect"

I could have written this word for word. I have come to the conclusion int he per week it is a societal change. I'm secondary and have been teaching 18 years. Constantly having to remind students about manners and being patient. Not able to settle themselves to any degree. Shouting out and demanding pens, walking round the room and what the date when I'm delivering content. Answering back to sanctions. Then at the extreme end the very poor behaviour is much worse. Thankfully most of these students don't come to lessons.

It's utterly demoralising. I was also thinking back to when I worked in a more difficult school 10'years ago and somehow we got more done.

I second that there has been a societal change. You are definitely not the only one feeling like this. It's been the hot topic in our staffroom for a while now. Everyone is fed up, and I've noticed a trend at our school that people who leave are leaving the profession entirely.

I know it's not a good reason to stay and be miserable but if it wasn't for the pay and holidays I'd be off!

I can't afford now to retrain in something else as my wage and my husbands just about cover all our bills and expenses so I don't really have an option.

I'd love a career change even within teaching but I'm totally lacking in motivation.

I never want to return to work full time even though it was always my plan to.

I think the behaviour thing is a bit of a post Covid- thing, possibly? We've noticed it with Y7 last year and this year, which I think is similar to the age group you teach?

It feels like some of them can't cope with a classroom environment. They got used to being away from the structure of school, doing things as and when they like, and parents who were often giving in to what they wanted because they were juggling working from home with childcare, etc.

I think part of the problem is that school sanctions and rewards are often delayed e.g. points towards a reward at a later time, or if you do x now, you will miss 5 minutes of break etc. But really, the students need immediate gratification and immediate consequences because that's what they have become used to.

I think for things to work, you have to be in an environment where senior staff acknowledge this. Have you considered moving schools at all? It might be better elsewhere?

I have considered moving school before yes way before this too. However I really like my colleagues and the support they give me.
I have friends who work in other local schools and have the same issues but also hate their colleagues or don't really speak to them so it's a bit of a double edged sword.

Even management in my school are at breaking point with the children.

I mean this gently, because it is awful when you have a horrible job and it sounds like you're having a tough time, but is having to stay til 5 each night really that unreasonable (as you're not taking any work home)? Assuming you're not in before about 8, that's a standard working week for a professional salary. I have 2 children aged 3 and 1 and work 4 days so I do get how hard it is when you feel like you're rushing home to see them for a couple of snatched hours before bedtime, but I do frequently remind myself that if managing to leave at 5 I'm not actually doing too badly. I hope you take this in the nature it's intended, I'm really not trying to kick you when your down.

The entitlement - yes I find that very hard to deal with. It is also very demoralising working in a school with poor beh management.

Agree with @Whee about hours. Finishing at 5pm would be amazing, and be just like any other job (with only 6weeks holiday} Like many Teachers I can easily put in a 12 hour day.

Maybe it’s the fact you have had children. Suddenly you realise that you would actually like your eveningS to yourself and your family,,,,and why not? I swapped to teaching thinking teaching would fit around my children but realised the long working days were a nightmare, and my poor kids got a stressed out Mum instead. It saved me using kids clubs in the summer though, so it is a toss up.

I second that there has been a societal change
I third that! (Secondary)
Since lockdown/Me To/Everyone's Invited the sense of entitlement of kids and parents is off the scale. Behaviour is appalling -just low level rudeness/lateness/uniform.
Added to that insecure and incompetent leadership and ridiculous demands and pointless CPD the whole thing is a nightmare.
I am intending to ask for part time Vs at least dinner off the doors is then removed, or if that's refused then will resign to leave at the end of the year.

I don't know where 'dinner off the doors' can from! I mean if it is refused...