Should I return to teaching?

[TroubleWithThePhilistines]

I left teaching about 10 years ago. I was head of maths in an 11-18 school and on about £50k. I then worked in an education-related role. I left education completely last year ago to work in another public sector job.

Now I earn £23k. I have very little autonomy or influence. Little scope for advancement. Office politics exhaust me. I hate being a tiny cog in a big machine and how little I am respected.

I keep thinking about going back in to the classroom. I miss working with young people, I miss the creativity and freedom of crafting lessons and I miss making an actual difference in the lives of others. I miss the social side of being part of a school community. I remember being good at my job (I had a TLR for T&L across the school) but I also remember crying with tiredness and frustration at times. I also remember pressure from SLT to "teach to the test" and follow stupid polices because Ofsted.

Should I return to the classroom? If so, what do I need to know about teaching in 2023?

Why did you leave?

I was offered a fantastic opportunity to work for a foreign government, I had no children and my LTR had recently ended. Just everything came together. I was really sad to leave (at Easter time too) but there was also a push factor that SLT had not backed me up on an ethical issue that was important to me.

So....not the daily pressures, teaching itself, more and more work being piled on, Progress 8 targets, results etc?

I have been teaching 12 years. The job is barely recognisable from.what I initially did. Things generally are worsening...but if your reasons for leaving weren't the actual shitshow that is teaching, it might be worth dipping your toe back in. Supply?

Yes, I thought supply might be a way of checking schools out and seeing if I’ve still got it in me (I’m a long way from the enthusiastic young teacher in her 20s that I was!).

Do you think I’m best going through an agency or approaching schools direct? I kinda resent paying a finder’s fee.

I wonder how much it pays.

There are plenty of supply groups on Facebook. Approach schools directly - pick up the phone and find out who.is in charge of supply. You will might be able to.woek it out from staffing lists online. As a maths teacher, they'll be biting your hand off, I suspect.

Still pondering, would love to hear from anyone else.

I felt enthusiastic yesterday, today at the end of a day in the office I’m wondering if I have the stamina for the classroom.

Try supply see how you feel. Try local schools to see if you like any .

I don't know how old you are, but you may want to check the effect on your pension if you go back in on a lower salary. I'm not sure quite how it works, but I think that your pension (in the final-salary scheme) is determined by the salary you were on for the last n years you were working, index-linked. At the moment, that's quite high. If you were to go back in, especially if not in a management role, it's likely to be lower. I'm not sure how it works with the scheme changes and so on, but I think you need to check it out.

Yes, that’s a good point but I suspect paying in at this age will be better.

Couldnt find any supply Facebook groups. Not got any further. I’m at a bit of a stalemate.

National Supply Teacher Network?

Supply Lounge?

Supply Teacher Network?

Supply Teachers Group ?

Supply teacher here. Apply for jobs directly - bound to pay more than agency.

On the other hand, if a fast escape route is important to you join an agency - one days notice...but be sure you can afford it.

Send a CV out to schools in your area - they may have exhausted their advertising budget...

Good luck The children of this country need you!¡

I contacted schools but had very few replies and phone calls ignored. Ended up using agency. 120 a day fairly typical, may take home 80-100 depending on tax. Reduced gross by 20-30 a day on average if employed direct.
Supply is a tough job but will give you a good idea how things are. Suggest opt out of pension to be sure it won’t affect your old pension amount for the worse. It can easily happen.

Thank you, that really doesn’t sound like fun. And I can well imagine being ignored. I did try (very briefly) last year to get in to the local school and didn’t hear back despite them “crying out” for my subject 🙄

OP, I left for a while for an office based role and am going back to the classroom in Sept.

I missed the kids, the creativity and autonomy in my classroom, and the feeling of making a difference every day. I also missed the holidays, if I'm perfectly honest!

I left because I needed a break. I'd hit the 10 year mark, was head of two faculties underneath a really unpleasant HT, and was just finding it all a bit relentless and unnecessarily stressful. I'd also started getting bored during lessons - I wasn't excited about what I was doing anymore.

So I quit, took a couple of years out to do other things, and now I feel refreshed and ready to go back and do what I love. I'm just going to be a classroom teacher in my new role, but I'll be earning double what I'm earning now (I'm going to quite a prestigious independent school) and will be getting so much more holiday. I can't wait. I'm so excited about all the topics I'm going to teach and can't wait to meet my classes. It will be so lovely to be part of a school community again and feel like I'm making a difference to young people's lives.

Go for it! Though I would strongly suggest going for an independent school role rather than state. The smaller class sizes and higher proportion of free periods to teaching periods means you just get that better work-life balance. The school day is longer but you don't take much, if any, work home thanks to the generous free periods, and the longer holidays are brilliant, particularly in the summer, as you can go away before everyone else does and get cheaper prices!

Thank you so much for your reply. I’m still dithering.
Interestingly, I think I’d miss the flexibility of annual leave when I choose. I love the cheaper prices and the odd two-night, midweek getaway.

Also, private education isn’t for me, but perhaps prison or alternative education might be.

Yes, I will miss the flexibility. Working from home and being able to take a day off when I feel like it - spontaneous long weekends! - has been a novel experience I've really enjoyed. However, only having 5 weeks of holiday to take vs. the 15 in my new job make up for the fixed nature of the holidays for me. Being able to go away for a whole month over the summer is something I'd never be able or allowed to do in my current job. It's swings and roundabouts really.

I actually do international rather than private - it's just that international is inevitably private also. It's a whole different ballgame and I love it. Not stuffy or jolly hockey sticks at all. I love teaching kids from all over the world who haven't spent their whole lives in the same neighbourhood - they've got a totally different perspective and for me, are more interesting to teach as a result.

I have a friend who loves working in hospital education. Personally I couldn't cope with knowing some of my students would never be leaving the hospital, but if you can handle that, perhaps it's something to consider.

No, I think I’m too soft-hearted for that. What a compassionate and brave woman your friend is!

Are you not uk-based then?

How old are you? I wonder if I’d ever be brave enough again to do something like teaching abroad…

I'm UK based - I've always taught in international schools in London.

I'm late thirties. I'd love to go and teach abroad, but it's never quite been the right time for various reasons. I was actually all set to go in 2020, but obviously that didn't happen! The school I'm moving to next will give me the curriculum experience I need to go to a top flight international school in future, so I'm thinking it might be what I do when I turn 40. If you'd like the adventure, then you should go for it! I've got several friends who've done it, and they've all had a fab time.

Thread update. I’m going back in to teaching. It’s council-based, alternative ed.
5 weeks’ holiday and meagre pay but not much pressure and an informal work environment.

(My current employers reacted very badly and things got pretty unpleasant. I’m just relieved to be heading for escape and a couple of weeks off before term starts).

Congratulations!

Good luck OP!

If it doesn't work out, make a profile on LinkedIn and you'll be inundated with offers (mostly from China, but UK recruiters will find you too).

Well done! Congratulations!

Good for you! I've been teaching 13 years and find it less prescriptive now than it was when I started. It's the best job in the world. Welcome back!

Sounds like you really miss teaching.

I'm not a teacher, but I worked with children and young people for years in nurseries, youth clubs, after school clubs etc. I then got a job in a college in the office. I'm into my 3rd year and although I love who I work with, the office grind is getting me down. I secured a voluntary placement today at a local primary school for one day a week and start next Monday. I'm looking forward to working with children again 🙂

Goodwick with your decision. Hope it works out whichever way you chose to go 🙂