I was excited to go into art teaching in the early 2000's but left after my first year of teaching. I am now retraining and returning to teach adults and realise, now with all the changes to policies, what a horrendous experience I had. In my first teaching post, I was bullied by the two heads of year that I taught under - a woman, who was a complete so in so and a male who was the same. They hated each other and used me as 'piggy in the middle'.
Neither of them nurtured me as a young teacher. The female head of department jealously guarded her role, students and the role of the teacher that I was providing maternity cover for.
She set out to sabotage my reputation with my students and other staff. Emotionally abused me and ridiculed me in front of students. Her discipline of students I didn't agree with either. I had not been properly equipped by the old-fashioned tutors on my teaching course (who were out of touch with modern teaching) or teaching experience to manage classrooms (I wish I had the standard of training that I know now from being a parent of two and daughter with special needs).
At break times, she ignored me in the staff room and gossiped with another teacher - they were bosom buddies. He never spoke to me and was obviously poisoned by her. She showed me up in front of him also. I felt totally alone, until a lovely teacher noticed and chatted to me at break times. Another teacher noticed I was struggling and supported me in class.
The male head got me to research and write a new GCSE course for the school with very little input, praise or feedback.
By the end of the first term I was regularly absent with recurring viral infections and was off sick when the post ended. I was relieved to move onto a new post, but this first post had shattered my confidence and passion for teaching, I left teaching after another two terms. When my two children started school I felt traumatised to even set foot in their schools! I really did not like waiting around in the playground for them. I expect those two teachers are still teaching at that school, they were imbedded in the woodwork. The female teacher was popular with students and parents, however, no one saw how she treated me, she was a narcissistic bully. I did not realise how bitchy teaching could be in schools before I went into it!
Even some of the interviews I had were conniving and bitchy. One school had a teacher come and talk to the interviewees as we nervously waited in the staff room for our interviews. I saw straight through the ruse right away - she was the drama teacher playing the role of the gossipy teacher - seeing which of us would bite and gossip about our teaching colleagues. Some of the other interviewees fell for it. Then the interview was with two professionals trained in psychological testing. Finally, I got to meet the smug head teacher, who I didn't take to, who told me I'd been unsuccessful but I was a close choice. I had a lucky escape as the school must have had some staffing issues with the rigmarole I had to go through!
In another interview, for a girl's school, I could tell I didn't have a chance from the start as one of the other interviewees was an ex pupil who was very matey with the existing art teacher. The head was lovely and I think was sorry she couldn't give me the post - obviously overruled by the art teacher and the ex pupil who got the post.