teaching when you are in 50s ?

[newtothis15]

Has anyone noticed a different level of energy and (if female) menopause? If struggling, do you talk to SLT or can it lead to complications?

I'm 56 and knackered. Been teaching in primary since 1996. Taught full time up until 18 months ago when I went down to 0.8.
I had breast cancer in 2021 and ended up with some health issues as a result so decided I needed to step back a bit. Dropping a day (which is a Friday) made a massive difference.

I approached my HT and he was fine about me dropping the day. I also stated I didn't want a class anymore so since September I've been covering PPA and some management time which has suited me as stress levels are reduced. I haven't had to be involved in parents evenings, reports, class assemblies and during our recent Ofsted wasn't involved very much.

However, I decided to hand my notice in and will retire at the end of the academic year. My heart isn't in the job anymore. I'm going to top my pension up doing something but I'm exhausted and need to totally move away from education in schools now.

What are your circumstances?

are there people in primary who made it work in their 50s?

Loads of people who can't retire I suppose.
Its a tough job for us oldies

I’m 58. Oldest teacher in the school by a good ten years. Full time KS1 teacher, and I have to say that it’s completely exhausting me. I’m hanging in there as my pension isn’t huge, having had years out when the children were little, then a lot of years part-time, and we’re still paying for the mortgage with two children at university. I really want to drop to 0.8 but Head has said no to anymore part-time staff as it costs too much and we have zero spare budget. I plan on two more years to get to 60 - take the 60 part of my pension then drop to 2-3 days, even if that means doing supply.

I teach EYFS, Y1 and Y4. I also occasionally cover Y2.

One Week I taught every class bar Y6. It certainly keeps me on my toes but is very tiring.
My kids are in their 20's now and both working. We downsized last year so no mortgage.

I swing from being terrified to being really excited about leaving. I need to find a part time job though.

My mother taught full time ks1 until 60 retiring recently. She was always very energetic though and continues to be in retirement. She did find it all more of a struggle in the last 5 years but mainly from a mental perspective - she didn't enjoy it and had no patience for staff room politicking, ofsted crap, all the nonsense of paying lip service to whatever the latest trend is in classroom management. She was very good and just ignoring it all and teaching kids well. She realised early on that if your outcomes are excellent despite a relatively low attaining intake, everything else sort of falls by the wayside.