Accepted teaching job but panicking about coping from September

[MurielPuce]

I’m finishing my PGCE year and interviewed for a job at a secondary school late March. They offered me the job and I accepted it, but since then have been having serious panic attacks about my ability to do the job. It will involve 30% of my timetable in a subject I did not train to teach (it’s my degree subject, but I’m training in a different subject). When I think about teaching GCSE level I want to pass out. I’m in serious fight-or-flight mode, I can’t live this way until September. I haven’t signed a contract. Need serious help.

Firstly. Take some deep breaths.

Think about the present and where you are. There are no threats surrounding you and you are safe. Focus on your breathing and remind yourself you are safe.

Now some teacher tips

1. everything feels worse in the holidays. Term time is so busy your brain stores up worries and releases it on breaks.
2. teaching is like jumping into a cold pool/ sea. Once you are in it isn’t as bad as you thought but before you jump ….
3. if your degree is in that subject you have the subject knowledge
4. you aren’t alone, your new dept should be able to help. There will be onboarding days where you can get resources/ SOW. You aren’t expected to start from scratch.
5. no one is expecting you to be perfect right from the get go.

What subject are you training in and what will you be teaching. There will be people on here who can help you out/ point you in the right direction. Don’t worry about it being outing, there are soooo many teachers and schools.

I can help with physics/ sciences.

Thank you. I’m training as an English teacher, the second subject is drama. My undergraduate is in drama, my MA is in English. When I saw the job (hybrid English with drama) pop up it looked like a perfect fit, but now I’m freaking out about the pedagogical aspect of drama which I am not trained in, and also potentially having to teach GCSE classes. I don’t have the specific timetable yet, but I know my main focus is English. It’s mainly GCSE drama classes that I’m afraid of.

Ok. So let’s put some plans in place this term to help you feel more supported.

Use some of your frees next to visit the drama department, especially gcse classes. Is there a play coming up you can get involved in?

Do you know anyone on your course that is doing drama? They might be able to share resources they have picked up.

Can you look up in the new schools website what curriculum they teach? Having a read though that will help you realise you know a lot of what is covered.

Well done on getting a job, not easy, so you must be doing something right! Remember fake it till you make it. (After 8 years I’m still faking it a lot of the time. Put don’t tell anyone I think I have them all fooled)

Thanks for your reassurance and steps forward. Maybe I’m just getting cold feet. I’m sure once I get into it I’ll be fine… it’s just that I did all my education outside the UK, so I never took GCSEs and they intimidate me.

Congrats on the new job.

It is normal to have these feelings - starting in a new environment but you will be ok.

If they didn’t think you would be a suitable candidate for the role then they would not have offered you it. One thing to bear in mind - even though you’ve not signed a contract - you have still accepted the role which becomes ‘binding’

Speak to your new HoD and see if they have materials etc that they can provide you with to help you and give you a solid start.

Thanks. I know I won’t be flying completely blind but I can’t stop the panic attacks. I’m a career changer and just getting my head around the business side of the job. The process for applying for teaching positions is so stressful—I have literally never experienced anything more anxiety-inducing. Part of the problem is a complete terror of the unknown and i recognise that.

Some of the panic will be from the application process. It takes time to unwind after a stressful event.

When you feel the panic remind yourself you are safe and be mindful of the present. Then going over the strategies that you have in place to be ready in September.

PGCE year is tough and emotionally draining so you will be running on empty as well. Be kind to yourself.

Should I still be having panic attacks 5 days later? I could barely make it through the day today. I feel so unprepared to be in charge of a classroom.

No you shouldn’t be having panic attacks but you body does take some time to get out of the fight/ flight response and you need to take steps to actively calm your responses down.

Say panic is when you hit 8/10. If you are permanently running at 7 it doesn’t take much to tip you over. And the career change, pgce , application process can put you up to 7.

There are some great apps that can help when you feel that panicky feeling growing. Be present in the moment and acknowledge there is no threat to you.

Having your own classroom is much easier than teacher training, when you are borrowing classes.

And you aren’t ready to have your own classroom yet. That’s why you haven’t finished your training and September is 6 months away.

Keep talking in here, lots of experienced teachers happy to help.

Thanks all for your support. I did teach a full timetable today, and observed some drama lessons, so I feel much calmer, and a path forward is making itself clearer. I told my mentor all the anxieties I was having and she put a clear system in place with achievable milestones to help me get there. Part of my anxieties are wrapped up in the fact that I am absolutely grieving having to leave my placement school (there wasn't a place for an ECT next year), so even the slightest change seems like a big one.