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Original poster

HELP ME!! Calling all ex teachers (or teachers in general!) . . . what else could I do?

54 replies

HorrorMatopoeia · 14/10/2006 21:15

Hi there,
Been teaching for eight years and I'm very close to the end of my tether. I work in an extremely demanding school, it totally invades my life. I started to work 4 days a week in September (having worked just 2 days since having DD) but soon had to drop it down to 3 days as I couldn't cope with the hours, all the work I had to do at home and trying to be a good Mum to Dd. I used to cope so well with all this job threw at me but now I find I just don't want to be there, don't get me wrong, my kids in my class don't suffer! I'm happy teaching them, but so much of the job (infact up to 9/10 of it really) isn't teaching anymore. I'm sorry, I'm rambling. What I really want to know is this:

Has anyone left teaching for another career, if so what?

What else am I qualified to do? I have a BA in Literacy studies with QTS.

I want another baby within the next couple of years, am I just as well sticking at a job I increasingly hate and resent because I know where I stand?

Sorry for the ramble, any advice welcome.

OP posts:
roisinpronouncedROSHEEN · 14/10/2006 22:20

What about home tutoring for excluded/ill kids? Or ed-psych? Or school inspector? Or education advisory service? Or education officer at a tourist attraction/museum? Or library services?

Having said that the terms & conditions for teaching are pretty good: the holidays and maternity pay, for example. And you'll be very lucky to find something comparable.

People I know in FE are fairly unhappy, as the contracts tend to be very loose, and it depends on the number of students who enrol for your courses, and it can be a bit unpredictable.

Original poster
HorrorMatopoeia · 14/10/2006 22:21

Thank you chick, hypothetical questions are always good if you didn't mind? Why do I get myself so worked up about work - I try to tell myself it's only a job!

OP posts:
Original poster
HorrorMatopoeia · 14/10/2006 22:24

Thanks roisin, it's all worth knowing, especially about contracts in FE. I know I'll miss the holidays if I leave but then again, as Dh said, I spend the holidays worrying about going back!

OP posts:
Littlefish · 14/10/2006 22:46

Honor - I've e-mailed you.

sarahalloween · 16/10/2006 20:30

Horror, I've just started a thread on the chat section (so it has disappeared already) to say that I have just handed my notice in today! I'm a secondary teacher and feel just the same as you. Like you I am doing three days a week, but since going back after my maternity leave with DS2 i have found it really hard. As you say, in the classroom it's fine, it's just fitting in everything else which is expected which I just can't do anymore. I have found myself heading down a route towards being quite depressed so realised that I need to act on it before i make myself ill.
So I told the head today ( sat and blubbed) but now feel very positive. My plan is to try to make the move from secondary to primary as I'm an MFL teacher and I'm hoping that there may be some openings now. I'm presuming that I'll do some supply for a while ( fingers crossed something comes up) but just a change of school may be thing I need.
Sorry, I'm rambling now! Hope you can make the decision which makes you happy.

hulababy · 16/10/2006 20:32

sarahalloween - good luck; it's been a huge weight lifted for me since I resigned and moved out of it.

PandaG · 16/10/2006 20:48

I resigned from teaching before I had DS, the stress ended up with me having Depression, which medication and getting out of the situation sorted. I worked for the ES for a couple of years managinga team in payroll - a job I could do and was ok, then resigned to have DS. I've been a ft mum and CM for the last 7 years, DD starts school ion Jan and I am casting around for a job that will fit in with family life.

Enough of me, all I really meant to say was getting out of teaching was what I had to do, just the thought of driving past the school where I taught makes me shaky inside. If you are crying on a Sunday night get out please. As Hula said, it is only a job!

PandaG · 16/10/2006 20:48

sorry SAHM I meant

popsycal · 16/10/2006 20:52

This was this time last year.
went back after having ds2 who was, and still is to some extent, a dreadful sleeper. #

I have a history of high blood pressure and had been off when pregnant due to stress and high bp. I was head of year too and moved year groups so it was all new and the team was toatlly unsupportive. I had 2 periods of sick leave then begged them in the new year to let me reduce my hours. It took me crying to an occ health person for an hour to persuade my boss that i meant it.

I now work 2 days a week, have no reponsibilty role and LOVE it. this is why I started teaching.
You have to take action or you will be ill.

popsycal · 16/10/2006 20:53

oh yes...and because i reduced my hours my mum agreed to look after the boys rather than paying 3 days childcare ( and 2 days my mam)
I was only around 100-150 worse off
which was nice

Original poster
HorrorMatopoeia · 16/10/2006 21:29

Thank you for your positive stories ladies It makes me feel better to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. A staff meeting after work (preceeded by a lunch time meeting and followed by a curriculum sub group meeting) sort of underlined my need to get out. I've just finished my marking from today and Monday is a 'light mark' day too. I've tried to drop my responsibility level and have managed to a certain extent but my head is of the opinion that, because I get paid on the upper pay spine (I think that's the one!) and have just achieved my threshold, that I need more responsibility in order to earn it. Oh god.

OP posts:
Littlefish · 16/10/2006 21:52

Honor - as far as I'm aware, UPS has nothing to do with additional responsiblity. You need to check the criteria for UPS, and if necessary, speak to your union. TLR points are for additional responsibility. UPS are for sustained and significant improvement in classroom teaching, or something like that.

Perhaps someone else will be able to clarify.

Judy1234 · 16/10/2006 21:59

My ex husband did a lot of things. Loads of private pupils (massive demand where we live), supply teaching, engagements ( he's a musician), recordings, helping out at holiday summer camps - some of his friends run them profitably. Other things are consultancy services to parents trying to get children into particular schools. I sometimes did marking (although it only really just paid for our summer holidays each year).

adder · 16/10/2006 23:48

A friend of mine resigned this summer and then got a job with the home and hospital tuition service - she loves it.... 12.5 hours per week all on a 1-1 basis - no discipline worries....

incy · 17/10/2006 08:07

Horror, the management team at any school can make a real difference - would it be worth trying somewhere else ? A friend of mine is a primary teacher and after returning to work after DS2 she was ready to leave teaching due to a very unsupportive head (hated the fact my friend was job sharing). My friend found a job at another school covering for primary teachers having their time off for preperation (I think she covers for 4 teachers each having half a day). No preperation - just two days teaching which she loves and her management team are lovely. She is a different person and has rediscovered her love for teaching. I do sympathise because I feel the same as you (I work in a 6th form college) and I have to say if I wasn't pregnant I would be handing my notice in this week - life is too short.

popsycal · 17/10/2006 12:46

honor - i was a;ready on the threshold pay spine and this september was due to go up to the second level of the pay spine having dropped my hours to two days a week and giving up my responsibilty, and for the last 2 years, having half the time on maternity or sick.

I had to fight tooth and nail, but they cant hold it against you - they only have to judge your performance while you are there

popsycal · 17/10/2006 12:47

give me a shout if you want more info about the threshold....I had unuion advice about it so have some info that may help

incy · 17/10/2006 12:58

Other things you could do -

personal A level/ GCSE tuition for your subject english?).

Moderation of coursework for exam boards or exam marking eg AQA.

Portfolio standardisation for BTEC portfolios eg edexcel/OCR.

Job with exam board working from home 'selling' the board to local schools (someone I work with did this).

Change schools (somtimes a change is neeeded).

lucycat · 17/10/2006 13:09

Has anyone made the move from secondary to primary? How long a conversion course would i have to do? sarahhalloween I'm in a similar position, but i escaped a few years ago and teach geography/history so not quite as 'useful' as MFL!

My school's idea of part-time teaching/job-share was .5 of a timetable spread over 5 days. No thanks.

primary schools seem much better at doing job-shares. - or don't they?

Nome · 17/10/2006 13:27

Oh Sarahalloween, keep us posted on what you have to do to switch to primary. I am on a career break looking after ds and dd. I am secondary MFl and the thought of going back to secondary is really not enticing at the moment. I wonder how much your view of teaching is coloured by your last school? My last school was...challenging...and I know I don't want that again.

fizzbuzz · 17/10/2006 15:27

Hi HorrorMatopoeia
I have to ask why so many meetings? The unions would never ever let that happen in my school, but also the mamgement team wouldn't expect anyone to have all those meetings in one day. Has anyone reminded your school about the workplace reforms. Sounds like the problem is the school rather than the job.
I work in a huge secondary school, but we have very supportive, compassionate management team, and this makes a tough job much easier. I have often been fed up, and sick of it, but never cry on a Sunday, as I think all the staff are pulling on the same side. It doesn't sound like this is happening in your school, and if so,you would do well to get out. Hope this helps.....

Littlefish · 17/10/2006 19:25

I agree with fizzbuzz re the meetings Horror. But then I also know the school . What a difficult position. Is it worth speaking to your union?

Original poster
HorrorMatopoeia · 17/10/2006 21:12

Thanks again, everyone is being so helpful. It also really helps to vent on here!
Unions are not mentioned at my place, it is a singularly bizarre place with an equally bizarre head. She is as old as the hills, has contacts everywhere and what she says is law. If this includes 3 meetings a day then no one will argue with her - we don't even have union reps on the staff, no one dares to even voice the fact there may ever be a problem that couldn't be sorted with 'a nice friendly chat' (or to put it realistically - a talk in which she very cleverly undermines you and threatens you)
Yep, the school is out on it's own - damn place.

OP posts:
fizzbuzz · 18/10/2006 11:18

God, Sounds awful, like a Nazi regime, if that is what it is like, then I agree you do need to get out! You have my real sympathy, teaching is a tough enough job, without all that crap...Can't you look for another teaching job in a different school?
Have you looked on local authority website for jobs like mentoring, or subject support? My next door neighbour is literacy adviser for early years.
Also if you stay employed by local authority, you get to take all stuff like maternity pay and pensions with you.
Good luck again!

fizzbuzz · 18/10/2006 11:22

Also (sorry this should have been on last message)this sounds very much like workplace bullying, if one person stood up to her (ie a union rep) then surely everyone else would follow. Can't you contact the union directly if you have no rep, and explain everything to them. What I find hard to understand is why is everyone scared to stand up to her, it's very very hard to sack a teacher. Do you work in secondary or primary. I only ask because secondary tend to employ more staff, and there is strenth in numbers