Teaching alternatives for my husband to save my sanity

[Frizz1986]

So my dh is a teacher and has been teaching for 5 years (secondary school science) He held his first job for 2 years before they cut teaching staff due to child numbers and he was last in so first out. He managed to get a new job which was a long and treacherous drive away which lasted for a year before they replaced him with an nqt to save money.
By this point we were expecting our daughter, so it was tough going.
He was out of work until the January where he managed to get another job which was further away than he wanted but he had no luck with anything else so it was the only option. They restructured at the end of the school year to create a new senior science role and therefore he lost his job again.
He was then out of work until October where he managed to find one very close to home but the school did badly at ofsted just before he started and the work has been relentless with marking all work every 2 weeks, testing the kids, marking the test, filling out progress reports continuously. So much so that since our daughter arrived 17 months ago I have felt like a single parent a lot of the time as teachong is so time consuming (even more so since October at this new job)
Well he has found out that due to child numbers they are making redundancies and as he is only on yearly contracts (which every teaching job seems to be these days) he will likely not have his contract renewed unless enough people take the redundancy. He still doesn't know the outcome and to be honest most of the teaching jobs are already being advertised and closing so yet again he will be out of work.
There are a lot if issues attached to this. The financial side is big but yes but we'll cope somehow, we'll budget and get through it like we always have before.
My main concerns are
a) his wellbeing. It's hits him like a tonne of bricks and he is fed up of having to start all over again every year. I can't begin to imagine what it must feel like losing your job 2 possibly now 3 years running.
b) this one is much more selfish, but i am not from here and moved to be with him when we met. I miss my family greatly and want to move closer to them as I don't have much support from him due to his teaching and his family don't support me in the way my family would. I have asked him if we can move and it's a flat out no (I don't like it as I have few friends and feel isolated but we have a house here and he doesn't want to go and so I don't really have a choice as I love him and would never leave him) Anyway I feel this could be an opportunity for him to change careers. I don't think he loves teaching, I think he doesn't know what to do other than teaching. I hope that him changing to a more 9-5 job would mean more time for us as a couple, more time for him with his daughter and more time to help around the house, support me and give me time to get out and try and meet people in the hope of feeling less isolated and enjoy living here. Ive been here permanently for almost 8 years and I still dream of going back home. If that's not going to happen I want to be happy where I am but feel a lot stems from his work which I'm not convinced he enjoys.

What can I do to help him cope better with what I worry is the inevitable losing his job? And what other careers are out there that I could show him as alternatives?

If we are staying here because he wants to then we need a way to make life better.

I don't know what to offer, other than teaching is a horribly stressful job at the moment, and I feel sorry for anyone who has a teacher as the main earner.

My advice would be to look outside teaching

Omg, where the hell do you live? That's the worst run of bad luck Ive ever heard

The first year in teaching a new school is always the hardest while you ramp up and get to know the kids and to do it 4 times !! Ffs.

I have so much sympathy for your poor DH. And for you obviously.

Are you wedded to the area where you live? I can only say that with my Dh's teaching in London and the southeast - they are plenty of jobs, really loads. There are plenty of science teacher jobs, not seen any one year contract jobs.

In the 4 places my DH has worked there has never been restructuring/redundancy like that - maybe because the schools are full and there's pressure to grow?

He's moving schools next year and expects to basically have the pick of good schools (he has worked in challenging schools with failing Ofsted and likes the challenge though).

He's been either very unlucky, or teachings not for him and he's doing it poorly (it doesn't sound like that), or you live in a really changeable area for schools.

for you both

Can he not teach where your family live? Teaching is pretty much a worldwide career, isn't it? They have science all over the world so he can't use that as an excuse.

Blimey. I'm thinking the same as Laurie said, really.
Other options still teaching but moving setting might be move to upper primary - male teachers and science teachers/sci co-ordinators are sought after in primary. Also tutoring - well paid esp with agency (actually, he could do that as a too up if he wanted whilst teaching?)lots of people want science GCSE tutoring. Presumably he has a science degree, would he like to go into industry?

Science degree and teacher to me says 'medical writer' or something similar to me. Lots of work about, would suggest he went in-house first to learn the ropes. It could be a nice bit of breathing room for him until he works out exactly where to go and what to do next.

Or industry, as Jemima says. Whereabouts do you live?

The other thing is to keep an eye out for teaching jobs not in schools. I teach. I've never taught in a school though. I started out teaching in a zoo education dept, and now I teach at another conservation charity. We have schools come for visits. They need someone who knows what they are talking about, but also knows the curriculum. You need to be able to plan workshops, resource them, promote them, deal with the bookings etc, teach them, work out what teachers want (so what will 'sell') but also fit that with the needs/aims of your organisation, possibly deliver teacher training. Our local zoo has 3 ft educators (who also do other things - public education talks, sign writing etc). My current employer has 5 ft and 5 pt people who just do schools work, as the organisation is far bigger. Loads of unexpected people want good science teachers. No report writing, no dealing with parents, no paperwork. The kids come in, you talk about the things you enjoy and then they go home!
Good luck.

Thanks for all your thoughts. Moving is not an option at all. He won't move to be by my family as he won't leave his family or his friends.
I don't think he is keen on teaching anymore and I can't distinguish whether it's the fact that he has no job security or that he doesn't like all the effort, the politics, the paperwork and tbh I don't know if he knows either.
I think he's been unlucky as he's always had good feedback from his internal assessments and some of the schools have offered to help find new jobs for him.

We are in the North West near Preston and there are teaching jobs out there but he only had a few interviews last year and wasn't offered anything until he thankfully got one in October.
Every job he gets offered it's always based on yearly contracts even though it's advertised as permanent as each school he has been at has had fluctuations in numbers each year so can't guarantee a position.

Selfishly I'd rather him leave teaching unless he loves it as it's hard work for us all. His job quite frankly makes me miserable even though I am proud of him for it (I couldn't be a teacher and have a lot of respect for them but it's seriously taking its toll) especially as he won't move so I can be closer to my family for support. I do it for him but not if he doesn't like his job.

I'll definitely help him take a look at the suggestions people have made and hopefully there will be some possibilities there that will be encouraging for him.

He could look at Primary - as a pp said male, science subject he would be quite desirable. However, if he is struggling with the current school's policy of marking all work every 2 weeks he will not get on with Primary where all work is marked every day.

Given he is on a temp contract, could he not look at the jobs coming up now / end of May, and jump before he is pushed? A much more positive position to be in.

I agree that it's better to choose to go than be pushed but he's so desperate to stay somewhere and feel valued.
I try to tell him each time that he hears he might lose his job but he always wants to wait it out as he would rather stay in a job instead of having to start again so he doesn't want to assume that it's bad news.

What did he do before teaching?

Moving is not an option at all. He won't move to be by my family as he won't leave his family or his friends.

What if you moved and he stayed? Would he follow you or is his new family not that important to him?

Unfortunately, he can't afford to wait and see what happens as many jobs will be filled before 31st may. Many after that are for nqts and unless he is prepared to be paid as an nqt he may not have a job. I have just moved schools and found it hard after 15 years of teaching but I do love it, if he doesn't it is a hard slog!

I'd suggest he gets signed up to a supply agency, or two, or however many there are where you are. He can supply for a while (much less pressure).

He could look at pastoral roles? Lots of FE colleges are taking on for 16-18yo. Has he thought about private sector? Less pressure there too, with smaller classes and better behaviour.

Wish him luck. State school teaching is a circle of hell and hard to escape once you're in.

Although he is secondary trained he could look at prep schools with KS3 age group and working to Common Entrance or areas with middle schools.

What about tutoring? Being a science teacher he'd be in demand. He could tutor in the evenings and at the w/ends.

alternative I think if it was the best option he would move if I said I'm going, but firstly I'm just not the type of person who would make that ultimatum and secondly there are other reasons why it makes sense to stay here (we bought a house and it's much cheaper here plus no guarantee his work prospects would be any better) I wish the best option was moving but tbh I think it would be the final one if all else failed.
He joined 3 supply places last year and got 1 day and only got 3 days the year before. He will obviously do supply again if he has to but he's never had continuous income from it so it's always been more of a short term fix and not a long term job prospect.

Would tutoring in eves and weekends would not give us even less family time (if he managed to get enough students to make it worthwhile)

Where I live science teachers are in huge demand. I've never heard of anything like this before and am surprised there are redundancies in schools. V scary. Teaching is a thankless task for the first few years, BUT it gets better. He could try something else and if it doesn't work go back
To teaching?

How easy is it to to go back to teaching if another career doesn't work out? That might make him feel less scared of taking the risk if he knows that it wouldn't be too hard to go back to it. Would he have to update any training? Retake courses? Or would it be a case of as long as he could show why he left initially, why he is returning and why that would make him the best for the job....

I gave up teaching (dep head) for family reasons. I do tutoring during the day via an agency, there are masses of children who aren't in school for various reasons and the authority funds 1:1 for a couple of hours a day. In addition I do a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon when the kids are off doing their own sports activities. The income is pretty much the same and the pressure comparison is an absolute no-brainer. No pressure and a massive amount of time with the family. I'm not that far away from you either OP, my dep head post was in Preston.

In response to your most recent post people take career breaks from teaching for all sorts of reasons. IME not hard to get back into.

I have put this all to my dh and I think it has given him food for thought. I really hope that he continues on this track and makes a positive decision on his options moving forward.
I think as a family this whole teaching lark is pushing us to the brink at the moment so I really appreciate everyones helpful suggestions and advice.

If he did tutoring he wouldn't have all the paperwork, marking, preparation and meetings that are part of teaching. He'd be able to go along to play group etc with you and dd.

He could always attend CPD courses to maintain his skills if he's worried about getting back into it.

Possible ideas for your husband:

1. Subscribe to emails alerts for various job websites, like job site, total jobs, job centre etc. - there’s others besides these. He can put in keywords related to his skills, what he enjoys doing, his degree subject etc. (or don’t, look at everything within X miles, and see what takes his fancy).
2. Go into a local recruitment agency and see what they have to offer.

3.. Look around your local town at all the businesses/organisations there. If they’re big enough they may have a website with a job section. For larger businesses (banks, supermarkets, schools, hospitals, GP surgeries) he may be able to just walk in and ask about jobs. Also, what seems to be taking his fancy when he looks at these businesses? Retail, banking, a particular charity, hospital, vet surgery?

1. Buy all your local papers every week and look in their jobs section.
2. Get him to think about what he enjoys/doesn't enjoy about teaching eg. does he still want to work with children, or is he sick of the sight of them? Is he passionate about a particular subject? Does he prefer the admin/planning side of the job?
3. Go back to university and retrain completely(not viable for most, but this is what some ex-teachers do).
4. Buy some stock and sell it on ebay/amazon etc.
5. If you are within commuting distance of a university then consider university admin (look on their website, on the jobs pages) - I've heard of quite a few teachers doing this, and the pay is not dissimilar to teaching.
6. Does he have a hobby that he is passionate about, that he could turn into a business?

10. Look on the websites of educational publishing companies - he may be able to do sales/marketing for those. 11. Look on your local council website - they may have a jobs page. 12. Look at the NHS jobs pages I have heard of ex-teachers going into the following: education officer for charity, starting own business, starting own charity, university admin, educational publishing, non-teaching job in a school, NHS manager, law + every other job you can think of. If he's young with a science degree, then the world's his oyster really - it's more a case of him being pro-active in deciding what to do and going for it. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise, forcing him to think of other careers. Teaching can be pretty dire at the moment, unless you love it.