Getting back into teaching as a cover supervisor - advice and opinions welcome please

[Annon1985]

Hi all
I am a fully trained art and design secondary teacher. I absolutely LOVE my subject and miss teaching it so so much.
I have been out of teaching for three years and was in it for three years before I left.
Sadly, I left due to a really toxic / bullying work environment that nearly broke me mentally.
It was such an awful experience that even now I feel emotional when I think about it. My HOD was the culprit and sadly it was pinpointed down to personal differences rather than the evidence I presented for the actual bullying that was taking place.
Any way, three years later, I am desperate to return. I have been focusing on helping my son through some difficult years, working as a freelance educational consultant within the art development of a local primary schools curriculum, and working part time in an unrelated role.

Due to being a lone parent I cant apply for roles more than half an hour away because of child care times, so my search is rather limited to a localish area.And in short, there just havent been that many jobs! The ones that have been up have been full time or too far away from home.
I have landed a role as a cover supervisor in a local very good school , and am excited about it as the team seem wonderful and supportive and it does look like a wonderful place to work.
My fear, is that this role will make it more difficult to return to teaching my specialist subject with taking a step down, and that I will see my teacher colleagues with a deep envy of what I wish I could be doing.

I am also terrified of any events that may take place with the school that I used to work in, which is also near by, where I had my awful experience.

I am hoping that this role will build my confidence again, in people, and that not all schools will do the same to me as what I experienced before, and that this role will open more doors for me to return to what I love in time.

I have a wonderfully glowing reference from my home placement school , showing that im a strong teacher , and I am hoping that this role will help, not hinder, my return to what I desperatley miss, and help me heal from the trauma I experienced before,

I am after some advice really, if anyone has been in the same position, or experienced anything slightly the same as this, either re getting over work place trauma, or returning to teaching as a cover supervisor and if it helped you get back into your dream role again?

Thanks so much,

Please be kind to yourself. I can totally understand what you went through and how unfair it was. It happens to a lot of teachers. You're really brave you want to go back as a cover supervisor. Again mainly do this and it's a step to going back to teaching. I'm sure you're a fantastic teacher and I say go for it. What have you got to lose. You'll build your BBC incidence back up. Even if you look at other teachers and feel jealous, I'm sure they'll be looking at you wishing they were you. It's hard being a teacher. Give yourself a break and go for it!

@faithfulbird20 thank you so much for taking the time to read such a long post, and your kind words. I just wish I didnt have a strange sinking feeling about the role, as I am blessed to have got it and to say ill be back in a school again, just not doing what I love and feel im meant to do. I have searched endlessly to see if any other forums have any teachers who have returned in a cover based role to get back in again, and cant seem to find a great deal, so thought that posting here could be a good idea. Your reply has really helped me on a rather down evening so thank you very much

I'm so sorry I didn't check what I had written. Obviously I meant you'll build your confidence back up not bbc incidence.

*many not mainly.

Teaching is hard especially if you're an honest person. You'll enjoy your new role much more.