Positive teacher experiences please

[lilyflower1803]

Hi,

I'm a trainee teacher and I am absolutely terrified I have made the wrong choice going into this profession. I love teaching and working with children, but with everything going on in the news at the moment with the strikes, the stories teachers have, the amount of teachers leaving, all I hear are the negatives.

Are there any teachers out there with positive stories to tell that can shed any light on the good of this profession?

I’ve been a teacher for 6 years. Of those 6 years it’s been a bit of a mixed bag. I must have been an undiagnosed anxious person before teaching but had no idea as teaching really brings out the fear and worry in you, which escalated into my every day life. The constant scrutiny was what caused most of it for me. There were two years during that time where I can say I did genuinely enjoy my job. There were still challenges, bad behaviour, unsupportive parents and little to no help from management but something about those two year groups made it fun and worth it. The first class I ever had were one of my worst and I spent most of the year crying! Particularly as management in that school made everything out to be my fault. It’s taken til now for me to realise that it’s not worth it for me anymore, I’ve sacrificed everything to try and be a ‘good teacher’ and no matter what you do it’s never enough.

I’m not trying to make this all negatives as if you’re a really strong person who can brush off criticism like it’s nothing and feel nothing at parents complaining (when you’ve spent all your own money on the class and your entire weekend planning) then you’ll probably be fine! There are people at my work who complain about it but don’t seem to be at the same point as me so it is doable. The funny things little kids say was my favourite thing about it

If you're doing a PGCE then I can honestly say that year is far harder than your NQT/ ECT year or actually teaching. If you can survive the pgce then you'll be fine teaching- just make sure you find the right school with a good, supportive SLT.

Ah @SpringIntoChaos

Your post sums up why so many have left.
People who haven't lived it will probably assume you are making this shit up.

I taught for almost 12 years and enjoyed much of that. Loved teaching my subject, have made great friends of some colleagues and had some brilliant moments with young people. It also took me overseas for a few years which was amazing. I'm not teaching right now for a myriad of reasons but I haven't ruled out going back some time.
You should give it a go if you want to - even if you do 5 years the profession needs you

I’ve been teaching for 9 years and DH for 17. But we left the UK for another EU country. It’s made a massive difference to how I feel about teaching. Yes, there are still weeks when we’re drowning in reports or every class has done an assessment and the marking pile is horrific, but the general paperwork element is seriously reduced. There are no HoDs and we are free to teach what and how we want as long as it follows the (very broad) curriculum. I’ve been observed twice in 4,5 years. Less directed time and more holidays. BUT we took a big pay cut, DH halved his salary. The salary here is very low compared to the UK, and teachers need 5 years of university before teacher training (or some do the 5th year wrapped up with it, but it’s 6 years worth all in). Honestly, it was worth it.

Anyway, what I would say is your UK teaching qualification has global value. Don’t assume you have to teach in the UK, in fact, I’d recommend you exploit it and go elsewhere.

A lot of the issues in teaching is other staff. It attracts some power mad dickheads in my opinion. Caused by the fear model of OFSTED.

It's like hazing, you either endure it and become a hazer (is that a word), are broken by it or move on.

Plus add into the mix the dire financial state schools are in and the social issues some areas have, plus having to 'act' for 6 hours a day- it could break the strongest person without the right support.

Thankfully, not all schools or even academies are like this. Some have supportive SLT and try to give their staff as much of a work life balance as they can. The children are amazing, as are most parents - it's just that the difficult ones imprint more in your memory.

When you interview, be sure to ask about the marking policy, the hobbies of the people interviewing, talk to some of the staff without SLT around if you can.

Good luck 💐

If these strikes make a difference it may get better.

Governments really need to look at the fact people don't want to teach anymore, adverts for teachers just stay open for months and months, we appoint, staff leave drop in the first few years, sometimes months. (Normal secondary comp)

If they can seriously look at well-being, hours worked outside of the teaching day, reduce parental emails and contact, let exclusions happen for the extreme students, and make it a job with a decent salary, it could be amazing again.

Working with students is amazing, they are hilarious and brilliant and you can actually change students lives.

The profession is shit, the media hate us, parents hate us, Ofsted scare us and there is nothing we can do about that unfortunately. Look how the strike days (which is literally the only thing teachers can do to say things aren't good) are portrayed in the media. We are evil, we work 9-3 and have lots of holidays. Funny that no one wants to do it anymore though??

Not a teacher but my youngest sons teacher has just qualified. She has made a massive difference to him. We are so grateful to her for everything she does. Never underestimate the positive impact you can have on a child and families lives. You are all amazing xxxx

I was in the classroom for 13 years altogether.. I loved the children, the camaraderie and the subjects I coordinated. My fave years were when I did PPA cover, it made such a difference to work life balance! I now work as a music teacher with mostly individual lessons which I love even more.

Thanks...you're right. It's so toxic that non-teaching friends really do think we are exaggerating don't they? I'm truly saddened that my final years of teaching have very nearly broken me...and I am one of the 'strong ones'. For some, less experienced or less resilient (mentally/emotionally/physically) it's a living nightmare from which it feels like there's no end or escape. Particularly true if you are single (like me) with no 'bills buffer'. You can't just leave...especially past 50!

I’ve been in teaching now for coming up to 31 years - it will be 16 years in September that I took up my current post as Headteacher. Education has definitely changed over time and there is an increase of teachers leaving the profession - so much so, we’ve often had to advertise roles two or three times before we even get the right candidate.
Personally, the reason why I’ve stayed in the sector for so long is because I have a passion for what I do - when I was a class teacher back in the 90s, I loved seeing my pupils progress and do well - and it’s good to see how well they’ve gone on to do. As I’ve been in leadership, as much as it is good to see the students flourish and do well, achieving in some cases above and beyond expectations, I also take great joy in nurturing colleague talent. An NQT that I had appointed in 2008 took up their first headship post last September - to know I’ve played a positive impact in their progression to get to where they are today.

Teaching isn’t for everyone - it’s more than the 8.30-3.30 - and some enter the profession thinking it’s going to be like that. You do have a strike a good worklife balance though. I do tend to do more in the weekdays to keep my weekends as free as possible.

Hi everyone,

Sorry for my absence on this thread the past couple days! Just wanted to say thank you so much to everyone sharing their experiences, it's really eye opening to hear the views of teachers themselves with both the good and the bad. I am going to stick with it for a bit longer, but still worry about the work/life balance. If anyone would be able to shed some clarity on how they manage a better work/life balance within teaching, I am all ears!!

Here lies my issue as well, I have an extremely supportive family and she is already in nursery for a few days a week but currently, I feel my family spend more time with my DD thank myself and my partner do! So childcare isn't the issue thankfully, but I feel I am missing out on quality time- and that it may only get worse when I go into full time work.

Not to mention all the bugs and germs we are catching creating time off work/nursery and working through horrendous illnesses- I don't know how everyone does it! It's starting to cripple me 🤣

Finding the right school for you is so important. Don’t be afraid to move on from a school if things are not right. Usually issues are caused by slt rather than the pupils.

@SpringIntoChaos your SLT sound horrendous. I’d be running away to find a better school asap!

I’m relatively new to the profession OP (second career) and have only worked in 3 schools - but they were all so different. The key to teaching, like most jobs, is to find the best schools to work in.

Good luck!

Why are the strikes a negative? I see being part of a highly unionised profession willing to stand up for ourselves and children's education as only a positive.

As a trainee teacher, at this stage, you've presumably had placements in school? So you know what you enjoy and what you can put up with. The reasons people are leaving vary a lot and they may not apply to you.

I would say finding the right school is key, and don't be afraid to move schools if you are unhappy.

One positive of teaching is that part time work is very possible (assuming that's possible for you financially).

That may give you a better balance with your child.

I do think being a teacher/parent is hard in term time, and when they are older, if you are full time you will miss out on assemblies/sports days etc. But you will have the holidays together, and that can be good from lots of perspectives.

@Postapocalypticcowgirl

It's not the strikes that are negative, I support the strikes, it's the reasons behind having the need to strike that are worrisome. As I'm sure you understand the underfunding, teacher burnout, gruelling work loads etc.

I really enjoy my placements, but it is half the workload of a full time teacher and I hear a lot about teachers not having a good work/life balance, which is something that I value much more now I have a family as before children I would work at all hours, often multiple jobs!

Thank you for the advice, luckily all my placement schools have been wonderful and I'm sure when it comes to looking for full time work I will have the same experience, hopefully.

@Postapocalypticcowgirl

Yes definitely! I am strongly considering working part-time an an ECT, but understand it will take me longer to complete my ECT induction than if I was full time.

It's a couple years away so who knows! Hopefully the reforms take place soon and the profession is supported as much as it deserves.

I am in exactly your same position right now, really curious to know how it has been going for you!

Hi! I’m not going to lie it didn’t work out well for me! But I think I got quite unlucky. I went into a one form entry as an EYFS teacher, my ECT mentor was changed about three times and the school didn’t keep to ECT entitlements, my class had quite a lot of significant physical needs in as well, and I was working full time! Unfortunately I got a virus and developed Bell’s palsy so spent the rest of the year off sick as everytime I tried to go back to work it came back again! Just not a supportive environment and I was gaslit into thinking it was my teaching ability that was the issue, I was put as not on track etc and it totally broke my confidence! I did it all by myself, all the planning everything as an ECT and was so alone as was EYFS anyway and most primary teachers don’t touch EYFS 🤣

however all silver linings as I took time to recover and am now pregnant again!

a few things I would do differently is find a part time job, full time was impossible with children!
go to a bigger school where others are teaching your year group- more support and more ideas to bounce off
be more proactive in raising issues if schools are not meeting ect entitlements! I got bullied not to report them as I would trigger ofsted for the whole school!

sorry to be negative, I was so optimistic it wasn’t going to end that way. But my passion for teaching isn’t lost, I’ve been on supply and I’m applying for work in term time preschools to still be teaching but just with lower stress while I expand and look after my family. I would like to complete my ECT years eventually as I genuinely do think I’m a good teacher although my confidence was shattered to a million pieces about a year ago 🤣