It’s another teaching job one. Confused.

[flowergirl24]

I’m working as a full time teacher in a secondary comprehensive. Conditions are fairly tough, and workload is really hard to deal with in a full time role. Behaviour is really poor at times.

I’ve been offered a part time admin type role. It’s a fixed term position which starts at Easter and only goes up to the beginning of December. It’s working for a company that really interests me. I’ve done postgraduate study in this area.

I’m struggling to make a decision to go forward.

Pros to teaching:
pension
holidays off (we have small dc)
Decent pay
Easy 10 minute commute

Cons to teaching:
behaviour really stresses me out
working most evenings and some weekends
never feeling present for my own dc

Pros to new job:
in an area that really interests me
part time hours a week
I might be able to read for enjoyment more / go to the gym
I’ll be able to do 4 pick up a fortnight

Cons to new job:
need to work over summer and find childcare (expensive for 3)
have to work every other weekend
10K pay cut (manageable for us financially)
35 minute commute

Any advice out there? In particular, I would love to hear from teachers who understand what it’s truly like at the coal face at the moment.

I’m a teacher wanting to leave and I would jump at it. You can always go back if you hate it!

Go! I went. Haven’t looked back.

Go! It’s not likely to get better in the short term. You have qualifications to go back in future, if things get better for teachers.

Husband is not too pleased at the increase in childcare costs to cover the holidays, but surely that’s what most working couples have to deal with?

Go, plenty of teaching jobs about if you want to go back. In terms of finance, maybe pick up some tutoring of an evening?

Ha! He can get a teaching job then.

I agree go- there's no way you wouldn't be snapped back up by a secondary school if you change your mind in future.

I left teaching because I figured a total breakdown would be more costly than the paycut. In the end I didn't care what I ended up doing as long as it wasn't that.
I guess it depends how far down that road you are.

@persisted interesting post. Well done for recognising it and getting out when you did. I hope that you are in a better place now.

I fluctuate between thinking that this is the best and then the worst job in the world. Perhaps that’s why teaching hooks so many in but subsequently destroys so many too.

My young children are definitely suffering, though and I’d like to be more present in their lives.

I’m not actually at the point of breakdown. I’m in a supportive school, great department and the workload is the best I’ve ever had out of the 6 schools I’ve worked in. But it still doesn’t feel right somehow.

Teacher here of nearly 30 years. If husband isn't pleased then tell him.to .teach. I would at least try it. U.might love it. If not there will be teaching jobs around if u want to go back .

Do it. I wish I'd left earlier.

Holiday leave between the 2 of you will cover some of the holidays.

Exactly as others have said, you an always go back to teaching any day you want to, so what have you got to lose by taking the new job?

@BCBird thank you. A little bit of me is concerned about giving up good future prospects and a pension, but I really can’t see myself doing all of this for much longer either.

It’s also only a fixed term position, so I’m leaving behind a lot of security for a relatively poorly paid role but I think I’m ready to take the leap. Something has to give.

It will buy you some time and some sanity to think what you might want to do next.
And you never get back time missed with the kids.

Would your school consider giving you a 1yr sabbatical. If you say it’s a fixed term position relating to your postgrad study? Would they rather that than you leave?

I’m not sure they would. I’ve only been there a year and they’ve just refused a sabbatical for someone who has been there for 7 years.

Go. Your children won't be little forever so the holiday childcare costs are only for a few years.

I left because I had a breakdown. It took me nearly two years to recover, though I went straight into a non teaching role and was able to recover and work at the same time.

It’s awful, I with I had other advice because I have kids in school and they need teachers, but teachers need to put themselves first.

You can rejoin TPS as long as you return to teaching within 2 years. And your entitlements based on what's already paid into TPS by you and your employers remain.

I think you should give it a try for a year.

I don’t know. I’m a teacher and as my kids have got older I have loved having all the holidays off with them. The cost of extra childcare and a loss in salary are surely massive? Can you go part time to ease things?

And indont think child care costs will decrease that much until they are about 14/15? I wouldn’t be happy leaving g my 13 on her own all day while I was at work in holidays-she would have to go to a club which she would hate.

It’s sad how common this is.

I’m glad you recovered and agree that teachers need to care for themselves.

Thank you. I was in senior leadership after a successful 20 year teaching career when I realised the stress had made me extremely ill. I had suicidal ideation and one day started weeping and just couldn’t stop.

We really need a solution to the country haemorrhaging teachers. It’s a national disaster and nobody seems to be ready to address it.

Both DH and I have left teaching and not looked back.
I've moved across to admin in a school so have kept my term time working and it's given me more flexibility in term times to attend assemblies etc for my own children. Something I never had easily as a teacher.

DH has jumped ship entirely to the CS and is still basking in his new found work life balance half a decade later.

It’s not hard to land another teaching job if that’s what you want. In your shoes I would certainly give the other job a go!! I just got a temporary teaching job after 10 years out of the classroom. You can get back if you want to but I expect you won’t want to!

Have fun