Should I become a teacher or go to a masters?

[lostandconfusedmh]

After burning out from my previous law job in the city due to mental health issues, I’ve been recovering at my parents' place since being let go in July. Thankfully, I’m feeling much better now.

I’ve secured a job as a trainee teacher in my hometown, but I can’t help feeling a bit bitter because I had a very high-paying job before. I graduated with a 2:1 in law from a Russell Group university in 2022.

Now, I’m at a crossroads: should I take the teaching job or finish my master’s? I have offers from:

• A former Russell Group university
• A business analytics course from the University of London
• An MSc in Finance at SOAS

I’m considering these options as a way to re-enter the corporate world, as I no longer wish to pursue a career in law due to the culture. However, the teaching job is also appealing because it’s less stressful than working in a Magic Circle law firm, and the summers off would provide a good work-life balance.

The downside is that the teaching job is at a rough school with poorly behaved pupils, which adds another layer of complexity to my decision.

I would advise against the MSc in Finance if you cant handle stress. I'm in Fintech and ita good money but long hours and Hugh stress in finance if you are investment banking, financial market analysis, trading etc. I would say the business option.

Not even that. In fact you turn up, put a video on for the kids and drink coffee all day. Occasionally you slag off parents, and sometimes go on strike for a change. You’ll love it.

Agree - my DD works in finance and the hours are so long, although she earns more than three times what I ever did as a teacher at the highest point of the pay scale so swings and roundabouts.

Simply put, yes.
High-status jobs (usually) come with a large paycheck, and with it comes stress, if that role suits you then you manage it. If that role doesn't suit you then you look elsewhere.

Teaching is a very high-stress job that comes without the high paycheck. Lose, lose.

Michael Gove.

We shouldn't be doing your research for you.

Please do the Masters. You wouldn’t last a wet week in teaching and then the staff, and more importantly, the students, of an already disadvantaged school will be left to pick up the pieces.

How did u get into fintech?

You forgot a pretty important one there in the care of Young People.

And that is a lot more than just their academic life. It’s about there overall wellbeing, it’s being the person who notices sign of abuse, who feeds the child who comes in hungry, who helps the parent struggling to get support for the family, who support the young person with SEN when they are in crisis. I could go on and on but hopefully you get the gist.

Firstly, you need really excellent research skills.

You have been signposted to a thread where the OP’s husband had PTSD from teaching; it’s very informative.

You also need to be quick at making PowerPoints and good at fixing photocopiers.

If a parent calls you a stupid useless cunt you must always defuse, never attempt to justify yourself.

Expect to have tables and chairs launched at you and if you’re easily shocked by commonly used swearwords, be aware that no one will remove the student for swearing, even if you’ve just asked them to write the date and they’ve responded, “Shut your pissflaps.”

If you give a detention be prepared to supervise it yourself before you start marking those 150 pieces of work. Then prepare to be called into an office and interrogated about why you’ve given the detention. Then you might have a restorative meeting with the parents present in which you will be told your lessons are too boring and you are too strict or not strict enough.

If you’re lucky you might not be flamed on social media.

Expect to work 60 hours a week.

I always worked in schools I would call “lively” but you’ve called “rough” further up the thread.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

@lostandconfusedmh

It sounds as though you would benefit from as much support as possible for the time being, OP.

Are there any options which would allow you to live with your parents for the next year or two, while you find your feet?

For what it's worth, I'm not sure that any of the options you have suggested are going to be the right ones for you in the long-term, I think that you are going to find something different is more your forte.

I'm a primary TA of 17 years...that is stressfull enough, without the stuff the teachers do on top of that! My daughter is a Secondary teacher into her 4th year...she is absolutely frazzled. Hers is a (in your words) "rough" school. It is relentless, not only does she have to ensure that children, who don't want to learn, achieve their targets, she has to manage their different SEN needs, EAL, basically be a social worker, barely have time to eat all day (because sorting problems in her own time) and more often than not put herself in the middle of angry teenagers to stop fights, which occurs more often than anyone can imagine, run the gamut of parents who don't like that their child has been disciplined in any way. She is essentially a subject leader,doing the work of, but not paid as such due to her only being a newish teacher - she has been responsible for re-writing the subject's scheme of work in the school; She has been hurt by pupils on several occasions, most recently hit in the head by a Year 7. (Just some examples.)

And yet....she also loves her job. Her specialism is a subject that she has a good degree in, and is her passion, but is not valued as "academic" even though nothing could be further from the truth. She loves seeing how some children do embrace the subject and grow and develop in it.

If only the stress was less,this would be the perfect job.

If you found being in a law job was stressful, you will not stand a chance in a school, quite frankly.

Oh and summers "off"???....you should see the length of the To Do list she has before she gets back to work in a fortnight......

Absolutely do not go into teaching if you have already burnt out from another careers. I've been teaching 20 years and it's been getting harder every year. This year I've barely been present for my child. It took the first two weeks of the holiday to begin to feel normal. I then got ill (many teachers spend their holidays ill. I have for every one for just over a year until this summer

Sorry hit post by mistake. I'm now starting to get anxiety about going back to school and the huge to do list I've got to complete. Additionally it's exam results next week and even after 20 years I still worry about them. If oh are not prepared for law to take over your life then teaching really is not for you.

This. Grow up!

To be blunt you won't last 5 mins - the students will see right through you and you can only do this sort of job if you are passionate about it, which it doesn't sound as if you are

I have just left teaching in a state secondary- it's brutal - if you have any MH issues at all then they will just be worsened (even if you get a 2 finger Kit Kat in your pigeon hole once a year)

What subject would you teach?

Shut your pissflaps has actually made me miss the classroom

😂

Seriously OP, look up Teach First on Reddit and do some volunteer work or agency Teaching Assistant work in a lively school before you commit yourself. A gap year of easy work at your age might help you recover from burnout because it’s not a good idea to do something very stressful when your mental health has taken a knock.

OP, I’m gobsmacked that you’re really considering embarking on a teaching career without apparently having even spoken to a teacher. You need to find out more about the jobs you’re going into if you’re not going to be perpetually shocked and disappointed. (And not by instructing strangers on the internet to “quickly” do your research for you.)

For most people, there is no easy option. If you put the work in, you can gradually become skilled at a high paying or high satisfaction job so that you can do it without much difficulty, but these things can take time. Jobs, sectors, and practices will also shift throughout your life.

The questions you’re asking, the total lack of research, the ill-informed assumptions you’re making, plus the expectation/desire of a high status, high salary job, all smack of someone who needs to gain maturity, become more realistic, make more effort, and take responsibility for themselves.

You sound like you need to build a great deal of independence and resilience before you’ll succeed anywhere. I think you’re going to find most jobs are harder than you think.

@lostandconfusedmh

If you feel that way, I would allow yourself a year out during which you take some seasonal jobs as your income.

It won't be long now before stores are advertising for Christmas staff. In your situation and given that the last couple of years have been really difficult for you in terms of your mental health, I would apply for a seasonal job with a store.

Things will looks different in the New Year; you will be able to sit down and look at your options with fresh eyes.

I'm sure that your parents would support this course of action, they do seem to be of great help to you.

A quick search shows that this is OP's only venture onto Mumsnet. I'm not sure that OP really wants advice...

Name change?

You are going to start this job next month with Teach First and have genuinely no idea that it might be stressful?!