Change career to teaching

[Mam34]

Wanted some advice…currently working in the NHS but finding the pressure unbearable, every day feels never ending. Have 4 children at home, thinking about a career change to primary teaching. Although still pressured and would be a significant pay cut would work much better with childcare etc and feel ultimately that I would be happier. Husband very supportive. Wanted some advice on the realities of teaching.

Thanks for the advice-will take heed of it all. Already working every evening and a lot of the weekend and on days off so not much would change in that respect. Have always enjoyed teaching as part my role and have always been told when with lots of children that I would be a natural teacher. Have a fantastic supportive husband with wraparound care etc already in place so again this all sorted. Thank you everyone…lots to consider!

What do you do now, OP? Have you got a degree? Would you consider working in FE?

Have always enjoyed teaching as part my role and have always been told when with lots of children that I would be a natural teacher.

It's not generally the teaching part of the job that is the problem, OP.
It's everything else that comes with it.
Same for lots of jobs to be fair.

Honestly I’d think you were mad. All the things you say you hate in NHS will be the same in teaching! Choose something else would be my thoughts x

You also must be quite senior in nursing if teaching is a 'significant pay cut'? How do you feel about being a minion again and being micro managed by others?

Don't do it. I got out after 15 years. Wish I'd gone into anything else.
Workload
Stress of deadlines but never ending jobs lists
Lack of resources
Poor pupil behaviour
Even worse parent behaviour
Working evenings and weekends

I gave up because it did not suit me having a child as well.

I’m secondary so can’t comment on primary. I reckon with your NHS experience you might as well give it a try. It’s not all awful! We need great teachers for our kids.

the lack of flexibility and needing wraparound care for my own dc is I personally dislike. Holidays with my own kids is what has kept me and many others in teaching. I find term time busy but manageable, but that’s because I’m part time (I have a one year old and one in primary and no wider family to help).

contact a few local schools and see if they’ll let you shadow a teacher for a couple of days. Good luck

Why leave one job because it's really high-pressure and go into one you know is also really high pressure?! Please don't do it because you think you won't nice childcare or that it's a lovely flexible family friendly job!

I wouldn't recommend primary teaching these days to my worst enemy. I don't know of a single teacher friend/colleague whose children/young people would touch it with a barge pole. This is both sad and entirely unsurprising.