Can’t bear another 30 years of this

[Anonymouseky]

I teach GCSE resit learners (post 16). The job gets harder and harder every year. This year the job is really getting me down. Most lessons feel like a battle. Students don’t want to put their phones away, they stroll in late, they don’t bring equipment, they destroy borrowed equipment, they are rude to staff and they don’t listen. Many are unwilling to accept responsibility for their poor choices and behaviour. The systems in place do not support teaching staff and so there are few consequences for learners.

I’ve been told that I am a good teacher with good behaviour management, but we still face these issues daily. I’m tired and burnt out from trying to help people who are unwilling to meet me part way. The students do not want to be there and make it known. It is utterly draining to deal with this every day and then to have no energy left for your own children at the end of the day.

I went into this profession to make a difference and because I thought it would bring job satisfaction. It is destroying my self esteem, happiness and peace and I don’t see it getting any better. I am now contemplating leaving the profession I have worked so hard for. I want to help people who are willing to accept help and don’t abuse me in return. What can I do? Please give me some ideas.

I would speak to the parents that have enrolled the children. If they don’t stop bad behaviour then you can stop the teaching them.

Parents should take responsibility for their ill behaved children at school!

Unfortunately, there are a minority of parents who deny that their children would do such things. Some have even accused me (and colleagues) of lying. I think that’s what makes it worse- there’s very little support or back up. I feel like we try so hard to help these students gain a qualification and we just get it constantly thrown back in our faces. There’s no thanks, no gratitude, just stress and hassle.

I think in the first instance I’d be looking for a new job rather than leaving the profession. I’m an HCP and my last role had become unbearable so I changed the role. Is that an option?

I agree you should try looking for a new teaching job. Maybe, adult education where they want to be there and learn.

Let’s be honest, if parents left teachers to teach and manage their kids at school, without constant interference and criticism then it would be a much easier and more rewarding job.

Have you thought about tutoring while you decide what to do.. Also i what about supply teaching? You could pick the better behaved schools

No advice as it's not my field, but wanted to send sympathy. That sounds incredibly hard and I'm grateful there are people like you in teaching.

Its not that much better with university students. I recently found myself explaining to one of my students how much the hour they had just spent on their phone (during my lecture) had cost them in fees.

Just to add it's not me, I've won awards for my teaching!

There are lots of side careers for ex teachers, for example I work at a heritage site and nearly all the learning and engagement team are ex teachers who now run school visits and activities based on the curriculum that's relevant to the historical palace, full time. So they get to inspire and educate while not having the negatives that teaching can bring.

I mean, there was probably a big clue, before you took the job, that none of these students are likely to want to be there.

Obviously, not all - there will be dc who worked hard, struggled and just missed out, but you had to know that many of students being forced to resit a GCSE they didn't manage to get, were always going to be difficult to engage.

So, it would be worth looking for a different job if you still want to teach, or, if you don't need FT work, tutoring for individuals whose families are willing to pay for tutors is always going to be easier than struggling to engage a whole class of people who don't want to be there.

Or, there is a GIANT facebook group called 'Exit the Classroom' which is full of teachers trying to find other work.

You can make as much difference simply by changing school/college as you can by changing career.
They are not all as rubbish at supporting their staff with behaviour management, yours sounds like pretty poor management.

Poor behaviour is inevitable in education these days, but allowing it to dominate the classroom and the learning process of others is not.
Value yourself a bit more and take a leap of faith, you don't deserve to shoulder crap that school leaders and managers are paid to support you in.

Have you considered adult education or teaching functional skills to apprentices? Or perhaps a specialist EFL school?