Full-time teaching at 62 and feeling unexpectedly anxious about new yr.

[Hwanda]

Back to full time teaching tomorrow. Feeling uncharacteristically anxious . I am 62 Yrs old and 25 yrs full time UPS3 teaching. Always been very confident with the job. However I have few minor health issues ( frozen shoulder , fatigued easily ) but it has made getting up in the morning at 6 am a real slog. Unfortunately, got to work full time another 4 yrs due to financial responsiibilities ( teachers pension scheme! ). I give 100% at work and colleagues i say 'yes' to too much. I think this is because i need to stay at the school as no one will employ a 62yr old female who is UPS3. So i think I am feeling vulnerable due to my age and that combined with a demanding school has sent me into tizz at prospect of returning to classroom. Anyone else experienced similar?

I am a few years younger, but feeling the same. I found last year very tiring and I'm sure its to do with age. I am also UPS3 with a TLR. Not sure what you can do really, other than make sure you are not doing too much or extra - stop saying yes to things! I tend to stay at school until 6pm most days, but I don't take work home or work at the weekends. This gives me a boundary between work and home. I leave my laptop at work too. I do work in holidays because I find it easier to save certain tasks until then and do them once I've had a rest, rather than tackling them on top of everything else.

Do you have a directed time timetable? Make sure your directed hours are within the 1265.

Good luck!

No, but I really feel for you because I have experienced ageism and sexism. It's bullsh*t and we need better oversight. Like anyone who qualifies as someone who is likely to be discriminated against should be entitled to a third party sent from a government org to sit in on interview panels and subsequent discussions to understand the reasons for why you weren't hired (if that's the case).

But that's too organised.

Your employer has to make reasonable adjustments for your ailments and I imagine they'd be too scared of tribunal claims for various acts of discrimination if they let you go or mistreat you before you retire, so relax and don't over exert yourself.

Could you afford to drop one day? Gives you a day for yourself and not too much of a reduction in wages. Check your pension payments etc before making any changes. Wednesday off means you never have to work more than 2 days back to back.

Dropping one day can shoot you in the foot. I did that and basically finished up doing 5 days work in the space of 4 - I was a middle manager and the HT didn't slot anyone into my position for the one day. (It could have been done very easily - it happened in other schools in the region.)

I just made life harder for myself and lost wages. I lasted a year and then quit.

The complication in my case was that my late husband was an invalid and I needed the 'day off' so that I could take him to hospital appointments etc.

I'd hoped to wind down gradually, but the HT refused to let me go down to 3 days the following year, so quit.

I'll reiterated that this type of winding down for a Head of Department is not unusual in our part of Scotland, but it's pretty much in the gift of the HT if you make the mistake that I did: I took advice from the union financial adviser who said that there was no difference between Flexible Working and stepped retirement, other than the fact that I wouldn't be dipping into my pension pot for Flexible Working. (Sorry, the precise nomenclature for stepped retirmement escapes me.)

I should have asked for the latter - it would have given me more rights. A cousin in a very similar position (and born the same month) has just retired at the age of 66. She eventually went down to a two-day week and thoroughly enjoyed her last few years of teaching.

No help but I retired at 63 as the job was making me ill - I have no regrets but obviously the ability to do that depends on your financial situation.

Could you reduce hours or do something like tutoring? I would also meet with a pension advisor, someone like Wesleyan, if you haven't already - a friend was told that after a certain point, you are working just for the salary rather than the additional benefit to your teachers pension if that makes sense (I can't remember the exact details)

You could take phased retirement where you claim part of your pension and reduce your working hours. You then continue to pay into the Career Average scheme. As you’re over 60 and your NPA was 60, by not claiming your pension at 60 you are losing out.

When you say you say ‘yes’ too much, is that something you could look at managing better? Find a way to say no that you are comfortable with and then stop taking on extra work.

in flight emergency rules include putting on your own oxygen mask before helping anyone else.

You might find that you can manage your own workload so long as you do not volunteer for anything else. It’s not easy, but it is quite simple to start saying no to requests. You may surprise some colleagues who are used to your being a pushover.

Own oxygen mask first.

4 days was great for me. I did much less work and was less knackered and stressed. I had health issue- a lot of minor ones.

I think at secondary it works as you do t have to plan for you non working day but at primary it is a PITA as you have to plan and mark day off work!

I was wondering if she was losing out. I'm NHS and retired at 60. I'm now 63. Most of my pension was in the 95 scheme which ended in 2015 but there no point not taking the 95 scheme at 60 as you lose money. I wonder if the op is losing out by not taking the bit of pension that she could have done at 60

I’m not yet 50 and already feel burnt out OP so I feel for you. I also have always loved my job, say yes too much - but it’s hard not to when you know the students suffer if you don’t. I’m going part-time from next year and making up the difference with tutoring. If you need part-time I would go to your doctor and ask them to write asking for a one year change to your contract. Unless there is a very concrete business reason for saying no they can’t refuse - especially if this is stress/mental health related - which is sounds like it is. Ask your union for advice. There’s no point waiting until after you crack before asking for help. Good luck.

My pension age is 65 and 67 as i didnt start teachers pension scheme until 2013.
I cannot drop a day as i am heavily reliant upon my ft salary and my pension.

Your pupils and your school are extraordinarily lucky to have someone of your experience and dedication on the staff.

Good for you - it’s a tough job. A tip someone gave me is to think about who you are saying yes to (basically only say yes to your boss…) It helps a lot with boundaries.

That was my problem in a secondary school - I was setting work for the 5th day and picking up all the behavioural problems when I went back in on the Monday.

After the HT refused my request for a three-day week, he expected me to come in on my day off for my presentation since he was going to be elsewhere on my actual last day. I refused, so he insisted on doing my staffroom presentation on my penultimate day.

Thank you. That's the expression that escaped my addled brain. Yes, this is what my cousin had. I'd recommend it to those who can opt for it.