Teaching - is it a good job?

MichelleM

Clive_Woody wrote: »

Good pay, long holidays, what's not to like.

Aim to become a headmaster ASAP to avoid the children.

Being a headteacher is one of the most stressful jobs in the uk! There have been a few articles about headteachers often passing away soon after/near retirement due to stress. Think about all the other issues you have to deal with: behaviour, parents, teachers and staff politics, targets, finances, lots and lots of extra meetings eating into your social life and not forgetting being taken to court due to accidents in the school/workplace.

2 headteachers died whilst I was at school.

I wouldnt touch that job for all the money in the world!

summerday

MichelleM wrote: »

Being a headteacher is one of the most stressful jobs in the uk! There have been a few articles about headteachers often passing away soon after/near retirement due to stress. Think about all the other issues you have to deal with: behaviour, parents, teachers and staff politics, targets, finances, lots and lots of extra meetings eating into your social life and not forgetting being taken to court due to accidents in the school/workplace.

2 headteachers died whilst I was at school.

I wouldnt touch that job for all the money in the world!

Agree wholeheartedly Michelle! A headteacher in our school's pyramid hung himself this year, only early 40s, very sad.

sueeve

Applicants for headteacher's jobs are very sparse. Good applicants even sparser, as teachers teach because that's what they want to do, not admin and final line of discipline 'Where the buck stops'

pollypenny

I retired from teaching English 3 years ago. I miss it.

I loved the subject, both language and literature sides. Best I loved working with teenagers most of whom are nothing like the stereotype.

However, there were times when I did nothing but work and BTH I do think my own kids suffered somewhat. 1 am finishes of marking were quite common.

Working during most of the holidays is also par for the course, with English assignments taking a long time to mark. At least I was at home when the kids needed me.

I don't want to sound pompous, but you have to love it and it is a vocation.

bonty44

msb5262 wrote: »

Hello OP,

It's a brilliant job if it's what you really want to do. It is however unremittingly hard work, and one of the drawbacks if you've got children of your own is that it's emotionally draining. Sometimes I feel as if my children only get the dregs of my emotional energy as well as the dregs of my time, because I've given it all at work.

If you are very keen to teach, do it. I love it with a passion and get immense satisfaction from my work. I feel very lucky to have a career I enjoy so much and which can make such important differences to children's lives.

However, if your main reason for choosing teaching is that it fits round family life, think again - it doesn't really in many ways, and the strain on your own family can be considerable.

Hope you haven't found this offputting but I'd feel dishonest saying anything else!

Good luck

I second all of this, I still bump into children I taught 10 years ago who say I made a difference to their lives, really makes my day when I see a child I have taught previously.

bonty44

mikey72 wrote: »

There is a guaranteed pay scale, with annual rises,

Not for much longer - this was in either the Conservative or Lib Dem Party Manifesto that they would abolish the Central Pay Spine for teachers ...

pavlovs_dog

another teacher here.

you've had fantastic advice already. but just to prove what has been said about the school 'holidays' I am currently attached to the laptop creating resources ready for September, because if i wait until we go back to school i wont have time to do them.

it's a fantastically rewarding job but your heart has to be in it

mikey72

MichelleM wrote: »

Being a headteacher is one of the most stressful jobs in the uk! There have been a few articles about headteachers often passing away soon after/near retirement due to stress. Think about all the other issues you have to deal with: behaviour, parents, teachers and staff politics, targets, finances, lots and lots of extra meetings eating into your social life and not forgetting being taken to court due to accidents in the school/workplace.

2 headteachers died whilst I was at school.

I wouldnt touch that job for all the money in the world!

£37.5K to over a £100K, not quite all the money in the world, but not bad.

mikey72

bonty44 wrote: »

Not for much longer - this was in either the Conservative or Lib Dem Party Manifesto that they would abolish the Central Pay Spine for teachers ...

Not yet, but even so, it was good while it lasted. What other career now has a guaranteed £2K a year pay rise, + a % negotiated by the union on that, and a decent pension scheme?

twinklie

I wouldn't be a headteacher either...I don't think I'd touch upper management full stop!! I've also been attached to my laptop ALL day marking coursework ready for when I go back. Yawn. I'm back to lesson planning tomorrow. Boo.