Teaching, nightmare.

dawyldthing

I spent 4 years studying to be a primary school teacher and failed final placement in the end. Went into 4 different schools (should have been 2 but had no continuity) and the vast difference in support is crazy. I think there were around 160 of us started and I think around 80 or so graduated.

Some schools have what feels like a hidden agenda. My final school teacher mentor was awful. Should have been shadowing for 2 weeks. I think it was half a day before she asked if I could teach a day as she was needed elsewhere for xyz, and she was a key coordinator for something at the time.

It's been 6 years since I graduated (still got my degree, just not my qts) and I have to say I don't miss it as it's too time consuming and thankless - from society to parents to collegues. In that time a lot of friends have had kids and gone part time, some totally left the profession. Even one bloke without kids come out with he does a 4 day week as it's too much. You need nerves of steel for a pgce. Same for NQT as my friend had a truely horrendous nqt time as it's very much a dog eat dog world out there.

Until we give teachers more ppa time I don't think burn out will get any easier. But I don't understand the government as it would cut down on people leaving, sickness etc so would pretty much pay for itself eventually

Catapillerry

Thank you all,
It's sad to see 95% of people feel the same.
We're in a pretty bad place right now. She was determined to go into school today, went and came back at 11,she couldn't physically stand in the class an do it anymore. (they sent her home)
She'd done the 4 lesson plans last night, so it was all prepared, just inexplicably cannot perform anymore.

She's going to speak with the teaching college, and this will probably be the end.
I'm obviously worried for our financial situation (we've probably got 3/4 months savings to go at without her wage) and her wellbeing. I'm pretty sure she's now "had a breakdown" whatever that actually means.

It's sad, because she has been in industry for a long time, had customers and directors yell at her, and never been brought to this point.
It's also a nightmare because she loves the kids.. Even getting just something out of the challenging ones was inspiring for her.

God knows what happens now.. Feel like there's no safety net.

tom9980

RedfordML wrote: »

That's a tough read.


Im currently finishing my qualifications and hoping to apply to Uni this September for Primary teacher training.


Surely it cant be all that bad, thousands of teachers in work, does this thread represent the minority??


I must say I have read more and more negativity and it does make me question if this is a sensible career option?

PGCE and NQT years are very tough.

The stories you read here are biased to individual experiences but in my experience as a husband of a primary school teacher of 7 years pretty accurate frankly, nothing written here is of any surprise to me, and it wont be to anyone in or who knows someone in the profession.

Until Government stop constantly chopping and changing things and we throw out all the bureaucracy and let teachers teach it can only get worse. I have no doubt in 10 years time that schools in this country will be in the same situation as the NHS currently is. For the moment there are enough people who think teaching is a soft easy profession that there are enough teachers qualifying to keep things from crisis level.

Its very frustrating to watch someone diligently do administrative work which has barely any effect on teaching outcomes that affect the child's education all to in effect show Ofsted to prove she is doing a good job. Surely there is a better way than this? surely teachers should support each other, learn from each other and help each other get better. Currently the culture (leading to lack of time) prevents that from happening unless school leadership and parent support is very strong.

I spent 10+ hours helping my wife recently create a "Big Book" for a large project she did before Christmas all to show Ofsted (when they eventually turn up) how well the school are doing. For all we know it could be years before they visit the school so that time would be wasted all because of the culture that has been fostered by Governments (Tory, Labour and coalition)


Our current plan is for my wife to work part time after maternity leave because clearly the job even though she loves every minute of being with the kids will leave her a shell of herself. So i guess you can count me in the camp of don't be a teacher until things change it will suck the life out of you eventually. The ones that survive truly love the job and make sure they take breaks, mentally you need to be tough as nails to survive the back biting from parents, kids and colleagues. I very much doubt anyone will do more than 25+ years teaching under the same climate as the last 10 years very frequently anymore.

Takeaway_Addict

Catapillerry wrote: »

Thank you all,
It's sad to see 95% of people feel the same.
We're in a pretty bad place right now. She was determined to go into school today, went and came back at 11,she couldn't physically stand in the class an do it anymore. (they sent her home)
She'd done the 4 lesson plans last night, so it was all prepared, just inexplicably cannot perform anymore.

She's going to speak with the teaching college, and this will probably be the end.
I'm obviously worried for our financial situation (we've probably got 3/4 months savings to go at without her wage) and her wellbeing. I'm pretty sure she's now "had a breakdown" whatever that actually means.

It's sad, because she has been in industry for a long time, had customers and directors yell at her, and never been brought to this point.
It's also a nightmare because she loves the kids.. Even getting just something out of the challenging ones was inspiring for her.

God knows what happens now.. Feel like there's no safety net.

I cannot stress enough how much better you and your OH are compared to alot of people, you have some savings and you are not putting your head in the sand.

Might be worth heading over to the debt free wannabes board and doing a statement of affairs to see if you can cut down any further and get some hints and tips etc.

Keep going, you will get through it.

Kit1

daytona0 wrote: »

I also did a TESOL and that was actually 100x more fun! Rubbish money like, but there are a few English language schools in larger cities across the UK and that could also be an option! It is so much more laid back in those schools in comparison!

Hope you don't mind me asking but l was thinking of doing TESOL but wasn't sure it was worth the money (I am a TA but have 1 to 1 sessions with children who's first language isn't English) and would l get work.

Many thanks

daytona0

Kit1 wrote: »

Hope you don't mind me asking but l was thinking of doing TESOL but wasn't sure it was worth the money (I am a TA but have 1 to 1 sessions with children who's first language isn't English) and would l get work.

Many thanks

Yes you'll 100% get work.... but the question is, which country?

I did mine with 3 other people. I keep in touch with all of them. I've been the most boring out of the 4 of us, but this is what we did:

- I went to Poland for a few months and taught in a school right out in the styx. Got paid about 2500 zloty a month (£500) and free accommodation in a flat. Applied online and had a Skype interview. When my contract ended I messaged some local schools and they were very keen to take me on! It is certainly much easier if you are in the location/country it seems.

- One stayed on with the college where we did the course, initially volunteering and finally getting paid work (not contracted). He then joined Kaplan and worked for them for a few months. Now he's out in the UAE with his family!

- The other two went to Hong Kong and worked in a primary school for a number of months. One is still there, one is now back in the UK and looking for more work.

I tell ya, getting work is easy! You've just probably got to relocate to a foreign country and a not-so-popular one at that! France, Germany and Spain are probably on the "no chance" list. The UK is on the "very unlikely" list. Poland is lovely tho!


I would recommend a TESOL if you are serious about it. There are TEFLs and stuff but they don't really give you much classroom experience which is absolutely key! They may also be looked on less favourably by employers.

burnleymik

I feel for your wife, but this is the hardest it will be and if she can push through this then the worst is behind her.


That said I am a hypocrite, because I left Engineering to become a secondary school science teacher and once the placements began and I saw the real state of the schools, the workload of a new teacher and all the pitfalls, I quickly realised that this was not for me and after 3 years I returned to Engineering and have never looked back.


I loved my time with the students and the wonderful feeling when you are teaching something and you just see it click in their mind or when you help the ones you know need it the most, but the downsides far outweighed the upsides.


I now have the utmost respect for teachers, but would never advise someone to go into that profession, as the pay is poor, the stress is very high and workloads are ridiculous.


Would you wife consider returning to her old profession or maybe some other way she could use the OU degree she earned? Simply to save her own sanity?


Either way I wish you both the best of luck.

Zeni

Catapillerry wrote: »

Thank you all,
It's sad to see 95% of people feel the same.
We're in a pretty bad place right now. She was determined to go into school today, went and came back at 11,she couldn't physically stand in the class an do it anymore. (they sent her home)
She'd done the 4 lesson plans last night, so it was all prepared, just inexplicably cannot perform anymore.

She's going to speak with the teaching college, and this will probably be the end.
I'm obviously worried for our financial situation (we've probably got 3/4 months savings to go at without her wage) and her wellbeing. I'm pretty sure she's now "had a breakdown" whatever that actually means.

It's sad, because she has been in industry for a long time, had customers and directors yell at her, and never been brought to this point.
It's also a nightmare because she loves the kids.. Even getting just something out of the challenging ones was inspiring for her.

God knows what happens now.. Feel like there's no safety net.

I really feel for your wife. My PGCE year was one of the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. (Only second to my NQT year in a failing school with my NQT mentor being the head who then was pushed out of the school by governors)

I wish I could say, finish the NQT year and it will get easier, but for me it hasn't. It's just different and this job will take from you constantly. If she leaves now it doesn't mean the end for her. What about becoming a maths tutor? Or something that is linked to schools in that area? My friend who teaches secondary maths did maths tutoring for gcse children before she got her job.

RedfordML wrote: »

That's a tough read.
Im currently finishing my qualifications and hoping to apply to Uni this September for Primary teacher training.
Surely it cant be all that bad, thousands of teachers in work, does this thread represent the minority??
I must say I have read more and more negativity and it does make me question if this is a sensible career option?

I think its good to be realistic about the job - No it is not all bad. You will have moments that are amazing and will make everything else worth it - seeing a class you've worked your socks off with at the end of the year make great progress is a changing experience. nNot every school is toxic..I've worked in my fair share of nasty environments but where I work now I love the people who I work with.

But, there will be days where it feels like you are buried under a never ending mountain of paperwork which has barely anything to do with the children. You will be expected to be so many things at one time and you will have a constant stream coming at you expecting things from you.. headteacher, SMT, parents, children, support staff.

Someone said it earlier.. Its not a job but a lifestyle and it will take over your life. Reading this thread has definitely made me tear up seeing everyone feeling the way i have felt. There are days when I wish I never went into this profession, but the rewards from it can be so high. it's an emotional rollercoaster all right!

Kit1

daytona0 wrote: »

Yes you'll 100% get work.... but the question is, which country?

I did mine with 3 other people. I keep in touch with all of them. I've been the most boring out of the 4 of us, but this is what we did:

- I went to Poland for a few months and taught in a school right out in the styx. Got paid about 2500 zloty a month (£500) and free accommodation in a flat. Applied online and had a Skype interview. When my contract ended I messaged some local schools and they were very keen to take me on! It is certainly much easier if you are in the location/country it seems.

- One stayed on with the college where we did the course, initially volunteering and finally getting paid work (not contracted). He then joined Kaplan and worked for them for a few months. Now he's out in the UAE with his family!

- The other two went to Hong Kong and worked in a primary school for a number of months. One is still there, one is now back in the UK and looking for more work.

I tell ya, getting work is easy! You've just probably got to relocate to a foreign country and a not-so-popular one at that! France, Germany and Spain are probably on the "no chance" list. The UK is on the "very unlikely" list. Poland is lovely tho!


I would recommend a TESOL if you are serious about it. There are TEFLs and stuff but they don't really give you much classroom experience which is absolutely key! They may also be looked on less favourably by employers.

Thank you for that. I have lots of classroom experience but no degree so that may be a problem :-(

MummyMoo

I don't have much to contribute but I thought I'd just add my two pence about teaching. I was made homeless at the age at 12, lived on the streets and friends houses but continued going to school because all I ever wanted to be was a primary school teacher. Many years of various hardships later including diagnoses of bipolar disorder in 2004 I finally qualified in 2012. 2014 I had a nervous breakdown and was sectioned. Obviously there were a few other factors, but the main factor was teaching. I was working 80 hour weeks in term time and 60 hours a week in holiday time. As a lone parent I was hardly seeing my own daughter. It was just relentless. I love teaching, genuine do; it's the paperwork though, it's just too much, it broke me. Three years on I have recently started to listen to children reading two afternoons a week to get me slowly back into school, but I don't think I'll ever teach full time again (I can't even stand in a classroom to ask for the next reader because it gives me a panic attack). I heard a shocking statistic a few years ago; the average teaching career is a mere five years long, speaks volumes.