Teaching, nightmare.

brooke68

Honestly? If she can walk away, that's what I'd recommend. I'm a teacher in a large primary school. I qualified in 1994, when teaching was a very different job. From what I observe, morale is at an all time low. Hours are long, paperwork is endless (and often pointless) and respect from both children and parents is deteriorating year on year.
I'm actively looking for a way out and I have told both my children to avoid the profession at all costs and I would, with a very heavy heart, advise anyone else to do the same.
I wish you and your wife luck and happiness for the future x

pinkshoes

burnleymik wrote: »

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.

I also left engineering to become a teacher.

I agree, the pay is CR*P and the workload ridiculous, BUT... as I now have three kids, the hours are far more friendly for those with children, as I can work once they have gone to bed!!

Not to mention the school holidays I can spend with my kids...

My engineering hours were very long and just not fair on my son.

I love my teaching job, but only on a part time basis. If I had to work full time I would lose my sanity!

I intend to remain part time even when my now 1 year old twins start school - that will give me two days a week to plan lessons, mark and do household stuff, then leave most evenings and weekends free.

It is ridiculously tough with two little ones, but I can see the bigger picture later down the line...

PS - i so very nearly quit my PGCE as it was so tough, but kept going.

Catapillerry

Thanks everyone.
A lot of the time it feels crazy. As I said, we've both been in industry for many years at a decent level, and I've never known anyone having a day long interview, with the various activities, getting culled at various points of the day, critiquing what they've done, for £24000 and a year's contract.
So the pressures don't just stop at the job, they include the interview stage, and the uncertainty of these 1 year contracts they all give out initially

happyandcontented

I sit on a lot of teaching interview panels and they are rigorous. I also have children who teach and they love it but it does take its toll. They are fortunate to be in supportive schools but I know many others who are not so fortunate.

The culture of bullying and fear is endemic in our schools and colleges now and many SMT's manage using that method. They do so to climb the greasy pole and to stop the flack coming their way. Only last week I was chatting to an NQT who had been literally forced back to class after being so ill she vomited, she was told that if she couldn't do the job they may have to look for someone more robust....she also told me she feels literally ill on Sunday evenings thinking about the coming week. That is no way to manage a resource that affects the future of our children.

This is a knock on effect from all the government targets and league tables.

I hope your wife makes the decision that suits her best. No job is worth such angst and stress.

mumps

Catapillerry wrote: »

Thanks everyone.
A lot of the time it feels crazy. As I said, we've both been in industry for many years at a decent level, and I've never known anyone having a day long interview, with the various activities, getting culled at various points of the day, critiquing what they've done, for £24000 and a year's contract.
So the pressures don't just stop at the job, they include the interview stage, and the uncertainty of these 1 year contracts they all give out initially

They don't all do 1 year contracts, my daughter is in her 4th year of teaching and has 3 jobs (she would have stayed in one school but had to move due to partner's job). She has always had a permanent contract, with two of the jobs they were interviewing for 2 teachers and one got a one year contract and one a permanent. She has found lots of vacancies for maths teachers, not looking this year as she is settling down, buying a house and planning on staying where she is. Is the situation very different? I know for the last few years schools have been crying out for maths teachers.

The interview days do seem intense and being discarded along the way must be hard.

Where abouts are you? I don't mean your address :cool: but north south rural city?

Hope your wife is feeling OK.

daytona0

Kit1 wrote: »

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

Hmm yea, can't really remember if anyone asked me for a degree. There are plenty of people who do such work without a degree and I imagine that you'd be absolutely fine! You just have to look at some EFL job boards!

zagubov

You've got to think of your partner. If this job is destroying her, the job's got to go. Teaching's not for everybody, and it doesn't sound like her training's going to succeed. Far too many people think it's a job that anybody can do and be good at, if they've done any other work before, but, sorry, that's just baloney.

There's two options. Stick with it (but join a union; there's a reason why this is a highly unionised job). As suggested by others, look at faith schools, schools out in the 'burbs, private schools or the sixth form college sector.

Or, work on an exit strategy, and leave before she can fail the course. She may be able to return in later years if she so desires, but not if she gets so burnt out that she 's judged to have failed.

Get other work. Tutoring may be an answer, if she takes steps now, to familiarise herself with the new syllabuses before she leaves her school. The private sector may not ask for a teaching qualification, if you're in England or Wales. TEFL might be OK but it's a long shot if you need to stay where you live now. Or just another job with nothing to do with teaching.

Those who're saying it gets easier are right, but you need to get some experience first and if that's too horrible then you might not reach that point.

globetraveller

It really doesn't get easier. I work in a school with supportive colleagues but I have absolutely no work/life balance. I am in at 7.15am ( and I am never first in), have a 15 min lunchbreak and leave at 5pm if I am lucky. I usually take work home. I try to take Saturdays off. I can only do this as I get paid for 4 days only and so work right through Sunday and my day off. I am not sure why I still have a husband as he suffers along with me. I never get through a holiday without work to do.
To the OP, it may seem like a nightmare now but quitting now is the best thing she could do. The actual teaching is great but everything else that goes with it is killing the profession. Yet still we have people sniping about teaching being a cushy job.

zagubov

To be fair, it can get easier if you get enough momentum earlier on. Unfortunately, the job has a capacity to sucker-punch some new entrants so they never regain their wind.

For them, it would be a struggle to reach the stage where they're simply keeping up, let alone getting ahead of the game. It's better to acknowledge this, do something else, and, if required, start again later.