Teaching - the good, the bad, the ugly

[Moonflower]

Not a teacher but work in schools. I have the utmost respect for all you teachers and you are all AMAZING, but as I mentioned on the job hating thread, I could weep at the current state of schools. Crumbling buildings, huge levels of SEN and needs greater than ever before, entitled rude parents and no money. How does it ever get better?

Schools are the ultimate example of having to do more with less, it's just that less gets less every year.

 

[ImDavidBrent]

Shit leadership team! That’s a good one.

We had a young child in school call the head teacher the wrong name (he called her another teachers name, he’s 4, he got confused between them both). The head said to this child “I’m the head teacher, I’m the important one”. That told me everything I needed to know about her character.

 

[Piff paff puff]

I met with a relative at the weekend, she's a primary school teacher and she's taking early retirement. A child of seven in a class threw an object at her face and caused a minor injury and another child shut her in a store cupboard. She said it's gradually got worse over the last few years. One of the children broke two expensive iPad's and was then treated to a shopping spree
Rewarding bad behaviour has got the school in the mess it is now in with unruly and dangerous behaviour.

 

[nik1231]

I think it’s because everybody is drowning and miserable (or at least most of us) so they don’t have the time or energy for a laugh or camaraderie. It makes the job miserable.
I get it - I want out but I don’t have the energy at the end of the day to put the effort into looking for a viable alternative.

 

[nik1231]

Since teachers seem to have taken over the ‘I hate my job’ thread I thought I’d start a thread specifically for us teachers to rant, support or occasionally celebrate.

This may also be a good place for those who have left teaching to share other career opportunities so we can escape too

 

[FlipFlop0706]

I'm not in the UK but this is madness. Hard enough to get them to wash their hands!!

Exactly! Plus I’m wary of how much teachers are being used to do basic tasks that should be under the remit and responsibility of a parent. I’m a teacher, not a dental hygienist. It’s not my job to supervise teeth brushing. If a child needs a filling then are teachers going to be blamed for it?

Teachers to supervise? Are we adding dentists to the job description then.

Along with everything else it would seem! So far teachers are expected to give children breakfast, brush their teeth, toilet train, provide first aid, be a mental health coach, a social worker, a babysitter….anything else I’ve missed? OH WAIT BE A TEACHER!

 

[nik1231]

It's so tough - it's making me miserable. I dread going in - between EHCPs, a serious medical condition, many low-level ASD and anxiety needs who will probably never get support and challening parents telling me to validate their children's feelings about ridiculous things when they are the cause of most of my problems by not parenting, I'm done. I spend the day firefighting and I get to the end of the day with no time or energy for my own life or the people in it. I can feel my life passing me by beacuase of this job!

 

[MyLittlePony25]

Hey everyone it’s me again with another job related dilemma .
After I secured my job I reunited with some course mates for our end of year celebrations (it wasn’t that exciting as hardly anyone turned up) and I found out my friend had been unable to get work and was very disheartened after being racially discriminated by the last school she’d interviewed at. She then signed up to supply and applied and interviewed at lots of schools to try and find something for September. Then another vacancy at my school was posted so I told her about it and she applied, got an interview and was successful. I was also excited as it meant we’d both have someone we knew and who was in the same boat as we navigate our new careers.
Last week we had some induction days and then transition afternoons so she was introduced to rest of the staff and what should have been her new class. During these days she did mention to me how she’d been offered a terms supply by the supply agency, who she didn’t even want to inform as she for some reason and then was confused when they were annoyed. She then was offered a year’s maternity cover at a secondary school (we did primary Ed ) and wasn’t sure about turning them down. All throughout I told her she’s accepted this job now, really wanted it and should just be upfront with the other schools as she always said she’d rather have a permanent post in a primary school, rather than a short term position and having to go through the process of applying again.
She carried on attending the induction and transition days/meetings at my school and even came in for handover this week. Only now she’s decided to take the maternity cover job and turn down the permanent one. She called the head this morning and seems to be surprised that he was cross and called her unprofessional and now I’m not sure whether I should bother replying to her or if I should apologise to him on her behalf as I am currently working in the office so seem him regularly.
We weren’t really close anyway so it’s not like I’m losing a major friendship but I just feel bad for the school and slt as they now only have a week left of term and not enough teachers.

unprofessional of her to lead your school on and then just drop it last minute and strange of her to take the short term job, but I’m sure she had her reasons.
No need for you to apologise on her behalf. If someone says anything to you, say you did not expect her to be unprofessional.
but it’s not your job to apologise for her or feel bad over. Hopefully they will find someone soon.

 

[FlipFlop0706]

So sorry to hear that - absolutely appalling thing to happen and then a dreadful way to be treated afterwards. Disgraceful. Hope you are as OK as you can be now.

Thank you. Without being dramatic, I’m not the same person I was unfortunately. It still hurts as I genuinely loved the job and the kids I worked with despite the challenges but when you are genuinely frightened in your job then it’s time to put your safety and your health first. If any of you are beyond stressed or putting the job before your health then please please please, don’t. It’s just a job.

Unfortunately, teaching is full of people who are compassionate and hardworking but I do feel that sadly gets taken advantage of. So many bloody good teachers I used to work with are also now leaving the profession and I just look back now and think what a sad state of affairs our education system has become. Much like the nhs, it’s being absolutely driven into the ground.
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It doesn’t, I think it’s probably going to get worse and I think teachers are either going to break or quit the profession because it’s too much.
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I’m so sorry that happened! The shit the people on the ground have to put up with is too much. While there are some good SLTs out there, too many hide in their office from the drama and leave us to struggle.

SLT or Shit Leadership Team as I deemed them! You either get the ones who either hide in their offices or alternatively you get the ones who think they know best and make it their lives mission to destroy every teachers confidence. The amount of NQT’s that I had crying after being observed by SLT that think they were the BEST teachers known to man and how we should all hope to be as good as them…

Cracks me up as one of my “I’m better than all of you because I’m SLT” once had to cover my class. She was all gung ho and planned a numeracy lesson that was not in line with their current stage of learning.

10 mins later…

My TA came running in to me gleefully on my PPA time saying “oh my god, it’s a shitshow!” I casually walked by and it was utter chaos. Went and got my NQT to walk past and it literally made her day as she realised that SLT don’t have a clue and from that day on she took every lesson observation with a very large pinch of salt!

 

[FlipFlop0706]

Worked in SEND as a TA. Loved it to start with. Trained as a teacher, did my masters in SEND. Then wheels came off about five years ago when I was attacked by a student whilst being under staffed. Left with PTSD and depression/anxiety after being told to effectively man up by SLT and haven’t set foot in a school since.

Can’t see myself ever going back into education.

 

[Crabbypatty00]

I'm recently back from maternity leave and my department and the school generally just feels so depressing. We used to socialise, have a giggle and that made the dark days bearable. Now any camaraderie has vanished and it's just grinding out the days. I'm secondary and the maturity of students in ks3 is just so incredibly low! Behaviour is getting increasingly challenging. We used to have one or two seriously problematic characters per year group now it's more like 10.

I want to leave so desperately. I'm given myself a deadline to go before by child gets to primary school but finding a part time, reasonably well paid work from home job seems impossible. I want to be self employed ideally but don't have the attention span or energy required. I'm so frustrated with myself that I can't see a new direction to head in.

 

[MyLittlePony25]

Haha good thread!
I was a teacher, I LOVED the teaching, it was all the other crap that came with it. I was in a college so it was different to schools but yeah, I had a break down. My mental health was screwed for a long time.
A year ago I finally went back to work but in a mental health crisis centre and I love it. I feel like I’m making a difference and I feel appreciated by clients and colleagues.

 

[Funsizes]

Secondary (KS4/5) teacher here! I can't handle my fluctuating emotions with the job at the moment, I love it and then I hate it. My boyfriend works at school and he's leaving soon and I'm worried I'll be unbelievably jealous of him..

 

[Sharkfan]

Hey everyone thank you so much for all advice and support when I was asking for advice about finding a job. Since then I did manage to go back to my old placement and found it really useful to observe some more teaching and do a little myself. I did have another interview shortly after but was unsuccessful. I was initially very disheartened but in hindsight it’s probably for the best as I couldn’t get a visit beforehand and I only found about the interview a few days before, as for some reason their emails weren’t reaching me, so I didn’t have much time to prepare.


I then signed up to a supply agency in the hopes of being able to teach through that. I didn’t end up getting any cover teacher work, but have taken on an office temp role in a school that happened have a vacancy. I applied and found out I got the job today! I’m honestly so happy, as I was ready to give up on finding a job for this September, but thankfully I’ve managed to secure something. Although now the excitement’s worn off I’m now realising I’m going to be completely responsible for 30 children from September .

 

[ImDavidBrent]

Intrigued to hear what you all think about Labours plan to bring in supervised toothbrushing in schools?

Teachers to supervise? Are we adding dentists to the job description then.

 

[nik1231]

I'd say not...but it's worth checking that it wasn't a supply teacher or something that day who marked the books. I can't imagine a class teacher writing a comment like that.

Trying to put it into a potential context, if I know a child has absolutely not tried on a piece of work and can do much better, I might write something like 'please redo this and show me your best effort' or something but this would have been followed up with a verbal chat with the child as well. I can't imagine ever writing that and not following it up, and like I said, would never do it if a child had tried their best, only if I knew they had put no effort in. I guess it's the balance between holding them accountable for trying hard and doing their best work vs knocking their confidence. It doesn't sound like 'this is nonsense' is a helpful comment though.

 

[bowtiesarecool]

I started work in a local primary a couple of years ago as a tutor for COVID catch up. After almost 10years in private nursery environments, I have bloody loved it. Funding went down but got kept on as a TA supporting SEN children, part time. Pay is poor but I'm just happy to be in a job I love rather than my previous one where I was so anxious going in each morning, I was nearly sick daily (bullying manager).

We're lucky to have an amazing SLT and I work with teachers who truly value their TAs and any support staff, we're like a little family.

School funding is piss poor though, and that side has been a total eye opener. Hence why I'm only part time now, funding for the SEN children I work with is nowt. They're left to cope on an afternoon with no support as they can't afford to pay me all day. It's such a shame Nothing the teachers can do - they've got a class of 29 other kids to sort too. That side is frustrating but I won't leave unless I'm told too, as I won't go back to nursery work.

 

[Jas28]

I’m just coming on here to ask some advice from any teachers. Looking through my son’s school books and the teacher has marked his work and written “this is nonsense”!! Is this normal ? I’m absolutely raging and she had the audacity to say at parents evening he lacks in confidence?! I mean confidence is something which is learnt throughout life

 

[nik1231]

Not a teacher but work in schools. I have the utmost respect for all you teachers and you are all AMAZING, but as I mentioned on the job hating thread, I could weep at the current state of schools. Crumbling buildings, huge levels of SEN and needs greater than ever before, entitled rude parents and no money. How does it ever get better?

Schools are the ultimate example of having to do more with less, it's just that less gets less every year.

It doesn’t, I think it’s probably going to get worse and I think teachers are either going to break or quit the profession because it’s too much.
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Worked in SEND as a TA. Loved it to start with. Trained as a teacher, did my masters in SEND. Then wheels came off about five years ago when I was attacked by a student whilst being under staffed. Left with PTSD and depression/anxiety after being told to effectively man up by SLT and haven’t set foot in a school since.

Can’t see myself ever going back into education.

I’m so sorry that happened! The shit the people on the ground have to put up with is too much. While there are some good SLTs out there, too many hide in their office from the drama and leave us to struggle.

 

[Rodneytrotter]

How do you find doing supply? I like the idea of less planning but don't know if I could manage the unpredictability.

I love day to day supply. There is no planning, you literally turn up, teach, mark and go home. I've recently been on a long term and dont like that for the same reasons as I don't like full time teaching (planning, data etc).