Has teaching become too/more demanding

SlinkyL

Just wanted others teachers thoughts on this...I'm 5 years since qualifying and worked part time for first two years. As a late entrant, part time work suited me well as my children were babies when I qualified. This is now my second year working full hours. My home life is still busy with 2 children, senior inf, 1st class.

Here I am once again on a Friday evening fit for nothing after a weeks work. I mean I'm completely exhausted. The demands of a full timetable to include organising trips,collecting money, reading project proposals for transition yrs, critiquing them as well teaching all 6 year groups, new subjects added to timetable (maths and computers, not qualified in either) many hours of prep and correcting at weekends and evenings and all at the lower pay scale.
I always wanted to teach, I love my subjects, enjoy interaction with young people but I feel that the demands have become such that the job is just too much of a sacrifice when you have a family/want a life outside of work. Yes, we get great holidays but are the term time sacrifices enough to make up for it??
So I guess I'm asking if others feel this way? has the job always been this demanding or have changes to working conditions made a big difference? I feel under appreciated, over worked and under paid. I feel like the DES should find some other eejit to do all this work for so little compensation!!

I have got to the point where I barely arrange to do anything at weekends in terms of socialising etc as I feel I need use weekends to recharge for week ahead...I'm currently on a fixed term til February and seriously considering giving up on the whole thing...I do pace myself in school. Make sure kids are working in class, not me lecturing all the time but even still keeping on top of things just so full on!

doc_17

Maths added to your timetable? What level are teaching Maths to? What are your subjects?

2011abc

Is the pope a Catholic ?! Job Unrecognizable from the early 1990s .

SlinkyL

It's first year maths and I've taught it before so it's not too bad tbh. I'm science and biology, so find keeping up with new science curriculum and having computer studies added in as well as expectation around taking part in scifest, organising practicals, making sure lab tidied up afterwards, I don't get a second all day. I suppose I'm just a bit peeved to feel like I've no energy left for my own life... I just don't think I can handle full hours anymore....I knew it wouldn't be an easy job but wasn't prepared for it to be as full on as it is!

2011abc

It’s still not as bad as UK/USA but we’re catching up fast !

Spike78

Lots of sympathy for all the teachers, I really appreciate how stressful your jobs are. Why not consider a career move during the upcoming half term week off or perhaps during the 3 weeks off at Christmas or the half term in spring or the 2 weeks at easter or perhaps just contemplate it over the 3 months off next summer. When you consider the poor holidays the miserable pension and how their performance is measured its a wonder anyone becomes a teacher!

spurious

Oh the jel.

happywithlife

SlinkyL wrote: »

Just wanted others teachers thoughts on this...I'm 5 years since qualifying and worked part time for first two years. As a late entrant, part time work suited me well as my children were babies when I qualified. This is now my second year working full hours. My home life is still busy with 2 children, senior inf, 1st class.

Here I am once again on a Friday evening fit for nothing after a weeks work. I mean I'm completely exhausted. The demands of a full timetable to include organising trips,collecting money, reading project proposals for transition yrs, critiquing them as well teaching all 6 year groups, new subjects added to timetable (maths and computers, not qualified in either) many hours of prep and correcting at weekends and evenings and all at the lower pay scale, works out less than 500 per week.
I always wanted to teach, I love my subjects, enjoy interaction with young people but I feel that the demands have become such that the job is just too much of a sacrifice when you have a family/want a life outside of work. Yes, we get great holidays but are the term time sacrifices enough to make up for it??
So I guess I'm asking if others feel this way? has the job always been this demanding or have changes to working conditions made a big difference? I feel under appreciated, over worked and under paid. I feel like the DES should find some other eejit to do all this work for so little compensation!!

I have got to the point where I barely arrange to do anything at weekends in terms of socialising etc as I feel I need use weekends to recharge for week ahead...I'm currently on a fixed term til February and seriously considering giving up on the whole thing...I do pace myself in school. Make sure kids are working in class, not me lecturing all the time but even still keeping on top of things just so full on!

I'm in a somewhat similar situation and find it us tougher at certain times of the yr than others. I'm currently in a new school and have spent a lot of extra hours trying to sort my classroom - have been steadily clearing material that is 20 odd years old out of the room and prep'ing more up to date resources. It is tough with a full on commute and hectic family time. I hear ya on that one! Added into my mux is a young child with extra needs ....gets conplicated and tiring very quickly.
Need to clear a few paychecks but have vowed I have to get a cleaner in during the week - at home not school!- to free up some time. I would look into this if you find you are using all weekend to try and tackle the housework. Use every available slot in school to work through some of the backlog of correcting /photocopying/ uploading. Hopefully it will improve

cazzer22

Spike78 wrote: »

Lots of sympathy for all the teachers, I really appreciate how stressful your jobs are. Why not consider a career move during the upcoming half term week off or perhaps during the 3 weeks off at Christmas or the half term in spring or the 2 weeks at easter or perhaps just contemplate it over the 3 months off next summer. When you consider the poor holidays the miserable pension and how their performance is measured its a wonder anyone becomes a teacher!

I invite you to spend a week in my shoes and see how your perspective will change. Also it's two weeks at Christmas, not three.

SlinkyL

Agree with extra demands of starting in new school. My position is in a very academic school so I think this together with it being new students and staff is adding to anxiety and affecting sleep so extra exhausted! Thanks for kind words, just feeling a little overwhelmed this evening, can't wait for midterm to kick back!!! ������

PhoenixParker

I don't know any parent of two young kids, where both parents work full time, that is fit for anything on a Friday night. Nor are any of the working parents I know raring to go socialising on the weekend.

Is it tough to be a teacher with a young family? Yes, but it's tough to do any full time job with a young family.

spurious

I'm interested in this great pension. Mine is 3 euro off qualifying me for a medical card.

SlinkyL

PhoenixParker wrote: »

I don't know any parent of two young kids, where both parents work full time, that is fit for anything on a Friday night. Nor are any of the working parents I know raring to go socialising on the weekend.

Is it tough to be a teacher with a young family? Yes, but it's tough to do any full time job with a young family.

True and my OH does work full time also but as a late entrant I worked in previous roles in the pharma industry and i honestly wasn't as worn out. I don't mean raring to go out socialising in bars etc btw...I don't actually drink alcohol, I just mean invite friends over, visit family etc...
Its probably a combo of new job, time of year and I think it takes a couple of years to really be on top of your subjects. I will see how I'm finding it all when this position ends but thinking if I can I will scale back from full hours going forward...two parents working full time not easy for anyone..

Thanks for comments

spurious

Thank you and good night, ladies and gentlefolk.
Thread closed.