'I just couldn't take any more': Newly-qualified teacher, 22, reveals in video blog he quit after just one term because 'he didn't get home until 6.30pm' and it harmed his 'emotional and psychological well-being'
A newly-qualified primary school teacher has revealed he quit in tears after just one term because he regularly didn’t get home until after 6.30pm.
He said he found himself crying as a result of ‘impossible hours’ and unrealistic targets.
There was only one class in the year group that he taught meaning that Eddie found himself planning lessons himself rather than sharing ideas with other teachers in the same year.
He added that university had not prepared him for the reality of the job saying the tips on creating lesson plans were impractical for the job.
He said: ‘At uni, we were told that each lesson would require a three A4 page plan. ‘
But, when you consider the fact that I was planning seven lessons a day, five days a week, that is an awful lot of planning to do.’
He said he got up at 5.30am most days so that he could do marking and planning but would not get home until 6.30pm, often being the last person to leave school.
Eddie was unable to socialise with other teachers at lunch time and usually found himself in his classroom working.
He said: ‘Most of the teachers at the school would only speak to me to inform me I’d done something wrong and, if I did something right, it usually went unnoticed.’
During the third week, he went to his mum’s house and cried his eyes out and said: ‘I don’t know if I can do this.’ Encouraged by his mum to stay, Eddie decided that he would try and stick it out.
He said: ‘I felt like I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. ‘We were encouraged to have a work-play balance but, whenever I wasn’t doing school work, I would feel guilty.
‘Even on the train to and from work, I would feel guilty that I wasn’t doing anything work-related.’ ‘If I went to watch the football with friends, I’d have to shoot off as soon as it finished because I’d have work to do. ‘
The times I’d go and see my then girlfriend, I’d have to sit and do marking while she cooked or something.’ He added: ‘I felt that what was expected of us was astronomical.
I love working with children but the problem with the teaching is that there are so many expectations. ‘I think we should have been given more on-the-job experience during the course of the degree, as it didn’t at all prepare me for it.’
The National Education Union (NEU) has called repeatedly for teacher pay rises that keep up with living costs to tackle a shortage of staff in the classroom.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary, has said there is a ‘deepening crisis’, with too few people going into teaching and growing numbers leaving.
She said last week: ‘We fully support action to address these problems but we already know that workload is the biggest single factor in teachers leaving the profession.
The Government must work with the profession to find solutions to the teacher supply crisis.’
He said: ‘Most of the teachers at the school would only speak to me to inform me I’d done something wrong and, if I did something right, it usually went unnoticed.’
During the third week, he went to his mum’s house and cried his eyes out and said: ‘I don’t know if I can do this.’ Encouraged by his mum to stay, Eddie decided that he would try and stick it out.
He said: ‘I felt like I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. ‘We were encouraged to have a work-play balance but, whenever I wasn’t doing school work, I would feel guilty.
‘Even on the train to and from work, I would feel guilty that I wasn’t doing anything work-related.’ ‘If I went to watch the football with friends, I’d have to shoot off as soon as it finished because I’d have work to do. ‘
The times I’d go and see my then girlfriend, I’d have to sit and do marking while she cooked or something.’ He added: ‘I felt that what was expected of us was astronomical.
I love working with children but the problem with the teaching is that there are so many expectations. ‘I think we should have been given more on-the-job experience during the course of the degree, as it didn’t at all prepare me for it.’
The National Education Union (NEU) has called repeatedly for teacher pay rises that keep up with living costs to tackle a shortage of staff in the classroom.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary, has said there is a ‘deepening crisis’, with too few people going into teaching and growing numbers leaving.
She said last week: ‘We fully support action to address these problems but we already know that workload is the biggest single factor in teachers leaving the profession.
The Government must work with the profession to find solutions to the teacher supply crisis.’
'I just couldn't take any more': Newly-qualified teacher, 22, reveals in video blog he quit after just one term because 'he didn't get home until 6.30pm' and it harmed his 'emotional and psychological well-being'
Reviewed by Your Destination
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November 06, 2017
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Reviewed by Your Destination
on
November 06, 2017
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