[Eddie]

[deleted]

[fish heads]

Hey, we do care here despite what people say.

Reading through your post, I can't help but feel that quitting will be the best option before you are forced out through illness or whatever. If you make a decision now then you can be on the hunt for a new job already. I don't know if you're good at your job or not - I presume you are - then the head will understand and probably give you a great reccomendation . I know you wont go back into teaching again but at least that's a start and it shows you've had the experience and commitment so far. Most people wouldn't dream of going into teaching so the fact that you have shows you have some kind of drive - or something good anyway.

I know it's easy for me to say "quit" for me now, who has no job or any obligations to anyone and I can't begin to understand how hard it is for you, but that's what I think. I hope it all works out for the best for you Eddie.

[kendra k]

i agree with mr. heads. i'm of the mind that no job is really worth your health. it might get lean, but this is the time to go through that stuff. you're young, your daughter is still young, and you're not completely trapped in a career you hate. get out while you can.

i don't know you personally, but you seem like a bright guy who's honest and hard working. i'm confident you'll find a job you'll like. it's common for people these days to move from job to job.

[David]

Yeah, go for it. My motto is do what ever makes you feel happy. As long as you can keep enough money to keep your wife and your daughter happy too, even by finding a job to keep you going that's maybe not what you want, but you can hand in notice at any moment.

out of interest, does your wife work, or she still at home with baby?

All the best.

[Gigglyboots]

It's easier said than done to leave, I understand that..but it's more of a now or never decision. The younger you are, the more potential for getting your foot in another job type/industry, and working up the rank, or going back into training etc.

I wouldn't carry on doing it if it was making you unhappy, it would be better to be happier and slightly less off if you have to be for a wee bit, than a job that will drag you down. I know right now, if I carried on working at the same place forever, I'd go crazy..thank goodness it's for the summer only. I had to lock up an entire hotel tonight, am petrified I've left a door open or something like that.. and I'm 18 on a crummy wage, and shouldn't have to do it.

But all the best Eddie, whatever you decide.. Remember to put yourself first!

[MK Chris]

It's an extremely big risk to leave a job when you've not got another one lined up and under normal circumstances I personally would never do it - however, there are two underlying issues that complicate this; the fact that you have to give one term notice (that's sh*t) and, much more importantly, the depression thing... You have to spend a large amount of your life at work and therefore the most important thing, over and above your salary and anything else, is that you enjoy what you're doing.

Is there a reason you're not enjoying what you're doing, is it something that can be sorted out without leaving the job? Possibly not, as you've not enjoyed it the whole time you've been doing it, but it's still worth asking.

I think, in your situation, I would give my notice and then temp while I looked for other jobs. Obviously with just over a month to go you can start applying for other jobs as well, so you may not need to temp at all - just depends how lucky you get.

You'll be extremely lucky to start a new job on the salary you're on I think - you'd be more likely (depending on the job, obviously) to start on around £15-16,000.

One thing you may like to look into, which my other half has recently done, is the Police - she applied to be a PCSO, since the Police are not recruiting fully fledged officers at the moment in Beds, but she sees it as a foot in the door (she did extremely well by the way - she has always wanted to do it and she was told she wouldn't be able to by the ear, nose and throat specialist because she's partially deaf in one ear, but decided to go for it anyway...)

Anyway, good luck in whatever you decide - I'm sure you'll find something mate.

[Eddie]

[deleted]

[Betti911]

My parents are both teachers. My Mum loves her job and wouldn't be doing anything else but my Dad hated it. He didn't do anything about it for years and then had some kind of breakdown when I was in my teens. He would go back to work for a while and then it would all get too much for him and he would go back on the sick. He eventually took early retirement this year.

I'm not making excuses for him or try to big him up or anything but he could have been sucessful in so many other fields. Teaching just wasn't for him. His whole depression and eventual breakdown had such a terrible effect of my family that I only wish he'd quit years ago and found something, anything which would have made him happier.

Don't usually tell people stuff like that and but thought it might help you Eddie. If teaching is making you so miserable at this stage then think what you'll be like in 10 or 20 years time. Also think about the affect that your depression/state of mind might have on your little girl.

[kendra k]

good point betti. i know my dad hated his job (manager of a retail store), and resented my mom for going to college and just becoming a teacher. dad was always touchy and in weird spirits. the job kept getting worse and worse, but he wouldn't quit because he had to support the family/keep up appearances, but finally he took early retirement and joined his brother's business selling grain. he did that about 3 years ago, and he's much happier. i wonder what it would have been like if he switched when i was still a kid, because he was pretty nonexistent from when i was 8-18 and his bad moods lead us all to fight a lot.

people can usually tell when you're depressed/upset and it usually affects those closest to you.

[Eddie]

[deleted]

[Sidders]

A lot of teachers at my place of work are finding that it's all too much too. I blame Labour.

Anyway, I can only reiterate what everyone else has said. If it's making you depressed then you need to stop doing it.

Just a couple of things I'd like to ask, if I may. What is it about your job that's getting you down? Is it behavioural problems or is it the workload? Have you considered teaching at a different level? I'm assuming you teach at a secondary school, would you fancy a switch to primary?

[Eddie]

[deleted]

[Sidders]

Hmm, sorry, that surprises me. Anyway, if it's depressing you then you have to leave.

[Eddie]

[deleted]

[Walter Sobchak]

I agree with many comments here, in that you shouldn't carry on in a job that is affecting your life so much.

So I wish you all the best for the future, everything will sort itself out in time.

As a postscript, I know of someone who was a teacher, and she didn't like the job neither.
She had started in Primary, moved to Secondary, then worked in the private school where I work, no matter what, she still hated it, so she cut her hours down, and eventually left.

because of your post I asked one of her friends how she is, and whether she had found herself a job.
I was amazed to hear she went back to teaching, this time as a volunteer (I'm sure he said in Africa)
She took her 8 year old son and her husband too and from all accounts she loves it.

I don't know how they live/ what money they had/ what her hubby does or even if this helps you at all?

My only thought would be the training that you have done to get where you are, could this be implemented in another field??

Anyway, all the best.

[Eddie]

[deleted]

[Sidders]

Become a priest.

[Eddie]

[deleted]

[kendra k]

be a reverand then? or a pastor?

did you guys know i want to be a catholic? slightly-yes.

[Betti911]

I think you've made the right decision Eddie.

My family are Catholic and my boyfriend's are baptists. It causes no end of trouble.

[Sidders]

That would be impossible. I'm not Catholic and don't to hold to any of their views.

The Baptist equivalent then.

[Eddie]

[deleted]

[Adam]

Hi Eddie

I think your making the right choice (sorry mate ive not had time to read your sub replies to this thread btw so sorry if this seems like it has no order to it) if you feel that its not working out - well done for working at it so long, is this a sudden feeling or spread over a few months or years? There is a small margin of risk taking, however as long as you have a plan of getting back into employment with a job that you feel will secure your family and property, then you should be okay. I think peoples attudies change when other elements come into their lifes, i.e like health, marriage and children so like a say plan out..

You are in a good post, as a professional teacher but if you are planning to/ have spoken to your line manager (headteacher) then yes, their first reactions to it are going to be of shock, but at the end of the day - they have to respect their wishes, and if you are/have explained it fully then there should be no problem. They'll have a back up and will have no problem finding a new replacement for your class.

How about working for a charity (paid job) ? I'm sure you have the skills, by the looks of things your qualifications contain a large amount of skills that would be transferable to another job and I totally disagree with how you feel about what've learnt. You said you havent a clue what you wanna do - well have a look back at your experience and what've done the last few years, what've been involved in and take it from there. Its a shame really as you've done really so far - do you think is was a right choice to take up a job at that age bracket (i.e Primany Education) - have you considered maybe going to Secondary or F&HE. Or what about looking to get back into the industry you orginally did your degree about. I'm not saying directly, but something involved in that area of work.

I also feel it would be beneficial for you to consider going part time to college to maybe gain an additional qualification (i.e Management or Business) - just a suggestion. Dont worry too much about it at the moment, but start thinking about where you feel you fit in, new employers will see what've done, and will most probably respect you for what've done - being a teacher is a very good profession to do.

If you are planning to leave secure employment before the christmas period, I suggest you speak to a specialisted employment agency fairly soon which is a good place to advise you on alternative career paths. However you run the risk of not getting anything towards the november, as companies tend to slow contracts down until the new year.

Hope that helps, will try and reply more soon.

[Eddie]

[deleted]

[MK Chris]

I've never understood how there are different types of Christianity... I mean there's only one bible isn't there? Surely Christian is Christian.

I'm atheist by the way.