Quitting QTS element of primary education degree

Hi,

I am in the last two weeks of my last school placement. I missed my first placement due to covid disruption so everything is condensed into this placement.

I have decided to drop QTS because I can’t see myself pursuing teaching as a career. I’m always depressed, tired and get hardly any sleep. The pressure is too high and I feel suffocated. I’ve been off with Covid and am due to go back to complete the last couple of weeks but I just don’t want to go back. While being off with Covid, I actually felt like I’ve come out of an educational jail. I just can’t keep up with the workload and it’ll only get worse in ECT.

The tutors and my family are saying I’m nearly there and are persuading me to finish the course, but am I nearly there? I’ve got 2 years of ECT after this which will be even more work and stress.

I’d like some useful advice from anyone that’s willing to provide it. I will still graduate with a primary education degree so will this go to waste?

If you only have two weeks of placement left, I would really recommend trying to push through. You don't have to go into teaching immediately after getting QTS, and it may be that you never do want to go into teaching. But you might find that after a couple of years working in another industry, you want to return to teaching, and if you already have QTS then that will be far easier to do.

However, you know yourself best. If even just these two weeks will take a serious toll on your mental health, then don't force yourself to breaking point.

The thing is that it might extend beyond 2 weeks because I’ve had time off and will need to build up my teaching percentage again. This might mean I have to also do more weeks in January after Christmas which might mean I’m placed in a different school and my graduation will be delayed till November 2022. I’ll end up graduating a whole year later than I should have all for a career that is causing me to become extremely unwell.

It feels like a prison sentence. I don’t think I will ever even think about a career in teaching because the thought of it makes me ill. I’ve got insomnia, a churning feeling in my stomach and I feel very miserable.

Holding QTS isn’t sufficient. I will have to complete an induction of 2 years full time to fully qualify and I can’t see myself ever doing that. If I did decide to fo it three years down the line, it is unlikely that I’ll be appointed because I’ve had such a long gap. I’d have to build those skills again which will cause me even more anxiety.

Would you say it’s time to call it a day?

Im feeling this, ive just finished my undergraduate with no qts nothing. I already volunteer at schools and after a qts interview today and what they expect from me i don't know what to do. (Along side my corsework, lesson planning, classroom prep, professional development training, parental meetings, staff meetings, school trips etc i have to also help/prepare any school activities such as all productions, school fares, and have to run a school club) i literally dont think i have enough time in the day already doing uni work and being a TA and working part time how am i meant to do all that.

Hi,

I am in the last two weeks of my last school placement. I missed my first placement due to covid disruption so everything is condensed into this placement.

I have decided to drop QTS because I can’t see myself pursuing teaching as a career. I’m always depressed, tired and get hardly any sleep. The pressure is too high and I feel suffocated. I’ve been off with Covid and am due to go back to complete the last couple of weeks but I just don’t want to go back. While being off with Covid, I actually felt like I’ve come out of an educational jail. I just can’t keep up with the workload and it’ll only get worse in ECT.

The tutors and my family are saying I’m nearly there and are persuading me to finish the course, but am I nearly there? I’ve got 2 years of ECT after this which will be even more work and stress.

I’d like some useful advice from anyone that’s willing to provide it. I will still graduate with a primary education degree so will this go to waste?

Im feeling this, ive just finished my undergraduate with no qts nothing. I already volunteer at schools and after a qts interview today and what they expect from me i don't know what to do. (Along side my corsework, lesson planning, classroom prep, professional development training, parental meetings, staff meetings, school trips etc i have to also help/prepare any school activities such as all productions, school fares, and have to run a school club) i literally dont think i have enough time in the day already doing uni work and being a TA and working part time how am i meant to do all that.