Tips to not leave teaching?

I got into teaching just before the pandemic.

I was half way through my NQT year... finally settling into the role and feeling comfortable and confident when March 2020 hit.

Ever since I haven't been able to rekindle my love for teaching, no matter how hard I try. My mental health has disintegrated throughout the year and I'm seriously considering leaving the profession but I'm petrified about the uncertainty of leaving what is a very stable income and career - particularly given the circumstances.

I feel guilty for wanting to leave - I've not been made redundant, I genuinely like my school... but I don't know how to feel less stressed with everything going on around us.

Does anyone have any advice on how they've managed/adapted to the current situation?

I really don't want to leave before I've given myself a proper opportunity to see what it's like but at the same time I don't know how long I can go on for.

Reply 1

bluebeetle

Original post by eduorclinpsych

Sorry to hear you're having a hard time.

I think the current circumstances do make things very tricky. I'm also currently an NQT+1 whose NQT year was disrupted a lot by covid, and I've had lots of days where I felt a bit lost because I wasn't doing any of the things I enjoyed about teaching - couldn't socialise as much with other members of staff, couldn't go near the kids to really help them, couldn't do activities that involved sharing equipment. It's been tough.

I think the thing to do is try to really consider what exactly is making things hard right now. Is it additional work pressures due to covid? Or just the general world situation? Or pressures that would have come up anyway with the increased workload post-NQT? I've found it's helped just to remind myself that those things I enjoyed about teaching that are harder right now will eventually come back!

If your school is supportive, it might be a good idea to have a chat with somebody there about how you're feeling. Often it can feel good just to get things off your chest with somebody who understands how hard things are at the moment. If it gets really bad with your mental health, you could also look into speaking to your GP about taking some time off work. I know people at my school who have done this and it's never been something they were judged for by others, so hopefully it would be the same at your school.

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