Quitting my SCITT (teacher training)

Should I quit my School Centred Initial Teacher Training?
Hi all, this is my first ever time posting on here so I hope I’ve done this right. I really want some advice: I started my teacher training in psychology in September and I’ve had quite a rocky start.. My mentor and colleagues at my PP1 placement have been expecting a lot from me since I got there and I feel quite uncomfortable around some of them- especially some of the things they say about students. Also and probably the biggest issue is that I’m so exhausted all the time and I feel like I’m not having a life because of the course. I’ve done my BSc, an MSc and there were points admittedly when I didn’t think I would get through them at all because of my mental health but I ended up getting top grades in both. I have wanted to teach since I was about 12 and I’m now 25. I was a TA for a year before I started this course and I loved getting to know my students and spending time with them- honestly, it was real unconditional love that no one had given me in a long time. And doing that made me itch to be the one at the front and although I have enjoyed elements, it’s the workload that I struggle most with: it’s never done, never enough time to do it in, the well-being support is shocking and when I get home I feel so tired and often quite low that I just can’t do anything. Now I have been on top of everything but struggling but now I’m doing full lesson planning I’m just finding it too much and had a breakdown today on a colleague and I felt so embarrassed. I have so many regrets about things already and I don’t want leaving this course to be another one. But.. I can’t not have a life for another 40 years etc. I can’t work all out all day just to be required to do more hours when I get home and not be able to do all the things I love (which I struggle to do anyway because of my diagnosed depression etc).
Any advice please? :smile:

Reply 1

SomeonesDad

The thing about SCITT is that you really are in at the deep end. What you're experiencing is what many teachers go through every day. The workload is high; the expectations are unrealistic; the after-school meetings numerous and a waste of time and support from the SLT non-existent. Only you will know whether the occasional moment when you see the light go on in a pupil's eyes as they 'get' a concept for the first time is reward enough.

4 members of my family, with experience ranging from 4 to 32 years are qualified teachers..
It's why it is sometimes called a vocation.

Reply 2

oooofatimaoooo

I feel like everyone struggles at the beginning with SCITT, being thrown straight in to the deep end and all. This is just a dip in the curve, I think you should persevere so you don’t have any regrets. You don’t have to do full time teaching after your SCITT. You might find you may be better off doing tutoring or going back to higher TA work, or if you’re lucky you could find a part time teaching role.