Story 46

Age: 35

Teaching Experience: 0-1 years

Contract Type: Unemployed due to no jobs

So let’s add my story to the mix. I came to my PGDE a bit later in life, in 2017 at 28. My first placement school was amazing, very supportive and the best environment I could’ve asked for, despite having a high level of social deprivation.

My second placement in a similar area could not be more opposite. My ‘mentor’ and I had a severe clash of personalities and she outright told me that I had to work much harder than the other probationer and provide 4/5 page lesson plans for every single lesson otherwise she would fail me. It was a denominational school and I was told that being 28 and unmarried and not practising any religion that I would never be accepted in that school and was treated with barely disguised distain. Just before my final crit I confessed to my tutor what was going on. After completing my final observation she told the school there was no way she could or would fail me and thankfully won.

Roll on probation year and I decide to ‘tick the box’ get placed in a rural school, which I thought would be a nice change of pace. Before I start I meet my head of department who was lovely. I was excited to start my first term. Then day 1 I get informed that the entire department have all left. My new PT will be a teacher from an entirely different subject with no PT experience or knowledge of my subject or curriculum.

Cue me having to create every single lesson and resource from scratch and having essentially responsibility for the entire department. I was going into school at 7/8am staying until 6/7pm and working until midnight every night. Despite all this my new mentor tells me I’m a ‘cause for concern’ because of my response to behaviour management. Admittedly not my strongest point, but there was no clear line from senior management about what consequences should be. (The worst scenario I was ever in four Nat 4 boys announced my address to the whole class, told me the were going to come to my house that night and ‘jump me’ – all because I told them to get off a football game on the netbooks – senior managements response? A ten minute lunchtime detention each.

So by this point I am at my wits end. I contacted the gentleman who was supposed to be my PT, went to his school and had him observe me. He had no issues and urged me to contact my union and explained this toxic environment was why he had left in the first place. I agreed to let the school in question record my lessons. I was subjected to my PT ‘popping’ into my class at all hours of the day and referring to me by my first name in front of all of my kids, who of course immediately notice this lack of respect and jump on it. Great for supporting my behaviour management.

The Christmas holidays come and go and suddenly my elderly parent gets pneumonia and I have to return home. I’m told I cannot go until I supply two weeks worth of resources and lessons. I do. And on my return I’m told they haven’t done a single bit of the work I was ‘required’ to do before I left to see my potentially fatally ill parent in their late 70’s.I eventually make myself so ill with anxiety/stress and depression my doctor tells me if I don’t quit I will have a heart attack before I’m 30… this is three months before my 30th birthday and I quit that day. I’ve worked in the hospitality industry ever since. Less stress. More money. And a workplace that actually care about my wellbeing. I miss my kids every day. But needs must. Not the same story as a lot of you because I left technically by choice but it still shows how disposable we all are.