Why I Left Teaching


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Why I Left Teaching

@TeacherToolkit

Ross Morrison McGill founded @TeacherToolkit in 2010, and today, he is one of the 'most followed educators'on social media in the world. In 2015, he was nominated as one of the '500 Most Influential People in Britain' by The Sunday Times as a result of...
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Why do teachers leave a job they love?

I discovered this fantastic video from Susan Emina, a teacher of eight years who has recently left the classroom. Not only is her content highly engaging, but it’s also real and needs to be shared. Susan shares her story below:

What I am doing now?

It’s only been one term of supply teaching, yet already my mind and my heart is full. I’ve not had a regular place to hang my personalised teacher mug, or a classroom to leave my collection of work shoes but, I have amassed a plethora of lessons learned. I was expecting to be challenged by behaviour, to be thrown in at the deep end without a lesson plan or relevant resources but, I wasn’t expecting to see that many of the issues I had experienced in my full-time role, would be exactly the same frustrations in majority of the schools I’ve taught in as a supply teacher.

Why am I frustrated?

My anger was fuelled by constant radio and television reports of the problems Brexit was causing for the Prime Minister and her political party. At the present time, there seems to be little discussion about home affairs. Granted, to Brexit or not to Brexit will ultimately have an effect on home affairs but, it isn’t unusual for the real needs of education – those expressed by teachers and the students – to be silenced against the administrations’ need to prove themselves as the saviour of the education system.

Why I share my story?

I made this video to speak directly to the Prime Minister in the hope that she will listen to a teacher who has been on the front line. A teacher who has not just visited schools, but has also taught in a variety of schools and looked at the challenges both children and teachers face on a daily basis.

I made this video because I want to help the Secretary of State for Education put a face to the army of teachers that they so easily exclude from changes to the profession. Suffice to say, that the Secretary of State for Education has never formally taught in schools. So, in terms of leading and advising, why do we accept this as something acceptable?

This video is an open letter to the government, and governments of the past, to question who they elect to be in charge of future generations.


3 thoughts on “Why I Left Teaching

  1. 100% agreed. Teachers deserve more than they get, they build the future for the entire human race. It is extremely important for teachers to have time exploring and enjoying their lives in order to be fresh and positive in front of kids. I would say that using technologies like computer games to replace worksheets can save a lot of time marking and searching for worksheets, but I’m also aware of the reduction on funding. The DfE needs to do something!

  2. Well said. A very open and honest insight. And after 16 years and as a deputy head I’m totally in this space right now. I LOVE teaching, I’ll always be a teacher but not right now. It’s taken too much of me, my life and my children’s. I’m tired. When so much is expected and taken for granted. The only solution is to walk away. Find a new challenge. I want my life back.

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