I have been a teacher for 22 years. It wasn't what I always wanted to be. In fact it was the furthest from my initial career choice. I wanted to be a medical scientist but I stuffed around at university a little too much and did a teaching degree after my science degree so I could get work. I am a good teacher and despite it not being my first choice of job when I was younger I have strived to be the best teacher that I could. I have won awards, done a Masters in Education, become a head of department. So why do I not want to do it anymore?
Teaching doesn't excite me. Science excites me and passing the knowledge on excites me but that is not teaching anymore. The bureaucracy, constant changing curriculum, increasing pressure from parents and administrators to work miracles, the increasing long hours (because governments have failed to acknowledge the extra responsibilities dumped on teachers) and how those long hours prevent me participating in a normal life with my family are all the reason it doesn't excite me anymore. Before you say, 'teachers get so many holidays etc. etc.', at the request of my accountant I documented the hours I did at home marking, researching and planning. I was regularly working a 60-70 hour week during the term.
Lets do the calculation. A normal job with a 38 hrs week and 4 weeks holiday equals 1824 hrs a year.
A teacher works minimum 40 school weeks and each school week 60 hours, this equates to 2400 hrs a year. This also comes with enormous stress as administrators put pressure on for pass rate percentages to improve and marking to get turned around and moderated asap, parents and students contact you 24/7 via email or school message boards and the public passes judgement as to how they could do so much better if they were you. Finally you go - enough is enough, I want to be like other jobs where I don't bring my work home and I can have a holiday, go to the dentist or doctor when I feel like it. It is great to attend my own children's school functions rather than have to miss out because I am attending the function of the school I work for.
What has my mid life awakening shown me. In six months my health has improved - I am off rheumatoid arthritis (RA) meds because my stress levels have decreased. My children's health and well being has improved because they are not being dropped at before and after school care and their mother is focussed on them and not other peoples children. We have saved money because the kids are not at before and after school care, I don't need a cleaner and because my hours are not consuming the household we eat home cooked meals rather than takeaway or home delivery. I am not a single parent family, I do have a husband but he works full time too and when both are working full-time plus additional work related pressures 'shit doesn't get done!'
I feel like my creative brain has regenerated. The artistic endeavours I pursued 20 years ago have a chance to thrive again. I now have veggie garden. School doesn't consume my thinking all the time. My business is starting to increase and as hard as a business is to start and run it is still not has consuming as teaching.
When I told people I was taking time off to start a business etc. I got mixed reactions. There were colleagues who felt like me and were congratulatory at my braveness to try and break away and then there were those who were scared for me (or for themselves).
'What if it doesn't work?' I don't care. I would rather have tried than have forever lamented of what could have been.
'What about your super?' I have 20+ more working years. I am not staying in an job that is not good for my health and mental well being because of an imaginary super payout that may/may not happen in 20 more years.
So, I have chosen to start documenting the adventures of mid life awakening. Mainly for my own benefit but it my thoughts helps someone else then my ramblings have been worth it.
No comments:
Post a Comment