Any disillusioned working teachers recover?

castaway_lady

Having been teaching FE for 10 years this year I find myself thoroughly disillusioned and stressed to my eyeballs. I used to love it but students are getting progressively more 'handicapped' (for want of a better phrase) and Im exhausted from dealing with their ridiculous issues, inability to take responsibility, sense of entitlement etc etc. Teaching is getting less and less part of my daily task list. I feel like the job is lowering my IQ yearly!

Has anyone else got to this point? Recovered? Moved on?

maynooth_rules

inability to take responsibility, sense of entitlement etc etc

Unfortunatly this is most Irish people since the start of the Celtic Tiger, and shock horror their children have started to follow in their footprints

carlie16

I agree wholeheartedly. I teach both mainstream and FE and the situation gets worse each year. Students really expect too much and take very little responsibility for the role they themselves should be playing in their education.

The DES are now putting an emphasis on student self-evaluation to address this issue. I have been trying to implement student self-evaluation measures in the classroom for a while now with mixed results.

The real problem here is the sheer laziness (dare I say!!) of students these days. They have been mollycoddled from primary level up and expect everything to be done for them. This new proposed JCSA will also add to the problem.

Not ready to throw in the towel yet though!!

pandoraj09

Totally disillusioned too here...been teaching for 25 yrs +. It gets worse....sick to death of all the stress. Going to investigate my options for retiring. No way can I continue with this stress...last week I had 2 12 hour days...then 8.45 the next morning I'm in front of a class....maybe its ok for younger teachers...I can't deal with it anymore....

aratsarse101

A friend of mine was 20 plus years in a difficult school. Went on career break. Did some subbing while on career break and is now full time in the new school. Great teacher before, but now in a completely different school he is delighted and relishing the different challenges.

endacl

Retraining. May keep on some of the more interesting part time work, but next June, I'm outta here. For all the obvious reasons.

amacca

endacl wrote: »

Retraining. May keep on some of the more interesting part time work, but next June, I'm outta here. For all the obvious reasons.

If its not too nosey, may I ask as what?

If it is thats cool, just looking for some inspiration for alternative directions.

acequion

Do please excuse my ignorance OP but what's FE? Some of you guys sound very stressed out which is a shame.

rainbowtrout

acequion wrote: »

Do please excuse my ignorance OP but what's FE? Some of you guys sound very stressed out which is a shame.

Further Education.

ustazjoseph

"Having been teaching FE for 10 years this year I find myself thoroughly disillusioned and stressed to my eyeballs"
I ve been in FE for the past 15 yrs. before that I spent some years in a london secondary school. I ve been deeply stressed many times in both roles. My perosnal bugbear is FETAc paperwork and systems , and the sense in FE that there always a new change coming at you. I know that ive approached burnout a couple of times.http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642

however i still get a buzz out of much of my work. I have learned a few things. Only i can protect myself. its up to me to make boundaries for myself. Co dependence is a problem for many of us in the caring professions. Supervision / talk space / me time with a professional is helpful and practical. When i cant change the world all I can change is me.
Its horrible what your going through. self protection is the way to go .
stress can be managed . its not easy but but if you don't it can really hurt you .good luck ,