NQT Advice

Hi everyone,
I need some advice. I've just started my NQT year at a new secondary school teaching Science. The people I work with are lovely and the school/my mentor are really supportive... but I hate it! Last year was not enjoyable, but I thought it was just the school and lack of support etc. But I am now at a school with lots of support and I'm still miserable.
I am 100% sure that teaching is not for me (I've actually already accepted a place to do a Masters next year which I'm very excited about) but it's a good qualification to have, and I wouldn't mind tutoring (I don't know if this would be better if I was a qualified teacher). So I already know I'm not going to continue teaching - I think I kind of knew when I made sure I applied for a fixed term 1 year contract in the first place.
My question is this - is it worth it to finish this year? I am unhappy and overworked and exhausted and always at school, I never have the time or energy to do anything outside of school, and I am usually violently opposed to getting up in the morning because I don't want to teach. I don't feel like I've gotten a really rough deal or anything, I just don't like my job!
I'm trying to decide whether it's worth it to complete the NQT year and move on, or hand my notice in and save my mental health. I hate quitting and I keep thinking that the worst term is always the first and that I just have to make it through the year... but another side of me says what's the point of continuing to destroy my mental health and make myself miserable when I'm probably never going to teach again?
I'm having a real dilemma because everyone is saying "don't quit! The first term is the worst" and "teaching is a life long qualification to have, it'll be really useful if you decided to come back to it" and I don't know what to do.

 

Hi

First, is your profile pic you? I’d change it Your mentor may well be on here!

Have you thought about why you did the teaching qualification in the first place? Would this offer a clue?

Have you pinpointed exactly what you hate? Behaviour? Marking? Planning? Can you work out strategies to reduce how much you hate it? I would discuss with your mentor, politely and respectfully. See what they say. Don’t say you hate teaching, pinpoint what you dislike and try to discuss strategies.

Tutoring would definitely benefit from qualified teacher status.

To be totally honest, if you are hating coming to work in the morning, you should quit. Don’t believe the argument that “it’s a useful qualification”. Why would it be useful for you, if you hate teaching? You have to love this job to do it.

 

I would recommend finishing the NTQ year. Once you have that qualification it means that later in life you can decide to return to education in various capacities as you're still qualified. It opens more doors than It closes.

Education is a very profitable business, for example look at international schools and the companies that run these (NA being the largest). Getting a position in the business side of these companies may be easier with a teaching qualification.

 

If you don’t complete it then it goes to two years needed to complete it. Mind you, it sounds like you are deeply unhappy. You might be better off taking a lower grade post in a research institute surrounded by scientists to kick along until the masters starts. It’s that or you need to revisit your own thought processes about what makes you happy. In taking a one year post you stopped yourself from being energised in starting your new career. Indeed, this year is simply about earning money. If you can remedy your philosophy and see it rather like crossing days off until your real career starts you could remodel your thinking process. It’s that or some kind of science related job.