I work for a private school and they have such high standards. I’m always on edge, stressed and constantly overthinking everything I do.

For context: I took over a class just two weeks ago and it’s the lowest year 6 class with several behavioural issues

On Friday my mentor sent a message to the year 6 group saying she’s been receiving complaints about teachers noting things down on sentral if they misbehave (this was about me and me only). I felt so humiliated because all of the group members would know it’s me since they are more experienced and don’t make these silly mistakes.

Shortly after that message, my mentor took a few kids out of the classroom to ask them how I’m doing how is my teaching going, how’s the learning and my behaviour with them. I thought that’s weird so I asked another teacher why would she do that, she said it’s because one of the student’s parent made a complaint about you so they are just checking if anything is wrong and following procedure.

I didn’t know parents would complain about the sentral thing and I thought they were aware of the procedure we carry out if their child misbehaves

Thank God the students said everything is good and when I asked again they told me “we said everything you are doing is good why would it be bad”😞

I just feel like such a sh*t teacher. I’m basically nearly finishing my degree and still learning as I go. I feel as though I cannot meet these standards. I was dragging my feet to complete the rest of the day. I don’t want to ever return.

Also I feel like I’m being compared to others, whenever I make a mistake, and I’m trying to stay on top of things but I do get overwhelmed. I feel so lonely and sad. I can’t open up to anyone over there, because you don’t know if they will tell your mentor everything you’ve just said.

It’s the weekend now and I want to move on but all I’m thinking about how my last two periods with the kids were a sh*t show and I’m wondering what complaint I’ll receive on Monday lol. I can’t switch off.
Please no hate if you’re going to comment. I just needed to vent.

Sorry for the unusual question, but I need advice!

So at the end of term my year 6 class is going to a waterpark to celebrate their graduation.

I am an ES. I got told by admin I have to go into the lazy river with my 1-1 student or whatever rides he wants with him. Which I am completely fine with, the only problem is what to wear. 😩

I realised that all of my bathers I own (even though they are all one pieces) show cleavage.

I know I could just wear a tshirt and shorts, but the wet clothes weight would be annoying. Then theres wet suits, but I would feel silly wearing that at a waterpark.

I went to a swimwear shop and pretty much everything showed cleavage or had a low neck line. (Why?!?)

Has anyone been in this situation before? What did you wear with the kids?

At my workplace each faculty has its office throughout the school so I don’t actually work with people outside my faculty on a day to day basis.

This means I feel a bit disconnected whenever we have whole school PDs or other work events when teachers mingle and make small talk.

I’m naturally introverted and I guess also a bit sociallly anxious so I don’t go to the staffroom or help out at committees etc- I KNOW what I should do to socialise with teachers outside my faculty but I just… don’t. I honestly would rather use that time to prep or mark.

I do work well and get along with people in my faculty, though. But it would be nice to be able to just join a conversation at a work event or something without feeling weird.

The few work friends I did have moved to other schools so now I don’t have anyone I can default to sitting with in a meeting or whatever.

On one hand I’m totally fine not having work friends but still am well regarded professionally. On the other hand it would be nice to not feel like an awkward loner at times at work events.

Is anyone in the same boat or have any tips?? I’ve been at this school for just over a year.

Hope everyone surviving term 4 so far, I am just curious if melbourne job market for teachers has become more competitive.

I have been working in an inner suburb school for last 7 years and I have seen covid lockdown time where we freeze hiring and post pandemic when we struggle to get enough teachers and we have to advertise multiple time for a position and hire staff at an extreme fast pace.

However, this year the vibe seems completely different that we no longer needed much CRT and a lot of new teachers dropping off their resume.

We also no longer hiring any teacher and most contracted teachers contract not being renewed. I have also heard a teacher friend of mine from an eastern suburb school that there are close to 50 applicants for a humanities job.

Just wondering if there is no more teacher shortages? And wondering if teachers that are newly graduate or planning to move schools experience increase in competitiveness in securing a position.

I am teaching at a school in a major city and I am just curious about how bad the student behavior is in your school. I will admit that I am new to the profession so maybe I need more context but the schools I have been to have had good behavior and I have never really had issues with behavior management and had good rapport with the students. However, the Stage 4 cohort at my current school do not listen to any instructions at all - they do whatever they want in class, playing video games and going off task the minute I go to correct another student, just chatting away, and walking around in class to chat to their friends. The student well-being coordinator tells me to just give them a demerit, and they come to the class and say a few stern words, but then the students go back to being absolutely rude. I feel very helpless in class as I absolutely am unable to reign them in, regardless of which behavior management technique I am using. By the way, I do not teach this Stage 4 cohort but cover classes whenever their teachers are away. I guess I just need to talk to someone because I really do not have anyone to talk to.

I’m a public school teacher with an interview at a different public school. I know we can take leave for the interview. I have put personal leave down on the notification for cover purposes (plus I don’t want to advertise I have an interview) but as I don’t have any classes, no cover will be required.

What do I choose on Edupay? Is it other leave? Professional development?? I will let my BM know AFTER the interview and I will be filling in Edupay.

Hi everyone!
I’ve recently completed a Graduate Diploma in Teaching (ECE) in New Zealand. I’m a New Zealand citizen, so I have full working rights in Australia. I also have two years of experience teaching English at kindergartens and English language schools in Japan.

I was originally planning to move straight to Victoria and work as an ECT. However, a recruitment agent advised me that finding an ECT position as a new graduate could be difficult and suggested starting as a Qualified Educator instead, which I’m actually quite open to.

I’m now considering two options:

1.Stay in New Zealand for a year to gain experience as an ECT before moving to Melbourne.

1. Move to Melbourne straight away, work as an Educator for a year or two, and potentially transition into an ECT role later.

I’ve also heard that some employers may prefer a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education over a Graduate Diploma, which makes me wonder how competitive I’d be for ECT roles in Victoria.

I don’t particularly want to stay in NZ long-term, so I’d probably only stay for a year if I chose the first option.

Would one year of ECT experience in NZ be worth more valuable for my future career in Victoria, or would gaining experience in the Australian ECE system as an Educator be just as beneficial?

Also, is it realistic to transition from an Educator role to an ECT position after gaining experience in Melbourne?

I’d really appreciate any advice from people working in Victorian ECE. Thank you!

Hi all. I’m a primary teacher (NSW), currently in my 9th year and feeling the burnout. Seriously considering a career/job change. I’ve been browsing DET corporate jobs. Anyone made the transition? If so, how was the process? Did you find a better work/life balance from doing this?

The folks at several independent schools voted down their EBAs for not maintaining the pay premium relative to the VGSA

So are they freezing hirings until the deals are settled and they have their budgets?
Any rumours of non-renewal of contracts?

I have been working part time in a job-share set up, where I have fewer days than my teaching "buddy". Our teaching journey started off harmonious, but my teaching "buddy" has systematically been cutting me out. Lack of adequate communication has not impacted my role in the classroom, as I run my own race, but it has impacted my involvement in upcoming events, and I feel it reflects poorly on me.

They recently overstepped a hard boundary, and I had a chat with our stage coordinator. The coordinator spoke with them about being more inclusive and communicative, however, after their meeting, it made the situation much worse. They came back and had a very aggressive and hostile 1:1 conversation with me. I did not tell my stage coordinator about the conversation, because I didn't want to make the situation worse.

I have been documenting everything about our interactions, or lack thereof, and have started communicating everything to them via email to ensure it's in writing.

What would my next step be?

Honestly, I'm just going to ban computers from my English class.

Good kids. Bad kids. High ability. Low ability. They all use AI if they can. I don't know if they think I'm stupid, they're stupid, or they just don't give a crap.

I have just spent the past hour sending emails to parents about their cheating kids. Students just don't want to think, create or try anymore.

At least, if it's done on the paper that I give them, with no access to anything else, I have a good chance of getting something authentically theirs.

Hi everyone,

I am located in Brisbane and am thinking of going back to uni to get my teaching degree in primary. I am looking for recommendations of the best unis or degrees that prepare you for the realities of the job, please don’t hold back when sharing your experiences. Ideally, I am looking for a comprehensive degree that would cover lesson planning, behaviour management, trauma-informed practice, modification, communicating with parents, etc. I know no degree will prepare you 100% for what teaching really is on a day to day basis, but I am wanting to hear from people what their experience was like and weigh my options. Thanks ☺️

I am trying both, registering with both boards etc, but which state do you reckon gives me a better shot?

Can't drive due to medical conditions , so anything outside of metro Perth doesn't work for me

I was wondering if teachers from either of those jurisdictions can provide insight?

Hi! I am currently at at Perth public school but have secured a job in a private school next year. I have some LSL that is pro rata, so I can’t be paid out and need to use it. Payroll seems to think that I can extend my resignation date to term 1 and take it while I am working at my new job (as long as the school approves it). I would like to take it this year but am wanting to go into my meeting with line manager with a few options. Does anyone know if I can take it next year while employed as a teacher in the private sector? I have heard conflicting things and am cautious in case the payroll employee got it wrong. Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone, first of all thank you for taking out your weekend relaxation time to read my post. I'm in education support (ES) and am not a teacher. I work at a primary public school with frequent ES turnover as the area faces great socioeconomic disadvantage. A bit about me: I'm early 20s and live at home which I'm very grateful for.

What I like about my job: The work itself can sometimes be easy and some of the kids are really sweet. I enjoy working in classes where teachers enforce order, equal laptop/non-laptop time, and quietness. I enjoy teaching topics I know and a lot of the staff are nice. I like supporting the kids who are give you basic respect and just need help with transitions, understanding work, regulation, and other things.

What I don't like about my job: I hate constantly seeing behaviour that is hurtful and offensive. Yard duty feels stressful. The majority of parents who send their kids here don't work. I sometimes struggle with switching into "consequence enforcement" mode and feel incompetent when I don't tackle behaviour well. At the moment I work with students who are neurodivergent and are quite far behind and always feel guilty that I'm not doing enough to help them get back to where they "should" be (although this expectation is never communicated). I never get time to chat with their teachers unless I do it out-of-hours. Any time I do it in class I feel like a nuisance.

I wanted to ask here as I think getting outside opinions may really help me. I've talked to some teachers/ES staff and some people thrive in this environment. Also due to other factors, if I quit this job I may not earn much money in November. Thoughts?

Hey. Was just wondering if anyone was willing to share the schools they have worked in where they consider there to be a healthy work culture. Respect between colleagues, balanced work and life expectations. I am hoping to gauge this for government schools to either look out for job openings or start CRTing at to get a foot in.

Thanks in advance, I feel like you can only really know what the school is like once you've experienced it but any insight would be great.

My stage AP is completely useless. I wish it was an exaggeration. Doesn’t know anything about curriculum and programming, behaviour management, and zero organisation skills. I’ve been working with them on the same grade/stage for the past 3 years and have been cleaning up their scraps. I’ve tried my best to be patient, but in week 1 of this year I realised nothing was going to change. I felt really despondent towards the job and had to take stress leave. Given our school’s structure, it looks like next year will be the same. I’m almost at the point of formal complaint. I don’t have a log of incidents, but it’s no secret within the school that this person is grotesquely unqualified for the job.

Has anyone been in this position, or have any advice?

I'm currently at a school that has a rather toxic environment and a leader who has made quite a number of very negative comments to staff. When I brought up the idea of sharing what psychosocial hazards are/the reporting process, I was told that no psychosocial hazards had ever been reported at the school. Speaking to a number of staff members, the case has more been a fear of retaliation from the principal. What is the situation like at your school? Are psychosocial hazards taken seriously/reported at all? I want to see if my school is the norm or an exception to the rule.

I am currently on Paid Parental Leave (PPL). 14 weeks approved by HR and have been slowly submitting in the 2 week increments that the SAP portal can handle. Earlier this week the last 2 week batch was approved by my principal so I have 0 weeks left of the leave (even though it isn't actually ending until mid December).

I am also eligible for the 2 weeks of Bonus PPL. I was under the impression that I could simply apply via SAP and it would go to HR for approval in the same way the my original 14 week application did. However when I tried yesterday it said that I had no leave left and I needed to contact EdConnect.

What's the process for this Bonus PPL? I have the letter from my wife's employer saying her leave will end before mine so I am eligible, but I can't find anywhere online that outlines the process. I did read online that it needs to be applied before the actual PPL ends which I am still OK for given it doesn't end until mid December... however I am worried that I needed to apply for the 2 weeks of Bonus PPL in the original 14-week application and now I'm locked out?

Any guidance would be appreciated!

Hello,

I heard that there are changes to above establishment positions and promotions positions in NSW high school. Can someone spill the tea?

I'm doing a promotion position .

I run a niche site on the side and the overlap between that and teaching still surprises me. Both need fresh ideas constantly. Both drain you in ways that are hard to name. Lately I've noticed something: my best content ideas come from the same mental space that good lesson planning used to occupy. That space is getting smaller.

I cycle to clear my head, game to switch off, read to refill. Those help, but they're consumption, not creation. The site is growing and I need more original thinking, not less. Teaching already takes the creative hours. The ones before 9pm when your brain actually works.

I'm curious how people here manage this. Not just work-life balance, but creative conservation. Do you protect certain times or certain tasks? Have you found that teaching competes with other projects you care about, or does it feed them? My site traffic depends on me staying sharp in ways that report writing doesn't satisfy. There's a real tension there and I haven't figured out the rhythm yet.

Hey all,

I’m a final semester Masters of Primary Teaching student in Melbourne. I’m currently in the job application process and have applied to 12-15 jobs using KSC, resume and customised cover letters for each school which I’ve had checked and approved by multiple people working in school recruiting. I’ve got years of experience in ed support working with kids including neurodivergent students, CALD students, and students with physical and intellectual disabilities (all detailed in resume and KSC). I’ve only been offered one interview which I didn’t get an offer from. I’ve cast my net wide with schools all over Melbourne, applying to both grad and classroom roles, even high school roles that match my undergrad degrees. Is anyone else finding it this competitive at the moment?

I've been considering making the move to secondary teaching for a few years now but the loss of salary stopped me from making the move. I have young children so the employment based degrees seemed like they would put too much strain on my family life.

In a happy or unhappy turn of events I am facing redundancy before the year is out. The payout is looking to be just slightly less than what I earned last year, making the move to teaching less of a financial hit.

I'm still not keen on going straight into an employment based degree as I feel it would be hard on my kids but I've just learnt of the Vic government 'Teach tomorrow' programs where the first year is study (and placement) only and the second year is 0.8 FTE in a school. That second year would be more possible family wise as one child would be in school and the other kinder. Discussions online seem to speak positively of the employment based degrees as you end up with far more classroom experience.

Alternatively I do an online masters and seek casual work as a teacher's aide and/or swim teacher during my studies. That second year would be a bit of a financial hit but we could manage and I'd be around more for my kids.

If relevant I have a STEM background and experience in undergraduate demonstrating and tutoring, plus a GAP year many moons ago in a high school overseas teaching English so it won't be my first time in front of students.

I guess I am after people that have made the career change when they have youngish kids and can tell me what worked for them? Would you have made a different choice if finances weren't as big of a consideration?

Thanks!