A former teacher says repeated physical and verbal abuse during her career caused her to quit – despite it once being her dream job.
From a young age, Alice Scholz was inspired by her mother to want to be a teacher and had dedicated years to the profession.
Then she suffered several “distressing” incidents that caused her to reconsider.
The 31-year-old was hurt by children in the classroom, and dealt with vicious behaviour by parents, too.
“I’ve experienced both physical and verbal abuse during my teaching career, and some of it has been really distressing,” Alice, who is from Australia but now living in Windsor, told Need To Know.
“I’ve been punched, scratched, and left bruised by students.
“More recently, while supporting a child who was trying to hurt his peers, I followed his recommended calming strategy by getting down to his level and gently holding his hands, at which point he grabbed my breast so hard it caused bruising.
“In one incident, a father much larger than me stood over me, pointed in my face, and shouted that I wasn’t working hard enough because his child had a plastic block thrown at her.
“In another case, a father was furious that I had to report their child hitting a peer.
“He swore in my face, insulted other pupils in the class standing behind me, and then both parents spent the next month holding smartphones up, recording me at pick-up time.”
Alice originally went into teaching after being inspired by her mum, who works to support children with Special Educational Needs (SEN).
Now, her mum is one of the many family and friends “relieved” Alice has left her job.
Alice added: “I feel really sad that the profession I once loved no longer feels right for me, as it genuinely feels like a loss.
“However, at the same time, I also feel a sense of freedom now that I’m no longer carrying the constant pressure of the job.
“The people around me were actually relieved when I told them I was leaving.
“My parents, boyfriend, and best friends had been encouraging me to get out for a long time because they could see how distressed I was, and they hated hearing about the verbal and physical abuse I was experiencing.”
Alice says she saw a stark difference between the education systems in Australia and the UK.
She said: “At the beginning of my career, it was exactly what I had always imagined, especially as I spent my first two and a half years teaching in Australia, where I had a lot of creative freedom in my classroom and could really tailor learning to suit my students.
“I’ve taught in both Australia and the UK and the differences were pretty clear.
“Australia had a much better work-life balance and better pay, and although I haven’t taught there for about seven and a half years, when I did, there was far less pressure to constantly prove yourself as a teacher.
“I also had more freedom over what I taught and the pace I taught it at, which made a big difference to student engagement and enjoyment.
“The UK system, on the other hand, is very data-driven and doesn’t always reflect the realities of the pupils coming into schools now.
“While I’ve had plenty of moments I’ve really loved working in the UK, the system itself has been exhausting and ultimately led me to burnout, so overall I preferred the Australian system.”
Alice can’t see herself returning to teaching full-time, though she does admit she may need to work as a supply teacher due to the current job market.
However, if she does so, Alice will be putting “clear boundaries in place” to protect herself.
These include limiting the number of days she works and researching schools carefully before accepting placements, though they might put her in a “financially unstable place”.
She added: “I have to look after myself as I know the school system won’t.
“I’m keeping an open mind about what comes next.
“I’ve really enjoyed supporting other teachers who’ve reached out because they resonate with my story, but realistically, that doesn’t pay the bills.
“Alongside that, I’ve been upskilling by completing a project management course and exploring opportunities in corporate roles.”
Alice says that though teaching can be “incredibly rewarding”, people are often unaware of how it can impact those who work in the system.
She said: “It can also be exhausting and damaging if the system doesn’t support you.
“My journey has shown me how important it is to have boundaries, autonomy, and support.
“Without them, even the most passionate, radiant teachers can burn out. It’s a profession full of highs and lows.
“While I’ll always value the experiences and the students I’ve taught, it’s also okay to step away when it’s no longer sustainable for your wellbeing.”
READ MORE: ‘I lost £200,000 to gambling addiction and blew £15,000 in one weekend – it left me feeling broken’
