A fed-up teacher walked away from the classroom to retrain as a nail technician – after a terrifying ordeal with a violent pupil pushed her to breaking point.
Jade Dawe spent four years training to become a teacher and said she “worked incredibly hard” to qualify.
But the 34-year-old soon became disillusioned with the reality of life in UK schools – and has now swapped lesson plans for nail files in a bold career move.
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Despite the dramatic switch, Jade still uses skills from her teaching days.
“Teaching in the UK wasn’t what I expected it to be,” the mum-of-none, from Llanelli, Wales, told Need To Know.
“I went into it to make a difference and when I worked in long-term roles, I genuinely loved it.
“But as a supply teacher, it often felt like survival rather than teaching – constantly walking into new environments, new expectations, and trying to manage situations with very little support.
“You’re expected to follow strict policies but at the same time manage real classroom behaviour – and those two things don’t always align.
“There were days where no matter what you did, it felt like you were getting it wrong.”
Jade said things came to a head after one nightmare day she will never forget.
She said: “My worst day was actually my last.
“I walked into a classroom where a student had been forced into my lesson from another.
“Within minutes, the situation escalated.
“They started throwing bean bags across the room – at other students, at me, and at the Chromebooks.
“I had no support staff in the room, so I was trying to manage safety and behaviour at the same time.
“Eventually, I had to use the emergency exit to get myself and the rest of the class out.
“The student followed and continued the behaviour.
“I remember calmly walking around the outside of the school with the class, trying to get another teacher’s attention through the windows.
“When I finally did, I was shouted at for interrupting an activity they were filming – rather than being offered help.
“That moment stayed with me.
“By the end of the day, I sat in my car and cried.
“I remember thinking, ‘I don’t feel like myself anymore’.
“I knew I couldn’t carry on like that long term.”
She revealed chaotic scenes were not uncommon.
Jade said: “I experienced situations where fights broke out, and without support staff, I had to send another student to find help.
“By the time support arrived, the situation had already escalated.
“Even when teaching assistants were present, help wasn’t always there in practice – whether that was refusing to assist with basic tasks like preparing resources, or not supporting certain activities.
“As a supply teacher, you often don’t know what school you’re going into, what class you’re teaching, or what behaviour you’re walking into.
“Seating plans might be missing or outdated, and you’re not given key information about students – things like additional needs, behavioural triggers, or safeguarding information that would actually help you manage the classroom.
“Over time, that constant uncertainty turns into anxiety. I genuinely dreaded going in.”
Over time, Jade said she barely recognised herself.
She said: “I went into teaching because I’m naturally calm, creative, and I enjoy building relationships.
“But over time, I felt myself becoming more guarded and more reactive, because I had to be just to maintain control.
“I didn’t recognise myself in how I was having to show up just to get through the day.
“I do think there are areas where the system isn’t setting teachers up to succeed.
“There’s a clear gap between expectations and the level of support available, especially for supply teachers.
“I don’t think it’s about blaming individuals – I worked with some amazing people – but the structure itself can make the job very difficult to sustain long-term.
“That’s ultimately why I chose to leave.”
Taking the plunge into nail care was daunting – but it paid off.
Jade said: “I’ve always been a creative person and nails gave me an outlet for that.
“It started as something small alongside teaching but it quickly became something I looked forward to.
“It felt calm, focused, and positive – everything teaching had stopped feeling like.
“I remember realising I actually enjoyed my day-to-day life again – that was a turning point.
“I have more control, more creativity, and a real sense of ownership over what I’m building.
“Starting from nothing is hard – building a client base, learning the business side, managing finances.
“There were definitely moments of doubt but I kept going, kept improving, and trusted that consistency would pay off.”
And while she’s left the classroom behind, some lessons have stayed with her.
She added: “Patience, communication, and resilience.
“Teaching teaches you how to handle pressure and adapt quickly – those skills have helped me massively in business.
“I feel more like myself again.
“I have more energy, more clarity, and a stronger sense of direction.
“Most importantly, I hope this shows that it’s okay to change direction – even from something that looks secure – and build something that actually fulfils you.”
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