I cannot seem to even get an interview now for teaching. I would only consider a permanent position due to having my children and a mortgage and people depending on me. I still need to pay bills.
I have completed 5 days of supply in 2 years. Who can afford to wait around for days, weeks, couple of months of work. My mental health has been horrendous due to instability and the pressures of interviews and never feeling good enough.
The demands were totally unrealistic, however I would like to go back into a nice school with a supportive team and SMT. I do not want to give up but I feel like I can no longer put myself on the firing line and be continually fighting for a job. I deserve to feel like a person who is a professional, and is worthy.
This is answer 177 of the 269 written answers that teachers let us quote anonymously in the Scottish Teacher Employment Survey 2026. It answers the survey’s last question: what do the people who make decisions about teacher employment need to know?
We have corrected spelling, added paragraph breaks and removed details that could identify anyone. Words in square brackets are ours.