How soul destroying it is coming in from working in a job that is not teaching just so I can pay the bills to then spend every evening until midnight or later filling out teaching applications only to get a standard rejection email for every one. To have everyone say oh they’re crying out for teachers you’ll get something when in reality…!
To put money into savings not for a holiday or IVF which I’ve been unable to start or for a mortgage or car but money set aside in case I’ve not got supply, or a temp contract isn’t extended – it’s now a in case I don’t have a job fund and not a life fund!
Everything is on hold, starting a family, my partner having to be relied upon as the main breadwinner and they’ve put furthering their education and career on hold, yet being able to go on holiday with my wife (we’ve been together 5 years), worrying about the food shop being too much, lots of little things that just add up!
This is answer 269 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.