I’m 34 and currently working as a supply teacher. I want a permanent teaching job and the opportunity to build my career and my life in Scotland, but increasingly I find myself questioning how long I can realistically continue like this.
The competition for permanent positions is incredibly difficult. So many people seem to be applying for the same jobs, and there are applications where you put in the time and effort and don’t even get an interview. Being from a remote area makes this even harder because there are naturally fewer schools and fewer opportunities available.
Supply itself has also been particularly slow this year, and the uncertainty can be exhausting. I have had situations where I have given up days of work elsewhere because I believed I had work secured in a school, only for circumstances or council budgets to change. As a supply teacher, that uncertainty has a real impact on your income and your ability to plan your life.
There are also smaller things that can make you feel like you are somehow less valued than permanent members of staff. In my council, I am not even entitled to my own login. Every time I teach, someone else has to log me into the system. I can't access things permanent staff take for granted, including the school lunch system. I have worked long-term in schools and still haven't been given that basic access. These things might sound minor from the outside, but when you are expected to walk into a classroom and teach effectively, they create unnecessary disruption and make an already challenging job harder. You are expected to fulfil the responsibilities of a teacher without always being given the same basic tools to do the job.
Professional development is another concern. CPD opportunities for supply teachers can be very limited. Unless you are particularly proactive and committed to finding opportunities yourself, I struggle to see how you are supposed to keep your knowledge and skills current when you don't have the stability and development opportunities that come with being part of a school permanently. Over time, being on supply can make you feel like you are somehow a lesser member of the profession, despite having the same qualifications and being expected to step into classrooms and take responsibility for pupils' learning.
The hardest part for me is that the instability goes far beyond work. At 34, I'm living at home with my parents because I haven't been able to secure the permanent employment that would allow me to properly establish myself again in Scotland. I want to build a career, have my own home and move forward with my life, but it feels as though everything is on hold.
I became a teacher because I wanted to teach. I want to contribute to a school, develop professionally and have the opportunity to become a proper part of a school community. Instead, I'm reaching the point where I have to consider whether staying in teaching is sustainable. I don't want to leave the profession. I just want the opportunity to belong to it.
Shared anonymously with the contributor’s consent and reviewed by the campaign. Light edits may have been made for readability and to remove identifying details.
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