Singapore PE teacher explains why she quit despite good pay, short hours, & travel
She loved seeing her students learn and create, but said the work outside the classroom left her “SO BURNED OUT”. This article ( Singapore PE teacher explains why she quit despite good pay, short hours, & travel ) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News .
In a recent Instagram post, a former PE teacher from Singapore has shared her reasons for leaving the profession, despite the attractive benefits such as decent pay, bonuses, and more holidays. Ms Sakinah (@notyet.whole) mentioned that she had to pay a significant bond, likely due to training subsidies or other financial compensation, which she described as a "hefty amount of $".
Despite this, she felt that it was worth it, but she wanted to share her own experiences and express gratitude to teachers who stayed in the profession. She clarified that she enjoyed the actual teaching part of her job, especially the interaction with students, stating that "Teaching is a profession that gave me the spark I lost along the way throughout my adult years."
However, the administrative tasks, overtime, and other duties caused her to become "SO BURNED OUT" after some time. Ms Sakinah highlighted the additional responsibilities of being a "security guard" to students during recess, organizing CCA activities, excursions, equipment maintenance, meetings, and more, which amounted to around 30% of her duties.
She also spoke about the red tape surrounding her job, such as staying at school until dismissal even on days when her classes ended early, and the inability to pursue side hustles. Ms Sakinah felt that her personality would be best suited for a role where she had to work hard for her money and could not stand the idea of "cruising" and just getting by.
Despite the challenges, she still praised the perks of teaching PE, such as not having grades to fill in and students looking forward to her class. She enjoyed teaching PE because it allowed her to play with the kids, emphasizing the irreplaceable role of a teacher in a child's learning. While leaving teaching may not be the right choice for everyone, Ms Sakinah believed it was the right decision for where she was at in her life at the time, stating, "I'd rather take a bet on myself than be stuck in a system that didn't align with the core of my being."
Written by urgent.news from The Independent Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
