{"id":607,"date":"2025-05-23T12:33:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T11:33:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theoptimistmagazine.co.uk\/?p=607"},"modified":"2025-06-06T16:12:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T15:12:09","slug":"teach-sleep-repeat-two-teachers-lifting-the-lid-on-the-challenges-of-the-profession","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/theoptimist\/2025\/05\/23\/teach-sleep-repeat-two-teachers-lifting-the-lid-on-the-challenges-of-the-profession\/","title":{"rendered":"Teach, Sleep, Repeat: The challenges of teaching"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Turning Frustration into a voice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Frustrated with how the 2023 teacher strikes were covered, Dylan Price and Hayden Stevens decided to act. The two Kent-based primary school teachers turned to podcasting. Their goal was simple: give UK teachers a voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy passion and interest in teaching began at primary school,\u201d Dylan says. \u201cI even remember all the names of my teachers. They were all fantastic. My own school experience shaped me into the teacher I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dylan, 31, is a primary school teacher and co-leads Maths at his school. His co-host, Hayden Stevens, 32, also teaches at the same school. Together, they launched \u2018Teach, Sleep, Repeat\u2019<\/a><\/em>, a podcast that explores the struggles teachers face daily. They talk openly about the stress, the structural issues in education, and the emotional toll of the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They felt national strike coverage didn\u2019t reflect how teachers were really feeling. That\u2019s what pushed them to start recording.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Challenging the “martyr” mindset<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were worried we were bad teachers,\u201d Dylan admits. \u201cWe weren\u2019t staying late or working weekends for free. There\u2019s pressure to go above and beyond your contract. We wanted to push back on that idea. Teachers shouldn\u2019t feel guilty for having a life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the UK, teachers have “Directed Time” and “Planning, Preparation and Assessment” (PPA) time. Directed Time includes teaching hours and totals 1,265 hours a year. PPA is at least 10% of teaching time, often just 2\u20134 hours per week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The contract also states that teachers must be available for duties at times and places the headteacher decides. But there’s more. It says teachers must also work “reasonable additional hours” to plan, assess, and meet pupils\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hayden says this is where the problem lies. \u201cThat paragraph is the most dangerous part of the contract. It gets abused. Some staff end up working 7\u20136 every day and over weekends. Schools fill Directed Time with tasks, leaving no space for planning or marking. Then they expect unpaid hours to pick up the slack.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re enjoying this read – try the 5 inspirational people you should know about.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Podcast Born from Burnout<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dylan and Hayden use their podcast to highlight how vague expectations lead to burnout. They reject the idea that unpaid overtime equals professionalism. Dylan recalls feeling the same pressure early in his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI used to do loads of extra hours,\u201d he says. \u201cNow I work part-time. Cutting back probably saved my career. I was burnt out. And honestly, even working Monday to Wednesday, I still think about quitting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mental health toll isn\u2019t just personal. Education Support, a UK charity, reports rising issues across the profession. In their latest Teacher Wellbeing Index:<\/p>\n\n\n\n