Aibu: PGCE now or after 'gap year'?

[HelloPossums]

Hi.

I graduated from uni last year, and am preparing my PGCE application at the moment, as I'm really interested in going into teaching.

I also applied for Teach First earlier this year, and was told a couple of weeks ago that I'd been unsuccessful. Today, I had a feedback call from them explaining that I'd been very close to getting accepted but had missed on one thing - problem solving (one of the assessed competencies).

I still want to continue applying for a PGCE (to start from September this year, so I know I haven't got very long left to apply!) but since the feedback call, AIBU to consider applying for TF again.

I have something lined up that I'm considering for next year (tutoring English abroad), but I suppose my question is:

Is it worth potentially putting my career plans on hold to tutor abroad for a year (there is, among other things, a fairly decent salary involved with the tutoring) or is it best just to go for a PGCE from September this year? What do you think?

Thanks everyone!

[noblegiraffe]

Go abroad and do tutoring, now is the best time to travel.

[cosmickitten]

Travel and tutor. If you start PGCe this year and all goes well, next year you'll need to do NQT and the then you'll want to consolidate your career. Now is a good time to travel.

[NotAnotherNameChangeAgain]

Travelling. Always always always.

[acasualobserver]

Give it a few years and you won't actually need a PGCE to teach in England.

[Yoksha]

Travelling always. You'll find first hand experience on how to problem solve. It always broadens the mind.

[HelloPossums]

Wow thank you so much everyone!! I'm definitely keen to take the tutoring job it's only for a year, and it sounds really exciting. You lovely lot have just swayed me even more!

[Fedup21]

If the academy bill is passed, you won't need QTS. I wouldn't actually even bother-certainly not if you've got to pay tuition fees to get it.

Tutoring abroad sounds 1000 times more
Wonderful than teaching in England at the moment.

[FlyRussianUnicorn]

Not to mention OP aside what others have said it gives you something "extra" to put on a CV. I'd be much more impressed with a candidate who has tutored in a foreign country for a year then someone who has gone the university then straight PGCE route.

[LetsSplashMummy]

Much easier to go straight into your job from the PGCE, I think (I'm assuming England and Scotland are not so different in this way). You might even get snapped up on one of your placements. Travel first, enhance your cv - which makes you more likely to get TF or your pick of the jobs. Also, have fun!

[toomuchicecream]

When I finished my PGCE I couldn't imagine taking time out before going into my NQT year - it was difficult enough to start with, without having had a year to forget much of what I had learned. So definitely take time out first so that you can go straight to NQT after your PGCE - if that's still what you want to do then....

[SupSlick]

Just to check OP, check with the teach first providers that teaching abroad "counts" and about funding when you've been living abroad for a certain amount of time.

I agree the traveling sounds a great idea. Have you thought about School Direct though?

[CreepingDogFart]

Go travelling and find something else to do that isn't teaching.

[SeparatedByMotorways]

One other thing to think about... I was successful in an application for Teach First a couple of years back and learnt that I had been successful in the August to start summer institute the following July.
I went away for an academic year from the end of August to the end of June and living abroad made completing all required the pre-Summer Institute work an absolute nightmare (and at times physically impossible due to location).
I didn't end up doing TF and turned down my offer the April before I was due to start but had I wanted to carry on I would have been in really tricky situation taking unpaid leave to fly back to the UK to complete work before SI.
This said, I loved teaching abroad and definitely, definitely recommend that option. Just look at logistics if you're thinking of re-applying to TF maybe?

[MrsMook]

I agree, travel first.

I took a year doing my holiday job in between, and it was good to have a buffer between university and a PGCE.

Teaching abroad will be great experience whatever you want to do at the end of it.

Teaching is tough, and getting more relentless.

[PurpleDaisies]

Teaching isn't he sort of job where you have to get in there as soon as possible. Many people are late career changers so you'll still be one of the youngest even with a gap year.

Have a fantastic time!

[queenoftheworld93]

Travel first. I did my PGCE straight out of uni and regret it.

[oldlaundbooth]

Go travel.

Thengo and do a teacher qualification in Australia and STAY THERE.

[RockUnit]

I'm going to disagree with most of those above and say get the PGCE done first. Can you postpone the tutoring for a year?

[PurpleDaisies]

What's your logic rock?

[RockUnit]

Just that PGCE can be exhausting and it might be nice to recharge by doing something completely different afterwards!

[PurpleDaisies]

I think taking a year out before doing nqt would be a mistake. The nqt year is often worse than Pgce and at least it's easier if you've got subject knowledge etc still fresh in your mind. Applying for jobs is easier while you're on Pgce than abroad too.

[Lucylongcat]

Given the changes being talked about for teaching qualifications, you may want to get qualified quickly. It's a gamble how quickly the changes will be brought in, or whether there may be some back tracking on what is currently being proposed, but I would not like to take years upon years to gain my QTS, as seems possible in the future.

[Haffdonga]

I did both. Travel - PGCE - then more travel. Both times travelling I was teaching EFL abroad. Both travelling and after PGCE were great experiences and benefitted my teaching skills and probably enhanced my applications to schools in the long run.

Experience tutoring abroad can only help an application to TF.I'd go for it.