another teaching casualty?

[fridascruffs]

I passed my pgce and got QTS a year and a half ago (secondary physics). I am a single mother of 2 children and I kept my job going throughout the pgce as I did it part time. I worked about 70 hours a week during the placements, we lived on ready meals and the house was a tip. After I finished I worked another year in my existing job to 'repay' them for giving me reduced hours during placements. Then I went travelling with the children for a few months. I'm now working in mynold job temporarily and have applied for a teaching post, but my heart sinks at the thought of the colossal hours and the likelihood of being told I'm not doing enough and i don't go up the pay scale etc etc. I don't think I've got an interview and I am slightly relieved. I really liked the actual teaching, but not to the exclusion of all else in life. My mentor quit shortly after my pgce finished and most of the rest were exhausted. I might carry on doing what i was doing before. I dont mind in some ways as it was a good experience but I could have been training for n something else. I'm feeling a bit low after a brilliant year. No advice needed really, I'm just saying.

[Guilianna]

That's a shame. I'm also single mum of 2, part time atm going back to full time in Jan. Know what you mean about the ready meals! have you thought about pt as a option? tutoring?

[Haggisfish]

As secondary physics you hold the upper hand. You can essentially pick and choose which school you want to work at and name your price/working requirements. Why not try part time?

[Haggisfish]

I would change school first before quitting altogether.

[lecherslady]

I can't say I'd blame you. Teaching has changed massively over the past few years. If you're not convinced, then perhaps it's better not to get trapped in to it, like so many others are.

[ravenAK]

I'd hang in there.

I'm secondary English - we are struggling to recruit to replace our latest loss (signed off with stress & depression, resigned shortly after).

Maths quite literally cannot put a qualified warm body in front of a class. A fairly awful NQT has just resigned to go travelling (right decision for him; nice lad, lousy teacher) & has been begged to 'see the year out' as there are already two non-specialists teaching KS3.

Science - well, they're just about holding it together, but again, one post is being covered by long term non-specialist supply.

This is in a leafy, Ofsted 'good' secondary with the best results (above National average) in the area.

I'd give it a go - as Haggisfish says, you're likely to be in demand. Is your current job something you could return to if it didn't work out?

[echt]

Secondary physics? Go for the private/ independent sector.

They'll kiss your butt and say it tastes like ice cream.

[fridascruffs]

Things always look better in the morning, I'm not so low now partly due to your comments, so thank you. Yes I could work part time, but I only have 5 terms left to get my NQT year done so I have to work full time till that's done unless I can get a 4 day a week job by January which is unlikely as none have been advertised. I live in a rural area, so there aren't tons of schools to choose from. My situation must look pretty cushy to people in a worse situation, but I feel like I lost a year of my children's lives during the pgce, and I don't want to lose another one. I applied for a mat leave job so i could split up the year over the summer. I could do it for that length of time, it's not so bad. I could go back to my previous work, in fact they are telling me about a new job I could apply for, so that's an option. A year out to do the nqt year probably wouldn't hurt my chances in the voluntary sector too much, but I am 49 and I hear that agism becomes a factor after fifty (although less so in the voluntary sector I think).

[DontGotoRoehampton]

Agree about secondary physics you could name your price. I am a supply teacher and not qualified in maths or physics (in fact failed my physics gcse), but regularly teach those because I can do it, and because in some state schools ( like they said about the Vice President job in the west wing) the only essential requirement for a maths or physics teacher is to have a pulse - q qualified person would be drooled over...

[feelingdizzy]

I'm a single parent too, I am in primary though, I do four days a week, on Friday although officially my day off I work from home. I do planning, marking, lots of washing, online shop is delivered, have some time alone(bliss). Having this day means that I now have some weekend and am not so frazzled with everything, really works for me.

[HalfSpamHalfBrisket]

Unless I have misunderstood, there isn't a time limit to get your induction year completed - the 5 year time limit is on doing short-term supply without the induction element (...to stop people teaching indefinitely on supply contracts without going through the induction process)
You can do your induction on supply (with the agreement and support of the school, and it can't be retrospective), and on part-time contracts. One teacher did 2 terms with us and then finished their induction at their next school.
I completely understand your worries about missing out on family life - it is how many of my teaching friends feel.
HOWEVER! As a secondary Physics teacher you are a rare and precious resource and can hopefully negotiate a part-time role that will be manageable.

[stardusty5]

I also believe that there is a myth around needing to complete your NQT within 3 years. I qualified over 4 years ago now, and work in education but not teaching. I was quite anxious about the time limit but looked into it and spoke to the CPD staff at school who told me it was fine , and i could decide to do my NQT year at any time.

[DontGotoRoehamptonUniversity]

Are you in England? (different rules in Wales). Just looked up the rules, which were changed in 2012 it looks as if there is no time limit on completing your induction year NQT, and the limit you can do supply before the induction has changed from 16 months to 5 years. (The TES is out of date, still quotes the 16 months).If you don't want to work in a maintained school, you can work in and academy, free school or indie without doing the NQT induction.

[fridascruffs]

Hello, sorry for slow reply, I was away at the weekend. I am amazed about the 3 year rule not being the case, that is brilliant, it means I can wait until the right part time job comes up. I am in England Don't go (although I am from Wales originally). Even my pgce tutor confirmed I had three years to complete the induction, that's really good news, thanks!