Becoming a primary school teacher

[Shalll]

Hi all

I've read many threads on mn about how hard it is to be a primary school teacher, and yet it's not been quite enough to put me off...

I am 38, good university degree, good career. DC aged 7 and 5. I just don't feel passionate about my job and I want to do something I care about. So my questions are:

1. Am I too old to consider retraining, and how long would it take?

1. How do I go about finding out more about the reality of teaching before committing?

Any advice welcome.

[ElizabethMainwaring]

Hi. If you've got a 2:1 or a 1st you can do a PGCE which takes a year, which is what I did last year (aged 46). You will more than likely need to have relevant experience with schools to get on a course. Volunteering is a good idea. The best thing to do would be to get a TA job, but it is so competitive now, and schools prefer qualified TAs, so that may not be an option. You also need to have a C or above in Maths, English and a Science GCSE. Primary is very hard work. My PGCE was Primary but I now work in secondary, thank God. I couldn't have coped with the Primary work load.

[HarryPottedHistory]

Hi OP,

I'm a Primary NQT. It is hard, the workload is unbelievable and at the moment I'm not sure I want to stay in teaching beyond this academic year.

I am in my mid-thirties, have two DC of my own and a very supportive DH. At the moment, we hardly have any family time as I'm having to work every evening and weekend just to stay afloat. I feel horribly guilty about this and resent that I have to bring so much of my work home.

I knew that a teaching workload would be a heavy one - my pgce year was challenging at times, but at least I had the support of my uni and mentors - and prior to training as a teacher I was a TA, so I went into it with my eyes open. However, I personally feel that the sacrifices I'm having to make now are just not worth it and I can't imagine how working a 60+ week, every week, can possibly be sustainable.

Try to gain experience in a few different schools and keep an open mind. My class are lovely and I actually really enjoy the teaching part of the job, just not all the crap that comes with it!

This is just my opinion. Best of luck with whatever you decide xx

[ElizabethMainwaring]

Harry - yes, I agree with all you say. I was a TA for over 10 years in an extremely challenging school, so like you, had my eyes wide open. But I still wasn't prepared for the work load. I also struggled with teaching so many subjects. You have to have tremendous stamina and energy to do it properly.

[castasp]

You say you have a good career - if you don't mind your job (as oppose to hating/dreading it) then I would stick with it.

I went into teaching for exactly the same reasons as you (in my mid-thirties) - I wanted to "give something back", but it's all a load of bollocks, it's just a job like any other job, as in, you still have to get up at 6am every day, you still have to do an awful lot of work that is tedious, pointless and you don't like. As with every other job, you give up certain freedoms in order to earn a wage.

On top of that, you will work a 60-70 hour week, depending on the school, and you WILL resent it and if you manage to keep it up for long enough, you'll probably get burn out.

Don't do it.

[bobow]

You need to volunteer in a school to get a feel for it. I would also advise talking to teachers who have children. It has become a very parent unfriendly job. I am the only FT mum in my school, and I am only able to do that because DH works from home so does school drop offs and pick ups.

[careerchange456]

Volunteer in as many different schools as possible - not just the naice ones! Do exactly what the teacher does in terms of hours, duties, meetings etc. Then go home and do a few more hours work. Do this for at least a week, if not as many weeks as you can manage.

This isn't to be dramatic; this is the reality that people just don't expect.

I'm slightly different to most in that I've just gone back full time after part time and extended mat leave. I have two kids under 4, DH works away and we have no family around. However, so far I'm really enjoying it. The school you work at is key; however as an NQT and further into your career you may not have much choice if you want to work depending on the area you live in. Then you become too expensive so you end up staying in a school.

I love my job and I'm finding full time manageable with two little ones. But that doesn't mean I don't work all hours that I can and that I don't find a lot of the job completely soul destroying.

There is a reason why there is a teacher retention crisis in some areas. You need to go into the job with your eyes open.

[Shalll]

Hmm this is not encouraging. Although I really do appreciate your honest responses. How sad in many ways that life is so tough for teachers.

Has anyone come across professions similar to teacher that are less draining/tough on family life? TA seems the obvious choice although it might be more difficult to find a job? I grew up with a brother who has SEN and would quite enjoy doing something in that area, 121 tuition or something like that, but I expect another degree would be required.

I'd like to work on something I feel passionate about but with an ok work life balance. Seems to be the holy grail!

[SaltyMyDear]

Work in a special school.

[bobow]

If you don't need a FT salary then PT posts give you a manageable work life balance, their is also the option to supplement this tutoring, if you are in London or SE there is money to be made in tutoring.

[Cantchooseaname]

It’s tough. Unbelievably tough.
I think you could volunteer in something that makes you feel good on top of current career and still have more free time/ head space than teaching.
I really used to love it- taught special. It’s changed.

[careerchange456]

It depends what your definition of work life balance is. If you want to work 9-5 and leave work at work then no, teaching is not going to give you that.

I don't feel like I have work life 'balance' at all. However, I'm happy in my job, I work at home but I don't feel it's excessive and considering I work full time, I feel like I spend as much time with my kids as I can. To me, that's all ok. My gripe is pay.

Teaching seems to attract the passionate, committed personality types which makes it a brilliant job. But the government have done an awful lot to make the job unbearable for a large proportion of those dedicated professionals. That's why you get the responses that you get when you ask about teaching and the genuine anger from teachers about the state of the education system.

[Tryagainsardines]

It really isn't a family friendly job. I've just had my first and I've been denied part time hours (wanted to drop a day.) I was also told that there would never be any leeway for school plays/sports days etc. That's fair enough but it means I no longer do any "extra."
There is so much expectation put upon you and needless paperwork (although I know steps have been taken to lessen this.)
There are other things but that said, I adore my class and so many aspects of my job.
I would suggest getting some experience. Volunteer or as a pp suggested, get a Ta job.
The job is very rewarding (some slt do need reminding that it is just a job, though)

[Holidayshopping]

Teaching is a miserable place to be at the moment-I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. It is not family friendly at all. Aside from the horrific workload, changing goalposts, lack of money meaning you are spending loads of your own money on resources and can’t progress up the pay scale, think what you would do if ...

you have inset days but your own children are off?
your children are ill or need to go to the doctor
You want to go to your own child’s sports day/assembly/family sharing morning/Xmas play
You have parent evening


Most jobs have some sort of flexibility-there is very little in teaching.

TA role would have much better hours but the pay is awful!

[wentmadinthecountry]

I love my job but it really isn't family friendly. My youngest is now nearly 15 and as dh commutes or works away I often can't get her to sports commitments (we're very rural). Couldn't have gone back to teaching while my children were small with dh (main earner) commuting.

This week - not normal but it happens:
Monday we have group moderation with other schools in our group - finish at 5.00 but will have rushed there so will need to do marking etc after
Tues and Thurs Parents' Evenings till 6 at the earliest, then on Tuesday I have some Pupil Premium Gov Training at 7.30. Obviously marking/planning will take place after all of this.
Friday PTFA disco - as a senior teacher feel I should show up (6 - 7.30) for at least some of the time.
Week after - chill time for me but my 3 days away with dd cost a fortune because it's half term. Consider it carefully.

[tulippa]

I did my pgce at 37. DCs were 10 and 6. I too was in job that paid the bills but didn't excite me at all. Training was doable but now I'm in the last term of my rqt year I'm fairly certain I won't be teaching next September. I'm in school from 7.15 until 6pm most days then work from 8pm til 10pm in the evenings and then usually 10am till 6pm at home on Sundays. Unions will advise not to work that much but there's simply so much to do there's no choice. I have to get out soon or I won't have a family left.

I don't regret leaving my old job but maybe shouldn't have gone into teaching. Sorry probably not what you wanted to hear.

[ElfrideSwancourt]

Don't do it op! I did my primary pgce 5 years ago when both DC were in secondary school just about got through but nearly broke up my marriage.

I struggled through a few years but finally threw in the towel at Easter this year. The workload was just too much- I was part time but basically worked full time to get it all done.

The pressure and expectations are just so high and the benefits are just not worth it. It is not family friendly at all.

Sorry to be so negative but it's just not worth it - for me my family and mental health had to come first.

When I left at Easter 2 other teachers left at the same time- we all left classroom teaching.

[Shalll]

That's a pretty resounding no from most people. I appreciate the honesty. Being able to spend time at home with the DC between 6-8pm is really important to me and it sounds like that is a real struggle for teachers.

Back to the drawing board on career options...

[MaybeDoctor]

I am glad that I did it, but regret not leaving sooner.

Have you looked at some of the early years teacher routes? Pay is lower and the demands are still high, but the curriculum expectations of the children are so much more reasonable and the approach is more holistic.