Primary School Teachers..

[PearlescentIridescent]

Would you recommend your profession?? :)

Am studying part time so am still 3 years off my degree. I have a decent career path where I am but I have always loved the idea of KS1 since secondary school it has been the only career I've ever really wanted to pursue.

Not in a million years....didn't work for me....but it does for many people. If it is your dream then I always encourage the following of dreams...

I changed from primary to secondary after 9 years. The workload is much reduced, there are fewer hysterical parents and it’s just generally nicer.

Now may not be the best time to ask them. Pretty sure a lot of them must feel burned out by government u-turns and additional workloads this week so don't be put off if you get negative feedback today.

I quit second year of my unit degree. The workload is horrendous. Working as a TA is bad enough for work life balance. There's no way I'd be spending any quality time with my DS if I'd carried on with my degree

As a primary school teacher for 9 years, I would never encourage it as a career unless it is something you are extremely passionate about and prepared to accept the immense workload and have an abundance of patience.
I love my job but and I know I am very good at it but I will be looking at a career move in the next few years as I just don't think I can summon up the energy that it demands as I get older. The demands are too much and at some point your own life and well being has to come first.
In saying that I have had so much joy during my time teaching and it really was a pleasure to be a part of the lives of so many wonderful kids. But I made a promise to myself once I realised how much work it was I would be very honest with anyone who considered it about how demanding it actually is.

Thanks so much for the replies. I do worry about balance as I have young children including a baby who would be 5 when I was qualified.

It's a shame as I have asked specifically because I have heard negative things pretty consistently over the last few years and the same negatives keep coming up. I would love to do it truly but as a parent of 3 who are absolutely my priority and I would not cope well with not being around for them. Work at the moment is very flexible and this would only increase as I progressed.

It's sad though :(

And your replies do explain why so many teachers at my DDs school are part time!!

When I started in the early 80s the job was fairly child friendly and I loved it. As the decades went by I still loved working with the children but the demands from Government and management increased until the job was taking over life completely and I hated it at the end.

I think you should do it and I’ve been a primary school teacher for 20+ years.
If you really really want to do it then you are exactly the sort of person we need.
Obviously it’s hard work and there are loads of shit bits, but ultimately, it’s very rewarding. You mean so much to the kids.

@CaptainMyCaptain that's a shame :( I do keep hoping that one day I will hear that conditions have been overhauled but I've been vaguely following education related news since my eldest was born 5 years ago and there seems to be no sign of that as yet.

I love the actual teaching in front of children bit, helping them to understand things, watch them be excited when they've achieved something. Aside from that the rest of it is a bit pants at times.

I do love it though. But it's all I ever wanted to do.

Oh I have two children and it was hard going when they were little.

I think one day they will have to change or there will be nobody left to do the job. I have heard there is a very high burn out rate now. My old school became an Academy shortly after I retired/was bullied out and there is hardly anyone there who I knew 6 years ago. Staff have come and gone several times over.

In Ireland I'd recommend it to anyone. Reading stories from my English brethren is mind-blowing, hour upon hour put into pointless tasks. Seems like too much work for too little pay.

Thanks @sunnysidegold. I am vaguely considering still pursuing the qualifications and doing it part time one day. I currently work in higher education but not as an academic and wondering if that is the better option.. just would love to teach little ones as it's always what I've imagined!

@CaptainMyCaptain my mum worked in a secondary school after she retired from her banking job (not as a teacher) at an Academy and she had some absolute horror stories to tell about the management of it. It's now been labelled inadequate and is at risk of being closed, go figure must be so frustrating being a teacher in these times

@SionnachRua I'm so jealous

[quote PearlescentIridescent]@SionnachRua I'm so jealous [/quote]
Yeah look we have an imperfect system in Ireland for sure but my God, talking to teachers on MN... It's like a glimpse into another world at times on here! I honest to God don't know how they cope. to all

So, if you just upped sticks, moved country and learned Irish...maybe not, a bit far to go for any job

No

Being in class and actually teaching is wonderful. It’s the rest of it that makes the job so hard. The workload is not family friendly so you would need to make sure you had a partner who could take on the lions share of the childcare at home.
It’s probably not the best time to ask right now although you will certainly get an honest answer.

I love my job. Really really love it. But I wouldn’t recommend training in it to anyone with small children. I have trained a lot of students in my time. The workload is huge. You have no work life balance. Every single evening and weekend you will be working. The students with children struggle a lot to find any balance. Obviously it’s only for a year whilst you retrain but my goodness it’s a tough year.