How do I get into teaching

[blackbib]

As the title says I want to get into the field of teaching. I am a trained teacher (not from the UK). I have had a good experience of teaching in my native country, but never had ventured into a teaching job in the UK. DD2 is going to be 1 soon. So I am thinking of getting serious about getting into a teaching job. I am mainly concentrating on primary schools. But where do I start? Anyone with experience similar to mine? I'm ready to take up courses that can ease my pathway to careers in primary schools. Any advice please?.

In your position, find out if there’s a way to convert your qualifications.

As a former teacher, still working in education, I’d encourage you to find out about the demands of the job and the workload before deciding to make the move.

@Axahooxa Do you think teaching is a hectic job? I'm curious to know because I have really made up my mind that teaching is the JOB for me.

You might want to do some research into the current state of teaching on the UK...

OP.....I don't mean this in a rude way, just a factual way but there is a reason lots if teachers are going on strike for 2 days this week. I work in a school (not a teacher) and they all seem to be super stressed.

Teaching is indeed hectic.
overworked at work; overworked evenings and weekends.
Incredibly stressful and hard work.
30 kids (or more)- planning all their lessons, marking their work in a certain prescribed way, assessments, meetings.
Making careful adaptations for children with EAL or SEND (you’ll have several at least, in every class).

In a new role-Expect to work 8;00-17:00 in school every day.
2-3 hours every evening, same at weekends.
When settled- maybe 2 hours every evening and weekends. Less if you work really smart, or you get lucky!

There's a whole website dedicated to answering this question getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/non-uk-teachers/teach-in-england-if-you-trained-overseas

But yes, do have a good look at current issues with teaching here so you can decide if it's the right move for you.

If you can afford to earn less, bring a teaching assistant may be a consideration. Or English language teaching is a really enjoyable alternative, but far less pay.

You don't need any qualifications to teach in academies so you could just apply for jobs straight away if you wanted to.

You could be a TA on supply to get some experience.Where I live they would bite your hand off there is such a shortage.

My advice would be

1. shadow a teacher for at least a week. Ask them honest questions about work life balance.

If you still think it’s for you-
either contact local schools and see if they have any jobs for an overseas teacher post
or
apply for a school direct post

Personally I’ve been out of teaching since having my kids due to it being very unfamily friendly but obviously some brave few manage it!

Join the face book group... Life after teaching exit the classroom and thrive.
you won't want to teach !!..full of factual horror stories.

The replies are scary enough for me to think of pursuing some other career!

Teaching is definitely the job for me. But I left the UK to make it bearable. I wouldn’t go back. Try to get some work experience in a UK school to get an idea of the reality. And ask the teachers how much extra work they do. They’re not lying.

I absolutely wouldn't be a teacher in the UK just now. I've just left a DM and I could literally resign from all of the bureaucracy and paperwork. Discipline is at an all time low so the actual teaching all day is grim, followed by hours of work every night. It's genuinely not worth it.

Do I think teaching is a hectic job?

I am in school for 7.30am and seldom leave before 5.30. I work 9-4 every Sunday just to get the job done. Between now and the 31st March, I have exactly 4 afternoons (i.e. after school hours) that are not already booked with parents evenings, school concert, link governor meetings, moderation, staff meetings, SEND meetings etc etc etc.

I personally know barely anyone my age (late 40s) still full time classroom-based teaching with a family at home. It just isn't sustainable.

Which country are you from? I think this will matter for converting qualifications.

Academies can employ unqualified teachers, but many only employ qualified staff.

I teach part time and that allows me to have a family life. Not all schools are crazy either. Are you primary or secondary?

Looking at SCITT courses may work for you, you’re likely to be accepted with so much experience.

Don't do it.

Do you have a partner who does (more than) their fair share at home?

Teaching is not particularly compatible with raising small children. I barely manage it and the only reason I'm just about keeping my head above water is because DH does the lion's share at home.

@Flora56 My native country is India. I have a Bachelors in Secondary Education followed by Masters in Arts (Literature). But I prefer Primary as Secondary students are just too much for me to handle.

@Pinkflipflop85 I am the anchor holding my home. DH has a high paying job and does take care of DC but being a SAHM I prefer doing the major share of work to make DH and DC comfortable (I just love doing it, not from any pressure though). It's just that I don't want to be idle after DC start school full time. I want to keep myself very busy because in the past when I had no DC being so idle at home made me depressed and I developed anxiety which is fully under control now. I just don't want to go through the same phase of being an idle housewife. I want to work and make some money and keep myself very busy before DDs come home from school.

You’ll be home later than kids are at school, and you’ll have to pay for before and after school childcare.

I can see why you want to work. I’d probably look for something else- or if money is not an issue, you can do wonderful volunteering work with your knowledge and qualifications.

Could you do online tuition? Perhaps for another country when children are out of school when your children are in school…
Teaching will eat your life.

Applying for a Primary SCITT might be right for you, if there’s one close by - they’re only a year long and then you’re qualified. The ones in my area were under subscribed this year.

It might be worth having a look at the national curriculum and gaining some voluntary experience in a local primary school.

It would be a huge change as you'd need before and after school care for the kids, and you'd need your husband to "take over" some evenings and a bit of the weekend. It's kind of the opposite of a sahm and not something ti be walked into lightly.

I'd be really tempted to retrain elsewhere tbh.

My advice is keep away from teaching. The hours and workload is relentless. You're looking easily at 10 / 11 hour days eg arrive 7.45am, leave 6.15 or even later plus doing work at home in the evenings on top of that and weekends.
You're accountable to everyone and the pace of the school day is hectic. The only way to survive is to work part time but even then, prepare to work during your days off. I always say a 3 day a week teacher works the equivalent of a full time job.
Good idea by previous posters to actually spend some time in schools shadowing a teacher first!
Sorry to be so negative but it really is a shit profession right now. I'm only in it still because I'm lucky enough to be able to work part time and because I'm too old to train to do something different.

@Axahooxa Money is the issue I guess. Because I desperately want to earn and spend it on my parents. DH is lovely and never asks me not to spend on anything I want but there is always that satisfaction when you get something for your elderly parents from your hard earned money. I'm a bit emotional about my parents because my dad has seen a bad life but always gave us the best one and I just want to do something for him(he has cancer) as I do not know how long he is with us!