To ask if anyone became a teacher for the holidays?

[DamnYeToHell]

Because I know two people who are planning on doing this. I've had to NC as my other posts make me identifiable and a lot of people know I use MN.

My MIL told me that SIL is planning on doing a PGCE as she has just had her first child and thinks becoming a teacher would solve future childcare issues. A friend of mine is planning on doing the same. Neither has much interest in their chosen subject nor any real desire to impart knowledge. They have admitted as much.

Yes I know it's none of my business. Am I being naive about the reasons people teach? My other SIL is a teacher and she loves it and works hard. She has said the holidays are a bonus now she is a mother but was not a reason in the first place.

I certainly remember a big difference between the teachers who genuinely wanted to be there and those who were, quite frankly, a bit shite.

I'm romanticising aren't I?

I'll get my own hard hat

I agree Happy. You have summed up my thoughts in a far more succinct fashion than I was able to, thank you.

And regarding your second point. Yes, I also know a couple of childminders who did just that.

Though I should say that one of my reasons for retraining as a teacher was that I was thinking of emigrating abroad and the qualification is recognised by the commonwealth countries. So I did have an ulterior motive as well as the 'I really want to be a teacher' urge.

Not a teacher but working in the school office.
How do I get this job??

As a parent, I want my children to have good teachers. To require teachers to be doing the job for the "right" reasons seems a bit much really.

Ha, places on PGCE courses are like gold dust these days, and she may get the holidays but she'll also end up working until 11pm. So many teachers I know want to become TAs when they have children.

Nothing seems to be too much to ask of teachers at the moment. It's not great.

I became a teacher because I am passionate about education. I had a very privileged upbringing and a good education. I believe that evey child needs a chance and I want to do my bit to enable children to achieve their full potential.

I am passionate about my subjects, have a very good general knowledge, have travelled the world widely which adds to my knowledge I can bring to the class, have 2 degrees in science and understand how children learn

Thing is - I took some time out of education and now can't get back in because I'm too expensive. Or something like that. Or am a but cynical about all the latest changes.

:(

lovebunny just because you do not find a sense of fulfilment and vocation in a job does not mean that others cannot.

I do find it very sad that you seem to not enjoy your job, I cannot imagine another job being so much fun. I cannot imagine doing a job as demanding as teaching without getting the many highs that it offers.

some of us work in education because it is a vocation. I have only had two day in 15 years that I have wished I did a different job. A glass of wine and a chat with a friend soon put paid to that idea.

And I can engage children in their learning using a variety of learning methods.

:)

I love teaching. I hate all the bullshit that comes with it. The initiatives that everyone jumps one without looking at if they actually have an effect.

Fallen it's an ideal. Naturally if a teacher is good at what they do, I couldn't give a toss why they do it. Same as any industry, any job. However, genuinely wanting to do something because you care, not because of the perceived perks, isn't a bad place to start.

I don't think my sense of vocation makes me a better teacher, it does not mean that I am more skilled or successful . I think my sense of vocation possibly allows me to enjoy my job more than someone who is there solely to pay the mortgage. There is absolutely nothing wrong though in doing a job to pay the bills, the world is full of people doing a very good job in order to pay the bills.

oh, po-faced indeed! who said i don't find fulfilment in my work? i'm damned good at it, of course i find it fulfilling.
but 'vocation' is rubbish. anyone who claims a 'vocation' should be banned from teaching - a 'vocation' means you come into this with fixed ideas. 'oh, i teach because i looove kids!' you do? buy a goat.

"teaching is a job. it isn't particularly pleasant."

Teaching is a great job.

It's hard and stressful, but very rewarding IME.

I don't do it any more, but I enjoyed it when I did.

I think even more than most jobs it's not one you can do well if you don't bring any enthusiasm to it.

It doesn't matter what motivates you to start teaching, but if you are only staying for the pay and benefits and dislike the work, then I imagine you are a poor teacher.

You described the job as not very pleasant! That hardly sounds like someone whom is highly fulfilled in their job. You also said that you don't know what keeps you in teaching beyond paying the mortgage. Again, hardly the sentiment of someone who is fulfilled in their work.

I don't teach because I love kids, I teach because I recognise that my life was transformed by great teachers and that I feel drawn to do the same. I have gifts that mean I am a talented teacher and therefore it makes sense to use them . I think it was what I was meant to do, I have had other careers and they left me empty.

I specifically did not say that you needed a sense of vocation to be a good teacher, I quite clearly said that a sense of vocation alone does not make a good teacher . I also said that you could be in it just to pay the bills and still be a great teacher .

No, I don't do it because I love kids - I like some of them and some I am neutral about. I do it because I hated school, had crap teachers and had a thoroughly miserable time. If I can do something to make school better for some children then that's why I do it. I've done other, much more well paid jobs but this is the most rewarding. That's why I was prepared to take a massive pay cut to go into it.

I became a teacher because I wanted to teach. Last week was half term and this week I am meant to be working but two of my three children are unwell. Holidays have advantages but they also offer no flexibly at all. I also think that before I had kids I often found I was broke, a bit bored and couldn't go away with non teacher friends because why would they pay the school holiday prices. I remember missing out on a hen do, centre court Wimbledon tickets and a friends wedding because none of them fell in the holidays. Now the holidays are great and also I often help out non teaching friends with their child care. Teaching is an amazing job and I have loved every minute of it. But there is a lot of work in the evenings and at weekends. I get to work at 7.15 and rarely leave before 6pm. I never have a lunch hour and charge around at playtime like a lunatic. It's a vocation and people that train thinking it's good for holidays rarely last because they can't take the pace. You are also constantly scrutinised, monitored and peered at. And sometimes some parents are absolutely mind numbingly appalling and make your life ghastly. Most are nice.
Some kids break your heart and some of their home situations make you want to smuggle them home with you.
Overall I adore it and feel proud to work with some amazing people. The other thing about the summer holidays are that although they are still long you are generally in school for at least a week of them sorting things out. Another thing is that now permanent contracts are harder to come by a lot of teachers aren't paid in the holidays!

I personally have two friends who have done this. With one of them the discount offered by private school employers was also a significant factor. Both specialise on subjects in demand (one Science/Physics, the other Maths), and both have turned out to be extremely good at their jobs. Prior to kids they both held extremely good jobs (with post grad quals) and they wanted to continue challenging their brains whilst still having plenty of time (in holidays) for their kids. They both got fully qualified as teachers whilst their children were going through the toddler stage.

Rather amused at concept that unless you are annointed with the kiss of vocational devotion you are automatically a bit shite at the job.

Another friend qualified as a barrister after having kids in order to be able to work term time/part time only, and that seemed to be a much tougher gig to go through (at least during the pupilage bit)

I resent the implication that I went into teaching for the holidays.

I had an art degree. I could have followed any number of illustrious careers.

Hang on.

Or any number of illustrating careers tethers :)

enimmead - if you are a Science teacher and reasonable flexible in where and what you teach, then I wouldn't have thought you would have priced yourself out of the market. I went back into teaching after 5 years out, UPS, no problem.

If you want to teach Biology only, then perhaps...

I will openly admit the reason I trained to become a teacher was the thought of childcare costs when I had ds2........

It just so happens that I love my job hate the crap that goes with it, for instance Gove and from all observations, PM, results etc I happen to be good at it as well!

thefallenmadonna

I teach primary. Have thought about secondary but no secondary experience. And a class full of year 8s and 9s sounds scary.

I also took five years out and came back as quite an expensive teacher.

Ah, well then that's very sad. Because primary teachers who are science specialists are far too few IME.

Go on - year 9s are lovely...