To ask for some positive stories of PGCE with childred

[99problems]

I have a 5 y/o ds and starting a primary pgce in September. I have read a million horror stories about how I will have to neglect my ds and will never get to see him and I'm really panicking! I am no stranger to hard work, completed a pretty full on degree and currently in a demanding job. I just want some positive stories about it being manageable!

I am a single parent but live with my mum so have a good support network. I just want to be able to think I will get some time with ds, albeit limited.

My plan is to teach P/T when I qualify, so if I can just get through through these next 9 months I will be happy. Please come and share your positive stories with me!

My daughter has just completed her PGCE and has a son who is nearly 4. She has never complained about the work and loves teaching.

She didn't appear to disappear socially, though she's not one for going out every weekend anyway. She has a fairly supportive partner, housework wise.

I think the biggest complainers on her course were the still-at-home-with-mam-and-dad types.

Thank you for your reply! It is so hard to find responses about it being manageable, the internet is just swamped with people saying it will be awful.

Just knowing that other people have done/are doing it, helps. Good luck to your daughter in her teaching career!

My concern wouldn't be the PGCE as such but the job situation once you're qualified. There is a massive over supply of primary teachers in many areas and gaining employment after training is far from guaranteed. I don't think I would give up a decent job to chance it on a primary PGCE at the moment.

That said you may be one if the lucky ones who get a job quickly, a young woman whose DofE award I helped with did last year, first interview.

Hello, I completed my pgce in 2010, my children were 8 and 5 and dh worked in London, I live in hove. Yes hard work, BUT not as tough as it was made out to be. I would recommend sharing work with colleagues as writing and researching lesson plans can take hours, so get a network going ASAP. Best of luck, feel free to ask me any questions as it seems mere months ago I graduated not years!

I did my pgce when my dd was 3 and it was fine, I work pt now and have two DDs and it is very hard work but still fine!!!! You will be ok.

My current job isn't secure at all, it's a contracting position and they are sacking people left right and centre!

I am very lucky that I've got into one of the top unis which will look great on my CV, and my previous qualifications would help (hopefully!). My overall aim is to teach children in hospitals with long-term illnesses.

I'm just scared about never seeing my ds, but hoping 9 months of the intense workload will pay off!

Hello! Long time lurker, but saw your post and felt compelled to reply. I completed a PGCE two years ago, with a ds who was 3 at the time, but also with the help of a very supportive wife. There's no two ways, it is a busy year, and I did find myself working 7 days a weeks during placements. However, your placements might only last four weeks at a stretch, and the workload during the university-based phases are less intense.

It seems inevitable that you will lose out on some family time, but you won't lose out on ALL of it. And you've got to keep your eyes on the prize - the big advantage of the course is that it's only nine months, and at the end of it, you'll have a new career and will be in a great position to provide for your son in the long term. I've been teaching for two years now, and would never go back to my old job. Good luck, and enjoy it!

Thank you everybody I am already starting to relax. The horror stories had taken away all my initial excitement but it's starting to come back!

TheGracelessAged glad to hear your enjoying teaching! I think the support network is really important and again I am fortunate in that respect. During my degree I worked 7 days a week, it was relentless! At times I'd work until 3am so I'm struggling to imagine it being much worse than that!

Part time primary jobs are like gold dust. I woukdnt count on getting one or even finding one I'm afraid. Sorry to be gloomy but its a heavily oversubscribed career in general and pt makes it even harder.

As for the PGCE with children. On my course a fair few had kids. Some had young children. They managed. One was a single mum with a four year old and no support. Unfortunately I have also found friends leave the profession when they've been unable to go part time after having children.

I hardly saw my dc, I'm afraid. It was the same when I started teaching, although mine was a Post Compulsory PgCE, carrying 1/3 credits at Masters level.
I think you need to try to prepare, but nothing can prepare you, iyswim.
Christmas was a hurried, low key affair.
I think you have to be realistic and realise your life will not be your own and you won't manage to do much of what you did before.

I did it with two very young DCs. Course was hard going, but nothing like as bad as the NQT year and subsequent years. Say goodbye to the weekends. Think how you're going to explain why you are in the house (working) but not actually available to give your dc any attention.

You sound determined so I won't tell you how miserable primary teaching is and how the majority of my colleagues are looking at doing anything to try to get out of it ;)

Look in the local job ads. I haven't known anyone in the 15 years since I did my PGCE, who did their NQT year part time-I don't think many places will take you on when they could get fifty full time NQTs instead. I also don't know any part time teachers who haven't worked full time in that school several years first. How feasible would it be for you to do a PGCE, NQT year and then teach for 2/3 years before going part time? I think this is ultimately what you will have to do.

I started my PGCE when my dcs were 4 & 18 mths - we started Uni, School and Nursery on the same day! It was hard and I couldn't be as much of a supportive mum as I wanted to be - but I figured it was better than either not working and having any solid future, or, working in a job with no flexibility.

I'm a LP but had extremely supportive family around. Yes, a PGCE is hard work but now, a couple of years on, I was lucky enough to get a job which fitted in perfectly with my family and I'm breaking up for a six week break tomorrow!

Look at the long game. It might be initially difficult but if you teaching is the right decision for your family then the short term pain will be worth it.

I can, in theory, do PGCE, NQT year and a few years teaching. But I think I will just have to take it as it comes. I'm hoping I've built it up to be worse than it is, as so many people go into it thinking it's 9-3 teaching children and then off home.

I was even considering looking for teaching jobs abroad, a friend teaches in Oman and has an excellent quality of life with lots of free time - she finishes at 3 and goes to the beach! Now that sounds like a good career ;)

My husband has just finished a year-long GTP - sort of the same as a PGCE. We had a little boy just before Christmas. It's been an exhausting, roller coaster year, but worth it and, ultimately, manageable.

I think the key is to be super-organised. Collect evidence as you go along, file paperwork regularly and plan ahead for deadlines. Also, be prepared for late-night study!

Good luck!

I did it with a 1 year old who never slept and not much support. It was hell and I wouldn't want to repeat the experience, but I got through it.

I worked a lot in the late evenings and early hours of the morning and spent the rest of the time with my son. No social life to speak of.

All the other students on my placements and fellow NQTs in my first year were young and childless. They complained loads. Stuff like having to do lesson planning on a Sunday afternoon when I'd spent all day Sunday entertaining a hyperactive toddler and didn't start work until 10pm.

You will learn early on which corners you can cut - in itself valuable training!

I did it part time over 2 years at the same time as being on my maternity leave from a teaching job part time. It was tough, and I felt I missed out a bit on my maternity leave. The first year I did before having children and it was so much easier to do the reading and assignments.

I did my NQT part time.(Secondary) However I don't know anyone else who has. I got offered a job in one of my placement schools.

I was quite lucky - I think I am the only teacher our HT has employed on a permanent part time contract. Lots of other part timers but they all worked full-time first, had children, then went part time.

Thanks for your replies! I am trying to enjoy as much as possible with ds before September - taking him abroad for the 1st time before the course to have that quality time first.

I think I find it really tough because I do not know any other mums who work full time - not 1. Tey all have weekend jobs/don't work so I feel incredibly guilty that I'm the only one missing out and ds is the only child in his class who's mum can't make it to his events (luckily my mum attends!).

Perhaps supply teaching will suit me better, more flexibility although obviously the compromise on money...

I did it when dd was 5. Lp living on our own. Very tough but I got through it and am happy now that I have it under the belt. Good luck