to want to retrain as a teacher?

[Justforlaughs]

I always wanted to be a teacher. Specifically, a maths teacher. I went to university but was too immature and wasted the opportunity through partying and drinking too much. I left, got married, had children and now work part time for a supermarket. DH will probably lose his job in February and will get a nice redundancy package. He wants to work part time and wants me to train as a manager and work full time. AIBU to say that I will happily work full time, but I don't want to be a manager in a supermarket (atm, I earn "extra pocket money") and I would like to use some of the money to go to university and train as a teacher. I am in my early 40's and feel it's my last chance. I love maths, I have teenagers of my own and relate well to teenagers and can explain maths well as well. Have already unofficially tutored people through qualifications (GCSEs and NVQs).

Thanks Just. The less I can do with 'law' the better

YANBU to want to retrain, but - sorry to be harsh - if you got 81% on the test you tried, even if you didn't take the time allowed to students, did you actually get anything wrong? Ok, people make mistakes and I can see that. But if you were teaching it would be second nature to get everything right, or how could you teach?

I think you need the degree. I am not saying that to be rude but I do think it wouldn't be right or fair if you were not confident with the subject matter.

I would go for the maths degree. As mentioned, it's more flexible, and maybe once you're surrounded by people studying higher maths you will discover another, more lucrative calling!

Contact the Open University. Any modules that you completed while at university will count towards an Open University degree.It could be a much quicker route to getting a degree and then being able to get on whatever has replaced the on the job training scheme they used to run.

Go for it. I trained as a teacher later in life, after a career elsewhere and now love it. That said, I did have a relevant degree - not Maths though - and I am a maths teacher. Just bear in mind that whilst YOU love maths, the kids don't...be prepared to have your beloved subject dissed. It's tough, super tough, but rewarding. Easier than many jobs - like shift work and professional jobs where you are on call in the night - but takes more time than you might think. I am pretty experienced now and with a small child pretty hard nosed about NOT doing too much for school. I manage to keep my work down to 8-5 most days but do have to do a few hours (2-3) most weekends.

LRD I don't think I am anywhere near qualified atm, I was just impressed with myself, that after 20 years of not looking at anything past GCSE level and not even attempting at least 10% of the paper and spending less than 1/3 of the time allowed I got 81%

I think you did pretty good to justforlaughs

Oh, no! I didn't mean to do you down. God knows, I would be absolutely terrible.

I just mean - and I know how it sounds depressing - that surely if you were teaching, the answers would just be obvious? And I think it's that fluency that a degree would give you, is all.

Think my first port of call is the local comp and see if they would like a volunteer
Second port of call is ask my friend about the best way into teaching.
and then ask DH if he minds me spending his redundancy

LRD has a point about the fluency thing. While being good at Maths at school I never got 100% on tests but now that I have a degree I know that if I do a GCSE paper, I can finish and get 100% in 15 minutes or so. That's down to having a degree and consequently a better understanding.