To consider doing PGCE with two young DC?

[Friedeggsandwich]

Would I be completely mad to do this? DC would be 6 and 3 at the time. Pretty good family support. No part time options near me unfortunately.

Has anyone done this and lived to tell the tale? I've worked in schools and know how hard it is even for young single people so I am struggling to imagine what it'd be like with young Dc to consider....

I'm also thinking of doing training on the job in school (scitt) but not sure if this would be any more family friendly?

I trained while my children were quite young. I have always remembered that I became a teacher to have more time with my children and this is my primary motivation. Therefore it works. My job fits around the children and not the other way around. I actually find teaching, on the whole, more family friendly that previous jobs.

My training year was hard, but not impossible with good childcare and family support.

I did it too. Mine were 7 and 5 at the time. You need to have good childcare arrangements in place and really supportive people around you because it is hard work that doesn't let up all that much when you are working. I'm in my 2nd year of teaching now and although I love it I'm not sure if I can do it long term. The holidays re great although you do spend a lot of time planning/ thinking about work. The job is all consuming, I find myself lying in bed worrying about progress/ planning etc. It is rewarding though- sometimes.
It does feel ironic that I spend so much time worrying about other peoples children when I barely see my 2 in termtime.

I'm doing a masters in nursing. I have an 8 year old and a 2 year old. I also work part time. I find it incredibly tiring to the point of feeling ill at times. Between 40hrs per week on placement, assignments, studying, housework and work there's not much opportunity to sleep. But better people than me wouldn't find it exhausting, I mean it's not like it's much work. After all it's only a Masters eh annewentworth?

I did uni with a 9month old, PGCE when he was 3 and masters when he was 7 and I was pregnant. About to start another MA soon and have 3 now.

Being organised and having good support makes it possible.

My friend has a 3 year old and is doing PGCE. She's coping really well. Another friend is a single mother with a 10 and 7 year old and she's also doing great on the PGCE. I think it's definitely doable.

Not mad to start it, but be very aware if the balance tips out of control and have the sense to quit if you need to.
Ratherthan staggering on and damaging your health, your relationships and the learning experiences of the children you are going to teach. Stay alert.

Sorry you've had such negative responses. I found the PGCE a wonderful experience. Just to disagree with a few comments from CaptainTripps:

"It is a hard-nosed, soul-less job." Completely disagree. If you are in the right school, it is a wonderful, incredibly rewarding profession.

"The hours are endless and it is a largely thankless profession". Massively disagree. The rewards are endless. The hours can be quite long but who cares if you are doing what you love?

"And oh the observations. Be prepared for constant and endless picking over of your teaching so you can prove your worth - even though you will be fully qualified and experienced further down the line." Observations help you to be able to reflect on your teaching and improve as a practicioner - they are rarely 'picking over' your teaching but often valuable opportunities for feedback to help you improve.

Yes, there are negatives in teaching. But I would not swap teaching for any other job!
Just to give an alternative perspective.

Oh, I'm married to a bloke with a humanities PhD, uselessidiot.
Very different to working on a nursing MA with placements, he spent a lot of time researching and writing but nowhere near the level of physical exhaustion that some MAs involve.

It also depende on how long you've been teaching, what your school and SLT are like, what your responsibilities are and whether you are teaching secondary or primary.
LePamplemousse is a secondary English student teacher, unless I am mistaken. I bet CaptainTripps is considerably further down the line, experience-wise.
That doesn't invalidate either opinion, but teaching is increasingly becoming a profession for new, cheap and enthusiastic teachers or part-timers. Every opinion is unique to that individual.
I hope you still feel like that after a decade, LePamplemousse. No sarcasm, many don't manage to keep up the positive attitude for more than 5 years.

Uselessidiot - I tried to make it quite clear that I was referring to read/write research type MAs such as what I would undertake and was referring to the fact that OP would have placement. Since you have the same I guess it would apply too. I was saying that placement plus academic work makes it harder.

I know someone who did it.

She almost had a breakdown because of the work load. She was gone before her children were up and back when they were in bed or just going. She did have support but I am not convinced it was in her children's best interest at all.

She was considered well organised etc but she really struggled. She did manage it.

Its not something I would ever consider, sorry. I would like to see my children (in times that not just holidays), be able to be at school for some things, take them to activites after school. Teachers have a ridiculous amount of work to do outside of school.

LePamplemousse is a secondary English student teacher, unless I am mistaken. I bet CaptainTripps is considerably further down the line, experience-wise.

Yes indeedy goblin. Very astute. Very much further down the line. 20 years +. My long service is very much a factor which affects how I see the profession. I have seen things come and go and how ridiculous the state of the profession has become. Oh dear. I sound like that old teacher I worked alongside as an NQT. The one whose cynical view of teaching amused me and I swore blind I would never be like her.

...teaching is increasingly becoming a profession for new, cheap and enthusiastic teachers or part-timers.

Absolutely agree. It's sad but true. I am not old. But this is rapidly becoming a profession for young people. Pamplemousse et al - the job will suck you in, chew you up and spit you out.

I hope you still feel like that after a decade, LePamplemousse....

So do I. But you won't pamplemousse. You read it here first!

Here is a good article which pretty much says it all - "long hours, endless targets, worried children: as Michael Gove shakes up our schools, we find out why teachers are quitting in droves"

www.theguardian.com/education/2014/mar/14/teachers-life-inside-the-exam-factory

'I hope you still feel like that after a decade, LePamplemousse....

So do I. But you won't pamplemousse. You read it here first'

She might though, Captain. Who knows? There are people who have been in the profession as long and still think it's wonderful and the positives outweigh the negatives, who are in schools that share that enthusiasm.
I really hope she is.
I still enjoy teaching hugely, and the children. But I do supply, after almost 30 years FT because I winnowed down what I loved and what I hated and sorted out the muddle.
Then I made my choice, and I haven't regretted it for a minute.

So OP, I'd do the same.
Decide why you want to do the PGCE, look at the positives and the negatives and decide if you want to do it now or later. Make sure you have the practical support and that it is dependable, and then think about what you will do if it fails, what will you have in place?
Involve anyone that's going to be affected by your hoice who is capable of rational thought.
Good luck!

I don't have the same experience - I love the job! I'm now in my third year and the work load is easing because I've written my courses (new GCSE etc), although of course you're always tweaking (I can never leave anything alone). I'm a HOD which I love and survived my first ofsted which went really well.

All this sounds as though I'm bigging myself up, I'm aware of that, but what I'm trying to do is give the other side. I'm not the only teacher at my school who loves it either - the majority of us do, it's a very happy place to work.

My example of a ppt taking a long time was just shorthand for using every second wisely. I don't work at weekends anymore (did Sundays for first two years).

You need to genuinely enjoy the kids you teach, otherwise it'd be hellish. We do loads of trips and fund raising community type things on Fridays and Saturdays which is great for bonding, and our kids are fantastic (I'm in a rural community which might make a difference?)

Anyway, I just wanted to give another experience. There are loads of things wrong in education; the part I'm personally playing in poor year 11's current pressured environment, the teaching of exam technique rather than content, the data analysis that ignores the human aspect such as puberty.... In the end you have to prioritise your work and your energies and about a year ago I decided that was my relationship wit the students, my teaching and even more importantly my marking.

Good luck with your decision!

Sorry miaow at - that sounds as though my post was in response to your experience which is heart breaking and it isn't - my unfortunate wording! I hope things improve for you soon :(

Miowthecat, sorry

Sorry, haven't rtft but just wanted to say that my jobshare partner did her PGCE and she has 3 kids. I think they were about 3, 7 and 9 at the time and her husband worked away all week. She managed fine. I must add she is HIGHLY organised (much better than I am!) and it wouldn't have been something I would've coped with but she did absolutely fine. She had to be very sorted with childcare and had to get up super early to squeeze some of the work in but she did it and passed with flying colours.

My experience was that the women on my PGCE course with children dropped out but the men with children didn't. I think this was probably to do with the women taking primary responsibility for the children. It definitely is hard work but I do think it sets you up well for your NQT year.

My ex went into teaching at the same time - straight into a private school as an unqualified teacher. I am really glad I learned a method and had the chance to "practise" and develop my skills before I began a full-time post. The demands of the job are very different (in my experience) in a state school vs. a private school (and between all schools, really).

A lot depends on the subject too - some have more marking than others, some need more prep. I've taught MFL and humanities. MFL (IME) needed more prep but the marking was a lot easier. The marking in the humanities was crazy but the prep was easier and the actual teaching was less tiring (they can work independently for longer).

I am glad I did the PGCE first. Could you go in and spend a couple of days doing some shadowing in the school to get a sense of what your day would be like?

Evening! I'm a Curriculum Tutor at a University and I teach on the PGCE/schools direct course. You say you have family support - that is crucial. I think it is possible - three of my students have children - they are doing the School direct route - it might be worth you looking at a salaried route in. If you are passionate about your subject, enjoy working with children and have boundless energy then go for it! Please do your research first - we like to recruit students who have spent at least a year working as a TA - but you say you've had experience in schools? The first year is extremely hard - and you are juggling small children too. Please don't think teaching is a 'family friendly' career - it really isn't but the planning, preparation and marking will get easier after a few years.

I did it as s singleton and I was up till midnight every night - then up again at 6.30 to get to placement. I really don't think I would have had time for other people/things. If you could do it part time, that could create a better balance.