To be torn over whether to encourage discourage DD1 in to a teaching career.

[jonesthegirl]

DD1 is in her 2nd year of a Chemistry Degree at Cambridge and as wanted to teach since about being 13. I have always encouraged her to think about a teaching career as that is what she wants. DD1 has also been encouraged by by her auntie my younger sister. She is head of English at a challenging school in Greater Manchester. (though she told me yesterday she is leaving and joining her old grammar school in Kent as just an English teacher ) . Younger sister is giving up her 4 year Head of Department role. This was a challenge and something she really wanted do , she left a girls boarding school for the 'challenge' and to put something back

Dear sister cites many reasons for this decision not least the educational opportunities of her 9 year old DD. (if she stayed in the area her DD would have to continue in private education). However, the clincher for her is the fact she is teaching a bottom set year 9 'Maths' group. This is because they are three Maths teachers short. The second reason is she is the only teacher who can manage the behaviour of a particularly difficult group.

She is an English teacher, not a Maths teacher !

In-light of all this i am torn whether to still encourage DD1 to look for a career in teaching ! The reasons being she will be an excellent teacher in a subject , Chemistry where there is a huge shortage of qualified specialists .

The other reasons what will happen to education if 'nobody' choses to become a teacher has seems to be happening at present.

I love teaching - can't think of a job I would rather do. However, it is not for everyone but you don't know it until you have tried it. I might argue that if she believes that everyone can pass GCSE Chemistry because it is so easy, that she needs to work in a selective school. I would also argue that someone who isn't very socially aware is going to struggle in anything but a selective private school. I would argue that 75% of teaching is managing social interactions with children, if not more.

As others have said it's her choice and as a parent I would think the role is to make sure they are making an informed choice and support them in that decision. Not to encourage or discourage based on our own views.

Also going into teaching is not a lifetime commitment! If it doesn't work out it can still open other doors.

I did a PGCE and soon realised it wasn't for me. Honestly, i couldnt cope with the behaviour issues. However, I ended up teaching the key skills IT to BTEC students as no one else would do it. I found my niche in a completely different subject area. That got me through and enabled me to pass my PGCE. I then went on to be a IT Trainer, being pretty successful at it working in corporate environment.

Teaching has many many different avenues and can be really rewarding whichever route. But it's not for everyone!

Quad. That was a 'tonque' in cheek comment ! . She is aware of the difficulties a lot of pupils have just getting to school.

She also made that comment when she was in year 10 so perhaps it was a little harsh posting it...

My mother tried discouraging me from going into teaching. The only outcome of it was that my confidence was dented. I knew what I was getting into. I had decent experience of working with younger people as far as I could as a young graduate. I knew it would be a challenge. I'm still going after a decade.

Discussion and advice over routes in and gaining experience is one thing, but it does have to be her decision.

The biggest challenge at present is the workload. Different schools have different "personalities" and challenges, but workload is quite a universal concern. It is easier to manage when you are young with few attachments, but the training year and NQT year have a lot of scrutiny and are very invasive into life.

I did a PGCE after my degree. I always wanted to teach, but in reality I hated it and quickly left. Best decision I ever made.

I did my training and not in pretty rough comps (I went to a comp, but not like these ones), and although some of it was fun, the enormous workload and the behavioral issues were awful. It's either a job you love or hate, and I have friends who absolutely love it, both in selective schools and challenging ones. It wasn't for me though, and I wouldn't be encouraging my child into it as a career. I wouldn't stand in their way though if it's what they wanted.

Your DD has to make that decision for herself though. My advice is to be as encouraging about whatever she decides, and if like me she totally cracks in the first year and wants to quit then tell her she's not a failure and she has plenty of career options still!

I wouldn't discourage her if it's her passion. We need committed teachers. I think it's great.

A lot of uncalled-for meanness at the beginning of the thread - OP was just wondering how to advise her DD, not forcing her to take it. Would you never offer your adult/teen DCs advice?

It's nothing to do with you.

It's good that your daughter is doing a degree first then she can do a PGCE. At least it means if she changes her mind then she will have other options.

I did my degree and then went into teaching as I decided an office job wasn't for me after doing a placement part of my degree. Now I'm at home with the kids but do tuition.

As for your daughter, I don't c any harm in offering her advice, wether she heeds it or not is a different matter. I didn't like any advice given by parents but that's just me. And as for your sister offering her advice or a dose of reality not sure if this will work either as she seems to have her heart set on teaching, the best thing is for her to get some experience at a school. I went to a grammar but the reality of teaching at an ordinary secondary was such a shock to the system.

If her heart is set on teaching let her, you don't know where she might get a job, she may get a position in a grammar or she may be a great teacher at a state school, you don't know. Im currently looking at postions abroad, so this could be another option.

If it turns out that after she gives it a try, isn't for her then her degree has many other options for her, esp in her subject and being from a top uni.

So my advice would be to just encourage what she wants to do.

I'm a long time teacher and have always loved but lm in Ireland! I always encourage anyone who asks me as it's been such a satisfying career for me. About you dsis l never get this thing about only teaching your own subject. I would quite happily teach maths to any children up to age 15 as l love maths. I don't by the way in case anyone starts screaming but l always think a good teaching ability combined with good knowledge makes it possible to teach younger teens the subject.Its entirely different at a higher level.

Don't be negative about teaching with your dd. If it's in her heart for a long while sounds a good option.

Why not encourage DD1 to do a Masters degree in Chemistry, if she is not already doing it. I know some UK uni's have undergraduate courses that lead straight to masters, while some are only batchelor degree status.

That way she will be eligible for higher pay if she does decide to be a teacher after all, or may find she has found another area of interest.

That way she will be eligible for higher pay if she does decide to be a teacher after all

That's not true. Teacher's pay only relates to their experience in teaching.

A few snarky comments on here towards the OP! There is a big difference between ensuring that your daughter is armed with the facts to make an informed choice and dictating to her what her career path should be. While being 20 years old makes you an adult it does not by default make you wise. Teaching these days is bloody hard, the money is rubbish, the work load pretty much ensures you are working most evenings and weekends, pension provision has slowly been eroded over the years, OFSTEAD ensures ever more box ticking paperwork, some parents can be quite frankly awful and some pupils abusive, at the end of the day it can be a very stressful profession and detrimental to your to your long term health. Lets also put to bed the old canard that teachers get nice long holidays to make up for it, I guarantee most teachers will be working through said holidays lesson planning for the next academic year or catching up with paperwork from the previous one. The current teacher recruitment adverts on the TV is about as far away from reality as can be.

I wholeheartedly agree with the above poster who suggested that maybe the OPs daughter would be better served getting herself on a graduate programme in the private sector for a few years first and picking up a few professional qualifications in the process. At least then she has options, she can still move into teaching at a later date if she still has the burning desire but at least she will have the work experience and skillset to fall back on if she decides it is not for her. I know an awful lot of teachers who are basically stuck in a profession they hate as it is very difficult for them to break into a different industry without starting at the bottom again.

Thank you for all the varied opinions !

Especially for the private message sent to me , i will pass on your advice to DD.

It was suggested by DDs school that a Degree followed by a PGCE would be the right way to go. DDs old school have also said that she can come in and witness/watch lessons. However, as posted up thread that might be a bit of a contrieved experience !

As for experience, last year she gave several talks and gave Exam help /'assistance' to Chemistry yr 11 pupils in a local school. (non grammar)

A subject Degree I.E Chemistry as this would allow her options other than teaching.

My daughter's at University and it seems to me that she has access to an excellent careers service. There are also many opportunities for voluntary work, internships, talks from people in all sorts of careers. These will all help her forward.

I simply don't think as a parent - albeit one who knows something about my daughter's character - and one who reads the newspapers, uses social media etc - I am somebody who would presume to advise an intelligent, independent young woman.

If she wants to discuss options with me, I'd talk to her obviously. But I think it's my job more and more to take a step back, as she gets older.

If she is doing a chemistry degree at Cambridge she should be capable of working out the pros and cons for herself.

If she is not, then teaching is not the career for her.

Simply having a degree in a shortage subject will not make her an excellent teacher, but having wanted to teach since she was thirteen probably will.

Never mind about your cousins and your sisters and your aunts. Leave her to make her own decision.

It's her own decision to make OP. I'm assuming she is only 19/20 and will graduate at 21 and be teaching by 23. If she doesn't enjoy it- she can change careers no problem. I'm just 23 myself and I know a handful of people who I went to school with who went to university with a career in mind, did it for a while, decided they didn't like it and did something different. It isn't a big deal.