Help! Primary School Teacher or Nurse?

[Happygolucky1994]

Sorry wasn't sure where to post.

But which career should I choose?

I am 23 yr old with a 2 year old daughter. I'm on benefits in a council home (nothing wrong with that) but I desperately want to give my little one a better life i.e. more holidays, opportunities, owning our own home etc..

In September I have the option of either begininng a Primary Education PGCE course which will take one year... or an Adult Nursing course which will take 3 years..

I have listed the pros and cons of each career but it's still not really helped.
I know if you want to be either of those career choices you must be passionate for that one thing but I really am passionate about both! I want a job that's rewarding. I love the idea of caring for others in there time of need but I also adore helping children learn new concepts etc.

I understand that teachers have to work evenings and weekends at home and nurses have to work all kinds of shifts. My biggest worry is not being able to spend much time with my daughter. Childcare is not an issue but i'm with her everyday at the moment so the thought of barely being with her is tough.

I just want to hear what others think of each career. Or if you work in these fields please can you offer some insight to the reality of the jobs. I can't sleep wondering which path to take :/.

Thanks in advance

I too know barely any teachers with over 5 years experience who are not at least 70% disillusioned with the job. Not with teaching per se but with the job. It's fuck all to do with their ability to manage their time either.

I'd do nursing if your family are close by, I get 4 days off a week and still bring in a full time wage..

You can walk out of secondary at 3.30 with kids. You walk about about 6pm with the caretaker in a primary!

I was in secondary - I am now in Primary - you are wrong. Both work equally hard. It isn't a race to the bottom.

Teaching - I'm always saying this - depends a LOT on the school.

My school works really hard to lower pressure/work for teachers, some don't. Don't assume that because other people are working until 11 at night that that's everyone. I get in to work early (7ish) but leave at 4 and maybe do an hour of work at home, and a couple of hours at the weekend.

Lello, I've seen the same attitude towards teaching on here. Yes it very much depends on the school and your senior however I've known DH from being an nqt in high school to a head in secondary and middle, he loves his job , one negative experience due to the headteacher but got out of it quick. He progressed much easier in his career than my nursing and has seen a lot more of our 3 children than me

So many mixed replies. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to comment. I am still undecided (may just give up on both and work at a strip club - joking ha). It seems that no matter which I choose I will have to work hard, long hours. Not ideal when you have a young daughter but luckily I have good childcare in place. I always thought I had a strong stomach but after hearing of some other nurses experiences i'm starting to doubt that :|. It's making me sway towards teaching. Going to give myself a little more time to decide. Still happy to hear others experiences as it has definitely helped. It's made it all more real if that makes sense.

Bettyspants Men tend to be promoted more quickly in both teaching and nursing.

I'm a nurse and I would say that nursing would be the better option.

NHS holidays are really quite generous and I would hate the idea of not being able to have odd days off for weekends away.
I work 3x12 hour shifts a week and so I'm often there to pick my kids up from school (although fairly sleep-deprived) and if I need more money for a big purchase I know that I can always get extra shifts.

I have to work Christmas Day, but I'm really not that bothered about it.

15 years qualified and I think it's one of the best jobs in the world!

That sounds great muddyboots. Good to hear of a positive nursing experience

cardibach I have a lot of friends (and my own mum and all her friends) who are secondary. They are all able to walk out at the end of school. No expectation to stay at all. Of course they do their work later on at home.

No, it's not a competition. But trust me. Marking primary is not a walk in the park either. Different sort of difficult! I doubt it's quicker at all doing primary marking. Every day there are 30 Lit, 30 Maths and 30 science/topic books to mark Every day Your marking and your work is built up over time. I know plenty of secondary teachers who barely even glance at the books!

I'll also add that in our hospital (dunno if this is universal) they split Christmas Day up. So you either work until 2.30 or from 2.30. So the people with small kids might request the evening shift so they get to see the kids open the presents, and somebody may prefer to be home for Christmas dinner so request the early shift. So its honestly fine, unless you get unlucky.

Don't do nursing. I've been in the NHS for 15 years and it's on its knees. There really is a reason there are 40k vacancies. Pay is crap, hours are long and the job is stressful.

I left ward nursing when I had DC's as wards tend to be v inflexible. Despite being desperate for staff many won't give set days so it's hard to plan childcare, the rota would always be late, the hours are anti- social and you miss out on Xmas, Easter etc.

The community is better with DC's but I find it poorly managed and chaotic which makes the job stressful and demoralising with lots of responsibility. Band 7 & 6 roles are currently being downgraded to band 5. Anyone with experience is deemed too expensive and gotten rid off it seems.

I'm not sure teaching is much better. You would be much better thinking of a third option. Is there nothing else you have considered?

I'm a nurse my sister a teacher. We both love our jobs, both find them stressful.

In your position I'd go for teaching. Getting the qualification and ability to earn in a third of the time really would swing it for me.

Star as someone else has said, it's not a race to the bottom. Both are hard. We all teach children the same number of hours a day so have the same number of hours of children's work to mark. If a secondary teacher barely glanced at their books they wouldn't last long in any of the schools I gave worked in to know people working in. I know lots of primary teachers who leave work early and mark at home - and lots of secondary staff who stay late for extra classes, extra-curricular activities etc. I think you're wrong about that expectation.

I have worked in or know people working in* stupid autocorrect. Not correct at all.

I will say that a teaching degree means you can do supply work. I intend on supplying for a while when maternity leave ends. £100-£120 per day. I have supplied before and find the 'unknown' slightly stressful but evenings, weekends and holidays free. Although obviously don't get paid during the holidays. I will be supplying for a while and then I think going into childcare/nursery work I think. Teaching does depend on the school but I've not been in a happy school yet so maybe I'm just unlucky!

Definitely teaching.All my family were/are teachers and I know it is stressful and the paper work diabolical but in nursing you work long shifts,weekends,b.holidays.Annual leave is dependent on how many peeps want the time off so you may not get Christmas,Easter,School holidays.There are some 8-5 jobs but even these few,sought after jobs are having their hours extended.You can't guarantee that you will leave any shift on time,you may have to fund/do extra study in your own time and most off all you do not leave it all when you finish work,these are people you are dealing with who suffer,die,have their world ripped apart that's why the shortages are so high.It is getting worse and the pay is worse than teachers.Add that to 3 years further training(massive drop out rate) so with all its faults teaching everyone.

I work and have lived with nurses. Working on the wards seems to be so busy and stressful. But ICU and theatre nursing seems so much better. Friendly atmosphere working in theatre. Tbh it's friendly everywhere, NHS workers are a sociable bunch.

Teaching I don't know so much about.

I hope you find something you really love, I don't think either of the jobs you've chosen will be boring but yes very hard work!

Not going to lie Elspeth those descriptions have made me feel a bit uneasy. What if I couldn't handle it. Starting to doubt myself now

Not biased at all but you get far less of the festering-wound type of nursing with child speciality. Though in general there's more poo and the circumstances of some of the children you nurse will break your heart.

Thinking about it, it may well be a bit of a bridge between the 2 professions. Many of the skills you'd use teaching are relevant in children's nursing.

I think it depends what job you do.
I don't work bank hols or weekends or nights.
I certainly have always left it behind by the time I'm getting in my car!
Don't worry about the Messy bits - it's no more than you will have dealt with having a child.

I intend on supplying for a while when maternity leave ends. £100-£120 per day

Have you done supply recently. I am in the supply teacher Facebook page and some of the teachers on there report terrible stories. £70 per day, agencies getting you in and them only paying you as a cover supervisor rate etc

The school I am currently at (half a term only left!) only uses one agency and they pay a pittance. I think it works out as £80 a day-no matter how experienced you are-30 years of teaching wouldn't get you any more than an NQT.

It's really depressing.

Not read full thread but in your situation I would do teaching. As a single parent particularly

1. A one year course compared to 3 means earning money sooner and less debt.
2. Teacher hours are more regular, childcare is easier to manage long term (except when child is sick) you say you have your parents but willthey always be in a position to help? My partner is a teacher he rarely does sick days with kids as difficult to get cover. I'm allied health professional, my holiday very soon used up by random days off with sick kids.
3. I'm so grateful my husband is able to be off in the holidays, holiday clubs are expensive, 13 weeks holiday a year wont be be covered by 5 weeks NHS holiday.
4. NHS is stressful, it can take its toll emotionally, you don't just switch off when youleave as some posters have said. I realise teaching is stressful too but my DH doesn't bring work home, he stays until 4.30/5 then comes home and has family time.
5. Marginally less wee, poo, sick etc!
6. Longer holiday time= more family time (I am jealous of DH hols!) Its hard to go to work leaving DC at home/going out having fun, particularly on special days, xmas etc...
7. I would imagine arranging childcare around random shifts would be difficult and stressful particularly nights if your parentswerent around. You may not get a choice and other people will be competing for the best ones, same goes for holidays. We are only allowed 4 people off at any onetime, parents not given priority....
8. I think teachers get paid more but not exactly sure. My DH certainly gets more but he is high school and hasn't had 2 maternity leaves!

Really hope you come to decision you're happy with. Good luck :-)

my DH doesn't bring work home, he stays until 4.30/5 then comes home and has family time.

Blimey-I actually couldn't get my work done if I did those hours and didn't bring stuff home.

My DH certainly gets more but he is high school

Pay scales aren't different in high schools, are they?!

brasty yes your correct (unfortunately) I think males do progress quicker than females in nursing and teaching however that wasn't the point of my comment. It's been a difficult slog to get where I am in nursing and I certainly wouldn't expect my banding to be or go any higher. I think the op had got a choice of two extremely rewarding proffesions which both have pros and cons that you wouldn't see in many other careers. From my DH experience in teaching , my own in nursing and ops comments I would think teaching would suit her more. However she's young and obviously clever , changing her mind if she doesn't like the role would be an option to think of later on

Both very hard and stressful jobs but they are worthwhile and imo you do have a good opportunity as a single mum. What gets you through the hard times will be enjoying the actual work, so think about which job would you enjoy best. Do you prefer working with kids or adults. Do you like looking after sick people? Helping them get better? Or would you enjoy teaching more? Do you think one is slightly more worthwhile than the other?
My mum initially trained as a teacher and later (after bring up us kids) retrained as a nurse. She prefers nursing as she said she didn't like the performing aspect of standing up in front of a class and having to be an authority figure enforcing discipline.