Teacher training AIBU

[PamplemousseRouge]

I gave up a teacher training course a couple of months in, at the end of last year. Not sure if anyone remembers the thread I wrote about it, but it felt (and still feels) like absolutely the right decision to make, as it was running me into the ground. I'm currently working on weekday evenings as a tutor whilst applying for jobs, and I'm really enjoying it.

However, recently, I've been having a think about what kind of career path I would like to have long-term.

I love the idea of working in a career with an educational element to it - anything from developing educational policy in government or in a think-tank, helping groups to open up new schools and working for tuition agencies that double up as 'educational consultancies' (ie. advising students on university applications, which I'm already involved in on a freelance basis). I particularly like the idea of developing skills and a specialism now, and then using what I've learned to get introduced to even more career opportunities and options.

So here's my AIBU - would teacher training have really helped as a foundation for any of these roles? Or was I being reasonable give it up as a) it was getting insane and b) it wouldn't have helped me anyway with these roles?

Bump :)

Whats the point. That ship has sailed

Better looking to the future than the past

Fair enough araiwa - that's a good point :) any tips on how I can do that please? I've always struggled to be positive about things, to be honest.

I am one of those people who rhinks that no education is ever wasted so yes the teacher training might have helped get you into one of these organisations. But its certainly not the only way in and is by no means a guarantee. I think i remember your thread and it just sounded awful.

I wonder if you could find a careers coach to bounce ideas off. They might be able to give you some guidance on other options. Or even just have a look at what courses your local college has to offer.

Thanks red :)

I don't know if those jobs would require a teacher training degree. It might give you a better view for advising other people about courses or for advising policies.

I have completed my teacher training and my NQT year and I know infinitely more about all of those things now than I did before.

Tescher training and then not going any further with it wouldn't have got you any further with other roles than what you have done, in my opinion. If you don't want to go onto teaching afterwards, you may learn useful 'life lessons' from doing it, but mostly you'll just be making yourself miserable in an environment which doesn't have a future for you. I know several people in my course who dropped out and went on to other careers and o don't see how a finished PGCE etc would have made a difference to them.

The primary qualification requirement of working for a think tank is not having any qualifications or real life experience at all so you're good

I sympathise with why you gave up the PGCE. Mine rather ran me into the ground too.

Developing educational policy or advising groups opening schools would require expertise and experience which you simply haven't got yet.

Have you thought about looking into an PhD in education, or an MA? These would give you some level of research expertise, albeit without the practical experience.

Meanwhile, why not try to expand the tutoring business? There are increasing daytime opportunities for this, with home-schooling and with parents wanting to pay for holiday tutors.

University counselling wouldn't have benefitted from your PGCE so that could be an avenue to pursue.

I think it's a shame that whilst you weren't able to gain QTS, you feel qualified to work in some field telling others who have exactly how and what they should be doing.

What do you mean by 'helping others open up new schools'? Hiring staff? Creating schemes of work and policies? All this with little to no classroom experience. I assume you had done a separate BSc / BA as opposed to a BEd type course.

If a PGCE wasn't for you then there would have been no point in continuing. NQT and the first few years and tougher than the PGCE in my experience of watching new teachers.

I'm interested as to what you think you bring to the table in most of the options you've mentioned though.

Why don't you join TES and get advice on their forums? Although you didn't finish the PGCE you will find lots of people who have similar experiences to you and might be able to help?

Good luck. Sorry if this comes across as patronising but I think you were very brave to leave. It's really not easy to walk away from teaching.

I think it's a shame that whilst you weren't able to gain QTS, you feel qualified to work in some field telling others who have exactly how and what they should be doing.

whompole I'm sorry if my OP came across like that, as that wasn't my intention at all What I was hoping to get across is that I currently don't feel qualified to do any of those things, and I'm wondering how I can get to a position where I am qualified to do those things.

Ttb I appreciate how you feel and what you're trying to say, but it's not very helpful.

Jim thanks so much it absolutely doesn't sound patronising at all, it's really lovely of you to say that.

BeBeatrix thanks :) looking into doing an MA in education or something similar is a great idea, especially as I really enjoyed the academic components of the PGCE. I'd like to get fully involved in full-time work for a couple of years and then look into doing an MA or PhD qualification.

Reading with interest. I didn't drop out, but I didn't take QTS in the end of my PGCE. I had similar ideas to you when I left but since then I've just been working as a TA. There isn't a great deal out there. I'm now looking at a totally different career but it's hard when you've used all your loans.

I work in education, but have not worked as a teacher (I project manage, so mostly organising/coordinating etc). I'd say it's good to have an outside perspective sometimes on the issues being faced, so not having taught shouldn't be a barrier.

I have met some people in absolutely astonishing positions without classroom experience - not doing the kind of work I do, but actual work requiring direct experience. I did a project for the Welsh Government, and one woman was recruited into role directly from her MA, having skipped the classroom stage entirely.

Unfortunately the people involved in creating educational policy seem not to have ever thought of asking actual teachers what they think. If you go into that kind of work having not only not been a teacher, but having rejected teaching as a career on the grounds that it is too bloody hard (not that you're wrong about that!), then I'm afraid you would quite likely join the ranks of those 'experts' who are part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

If, on the other hand, you just want to work in education but without going through the soul-sapping grind of doing a PGCE or being an actual teacher... well, I sympathise! I do a mixture of private adult teaching, cover supervisor work, primary MFL and Secondary School MFL assistant work. So I get to stay in the education sector but without most of the god-awful shit that goes with it.

DON'T try TES online while your ideas are still so unformed. They're rabid.

Masters in Education Policy sounds like what you're looking for.

Alternatively, a postgrad qualification in Careers Guidance might suit you.

If you made your mind up extremely quickly and got your skates on you could be in with a chance of a place this year.

I think you would struggle to work for the government developing education policy or for a think tank without relevant experience, which may not necessarily be teaching if you have other policy making experience

I'm sorry but as a teacher with years of experience the thing that winds me up the most, is non-teachers telling me what to do! You couldn't handle the training which in itself implies you couldn't manage the job. Therefore please don't try to advise us on our work and practise.

If you really want to help education either leave us alone as we are the professionals and experts or stick with the training, get the experience and then advise accordingly.

Apologies if it sounds rude or abrupt but after seeing many a government, education minister, Ofsted inspector etc come into schools and tell us unrealistic things to do and achieve, I've reached my limit!

Sorry OP! Most teachers I know have spent their careers wondering what the hell educational policy makers think they are doing and thinking we wouldn't be in this unholy mess if actual teachers were employed as educational policy makers. So your post is bound to put a few backs up!

The expansion of PFI by Blair's Labour were the start of the end for the NHS. £11.5Bn of projects cost over £80Bn (NHS).

That's the salaries of every member of staff in the NHS for 10 years. Well, the front line staff, not the stupid numbers of middle-management brought in by New Labour when it dismantled the NHS, destroying the wonderful economies of scale and bargaining power it with suppliers.

It costs St Barts £2m a week in interest.

Labour used PFI to pull the wool over the public's eyes, seemingly ending all woes knowing it would be future governments sorting out the mess.

Tories are currently battling £160Bn annual deficit (reduced to ~£60Bn now) paying £50Bn a year interest on debts run up by Labour!

Wrong thread.

Sorry

I haven't even been teaching for that long and it winds me up that people who don't teach and have never taught think they know how to do my job better than me. I am by no means ready to tell others how to do it so how are they?

You want to advise on educational policy without having worked in an educational establishment?

How incredibly arrogant of you.