...to consider teacher training once DCs are at school?

[GandTforme]

Is teaching (primary) really so stressful and unpleasant?

My DTs are 18mo now and I work part time in local government (social work assistant within an adult team). My job is ok but the only way to progress would be to go full time in a few years when dc start school and train in social work - I'm not sure that I enjoy my job enough to do that.

I have always just had 'jobs' rather than a 'career' but I would like to remedy this in the future. The only thing that has ever really appealed to me is teaching. My local city has a training federation offering the pgce and I was toying with the idea of applying for this when the dc are 4/5 and I will once again be able to work/study full time. But after looking into it there are so many horror stories about how dreadful the job is these days, how many people burn out, how much overtime is required. Now I'm used to stress, working in a social work team. But what I read about teaching makes it sound like it's on another level of awfulness compared to other local government professions.

What's the truth? Would I be mad to consider working towards it?

The thing is, is that the actual teaching isn’t the main part of the job. You need to spend some time in a school (you will need to do this to get a place on a teacher training course anyway) and see if you want to do it.

As an aside, what’s your degree in? If it’s social work (ie not a national curriculum subject) you might find a place harder to get than you think.

It does depend what you teach, where you teach, and whether you have a class or not. Suggest you do your research by working as a ta first.

GandTForMe
Have a look at the PGCE Applications for 2018 thread if you want to get any advice.

I love the actual teaching part of my job.

Unfortunately teaching hours are only a small part of my working day.

I now work part time as a supply and PPA cover teacher as I couldn't hack it any more.

70 hour working weeks, never feeling that I had 'finished', not being able to have a break during the day, having never ending to do list, being blamed for everything by parents, the media, the government (or that's what it felt like).

And then facing people who want to have a go at me for my 9 -3.30 working day and school holidays. Most recently my local greengrocer who wanted to know why I wasn't at work (I work part time) and then told me how teachers spend inset days in the pub.

As I said, the teaching part is great, as is the relationships I have with the children in my classes. But there is a lot more to it.

I echo a PP who advised spending some time in a school. And be aware that our working day does not finish at 3.30, or at 5pm.

It's utterly shit and demoralising. Don't do it. You will be utterly exhausted and won't have enough time for your dc.

If I had 18mo DTs I honestly wouldn’t touch teaching with a barge pole. I’m an ex teacher, btw.

Biggest mistake I made doing teacher training. I had a child at school. I ended up walking out with a few weeks left to go.

Oh yeah, and you will never see your own children. Forgot to mention that.

The truth is that teaching is not a suitable job for anyone with a family, a partner or any kind of social life or outside interests.

Expect an impossible workload, to be putting in more than 12 hour school days, plus at least one full day at the weekend.

Your children will either have to go into a creche, to a child minder or you'll have to get a nanny, because you won't have time for them.

The education system in England is fucked. Don't become part of it.
Find another career path.

I'm quitting in July, by the way. Cannot wait.

I love it and hate it at the same time. I love working with the kids (I’ve specialised in SEN) but it’s bloody hard work and not at all family friendly.

You really need to spend time in school to see if the job is what you think it is.

Second what was said by another poster upthread - you won't get to see your children grow up.
Copybooks and marking and data will be your tyrant.

Good luck - you'll be welcomed with open arms cause all us existing teachers are leaving.
Even foreign teachers know not to touch British teaching with a barge pole and are staying well clear.

My DH retrained as a teacher when our youngest started school. We were surprised at how full on the PCGE year was. It sounds like your area may be slightly different but although DH's training was run by the local University he had to have a number of placements which could be anywhere within a fairly wide area so for part of it he had a 1.5 hour drive each way to his placement and he was expected to arrive early to debrief with his mentor etc. They also claimed that they could not give more than a few weeks' notice of where the placement would be, which made child care arrangements very difficult as I also commuted to work. There was then planning plus University assignments to do after work/weekends. I'd recommend that you look in to the details of how your training would work- especially if you don't have family on hand to help out with childcare.

He really enjoys the actual job but there is a lot more planning/admin to do that I expected. It is more family friendly than his previous jobs, in that he can do most of the planning at home and he's around for most of the holidays.

Spending time in a school beforehand won't really give you an idea of what it's like to actually work in a school; all the stress that is teaching today, all the shitty paperwork, the tracking, the endless demands to do better, achieve more with less and less support, fewer and were resources vocals there is no money to buy books and pencils, with pupils who are increasing difficult to manage because many special schools have shut and family support groups such as sure start don't exist.

The constant threat of performance management.

please excuse sill auto correct, hop that last post made some sense. if it didn't then just substitute it all with the words 'it's shit, don't even go there'

I would say 'don't do it'. Teaching can be a fantastic job, if you're single, don't have children and are happy to work every hour under the sun to progress.

I qualified at 21 as an English teacher - by 26 I was on the leadership scale in a low achieving secondary school earning close to £50,000 after only 5 years in the job. I worked in school from 7.30 until 6.30 (some days much later with academy sponsor meetings), and remember being on holiday abroad and receiving emails at 1pm asking if I could send in data exam analysis by the next day. I was (and still am) rated outstanding by Ofsted as a leader, but I simply couldn't hack that particular job (and teaching really was my calling ! )

The job - after having my own child - became absolutely horrendous. I could not be a parent, wife and a leader as the job took 90% of my waking time and 100% of my emotional energy. You need to be on the ball - if you're not, some schools will be absolutely ruthless with you. I could not continue treating staff who needed support like that so resigned.

I eventually took a head of department job in a primary setting. I've taken an almost £10,000 pay cut and a 'step back' in my career. Whilst I have lovely colleagues and work in an exceptionally supportive school, the job is not for the faint hearted. I've been qualified 11 years now and had the job then been as it is now, I would never have done it (and this is coming from.a seriously passionate teacher). The marking work-load alone can easily add another 20 hours a week to your schedule (6 classes of 32 students with each book needing to be marked in a fair amount of detail), the time and stress linked to lesson planning and observations, the extra time phoning parents back, completing wall displays, completing data analysis etc all adds up. As a mum yourself, you may not be able to attend your own children's plays, sports days and parents evenings - there is complete inflexibility in regards to your own children's needs. The starting salary is also not worth the work load.

I disagree with a PP who said that your degree will make it harder for you to get a place - i've been offered all 3 interviews straightaway and my degree is in Politics.

...and I should add, the only reason I haven't completely quit is that our current mortgage/childcare costs mean I need to be earning what I am as a minimum. I'm stuck in a 'money trap' and know lots of others who would love to do something else, but it would be too difficult to go to a starting salary again.

I would say it would be difficult once children in school. Not impossible. I know for me I am a sahm because when I was teaching I was leaving school when they chucked us out to lock up, went home, ate and then was doing paper work till 10/11 pm. I left at 7.20 to be at school at 7.45 and one day of weekend would be doing paper work and also in holidays. I did work in a school which was over subscribed. As my dh is a teacher we decided I would be a sahm till they are at school then I will find job that works around kids. I loved teaching but the paper work was killer. Most of the people I trained with have left and I know a lot of teachers off with stress. The training year and NQT year is a lot so you will need support. I was primary school teacher

My mum and younger sister are both primary school teachers and although they enjoy teaching the children they really don't enjoy the job even though they are very good at it. Yes you do get good holidays but the hours in term time are long especially in the first few years. My sister would go in at 7 go home at 7 some nights and still be working st home till 11. There is so much planning and paper work and targets to meet. You will also have to spend time working in holidays planning and things. Yes the job can be extremely rewarding but there is no way I would do it. I also know someone who quit as she worked out for the hours she put in she was better off on minimum wage. Hats off to all the hard working teachers out there!

I have said this before and will say it again.

Teaching is like a gas it can expand to take over your life or you can contain it.

If you allow it it can take over.

The first couple of years can be very stressful.

There are times when you could be out of the door at 3.25 and times when you are there until 8pm.

I would say on average I leave at 4.30 everyday and maybe do an hour at home.

Yes there are a lot of pointless admin exercises that offer little value but what really gets me down in secondary is the chat culture and apathy of a lot of children. Not all though. There are peaks and troughs. I like it on the whole.

I have 3 children 2 of whom go to the school I teach at. I drop youngest at nursery at 7.30 and take others to school for 7.40. They read / homework / computer while I set up for the day. We leave at 5.50 to pick youngest up from nursery at 6. Home for tea activities bath bed and then I typically work till 9.30 then downtime till 10.30 then bed. So it is doable but at the moment it’s just 4 days or I’d never see the kids. Bear in mind you are likely to need to be full time for your pgce at least. In the holidays you may need to sort child care if you don’t like working at night. I’d think carefully while your twins are so small.

I genuinely have never met a teacher who has the same experience of primary state teaching as you, Tinkerbec. I found I had very little choice and I didn’t let things fill the time, stuff was added and added and that’s what filled it. Not poor time management or anything else, just too much work!

I found it worse in small schools as you’d end up with several subject areas to lead and no one to share planning with.

Pink I am not primary I think that is the difference.

From general information I have picked up over the years. This is just my opinion not fact but I think there is more work in primary but the behaviour is better whereas secondary; yes lots of work but being told to fuck off and that ‘ you are pathetic ‘can be soul destroying . Well it used to be but it doesn’t bother me now.

I was at my daughters nativity at 5.30 on the Wednesday before we broke up. They had teachers there doing the actions and helping out. I thought there is no way I would want to be in school 4 days before Christmas.
On saying that I will go in during the Easter holidays to help y11 revise.

I think they can be different experiences. It does also depend on the school, subject age range.

With young twins I'd say don't do it.
It will take over your life.

I wouldn't do it. I don't know any teachers who aren't stressed and burnt out. I almost had a breakdown after 5 years of working 12 hour+ days plus weekends and the relentless learning walks, observations, mock ofsteds, etc etc. I have benefited from having a teaching qualification though and now do exam marking and tutoring and have gone into schools working with small groups as well as working in special schools which I've really enjoyed.