Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.

[Ohdesireer]

Is this saying still relevant?
I only ask because I’ve wanted to be a nurse all my life, I never got my GCSE’S and didn’t think I was clever enough.

I’m now mid 20s with two DC (3&4)
I decided at the start of this year I was going follow my dream.
I’m halfway into my GCSE maths, if I pass this then onto an access course for a year then uni.

But I’m put off, I got myself a job in a care setting to gain experience for my application. It’s shift work and my partner also does shift work, he’s the main earner so his takes priority and probably always will.
Trying to figure out shifts is a nightmare, I also narrowly escaped having to work Christmas Day (some CF was going to call in “sick” and I would be the next person in)
The thought of missing out on Christmas Day with my kids is daunting. I know people do it, but they know they have to do it and still choose to work in that job.
I don’t know if I want to be the mum who isn’t home for Christmas.

As my partner already works shifts and weekends, I want the DC to have some stability and a parent who is there on weekends.

I think getting into teaching would be the best option for me, maybe a primary school teacher.

My partners mum is a teacher at a blind college.
She leaves at 8:30am and is home by 5pm Mon - Fri.
Once in a blue moon goes into work at the weekend and even then it’s not a must.
And obviously has half term off.

I’ve looked a lot into nursing and the further I look the more I’m put off. I live in a small city (I’m not even exaggerating when I say, most people think it’s a town) so jobs in nursing are hard to come by unless it’s with the NHS.

I’ve heard the saying “those who can, do; those who can’t, teach”
I haven’t looked much into teaching yet, I’d just like advice if people still think this.

I’m not saying I believe it, I just want to know if others honestly do.

My family never expected anything of me.
My mum always said to me, I’m going to end up pregnant at 18, live in a council house and aspire to nothing. She was correct, this indeed did happen. But I now own my own home. (Nothing wrong with living in a council house, but 90% of them in my area are filled with druggies so not the best environment to bring up kids in)

I feel like if I go into teaching, my family will still think I’ve amounted to nothing. Yes I overthink, but the quote is just stuck on loop in my head and I think I need someone to snap me out of it.

I don’t mean to offend anyone, this is just what has been drilled into my head for years.

AIBU?

probably

This craziness still here? Lol

I hope not - my secondary school teacher DH has a good degree from an ancient University and a postgrad qualification. But apparently OP's uneducated family would look down on him - I wonder why they are all so uneducated? Its a puzzler!

Firstly OP you have so misinterpreted that saying! That’s not what it means!

I’d advise you NOT to go into teaching, nursing or social work. I’ve experienced pf all three. You don’t decide one day ‘I think I will be a tracher’ Etc. They are s vocation. Something you aspire to be despite the long working hours, low pay, missing your your family, having to put your children in childcare and being inspected on a regular basis.

Honestly, you were all set on training to be a nurse, then you wondered about being a teacher and then within the space of this thread you’ve decided you want to be a social worker?

I don’t think you’re suited to any of those jobs. They are very, very tough sometimes and require a level of commitment and vocation that you just don’t have.

Maybe you should try aiming differently, doing a business admin course so you could work in an office? Because at least if someone in a secretarial/admin role doesn’t really care about that job it won’t really have the life changing effect on others that an uncommitted teacher/nurse/social worker who just did care could do.

My professional career was in a university, teaching on courses leading to a teaching qualification. I would not advise anyone to enter the teaching profession now.

Don't go into teaching for an easy life, you won't get one. Impossible targets, non-stop monitoring, poor pupil behaviour and you WILL be working evenings and weekends

YOU ARE NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH TO PASS A SINGLE GCSE.

Not sure you'd pass the SATs test for 7 or 11 yr olds then, tbh.

How on earth are you going to pass a A levels and a degree course?

How AWFUL of you to think that YOU are all the next generation need. Most people want them to have the best.

There are lots of allied professions to nursing. I wonder if any of them have more regular hours?

I'm thinking of things like x-ray tech, radiography, speech and language therapy, physio. Also more outpatient-specialties, like diabetes monitoring where you would only expect to have appointments during regular hours?

I don't know enough about these areas to know if any would be possible for you, but maybe someone else on here would know.

@Onlywrite - she said she has GCSE English. Perhaps if she'd shouted you'd have heard her.

onlywrite was there any need to be quite so fucking mean?

Only write was a bit harsh, even rude, but, to be fair they did sum up the past 300 comments in a nutshell.