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

Do you think maybe your partners mum has decades of experience behind her so she may know how to plan a lesson a bit more easily than a newly qualified teacher, especially one who thinks it's going to lead to an easy life of holidays and 3.30 finishes. Get an office job if you want 9-5 and improve your attitude before your kids get to school.

Oops. Snap race car driver... I took a while to write that as DH kept talking to me, your post wasn’t there when I started writing

I don't think that those who go from school to university to school are in anyway deficient at all! A school needs a mixture, young, mature, experienced, newly qualified, career changers, the lot! But what they all need is a passion, a commitment and a strong bladder!

My ds(10)'s dream job for the future at the moment are to become a paleontologist, game designer/creator or a teacher. He says he wants to be like Miss X, who was his yr2 teacher. The teaching is that influential for young child, I hope you do get that.

Please look up the recent thread about there being something seriously wrong with our education system. That will tell you everything you need to know about teaching.

Teaching is bloody hard work, made harder by parents thinking you are an unpaid skivvy because you don't do a 'proper' job or have experience of 'real life' because you haven't worked in industry, which for most people involves paper shuffling in a office but is somehow more 'real'!

I think you underestimate how easy it is to get a career in teaching, you certainly will need qualifications and it's not just a 9-5 Monday to Friday job. Sounds like you need an office job.

As for the shift work and working Christmas day etc.. I'm from a family of nurses, carers and emergency service workers. We coordinate with each other to work out what day we will have Christmas on. It's rarely Christmas day, occasionally it's as late at the 27th Dec, it has been early before as well. It never bothered us as children and likewise it doesn't now we are adults.

I'm not sure if you're on a wind up or not but I'm going to answer in case there's anyone reading who is wanting to get into teaching.

You're workload and how compatible it is with family life is completely dependent on the school you work in. Everyone who knows a teacher thinks they know what teaching is like, but it's impossible to say.

I've worked in schools when I've been in at 7, stayed until 6 and worked all Sunday and never managed to get on top of my workload. Equally I've worked in school where 8.00 until 430 plus my ppa time was more than enough. The biggest deciding factor imo on whether it's compatible with family life is who you work for.

Teaching well the saying in my opinion stems from the fact most and I say most teachers have no real life experience or skills. Since most have been in school then college,p then university and then go back and regurgitate it all to the next lot of hopeless or hopefuls.Hence why they say those that can do those that can’t teach.

What a load of rubbish. I’m a career changer, most people on my course were too. Even if you went in straight from uni, teaching gives you masses of life experience pretty quickly. You’ve got 30 of them, plus their parents/carers that you see every day.

There’s no way you’re a teacher.

Not really answering the teacher part of your question but I would stop the nursing ambitions if any remain. Nursing to me (a nurse of 15 years) is most definitely a calling, yes you do shifts in most areas but you do them knowing and wanting to make a difference to the patients/clients. I’ve seen far too many nurses who just see it as a job and quite frankly they make terrible nurses because they don’t care enough.

Honestly? Depending on how severe your ADHD and SEN are, I don't think you're teacher material.

Teaching is bloody hard. I was a corporate kid before I went into it. Working for big FTSE listed firms in the City. So I've done "real world" and I can tell you that it ain't as hard as teaching.

I have 5 A grade A levels and a top degree from a top university. And designing out strategies, effective schemes of work and making these work effectively for the top, middle and bottom achievers is where the brain gymnastics starts to come in.

You need to shadow a teacher for a day or two. Then work out if the 10 hours in school plus evening prep is for because that's what it is. It's the best job in the world but you need to LOVE it, and love learning about learning.

To me you sound confused and trying to work out what fits for you, not where your passions lie. You can't be a half arsed teacher. They're the worst kind.

I think you have picked the two most demanding and vocational of all the professions, and the least supported. ALL professions require a lot of structure and resilience and I think nursing and teaching require real passion on top (anyone with the right brains and hard work can make it as a lawyer for example but I think you need a whole lot more to keep motivated and successful as a nurse or teacher) I’m not either, by the way, but am at top of a different profession.
Instead of thinking of a specific career and chasing down a long rabbit hole to get there, you need to focus on getting a good general education first whilst working out what you bring to the table in terms of characteristics, and what pushes your buttons. From your posts I would already say you are very dogged and not put off by obstacles. Your ADHD will also offer traits that can be used as an advantage in a career rather than something to be forced to curtail. There are jobs such as project mgmt, for example, that could suit you well. Until you have matched your own skills to the right job you shouldn’t be doing anything other than generalised (as opposed to vocational) education.
FWIW I think you are completely unsuited to teaching - educational requirements and vocational commitments aside, I think there is a cultural environment in schools that you will struggle to adjust to.

I’m sorry that the OP feels thatvpeople have been harsh. And I understand the need to decide on a course before enrolment. But what are the learning difficulties referred to? Will that have an impact on the ability to teach?

I think it would be a good idea to do some volunteering in a school and then perhaps look for a TA post. Yes, the pay is rubbish, but it is paid, it isn’t shift work and it will give the OP an idea of what is involved in teaching. It will help with applications to university too. At mid 20s, there is plenty of time to take it slowly and not rush into a course.

I want just to say about how dedicated a nurse can be. My ds's specialist nurse make up his appointment for him for the treatment she is involved. He has several different specialist involved, she make it easiest for him, by, consolidating everything. This summer, she sent us a letter, for airline, to allow him to take medication with him, without us asking for it. She phones us regularly how he is getting on, and praise him how he is doing so well. I really don't know if it's part of her job or she is just doing it with her own initiative.
Only thing I can think is that we are so lucky, that someone is so dedicated for my ds's well being.

Maryjoyce
well the saying in my opinion stems from the fact most and I say most teachers have no real life experience or skills.

So post some supporting evidence for your "fact"

What profession isn’t hard work though?

It seems you have a choice in life - work in a job like retail or admin that doesn’t pay very well and can be quite taxing (in different ways to a nurse or teacher) or obtain more qualifications and be a nurse, teacher, doctor, solicitor, civil engineer etc but have much more responsibility and longer hours with more money and a professional job.

Can anybody think of a professional career that OP could do that you WOULD encourage?

most teachers have no real life experience or skills. Since most have been in school then college,p then university and then go back and regurgitate it all to the next lot of hopeless or hopefuls.Hence why they say those that can do those that can’t teach

Do tell. What precisely is this "real life experience" and the "life skills" which teachers lack but all others have?

C8H10N4O2, forget it. Whatever you say, doesn't mean anything with your hypocrisy.

Just re-read my post. Just to clarify as a teacher, I do know the difference between you're and your. I've just been up all night with a poorly toddler so my brain temporarily forgot!

I think that was my question, asked in response to the opinion that teachers who have entered the profession from uni lacked lifeskills and real world experience.
I wanted to know what I lacked, in Maryjoyce’s opinion.

The people who point out your MIL's decades of experience are spot on. I'm an academic with over 30 yrs teaching experience but recently transferred into a new dept: I am KILLING myself trying to catch up with my colleagues and that's without all the crowd control problems you get in primary or secondary education.

I don't think that there is any difference if the teacher entered teaching straight from school, or after outside school environment. The biggest difference it makes is the passion for teaching, that they want to help children, make them learn the fun of learning, or give them inspirations.

I'm not saying "don't be a teacher". Just saying "go into it with your eyes open, accept that the people who have been doing it for a long time will have skills that you don't - as yet".