Teaching experiences

[Jules108]

Posting here as I'm not sure where else this would be appropriate to post.

I've seen a few threads on here about the difficulties of being a teacher/teachers leaving their profession.

I want to become a secondary history/ humanities teacher and I'm wondering is being a teacher rewarding? Is the workload manageable? I should add that I'm a single mum to a toddler.

If you wouldn't mind sharing your experiences, good or bad, I'd appreciate it 🙂.

I think a lot of primary teachers have replied. Be careful as primary and secondary teaching are VERY different jobs.

I was 22 when I started teaching and plenty of teachers I know were in their twenties so age is no barrier but as I said upthread I think your stage of life will make this very tough.

Why not write to a local secondary and ask if you can visit for a week. It's a bit late in the term now but there may be someonwe who will welcome you. Certainly you might be able to get something in place for september if you are just starting your degree you have plenty of time to weigh up the pros and cons.

My DD 13 prefers the younger teachers. Older teachers think it's better being older, wiser etc. The kids just think dinosaur!

I think that's nonsense. Kids just like good teachers.

What is your AIBU?!

She know she posted it in the wrong place fedup. If you are going to be like that, right back at ya with RTFT !

work life balance is horrific. I taught for 12 years but wouldn't go back

Today a boy told me to piss off

Ex secondary teacher, retired before the onslaught of admin etc of the last 10 years,
As has been said, it can be very rewarding, I really miss the lightbulb moments. However a disproportionate amount of time is wasted on those who don't give a damn.
You need to develop coping strategies and they're not always in line with the school policies. A newly qualified teacher in my Department was told to piss off by a 14/15 year old, out to impress his mates, she looked at him and said 'Off where', his friends laughed at him, he went bright red and slunked (is that a word?) away, metaphorical tail between his legs. She was the queen of the one-liners. another boy said when she gave him a detention, 'I'll get you done, I'll say you locked me on the store-room and forced me to have sex with you'. She very slowly looked him up and down, 'You should be so lucky', again no further problems!
Good luck with whatever decision you make, hope it goes well for you.

I wouldn’t teach secondary. I teach in a college, many of my relatives teach primary and all very happy in our professions. My secondary school teacher friends are the ones wishing to leave and I don’t blame them, teenagers can be highly unforgiving at the best of times...

Consider college level. I teach English and one of the courses I teach is Access to Humanities. Lots of admin but you get that in any teaching role. Hugely rewarding teaching adults on a level with you, many students are older than you! My eldest student last year was 66.

It's a very tough job unless you are fortunate to find an unusually supportive school to work in, and even then it can be all-consuming. I would strongly suggest going and doing some observation in schools first, if you haven't done so already.