Becoming a teacher

[renniks]

Sorry I'm posting here for traffic.

Calling all you primary school teachers out there...

I have been in limbo for a few years on what I would like to do career wise. My DD has just started primary school and my DS will be starting 2021. I've decided becoming a primary school teacher would be perfect for me. Holidays when the kids are off, a career where I can work my way up and other benefiting factors. I don't have any degrees or A levels however I have GCSE's grade C and above in English, Maths, Literacy, Science, Literacy, Travel and Tourism, Business Studies and not really relevant but Beauty Therapy level 2.

Can anybody give me any advice on what my next steps should be and also if I even have enough qualifications to pursue this as a career choice. I really love the idea of teaching KS1 children.

Talk to your local college first. You'd have to do a foundation year, then a primary education degree. Some colleges offer degrees in education and they aren't to be sniffed at. They are a bit cheaper in terms of fees for instance and their childcare is usually very low cost or free if you need it.

If you haven't got a degree then this will be the next step.

You say you think being a primary school teacher will be perfect for you, why do you think this? Do you have any experience / volunteering or working in a school?

Teaching just KS1 is very unusual. It's much more likely you will be moved around different key stages

As for having the holidays off, technically you would as you're not in school. However, every teacher I know has things to do during the holidays, marking, planning, displays, cleaning the classroom, making resources etc.

This site answers a lot of questions and helps talk through different ways into teaching

getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/

@Wildthyme thankyou! I did think college would have to be my first point of call but I didn't know they offered degrees. My local college is a really good successful one so I'm hoping they offer it there.

you will need a levels or a btec, then a degree and pgce or a teaching degree

No experience in the teaching department. I just think it's a job I would be good at.

If you like working very long hours during term time, jumping through hoops, always being observed and assessed and having to prove yourself then go for it. If you like never being able to have a bad lesson then do it. Otherwise, look elsewhere.
OTOH if you like the penny drops moment, the great things children say and do, that sharing of learning moments then go for it. It's rewarding but can be hell on earth.

Many people think this about teaching if they haven't shadowed a teacher. I'd say around 30% of my time is spent teaching and with students. I'm secondary, but my primary colleagues have the same pressures. I spend more time marking, assessing, writing reports, dealing with external agencies, in meetings and training, dealing with parents etc. This weekend I spend 17 hours marking (and that is no exaggeration) on top of the marking I had already done in the week. I also made 16 phone calls last week about behaviour, 9 about attendance and 3 positive calls. I have no idea how someone with young children do it, at all

I have just emailed my local college. I understand holidays isn't really a chance for a break and there will be things to do and prepare for the children when term resumes, however this is perfectly fine for me. It's a job I would strive in and definitely want to work my position up in and in years to come who knows I could be a head mistress

The hours are very long and it's physically mentally and emotionally demanding. Very stressful compared to 12 years ago when I qualified. When you volunteer in school you don't see the hours spent doing data drops, moderating, writing reports, subject leader responsibilities etc. It's not a true picture.

Most primary school teachers I know (in the UK) have A’ levels and then a degree in Education but, I believe, there are other routes in to the profession. Could you spend some time volunteering at your local primary/ junior school listening to children read etc to improve your application? Also don’t be fooled into thinking that your holidays will be the same as your DC. Colleagues in my secondary school often had holidays at different times to their children as each county sets their own dates. You will, of course, be expected to be in school during the holidays too for INSET days etc.

I really don't mean this unkindly, but you seem very naive about the realities of being a teacher.

I trained as a teacher with no A-levels. I did an access course in college then a degree in Primary education. It took 4 years all together.

Then the reality of teaching became apparent and I don't teach anymore. Very very long hours and hard work. Mentally and physically.

Realistically, it’s going to take you 5 years or so to train - a foundation year / access course because of your lack of a-levels, 3 years of a degree and then a 1 year training course. So, if you start sept 2020 you will qualify July 2025 (all being well).

What subject will your degree be in? A specific subject or a primary Ed one?

Just to say I am not going into this lightly, I understand it's going to be hard work and take a lot of studying but it will be worth it to be doing something I feel passionately about.

I will be doing my degree in primary education not a specific subject

Could you ask your children’s school if you could volunteer or work shadow for a couple of days? A huge % of new teachers leave within the first five years (myself included) because they were not prepared for the reality of teaching. Thoroughly research it and try to experience it a little before you embark on such a huge life decision!

Bear in mind it's very unusual for teachers to be allowed time off to go and see their own children in sports day, nativity etc etc. These will be things you may have miss out on, would your own children be ok with that? You will also never collect your own children from school again, unless they have wraparound care! Sorry for these negatives but I agree you seem a little naive. I suggest you ask this question in the Staffroom section of the forum rather than AIBU.

When I started teaching it was a good job to combine with a family but that was 35 years ago. Yes, you will have school holidays with your children if you are in the same LA but you will need before and after school care and still have to work at home in the evening.

And, if you do love teaching, being a headteacher (not headmistress) may not be the best idea as it is largely an administrative job nowadays. I enjoyed being a teacher until a change in management made it unbearable just before my 60th birthday. I was lucky and could get my teachers' pension, many others are leaving the profession now for the same reasons but without this to fall back on.

Hi I’ve been a teacher for about eight years have taught every age group and ability level in this country and abroad. I would not advise anyone to get into teaching at this point unless you’re young, free to travel and desperate to do so. If you’re going to have to retrain I would STRONGLY recommend looking into speech and language therapy. My brother did this after working in a school and realising it was a crazy job (HES a lot more sensible than me!) he got a bursary to train, is less stressed and exhausted than me day to day, and has worked his way up quite quickly. If I was younger I would follow this path. Please don’t be swayed by the teaching adverts it’s a thankless job these days.

You all make very good points. I just want something to be proud of and something to work for but I wouldn't really want to waste 5 years training to leave after a couple of years. I have now posted in the staff room as suggested

Also could you work as a teaching assistant for a bit? That can give more of an idea of how teachers feel day to day and you wouldn’t have to retrain.

I’m a primary school teacher and have been for 4 years.
I would strongly suggest you do some work experience in a school - perhaps in ks1 if that is where your interest lies. Try to get in with a teacher who will actually help you understand what the job is like rather than getting you to do silly jobs like sharpening pencils (this happened to me!).
You will need to gain a primary education degree and most places will expect you to have done some work experience.
Teaching is a very rewarding job but it is a very hard job. The hours are very long and in my first year I used to spend a lot of my weekend working. Of course it depends on the school and how prepared they are with planning and resources etc.
Good luck!

To get onto a teaching degree you usually need some experience of being in a school. I regularly hosted people who were wanting to do teacher training in my classroom. Many came in for a week or two, experienced life around the school and helped out in classrooms. I think that perhaps you should start by contacting local schools, or your children's school, explain what you are thinking of doing and arrange some shadowing/volunteering experience.

Be aware that although you might train predominantly in EYFS and KS1, once qualified you may be expected to teach throughout the primary age range.

Others have given good advice on qualifications. There are some job based routes into teaching, but you'd usually require a degree.

@Greta1985 @firsttimemummatobella could I go in as a teaching assistant without the teaching degree? This would help me in the long run to see if it is for me.

Renniks there are some specific trainings and qualifications for being a TA I think. Look into those and volunteer in your kids' school, or indeed any school. It would be a fantastic first step. I think TA's do an amazing job and are underpaid, but then so are teachers. As a TA though you wouldn't have the huge amount of prep that teachers have. Good luck and keep us posted!

Being a TA for a while would give you some idea, but you'd be off home at 3.30pm with no work to complete at home, no meetings, no planning, no marking. Teachers are paid as professionals (though woefully underpaid, as are TAs) because they have the responsibility for every child in that class. That they are making progress in all areas, receive provision for all their needs, are looked after pastorally. Progress meetings, where you have to prove you are doing this for 30 very different children, happen regularly in most schools. Books are checked often for depth of marking. That's easily 90 books a day, sometimes more. The workload is extreme even in ks1 (particularly in ks1, in many ways).