Calling fellow teachers. Please help. Feeling desperate

[MimiCaeger]

Feeling broken and desperate

I’m wondering if anyone has had any luck at all securing a first teaching post after some time out in between the degree/pgce and the NQT year.

I got my QTS in September 2018 I was 60:40 mixed secondary and primary, and had planned to go onto supply to increase my confidence, as some ill health during the first part of my training left me feeling a bit out of my depth. (I only had a couple of weeks off but I did a pgce and the first bit was really intense)

However my partner was made redundant from his job after injury and I had to be the main earner.

I have been working in social care since then, and despite taking all my a/l to do half days in a school each week for a term, and to attend Teachers CPD I just feel like I’m falling further and further away.

I can’t get a TA job or do supply as I can’t afford to pay my bills as it is and I get top ups from UC and if I “deliberately worsen my financial situation” I will get universal credit sanctions.

Jobs don’t come up often near me, and I’m quite rural, so it’s limiting. But I have been applying for jobs since June and the response is always “you’d be better with more experience”. But, how can I get this?!

I work in the day, and do sleep ins at the weekend, I visit schools on my lunch breaks and volunteer with children in care, a youth club and young offenders. But I can’t quit my main job, or I’m homeless and bust.

Is there anything I could do, to help me get a teaching job at this point. Or any mentoring schemes or groups that I could join so I can stay in the loop and keep up to date with things. I feel like if I don’t secure anything this year I will be so far behind that I won’t ever be able to teach. 🙁💔

Thanks so much x

What sort of jobs are you applying for.. Primary or secondary? You seem rather vague about your specialisms and strengths. With that info people might be able to give more specific advice but in general. I'd say make sure your CV and covering letter is top notch and that you prepare well for interview, observed lesson etc.

I don't understand why you can't do supply? Regular supply like a mat leave would pay just as well as being a teacher, and surely would pay more than social care? Looking since June in a rural area isn't too long, people look for much longer. Don't let that ruin your confidence, keep applying for positions and do some long term supply if it comes up, once a school gets to know you you'll be fine. Fingers crossed

What do you plan to teach? If secondary, what subject? In all honesty, unless you’re desperate for primary, I can’t see why schools won’t hire you, seeing the dross we hire (we’re always desperate for staff, not implying anything. We hire unqualified staff out of necessity). And it isn’t that long since you qualified. I also can’t see why you’d want to do supply instead of just getting a job. It won’t give you more experience. Where are you?

Sorry you’re feeling so downhearted about it

What’s your subject? Some specialisms are going to be easier to get into than others.

Also is your partner retraining for something now? That would take some of the pressure off you

Agree with pp. Are you getting interviews? Have you read the tes advice on filling in the application form and covering letter? You need to literally take each point in the criteria and tell them how you meet it with examples. If you show them how you hit each criteria then you're pretty much guaranteed an interview

Thank you so much.
I’m feeling panic stricken, exhausted and terrified. I think I need some perspective.
I live in an area in the West Country where we are moving from first, middle, high to primary and secondary.
My PGCE was school direct so placed from October to June in 1 school middle years focused specialising in geography and maths (did this 3 days a week), with a day a week in eyfs and a day a week in year 11&Sixth form.

I’m applying for primary, secondary humanities and secondary maths posts.
I don’t particularly want to do supply, but it would be better experience than enabling Adults with complex needs surely?

Am I not out Of the game yet then? I will read the TES advice now as I plan on doing another application this week.

DP is retraining but he had a vocational, manual job he went into 20 years ago when he was 14, instead of sitting proper GCSE’s so it’s a long hall to get him the qualifications he needs to even be considered for entry level jobs.

Thanks all so much 💛

Also sorry about funny caps. Keyboard is all sticky/stiff

Get in with an agency for long term placements. You can still do your NQT year like this.

What is your degree? I ask as you are applying for secondary posts. Definitely do supply; you will have your hand bitten off in most places and at the moment we have a high staff turn over and are always looking for good supply. Might not be the best schools (mine is not!) but it will be valuable experience.

I would advise focusing on secondary maths as that’s more of a shortage area. Your training sounds very broad (which is great and no doubt has many benefits ) but I wonder whether your applications sound a bit too broad as a result?

You mention doing CPD and spending time in the classroom where you can. Could you give this a sharper focus too? Eg how about running some catch up maths, or functional maths skills in your voluntary work? If there could be some way of achieving a measurable outcome, that always looks good in applications (eg ‘I worked on a voluntary basis with young people who needed extra maths and their teachers reported increased confidence and improved attainment in number skills’)

You are doing loads, hats off to you! But perhaps narrowing your focus, maybe even doing less volunteering but making it more focused, will bring results

You need to do supply.

Secondary Geog and maths are both, officially shortage subjects. Hang on in there. It sounds like you are doing all the right things.

Perhaps you do seem a bit 'eclectic' in your experiences to date, so home in on one thing!

Could you look for a cover teacher role to get your hand in? Loads of schools near me have cover supervisors.

@maryberrysbomberjacket
Without wanting to out myself a degree that isn’t geography but is basically an area of geography
Then last year did a tsst maths course and got a pgdip in maths education.

Can I make enough to live off on supply? I didn’t think I could, and as above I don’t want a UC sanction.

@sonjadog can you make enough money to live off supply as above I have friends who just don’t and I would have to give up my current job for it. And if I didn’t earn a certain amount a week we would be sanctioned 😥😓

I haven't done it for many years, so I couldn't tell you if you can make enough money or not these days. But it was how I spent my first 3-4 years teaching. Have you contacted agencies and asked them about how much work you are likely to get? I would start there and then look at whether or not you could afford it.

Ok urging the op to do supply is really really bad advice

There is a REGIONAL shortage

However, some areas are NOT STRUGGLING FOR RECRUITMENT.

Hey @sonjadog
I have, as of September this year they said that I would be likely to get 2-3 days work a week if I was available 5 days, would travel up to 60 miles (2 hours on our roads) and would do any age.
As I said in my op, Unfortunately with the sanctions I would get on UC supply would mean I would lose my home 😥

I'm in Worcestershire rather than the West Country but round here Secondary Maths teachers get snapped up. When I did my PGCE (two years ago) all the Maths lot had jobs before Easter.

@Clementinesandchocolates
Thanks for your advice, I have looked extensively at supply, but it just isn’t viable here.

Don’t do supply if it’s not reliable. It can also be pretty shitty ... ok you don’t get prep and marking but some classes can be really challenging if you’re going in on an ad hoc basis.
Seriously: narrow down your focus. Offer a specific piece of work when volunteering. Schools should be crying out for someone who has QTS who can say, ‘ right I’ll give my lunchtime for free a couple of times a week. Give me a group of your weakest students and I’ll boost their numeracy.’ Students can make great gains working in a group with a focus like this. Parents usually love it too, and the school stands to benefit results wise. Win win

Pressed post too soon.

You can get email alerts from TES and eTeach as and when suitable posts come up.

You have the added advantage over qualified teachers of not being tied to resignations dates, and over other NQTs of already having passed training.

I wouldn't think many would think a year or two out would be a massive disadvantage.

Is there a time limit on doing you NQT? I should know but I can't remember.

I think you restricted yourself with a middle school PGCE, OP.

The West Country is renowned for being difficult to break into jobs wise for teachers.

Would that lead to a job though, Accio?

More often than not it leads to interviews and then the actual post offered to someone else which is pretty soul destroying!

Also (not an immediate solution but worth thinking about....) as neither you or your partner are tied to a specific area for a job now, would you consider moving to an area where you’ll find work more easily?

The West Country is trickier than many areas despite the national shortage of teachers. It’s also not that cheap to live in - there are much cheaper parts of the U.K. appreciate that’s a longer term ‘fix’ but tbh there won’t be a better time than this, because at the moment neither of you are tied to a job that you actually want