Aibu to become a teacher?

[Heartofstrings]

Not sure why I feel the need to post this.

I have 2 kids - age 3 and 4 and a husband who is a student.

Eldest boy starts school in sept, youngest boy starts the year after.

I left teaching 8 years ago due to mental health issues. I've been tutoring since and work is busy. The variable income is stressful though and I work late into the evenings 4 nights a week.

I worry that I won't see my eldest boy when he starts school.

Is this an awful idea?I can't work it out

Is the trade off of missing bedtime that you will be able to do all the school runs in your current job? Because I would definitely take that.

DH & I are both teachers & love our jobs but bedtime is a rush anyway of getting home from work, dinner, homework, dc to bed at a decent hour so we can get on with our work. Mostly it’s telling the dc to hurry up & go to sleep because we have so much to do.

I work part time (3 days) & it’s a good part-time salary. I would definitely struggle working full time and fitting in family life too (this is exacerbated by DH’s role tbf, would be different with the other parent in a different job).

Why not try a combo of supply and keeping the tutoring going? That could also help you suss out the local schools you’d like to work in & those you wouldn’t.

There’s a lot of negativity on this thread but if you loved teaching before I don’t think that will change. Yes there is a lot of crap but the rewards are huge.

I’ve been teaching for 7 years, at 3 different schools. 2 of them brilliant, one diabolical. Teaching in a good school is a wonderful career and the crap is manageable.

If you don’t try it you’ll never know.

Teaching in a good school is a wonderful career and the crap is manageable.

This hasn’t been my experience. The pressure on schools is unreal. I worked in a lovely school with lovely staff. The nicer the school the more the pressure to perform. Even with good management, the pressure is external.

@Heartofstrings

I'm just aware that my eldest boy won't see me 4 nights a week. But I guess realistically I don't NEED to change it.

I'm worried my income will go down in September when schools are more settled. I currently teach 17 group classes a week

Lots of parents don't see their children in the evening weekdays because they are in bed by the time they get home. But presumably, you do have 3 full days a week with the children, if you only work over 4 days?

I would keep an eye on it and monitor the situation rather than make such a drastic change which, tbh, does not look like it will be any better and might even be worse.

Could your dh get part time work to make up the difference?

I'm worried my income will go down in September when schools are more settled. I currently teach 17 group classes a week

But there are all these children who have fallen behind for one reason or other during lockdown, which is why the government has been talking about catch up programmes.

That isn't going to sort itself out in the next few months. I'm sure there will still be a need for tutoring OP.