Keep going for the wrong jobs

[Drumstick38]

I am a qualified teacher but I've no idea how I gained the PGCE, teaching is really not for me. I get told I'm too "nice" and not strict enough with the kids. I find the behaviour management aspect of teaching really hard and was put on a support plan in one job because of it.

As a result I've done: TEFL teaching, Teaching Assistant, daily TA supply and support/care work.

I've enjoyed all of these jobs but they are mostly minimum wage, TEFL is not but is often zero hours contracts.

I don't want to be on minimum wage forever, especially as I have a degree and PGCE. There is nothing wrong with it for people who are happy and can exist well on it.

But to have a decent living situation, savings, pay for the driving lessons I need and enjoy life somewhat it's very hard.

I keep going into these minimum wage jobs and then not lasting long as it's so poorly paid. Currently work as a night carer at min wage, whether it's nights, Christmas etc. Zero enhancements. There are care homes that pay £10 per hour , so I don't know why I've gone for this min wage one.

Now applying for HLTA jobs and senior carer etc. Anything above 20k basically, which isn't even that high. Any other advice? Just want to have something with a decent salary that I'll stick to.

Have you considered instructional design or learning design? If you're good with computers you might be able to get in via a learning technologist job. After getting a bit of experience at a college or university you could move on to corporate if that appeals to you more.

I've done supply teaching, absolute chaos. It's like walking into a zoo, plus they won't pay me teacher rates, only cover supervisor rates as I haven't done my induction year.

Primary work does suit me better, I will look for teaching posts there maybe.

Join a 'thinking about leaving teaching' Facebook group. I joined one after I taught about it (decided to stay)...but there are lots of people who will help with ideas and application advice.

In the group I was in people became social workers, environmental health officers, worked for the civil service, education technology firms. Some of these will require retraining but not all.

Join one and see from ex teachers what they've done

Thanks for that, I'll have a look.

Learning and development? You would need to start out at coordinator/assistant level but still would be above minimum wage with a career path.

Some suggestions on here are just daft. How is op going to get work as a teacher trainer if she doesn’t have a solid few years of teaching behind her?
Education Officer at museums etc roles have a gazillion applications, really hard to make it.

Have you thought of going back to your language degree and seeing what options there are from that? What did other people go on to do? The male graduates? If you graduated within the last few years, your uni will still be able to give you some careers advice.
Could be that you have to juggle work/ study a bit longer though.

Teaching is such a dead end if you don’t get on with it.

Contessa agree completely. In theory it's an amazing skillset. In practice we have threads like these so often as its hard to leap into other careers.

Mrsborisjohnson exactly. Often its academic students who went onto get good degrees and then end up stuck.

And agree people keep suggesting more teaching....

Well until you know someone’s specialism all you know is that they are qualified in teaching . Unless being a teacher means you can walk into any random job without retraining people are going to suggest education related jobs.

If you have languages, I’d look down that route, presumably you’re reasonably fluent. Some of my friends with language degrees used to work in insurance doing repatriation for people stuck abroad after injury/illness! You should be able to capitalise on that skill.

Yes, GiantToadstool and ContessaVerde I've applied for lots of different jobs and despite teaching giving you heaps of transferable skills it's really difficult to get a job doing something else. Things like Education Officer and learning design they're usually looking for years of previous experience and it's really competitive. I think in most cases it's just necessary to retrain - don't wish to be negative but realistic.

Agree with a pp. University admin is pretty good with lots of room to progress to different areas of the business. Pension and holidays are good. Pay for administrators is 22-25k and 25-30k depending on job grade. Professional development is encouraged and my manager has coached people into higher level jobs in other areas of the uni, despite not wanting them to go herself. We have a lot of overseas students so MFL would be a big bonus. The students speak English very well but we're forever asking academics to translate documents from doctors and other universities because we can't ask students to translate it themselves.

I wouldn’t think that the suggestion of training student teachers is a good one. Surely student teachers need to be taught good techniques and someone who feels they don’t manage behaviour well surely isn’t the best fit for that.

Look at Jobs at DfE or British council. Lots of non Teaching jobs there

Maybe I'm wrong but I feel like MFL should open some doors? I see jobs with language skills advertised sometimes. Even customer service (plus X language) seems to pay quite a bit more. I guess it may depend on the language?

Forget about education related jobs and focus on the languages.

Lots of call centres / customer service roles requiring languages. They are usually better paid then English speaking equivalents too.

If you are near Manchester PM me and I have a contact for a recruiter specialising in those types of roles.

Not a teacher but not so different here. Masters in a research subject. Never found a job in that. Diploma in therapy. On 27k a year currently having just left an £11p/h job that made me miserable. Ugh. Wtf are we ALL doing?
I agree about SEN teaching or could you teach adults in a college? Even if it means doing any further training it may be worth it.

If you have language line what about doing translation for a company like language line?

Language line should have only been in there once but I'm sure you get the jist!

@Elsielouise13

Where are you based? Have you thought about SEN teaching, similar principles completely different approach to behaviour management than mainstream.

Took the words out of my mouth! Behaviour management still required of course but a million miles away from the crowd control type of thing in mainstream, and being 'nice' is a positive thing. I miss working in special and would go back in future if I weren't happy with where I am (currently in mainstream again). There are loads of different types of special school of course but I'd definitely look into it even if just to rule it out.

Have you thought about getting into communications/stakeholder engagement/relationship management? There's a lot of directly transferrable skills from teaching!

Ah. If you haven't passed your NQT year yet, that'll limit some of the jobs that require teaching experience (for example Teachers of the Deaf are qualified teachers with additional qualifications).

Have you looked at jobs in private schools? Often behaviour management is less of an issue, particularly when the children are primary. (Of course, other stresses instead, so it's all swings and roundabouts.)

If you do go back into teaching in some way, I recommend you read the book 'You know the fair rule' by Bill Rogers. I struggled with behaviour management in my PGCE and NQT years but that book helped.