To retrain as a teacher at 54?

[Goblincore]

The job I currently have is looking like it might not go on for much longer. Its a design and marketing role that I've had for years. I have a degree in English Literature and was looking at pgce
There's a good one at Exeter University which isn't a million miles away.

Am I mad to consider it? I'm sure English teachers are ten a penny wishes she'd done computer science or something

I mean they probably won't accept me anyway.

I say go for it, do what makes you happy

@SunShinesBrightly

I love the way teachers forget that they earn a very decent salary for their demanding job. At least 3x your average TA does

TA 17K
NQT starting salary 24/25K

TA more like £11,500 here.

It’ll be hard work but go for it. I know 2 over 50s embarking on teacher training next year. Think I’d avoid the traditional university PGCE route and go Schools Direct or a SCiTT though.
I’m heading to 50 and enjoy still enjoy teaching. 😀

A TA earns about 12k here and they don't seem to have them in secondary school

TA more like £11,500 here

Wow. That’s low. I suppose it depends on the school and job spec.

Yes to a new career. As for teaching think carefully. PGCE is possibly the hardest thing I’ve done in my life!!!! Also Do some research into if there are jobs in your area. This year, in some areas there have been no jobs. I’m in a stem subject and I’ve found it difficult. This we need teachers crap is a lie in most places don’t be fooled.

@Goblincore

A TA earns about 12k here and they don't seem to have them in secondary school

17K at out school but it’s secondary.

Oh and as for pay… you are paid a set salary and work approximately 10-20 hours a week for free, FREE!!!

Nooooooo, teaching is so tough these days. At any age. Join the civil service instead.

Contact some of your local schools and see if you can go in to observe (& ideally do some team teaching / resource preparation). While you're there make sure you talk to some NQTs about how they're finding it as a new teacher, & also some older staff to see how they find it at their age.

What have you got to lose? Plus if you don't like it you only have 15 years and then you can retire

@garlictwist

What have you got to lose? Plus if you don't like it you only have 15 years and then you can retire

That did occur to me

@Livinthedream84

Oh and as for pay… you are paid a set salary and work approximately 10-20 hours a week for free, FREE!!!

🤣🤣🤣🤣👍🏻

@Livinthedream84

Yes to a new career. As for teaching think carefully. PGCE is possibly the hardest thing I’ve done in my life!!!! Also Do some research into if there are jobs in your area. This year, in some areas there have been no jobs. I’m in a stem subject and I’ve found it difficult. This we need teachers crap is a lie in most places don’t be fooled.

I think this year has been unusual tbf. Not so many people moving on so job market seemed slow. I also heard of nqts struggling to find jobs due to doing their training in lockdown.

I agree with you though it's wise to research jobs in the area, demand will vary a lot. But there won't be much about now to get an idea though.

I am sitting with two 30 year old teachers and I have just asked them your question. The response was, "Hell, no!"

Their reasons were, essentially, it is incredibly tough for the first few years and you don't earn a lot in those years.

I also know from when DC was applying for pgce, it was essential to have experience of working in school to even be considered.

I wouldn't recommend it.

I say go for it, do what makes you happy

It won’t make you happy though! It will destroy your confidence and self esteem.

@SunShinesBrightly

I love the way teachers forget that they earn a very decent salary for their demanding job. At least 3x your average TA does

TA 17K
NQT starting salary 24/25K

I don't know any TAs who have a salary of 17K, because their contracts are term-time only and usually at most 30 hours a week.

What, 15 years work and retire at 70! Not likely to have that option in teaching even if you could physically do it.

If I were you I'd lurk about in The Staffroom for a bit and reread old threads on work/life balance and hours. I'm guessing you're in England and my understanding of teaching there is there's a lot of extra hours spent on...nothing very purposeful, really (not saying that the teachers are wasting their own time, the system just seems to have a lot of fluff to it). I'd weigh up whether you could tolerate all of that.

Teaching is the best job in the world, especially teaching English :)
It's bloody hard work, mentally and physically, but when it's good, it's great.
I've trained 21year olds and I've trained career changers in their 50s, and the ones who've succeeded have been willing to listen, take advice, and get stuck in.
If you can get a place, go for it.

mid 50's is not imo a terrible age to go into teaching, being probably too late to involve drama about making it into leadership, worrying about burnout [since by the time that kicks in you'll presumably be ready for retirement], etc etc etc. also presumably your own kids are old enough not to be demanding a lot of your time.

training through a school would be by far the best route. it's very common for schools which offer that to offer kind of 'placement' type days where you can go in & shadow a bunch of teachers, etc. you'd get the chance to have some reasonably frank discussions with teachers about how it's going for them, ideally both in terms of what it's like to train & what it's like to work later in life, & how easy it is to pick up jobs from both positions.

you'd want a fair idea that you'd have a decent amount of aptitude for the gig. in applying for jobs etc, equally promising younger candidates would definitely, quite often, get the benefit of the doubt over you.

teaching can be the best job around, but there's also a lot of BS. in particular, it seems to attract quite a lot of 'nice', not very aggressive or 'commercial' people, and sometimes seems to disportionately reward [in terms of career progression] people who are thick skinned/aggressive/etc. some of the behaviour of management [callous, unprofessional, getting away with nonsense] is closer to what you'd tend to see from a dockside gangmaster than in a professional environment.

Do it, you have reams of life experience any kids would be lucky to learn from.

Absolutely no reason you wouldn't be hired. All my primary school teachers were 50+.

I wouldn’t but then I’m an ex teacher. The NUT do regular surveys of the average working week of teachers - last time I looked it was 50 hours a week in secondary schools. But younger teachers often work longer hours and the English department has the highest work load. Shadow a teacher, remember if it looks easy it’s because they are skilled and are working very hard. Don’t forget to ask them about their full day, what they have done before school, after school and at the weekend.

Have a look at this page on Facebook

• Live after teaching - exit the classroom and thrive

It is full of teachers who are disillusioned and are being discriminated about due to age.

I love teaching but at 52 am ignored by those younger - both SLT and departmentally. Overlooked for promotions etc. It's a tough job for us 'oldies'