To tell my son he should do something that earns more than teaching

[NameChangeAgainAgainAgainAgain]

My son is good at everything. Parent's evening yesterday and all the teachers said he could easily get 9s at almost all his GCSEs but he's a bit lazy as he finds things quite easy.

He plays 2 instruments to grade 6+ standard. He learns fast. He's great at sciences, maths, computing.

He wants to be a PE teacher.

AIBU to tell him to think about doing something else? He could literally do anything and has chosen this. I am a bit disappointed I suppose, thought he might go Barrister/Actuary/Doctor or something.

Are you doing what you wanted to do when you were 15??

I know I'm not and loads of people aren't!!

Also, you're being quite snobby about a very reputable, rewarding career path!

My very very first thought from the title was job satisfaction
( and I see at least one other reply uses these words too)

then I read the start of the content
and my second thought is, retirement age by then could well be 71 - how many P. E. teachers are that age ?

my 3rd thought is if working in a school, there are more teachers of other subjects than there are of P.E. - so there will be lots of competition for the few vacancies there are ?

However it is his life / his choice

Many teenagers have no idea what they want to do, many teenagers change their mind.

and of course, he can always retrain / do another degree in later years / open his own gym etc.

YANBU.
But for me it's not about the money but the working conditions for teachers and dignity at work.
The lunatics have taken over the asylum in too many schools and there is no dignity at work for teachers.

Teaching is a good career. My dd is paid very well

Being a teacher is great if that's what he wants to do but children want to be what they can see and 'know' about, Doctor, nurse, police, fire, paramedic, footballer, influencer those are all jobs that are familiar to them and most people have a surface level idea of what they do.

How much exposing him to more unusual careers have you done? Obviously schools should be exposing students to different careers options but if they are not then you should do it.

My DD is interested in working on the energy sector so I booked a tour around Sizewell as it's fairly local but there are local career fairs, science/arts festivals, workshops, local uni open days and look at a variety of courses even if under the age to go, even heritage building open days (the Norwich Union building in Norwich is fabulous), sitting in the 'audience' at court or even Houses of Parliament might get him looking at wider options and talking to people who actually do the job to open his eyes more.

In what world?

That being said, I'm interested to know OP why you thought he might choose to be a doctor, barrister, actuary "or something"? Was it based on his interests? Aptitude? Something he said? Or just the fact you think more of those careers?

Seriously? The well down trodden cliche of doctor, lawyer and banker

Headteachers can earn more than many doctors
Male and career minded could be a primary HT on £70-80k in 5-6 years. Then move into an academy Trust role C£110-125 k for primary

PE teaching is about the only competitive subject to get into
Primary is better career wise.

He's only 15/16. A long way to go.

And he could become a millionaire! Albeit this is US centric
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cant-outearn-stupidity-dave-ramsey-110000008.html

So have you tried to explain to him about other professions, arranged for him to meet people who are doctors, lawyers etc? Could he do a day’s shadowing/ work experience? Maybe he needs a more concrete understanding of what those jobs entail.

I do find it amusing that he is lazy and considering a career as a teacher. A teacher’s day is full on with marking after school etc. You are performing all day in front of a critical audience and don’t get back to sit back and do nothing. if he is lazy, he is entirely unsuited to being a good teacher. I am not a teacher, but I know enough about the profession to see that it is not a good option for someone who is lazy.

anyway, he is very young. He may eventually not want to do teaching and he may eventually not turn out lazy. Let him choose A-levels which do not close off future options and see how the next couple of years go.

At that age as long as he us engaged with school, getting decent grades - and yes I have a lazy but capable DS - and showing interest in some viable career other than youtubing or being an influencer, I wouldn't worry.

Well, given the numbers of teachers posting on here about how crap the job is these days, due to unsupportive leadership teams, unsustainable workloads and pressure and disciplinary problems within schools, I don't think I'd be encouraging any child of mine to go into teaching without doing detailed research and/or a real sense of vocation.
DH is an ex-teacher who took early retirement due to all that. He didn't want to die in harness, which he felt was a real possibility.

Why? If it's what he wants encourage him! Teaching is a fantastic career, yes I know all the issues but it can be extremely rewarding. Why push him in to doing something he may hate? It's not as if he picked the usual 'career' of YouTuber so many teens come up with!

PE Teachers become Principals, Principals become Exec Principals, Exec Principals become Trust CEOs.

Teaching is a hard hard job, but it has as many or more opportunities for leadership and progression as any other area and if you can survive the first five years, probably significantly more.

He plays 2 instruments to G6, and you call him lazy??

More than a little

I have told my dc that teaching should even feature in their thoughts as a profession. I say that as a teacher. I would be disappointed too.

Do you have the same thoughts about his teachers, they could have done better with their lives??

The same teachers who have guided him through school and the ever changing curriculum all these years through to his exams.

My daughter is a trainee teacher and I’m very proud of her, certainly not disappointed.

I’m a teacher. Always did very well at school and got a good degree from a Russell group uni. I wanted to be a teacher since was seven and I love the job. Im very good at it. The pay is ok and the holidays are great. It’s a difficult job but very rewarding and I wouldn’t want to do anything else.
I believe children should be encouraged to do what they enjoy. It’s that simple.

Should teaching be reserved for the less academic?

To be honest, most 15 year olds are clueless about the real world and change their minds rapidly. Why don't you arrange some work experience somewhere for him. A local solitors, accountants, architect etc and see what he thinks?

Fwiw, I'd actively encourage my children to NOT pursue a job that requires them to live and breathe it. A solicitor? No thanks. Doctor? Rather not.

Personally I want my children to pursue something mid-road that pays enough but isn't the overall dominating area of their life. That allows them to have time for family and leisure too.

Hahahaha

He’s not even sat his GCSEs yet - he may well change his mind. Also, as a young teenager he may not have a huge understanding of what other jobs are out there and, importantly, what they involve - he thinks he understands what a PE teacher does and thinks he might enjoy it.
Don’t tell him he shouldn’t do it, that’s only likely to make he more determined to! You can show him other career options and jobs - do you know people who can talk to him about what they do?
At the end of the day though, it’s his life, not yours. Money makes life easier, but it probably won’t make him happier. Also, before you rush to push barrister/doctor etc, make sure you understand what has to be put into training for these careers and how much financial outlay is required while young and struggling for money anyway.

@WithACatLikeTread - to be clear, I'm laughing because of all the bloody overtime.

A levels are a lot harder ....maybe wait til he is in his second year of those and get him some good career advice as he'll have more of an idea then. PE teacher is a great job. Don't put him off doing this