To consider becoming a primary school teacher?!

[wouldibetotallymad]

Would I be bonkers?

I have NC as some of this can be linked up with previous posts.

I'm 44, 3 kids (13, 7, 4). I'm a solicitor and have been for 20 years. I don't work in private practice any longer but still work in law. I work 4 days a week and get paid well for it, now my kids are getting older I would like to go back full time. But I am bored as hell and the company I work for is becoming more and more frustrating by the day (think endless corporate training, frustrating management structures etc), but I am also bored and frustrated with the work itself. There is no novelty, just hours in front of a computer screen working on things that are of minimal interest to a minimal number of people, including me.

What attracts me to primary school teaching? The variety, the human interaction, I like being really busy and pushed, the chance to actually make a difference to children's day to day existence.

Would I be bonkers?! I know the pay will be a whole let less than what I am on right now, which we could manage (just).

I have friends and family who are teachers and they have looked at me aghast when I have mentioned the possibility . . .

You need to go and see what it is actually like.

There is not currently a particularly bad shortage of primary teachers (although this depends on where you are in the country).

It is not a profession with a lot of autonomy - you will need to mark according to the school policy and teach the way the school is happy with. If that fits with your personality that is fine but for many people it does not.

You will also have to clear up sick snot and poo. Behaviour is more difficult in many schools than it has been, and this is often harder for beginning teachers to cope with - children will throw things at you, try to hit you or other children and shout at you.

There have always been children who behave like that (I have been in education 20 years) but there are a lot more now. There is a lot of speculation as to why, but it is generally agreed it is the case.

I've been teaching for thirty years. I am still in touch with eight friends who graduated with me. One of those friends is working in an independent school. The others have steadily given up teaching over the years. There is a reason for the retention crisis. Education is hard and it's not going to improve any time soon.

I’m in my ECT year 1 at 43 but secondary. I actually do love my job. Sometimes I google what else I could do, and it can feel infuriating and so hard, and also depressing, impossible and everything else - like all jobs where you care and can’t get the results you would
like for everyone.

However, I have usually had a proper belly laugh within five minutes of seeing my tutor group first thing in the morning and when you feel you have managed to teach them or build their confidence it is the biggest high! I do lose sleep and I think about my classes a huge amount of my free time. But I love it (today has been a good day)

I am pleased I did secondary as I like having the variety of lots of different students in different classes

Well I’m a teacher and I often regret not getting a better paid job. I was academic at school and could easily have done so. Teaching becomes boring quite quickly to be honest once you’ve worked out everything and become skilled at it. It’s a very responsible job and you are accountable and held to account. You have targets and have to prove evrything with evidence. That is all quite stressful for a job that also still involves a lot of photocopying and trimming and marking the same stuff day after day.

Find a better legal job. There are plenty out there.

Without meaning to be completely negative…. Don’t do it!!! 😭

I am a solicitor turned primary teacher! I didn't stay long in law so different experience but I've never had any regrets. Every day is interesting and busy, some are really hard, some are a delight but it's definitely where I'm meant to be.

Agree with volunteering to go in - I did that before making the jump. Didn't put me off.

Are you in England or Scotland? From what I understand, teachers are better paid in Scotland and don't have to do lunch duty, have protected planning time etc but there are very few jobs, none in many councils. In England, i think there are more jobs but due to teachers leaving with ridiculous pressures and inadequate pay/not being valued by government.

Going in with eyes open sounds sensible but I've never had any regrets. Husband as DHT will mean you've a good idea too.

Don’t do it. Nearly every teacher I know (and I know a lot!) are trying to put exit plans together. There is a reason why there is a recruitment and retention crisis in education.

I really wish Ofsted results were not made public. I have no problem with scrutiny and inspections but am tired of parents implying that they'll 'ring Ofsted' or say something negative when we're inspected. Heads are terrified of the ramifications of a poor Ofsted inspection and it just gives parents too much power. Inspect and then feedback so that we can make changes if needed. We don't need parents shouting at us for lowering the value of their house.

I would ask is it teaching children you want to do primarily? Or would lecturing in law work for you? If you've been in post for twenty years, I imagine colleges and universities would be approachable.

Being a primary school teacher surrounded by large numbers of young children all day is exhausting. You have to be constantly mentally alert as well as on your fedt most of the day. I've done it for 20+ years. It was fine when I was energetic in my 20s and had no other responsibilities. Now I'm in my 40s I'm just shattered by the time the kids go home and I still have meetings to attend, marking, planning, preparation and all the stuff to do with my own DC. I really don't know how I'm going to limp to 60, and certainly won't be able to last out until 67/68.

I would advise against going into the profession, especially in mid-life.

I'm a primary teacher and I really do love my job. It can be challenging - the parents can be hard work and behaviour is pants- however, if you find the right school, it's a nice environment to work in.
I laugh everyday with my children and I feel that there are always opportunities to develop professionally and personally. I've recently moved from private (6 years) to state and it was the best thing I did!
I'm not sure there are many other jobs where you can be dressed as Harry Potter on a Wednesday afternoon making potions with children to "inspire their writing" but really it's just because you love dressing up.

Please, become one. A nice, kind, lovely one. We need loads of you

Great choice if you are looking at a massive number of holidays that those in other professions can only dream about

Down side, never mind the clowns that may be a step-parents, parents, single parent etc awful behaviours , some of the children's behaviours are a nightmare

I think the idea of working 2 days as a TA alongside your current job is a good idea, if possible. Pay close attention to the teachers' experiences and the atmosphere of the school. I personally loved working with the children in my primary school roles, but couldn't stand the culture. It might be you decide its not for you but you'll be one step closer to finding out what is for you. And/or perhaps invest in some sessions with a qualified careers coach, who specialises in career changes. It's great you have a sense of what you're looking for (more interaction, meaning etc).
Good luck!

Are you at our school? Sounds like most of our parents. It is astonishing how entitled, cheeky and unbelievably arrogant they are .

I've been a primary teacher for 26 years.

I would actively discourage any body from becoming a teacher.

The expectations are unreasonable.

Volunteering in a school on your day off would be a good way to get a better idea of what's involved

I think, in your shoes, I might look at changing direction within law if you can find a field that interests you

I think it is a mix.

1. House prices going up therefore both parents working, having fewer kids and later in life therefore less grandparent childcare and badly paid shit childcare providers = prior to school start children have less quality interactions with other human beings.

1. Above effect multiplied by technology. Our brains aren't designed to view screens all day long as children, I believe there are cognitive implications in terms of children's capacity to retain knowledge as they don't talk as much e.g. how was your day, therefore less chance to retrieve their new learning and thus strengthen neural pathways making their learning move into long term memory.
2. Covid plus busy parents distracted by technology = children have not been parented. E.g. if you go to a restaurant, kids r now placed infront of an iphone rather than taught how to sit and listen/be bored.
3. Less children=the ones people have become their little Gods who can't do anything wrong, ever. As a result, parents will mostly bow take the side of their child rather than the school's. So when i ring home, following schools behaviour policy, to inform a parent that their child has made a racist remark/hurt another child, the parent will question me and believe their child's version of events over my own, which further undermines the school and the childrens respect for any authority figures. Whereas in my generation's day, my parents may have believed me but would still have said "don't get into trouble at school/show some respect".

If you google attachment disorders, I think a lot of children we teach now have them to some degree, because they have largely been ignored by their phone addicted parents their whole lives. They need constant stimulation, praise and attention because they don't get any at home. Plus children have smartphones from the age of 6 onwards, plus unrestricted access to youtube etc. So a lot of children are confused and traumatised by things they see on screens quite often, a lot of violence/misogyny/racism is incredibly normalised by the Internet for them. This is then confirmed by the violence they now see in schools all the time e.g. last week an autistic pupil slapped me hard on the face in front of the class and had to be carried out by two adults, then I had to carry on teaching. E.g. they genuinely don't know why swear words are bad, because they are used on their computer games all the time. If you do volunteer in a reception class, see if you can spot the children whose families limit or ban screen time based on their behaviour. It will be pretty obvious.

Hollow laugh at a small rural school being easier. It is much, much harder, especially with the current Ofsted framework. Everyone I know who has worked in both has hot footed it back to two form entry, inner city schools.

I’m a primary school teacher and I probably won’t do it for my whole career but it’s a decent job. The pay is alright once you’ve been doing it for a few years but I don’t have kids.

It’s also fun and genuinely you can eventually get a good work life balance if you work in the right school - although mine has a heavy marking policy, I am now very quick with it. YMMV.

The PGCE and NQT (now ECT) can be a bit shite to be honest, but I think it’s worth a go. I actually don’t think it’s that hard if you have a well behaved class and you work in a nice school who don’t throw a bunch of random initiatives at you. Like, I certainly don’t think it’s any harder than a lot of other jobs - it just depends on what you personally find hard.

If, like me, you have a class who were bunch of absolute menaces at the start of the year, it’s a different matter. I still enjoy it though.

Small rural school means mixed year groups and multiple subject leadership is compulsory as not enough teachers to spread them out plus low funding.

Did you do it op?