to be second guessing re training as a teacher … help!

[Starcarbar]

I worked as a solicitor for around 9 years. It 34 and we want to ttc in next few years. I’ve always wanted to go into something other than law and my plan was to do teacher training from next year ahead of ttc. I keep having doubts. I don’t know if it’s the media but I often hear about how the workload spirals etc. I typically work 8-6 or 7 in law and can usually avoid working a weekend. Does anyone know if it would be worse than that in teaching? I love the idea of making a difference and working with kids and in certain I want to leave the legal profession. Am I making a mistake? I feel like it’s now or never to jump ship!

Find a less demanding job in law

I did my life backwards...kids V early and started teaching at 35 (now 42). I work 7am-6pm in primary and then always work evenings or tutor. Planning/admin/catching up/prep is always Sundays. The only time I ever feel relaxed and rest reflect on how mental my life is, is during the summer holidays.

I also had 7 x tonsillitis last year...🤣

BUT I love making a difference!

Why is it now or never? Why not stick with law and have kids now, then retrain in your 40s?

I was a solicitor and retrained as a secondary French teacher in my late 30s as I wanted to leave law and loved languages. Teaching is very rewarding and, compared to law I never felt stressed or had a sleepless night (was too exhausted!) But it's very long hours at the beginning of your career and it's all consuming. It's not an easy option at all. But if you are in a good and supportive school (I was) it's a great job but you really need to want to do it....would be hard to do full time with young kids though many people do...

Have you looked at local government legal? Pay is poor but very flexible and decent holidays plus ability to buy more. I like the make a difference aspect. I also volunteer as a girl guiding leader.

My husband has been part time (3 days) in his primary teacher role for a decade now. At 3 days the work life balance is not too bad but obviously you have the corresponding reduction in salary.

My husband trained and started teaching (full time) when our eldest was born and to be honest for a few years we only saw him at tea time and part of the weekend. He was always at school or working otherwise.

You can fill in the blanks between full and part time teaching with a common story. Ended up off sick with stress. Since going back part time I have never wanted him to go full time again. Our lives are a thousand times better now.

I left teaching 3 years ago.

I absolutely adored being with the kids in the classroom. I hated planning, keeping up with impossible demands, lack of support, paperwork and the all consuming nature of it all.

I have no regrets. I wouldn't recommend it as a career, especially if you're going to have a baby in the near future. An 8-6 sounds very dreamy in comparison.

Been teaching 15 years, desperately trying to get out. Sounds like the perfect job to have when you have a family. In reality it's impossible to be part time, you just end up doing more at home

Sorry to hear some of the other posters experiences but that’s not been my experience… secondary HOD for last 12 years. With enough notice I have attended my children’s nativities, show and share mornings, harvest assembles, sports days etc. The culture of the SLT at the school make all the difference. I rarely work on the weekends, yes there are pinch points around mocks but I start at 8.30, done by 3/4pm depending on timetable or if I have a meeting. I always drop and pick my kids from school. At the start of any career it’s always hard but you will build your resources and importantly- student relationships and it can be very enjoyable indeed. Good luck

Teaching doesn't seem very family friendly. For example how can you pick up your kids from school/deal with Inset days if you're employed at a different school? No one seems to say how brilliant it is, do they. We do however need more teachers!

I’m currently doing my PGCE having left a career in law. I’m 45 in February.

at the moment I’m at school ‘working’ 8-4.30/5pm. My placements are bloody miles away from home, which is irritating. I have a 50% teaching load at the moment in key stage 2, and sometimes work on a Sunday, but not always. I don’t do planning on the big planning sheets anymore - I’m more of a post it note planner! Marking I have (so far) got done at lunch / straight after school. The schools I have worked at so far are very keen on work / life balance and most teachers leave by 5pm (except when we had ofsted in! Different story then, obviously).

I know a lot of teachers post on here with huge long hours, but it’s not been quite my experience so far (I worked as a TA for some years after leaving law).

the important thing for me is that, unlike when I worked as a solicitor and was constantly clock watching and thinking in units of 6 minutes, now my days fly by and I am happier.

@Starcarbar Worth noting this poster is exactly where you want to be and is working 8-5, and some Sundays, while on a 50% timetable.

Work for yourself as a solicitor fits in brilliantly with kids

I'm desperately trying to get out of teaching in the UK. I work 7-6 on weekdays without a break or a single moment of downtime and also a few hours on a weekend. We are micromanaged and scrutinised constantly. Absolutely zero flexibility for parents: very little paid care leave for a sick child, no time off granted (even unpaid) to look at schools for my child or attend essential appointments - let alone to attend something like a nativity.
All the while being sworn at by students, breaking up fights, dealing with rude and entitled parents.

Absolutely not worth it.

I am primary and although the days are long - I do 7:30-6 most days - I never take work home in the evening or at weekends. Most schools where we are (London) are trying to reduce workload. We plan from schemes, marking is light touch and we provide cover for things like meetings during the school day wherever possible.

I think the expectation among younger/new teachers is that they are not prepared to work late or at weekends and look at you in surprise if you ask them to meet you at 4pm as this is outside directed time. It's different to when I started 20 years ago and because of the recruitment crisis schools are trying really hard to make workload manageable and their school a good place to work.

Remember there are a lot of people on this thread who are not teaching any more, so they are taking about what teaching was like when they last did it which may have been a few years ago, and a lot of them have left because they couldn't manage the workload for whatever reason. It doesn't mean you shouldn't do it.

Why are you arranging meetings out of directed time? That’s not acceptable.

Not true if you’re in a good school.

I've said it before on Mumsnet, but the absolutely crucial thing in teaching is to find the right school. I've been teaching primary for about 25 years. Am now in a truly lovely, small, independent school with a competent but relaxed and respectful SLT. Working hours are contracted at 8-4, with 8-5 for a staff meeting once a week and the usual school fairs and parent meetings. Although people do go over their hours, they aren't expected to (no clock watching on the part of management) and are given generous time during the working day for prep. Never any difficulties in taking time for family if needed. People generally don't take the piss, because they're trusted not to.
Training is pretty brutal, no two ways about it, but once you're through that, find a good school and you'll be fine.

Youll work much longer than thay especially in the first few years then when you take on more responsibility it all increases again. Just dont is my advice

I'd recommend staying in your current role and applying for flexible working arrangements once you have children.

Careers in education right now are an absolute shit show. Too many expectations, too much workload, and too many SLT who have no business being anywhere near a school nevermind a leadership role within one. There is a lot of reliance on good will but nothing in place to actually build the requisite gratitude, people presume you'll deal with any old shit because "it's for the benefit of the children..." - this will be used to browbeat you into a million things you don't want to do and are not contractually obliged to do, alongside "we're a family here, we all pitch in..."

Another thing about working in a school, even one with semi-decent leadership, you will come home emotionally and mentally drained as well as touched out I used to sit in my car for a while before feeling able to go into the house because I was almost completely shutdown by the time I left work. By the end of a half term I was at the point where I wanted no one to speak to me, ask me for anything, touch me, or expect me to do things for them. That feeling isn't conductive to good parenting.

You’ll be working similar hours but for much less money than someone with 9 years in law. And that’s before you account for the year spent earning nothing to do your teacher training.

This isn't necessarily true, plenty of schools let you take leave for stuff like this. I work in one. Lots of places are becoming more flexible as so many people are leaving the profession.

I did it for 5 years and wouldn't go back. Insane workload. Husband still does it, can be out 7-6.30, work 2-3h most evenings and Sunday afternoon too.

There's tired and there's teacher tired. And yes I have had previous careers in really stressful jobs. Teacher tired is a mental exhaustion from dealing with so many people all at once - we are parent/carer/social worker/agony aunt/nurse/coach/mentor/mediator and referee alongside teaching.

I love my job and have worked in schools over my 25 years with a variety of management styles. My current one is amazing and has staff wellbeing at its heart. I still work 7-5 and Sundays though. I also do some prep in the evenings.
Previous school SLT were idiotic and I worked from 6-7:30, every evening Saturday and Sunday - still wasn't enough.

Staff morale is so low with every teacher friend I have. I can't think of one who would stay in the job if there was an alternative.

The kids, the teaching - fantastic. Everything else is not. Oh and it's your fault for everything - the media, parents, students - when it goes wrong it's you. Look at TikTok to see the vitriol teachers get