To retrain as a teacher at (just turned) 50?

[MyPearlCrow]

Just that really. I was a solicitor/partner in a law firm for my first career but burned out /got bored and cynical, so gave it up. luckily we can afford for me not to work which I realise is such a privilege.

I volunteer in a primary school now several days a week and essentially do an unpaid TA role. Here, TAs here are essentially teachers without all the planning/prep/responsibility, as in they actively teach the curriculum to small groups of children. They are highly skilled.

I have considered being a TA. I have been offered a paid role at my current school. But I’m still considering my options and it’s desperately badly paid. And all the TAs here are technically over qualified (all degree educated, or ex teachers, but don’t want the ridiculous workload of a teacher; entry requirement for TA role in England is just passes in gcse English maths and science) but they are paid peanuts. But it’s such a rewarding role and I love it. I think I could really add value.

Complete honesty here: I also realise that I’m used to running the show, in my old job. I suspect that in time I would want to make my own decisions on how to deal with my class, rather than carry out someone else’s instructions. I can already see ways I would want change up the teaching/approach for some children who are struggling. I am acutely aware that teachers just don’t have time to individualise the curriculum for 30 kids though, so I’m aware I might be looking at this from the 6-8 kids I currently take responsibility for in lessons and the ability to do this with a whole class might be much more limited.

i really love being with kids, I value education, I’m a good ‘teacher’ - as in I love to explain things simply and differently to children (or in my old role, to adults too).

Teachers - am I mad? I know too well how hard the job is these days. The primary curriculum here is crazy complicated. The breadth of ability and need is jaw dropping. But I truly believe in state education being a passport to a better life and would love to be part of that.

or do I just take the TA role, qualify up as much as I can in TA courses and accept I’ll be minimum wage forever but trying to make a difference?

important point: I have kids, so want to work part time. And train part time too. I know there are options for this but it will be competitive (I have top grades academically which I think might help). If I do a part time pgce, could I do my first year as a newly qualified teacher part time or is that not an option?

I don’t underestimate what a massive, difficult, demanding and at times (currently) desperately frustrating role teaching is. Am I too old for such a huge challenge? I’d love some wisdom from teachers and ex teachers please.

Would you teach in FE? Where I work they are desperate for A level law teachers

That's still an awful lot of people who are not looking to leave. It really depends on the department and the school. At the school I worked at we have had one teacher leave our 14-strong department in 4 years, and that was to go into another teaching post.

This is eye-opening. Thank you.

I suspect I have a very similar set up to your friends, except I did 20 years in law. Husband still in pqe and very senior, which gives me that financial flexibility for which I’m hugely grateful.

for those saying volunteer, I actively want to work. I like the challenge, the people, the hubbub. Volunteering has given or great insight but I want to be worth something in pounds for my time, however few.

i think law is tough, demanding role with extremely long hours but at least I could go for a wee when I needed to- that was an eye opener working in a school!

hmmm, a’level law would mean knowing a little bit about an awful lot of legal areas. I have worked in a single field for 20 years so would need to relearn/revise all others. I think I’d prefer primary general teaching? I love books and reading and working out maths puzzles, I play outside with them and run races or play games (I’m very fit still), I sort out their friendship issues, I wipe away tears when the girl who tries so hard just can’t pass any tests, I work out how to get that troubled boy or girl back in the classroom or out of a rage. I could really buy into teaching that in a way I probably couldn’t buy into law anymore. Except I realise if I’m teaching a whole class I can’t do all those lovely things too.

Teaching is tough, but you sound like you'd be a fantastic teacher. Go for it, OP.

More than half of teachers want to leave. Don't minimise it.
Edit: not just want to - are actively looking to.

Btw- ex secondary teacher here if that makes my opinion count for more.

You sound lovely and with great values but I think you’re absolutely mad! Don’t do it!

Teaching is very different to being a TA - don’t undervalue that ability to clock off.

I think I’d prefer primary general teaching? I love books and reading and working out maths puzzles, I play outside with them and run races or play games (I’m very fit still), I sort out their friendship issues, I wipe away tears when the girl who tries so hard just can’t pass any tests, I work out how to get that troubled boy or girl back in the classroom or out of a rage. I could really buy into teaching that in a way I probably couldn’t buy into law anymore. Except I realise if I’m teaching a whole class I can’t do all those lovely things too.

Those were very much my favourite parts of what I did as a TA. The fact that I could see a lot of that direct one-to-one engagement is just not possible as a teacher was a big reason why I never did a pgce. That and the admin load, pressure to tick endless boxes, and tricky parents (one who phoned to say he was on his way with a weapon to take revenge.)

I only read the title of your thread and thought “why on earth would you put yourself through this?”……I am a TA and am constantly saying to teachers “I don’t know how you do this role.” The behaviour, the paper work, planning, working evenings and weekends, parents and not to mention the teaching….
Do you not want an easy life?
Wishing you all the best if this the route you do go down……I would be worried if my kids said this is a career they wanted to pursue, but, each to their own.

I've been teaching over 20 years. Looking to get out within the next 2 years. I need to get some balance back in my life.

I'm an ex teacher. I left and then worked with teachers, local government employees and social workers in a different job. My children and their partners are all in different jobs, none of them remotely connected to teaching or the public sector. And in all these different jobs there are huge pressures, which can lead to stress, anxiety and depression. But teaching, out of all of them, has more moments of pure joy which can help to make up for the shitty times. Some of it really is fun! And the holidays do help. It is possible to manage the workload without getting overwhelmed, although you'll have to be rigorously determined. You sound like you would be very good at the job. Maybe take the TA role first. And if you can, visit some other schools (no idea how you would do this though!).

Everyone I know who is a teacher say they would not go in to it now and would like to get out.

The main reason appears to be behaviour, the consensus is that behaviour has got much, MUCH worse in the last few years. This is from people who have been teaching 20+ years. Admittedly these are all secondary school teachers not primary.

Also I think the feeling that senior leadership just doesn't have their back.

As the class teacher, there unfortunately isn’t the time to do all of the in-depth, caring 1:1 activities with individual children that you’d like to do, because someone has to teach the whole class. You’d need to use your own break time or lunchtime for that, but they’re frequently taken up by duties/ lesson preparation.

Teaching nowadays (I’m 3 decades in!) is as much about meeting targets as it is about the teacher-student relationship and bringing out the best in every child. The harsh reality is that teachers (including primary) are put into capability measures and then sacked if children are deemed to be making insufficient progress.

And a few more things to add to the list:

Preparing evidence/data for your own performance management

Updating PM/ appraisal documentation for anyone you manage (you may be given time off from teaching for this but would still be expected to set work)

Writing reports
Proof-reading reports for other classes
Sending out reports one at a time on the online system

Buying and making resources for your class (midnight playdough was a personal low point)

Organising day and residential visits- bookings, coach quotes, getting and chasing up parental consents and payments, organising lunches, begging SLT to release sufficient staff to run the trip, begging parents to volunteer as helpers

Putting up classroom displays according to the prescribed system

Labelling and organising class reading books according to the prescribed system

Ordering and returning books via the central LA library

I'd do at least a year as a TA first.
If you don't need the money then stay a TA and be proactive do courses etc you could take a real lead on curriculum or wellbeing interventions. A HLTA could also lead whole class stuff.

@MyPearlCrow
Fuck no! Definitely don’t do it!
For all the reasons listed previously.
Also, tutoring isn’t just for more affluent kids, lots of local councils employ tutors for kids who are in care or who are home schooled etc.

The point I am making is that, clearly and obviously, there is an issue with teacher retention, but this is unequally spread across schools. My school is part of an academy trust. Some schools in the trust have vacancies pretty much all the time - they are like the magic roundabout in terms of staff turnover. Others, like mine, have very few vacancies. The trick is to work in a school where staff are treated well.

The job is still hard, but it's hard in a good way. I don't think we should be rushing to put off someone who would clearly be an asset to the profession, just because a lot of people want out.

also realise that I’m used to running the show, in my old job. I suspect that in time I would want to make my own decisions on how to deal with my class, rather than carry out someone else’s instructions

As an experienced teacher, I felt like I had the autonomy to teach how I wanted when I first started, but this is often not the case now. In many schools how/when you teach things and what you teach are so prescribed that there are sadly very few decisions left that individual teachers can make!

I think the best thing I would advise is to spend an afternoon reading through some of the posts on the 'Exit the classroom and thrive' facebook group and see why so many people want to leave. At least then you will be going into this with your eyes open.

Thanks for all the updates. I’ll go onto the suggested thread and look.

It’s so desperately sad that we are here, where a large proportion of teachers are unhappy. What are the teaching unions doing?

re tutoring, I imagine it’s evening/weekends. I only want to do normal working hours.

Plus, I am nowhere near experienced enough to ‘teach’ a curriculum. I am just about keeping my head above water following the very detailed lessons/lesson plans and teaching myself as we go along so I can guide the children in my care.

I went from lawyer to teacher, and it was horrendous with an unmanageable workload combined with children. I think I was unlucky with the school though, and my current school, where I work as an HLTA , is a much nicer place to be with proper structured support for trainees.
For me, becoming an HLTA was a better balance. The pay is more than you’d get as a TA, ( though still low) I teach smaller groups and whole classes, and have a lot of input into how I do this and with the school generally. I do have planning responsibilities but mostly manage to leave by about 4:30/5:00, and obviously get the holidays off.
To become an HLTA you need either QTS or you can train on the job and do specific HLTA qualifications. You used to be able to do it just based on experience, but I’m not sure that’s realistically the case anymore, bearing in mind that you’d be competing for jobs against qualified and experienced teachers. If the school you volunteer at is keen to have you, you could discuss that with them.

Separate issue: TA courses I have seen focus on safeguarding, behaviour management etc. what courses can I do to teach me the curriculum? Of course I can do the work, but the level of detail in the English primary curriculum is astonishing, and the maths methods very different from 30 years ago. Who teaches TAs that??

Super useful, thank you. I’ll investigate at this option too.

do you get paid for all your hours worked?

I haven't read the whole thread but I think you should do it. You sound brilliant and teaching desperately needs people like you. You're already working in a TA role and so not going into it blind. As an ex lawyer you already have tons of experience of working in an extremely demanding role.

The only reservation, as you pointed out, is how much of a difference you can make to them all and not just the small group you work with.