Can any teachers give me some advice?

[MidoriNoRingo]

I’m thinking of taking the plunge and doing my PGCE in September.

It’s something I’ve toyed with for the last decade but never had the courage to go for as I was worried about how I would cope with unruly teenagers, however I’ve spent the last 3 years working in secure units with violent and traumatized teenagers and do really enjoy my job so I’m thinking actually I might be the right sort of person to this job. I enjoy difficult children, but I’m getting weary of the constant threat my life that I currently have with the teenagers I currently work with.

Woukd anyone mind sharing what they live about their job and what they don’t love? And if you think someone who’s been working with teenagers that are too severe in terms of behaviour to attend mai stream school will be ok in secondary school. I would be looking to teach biology, I have a degree in psychology and half a degree in mental health nursing.

If you've got that experience with those personalities, you will be fine. The hardest part of teaching is classroom management. Go for it.

I too have a psychology degree. I actually went back in my 40s and did my pgce in post 14 maths. I did a subject knowledge enhancement course. I teach resit maths functional skills and GCSE to small groups of learners. Most have additional needs. On the whole I really enjoy it. I loved the pgce course

I teach secondary English. I don’t like the marking load but it would be easier in Biology especially and a bit easier in Psychology depending on A Level uptake. It’s having to work outside of your hours that’s difficult. If you don’t have kids and work locally you could stay until 5.30 every day and get lots done and still have an evening.

Behaviour can be difficult. Due to funding, students get on to A Level subjects with lower grades now and some of them just aren’t capable enough or driven enough to actually do the work.

I like teaching my subject and building rapport with students. My school has a strong community feel which I like so if you don’t like your first school it’s worth trying some others. I enjoy planning when I’ve got enough time to plan really well.

Things I liked about being a teacher:

1. The holidays
2. I could start at 8am and finish at 4pm
3. It was easy to me - behaviour management came quite naturally, I'm quick at making resources...
4. Very short commute - schools are everywhere!
5. Always a bit of low-level gossip and drama
6. High likelihood someone has brought in cake.

Things I didn't like about being a teacher:

1. The pay/lack of benefits/high pension contribution - the whole 'package' is crap.
2. Awkward classes that were just dull. Kids who don't misbehave but simply don't contribute - it's like pulling teeth and extremely boring.
3. Parents who need handholding every second of the day.
4. The relentless safeguarding forms and reports and follow-ups, only for nothing to ever happen.
5. The constant exposure to just fucking awful parenting - you just want to shake them and say "do you not realise how fucking shit you are?!"... but that's not allowed.
6. Not being allowed to do anything without some busybody parent having an issue - seen drinking wine in a restaurant? Complaint. Seen wearing a bikini at the pool? Complaint.
7. Unlikely to be able to retire before about 100.

Things other people didn't like about teaching:

1. The hours - some people just don't make resources/presentations quickly or can't mark quickly. I was always quick so it didn't bother me but some people honestly are up until the early hours on this stuff.
2. Some schools are hell. I worked in two very different schools at the end of my teaching career - one awful, one fantastic (from an Ofsted/outcomes/grades/behaviour perspective) but both, luckily, not awful in terms of irrelevant meetings or redlines. Some schools are micromanaged to the hilt with daily meetings that could've been emails.
3. Behaviour - sounds like you'd be ok, and it never really bothered me, but kids can be dicks.

I’ve worked in the environment you currently work in and high schools. There are challenging adolescents in most places. If you get a bursary for the PGCE, go for it. If you don’t like it, you can always do something else.

I loved the feeling of achievement - not for yourself as a teacher, but helping a student/pupil find that light bulb moment.

Downsides were tosser SLTs and unrealistic targets, that were relentless. You're just a number but the career is what you make it. Find the age group you most fit with.

I’m interested to know what sort of doors teaching opens outside of the classroom too! I’m one of those always looking for a new challenge. I’m very passionate about safeguarding but the pay in entry level pastoral roles is just too low for me to live on.

Also, is I qualify as a secondary teacher, could I still teach primary? And could I also teach college level or is that different course? I’ve seen varying info online!

I've just retired after 30 odd years of teaching teens. I've taught in some very challenging schools in special measures, and some pretty nice schools. All my work was in socially deprived areas, however, rather than leafy areas.

I loved being in a classroom. I loved the kids, even the dickhead ones. I never took poor behaviour personally, it was generally that they were having a shit time in life. I loved my subject.

What I didn't like was shit management, jumping through hoops that required huge amounts of time and in no way benefitted my pupils. I hated stupid targets that bore little resemblance to the pupil's actually ability. I hated data, Ofsted, and petty rules. If a student is quiet, and working well and I know that their home life is utterly shit I don't want to send them to the office to take their nail varnish off.

The hours are ridiculous. I'm not sure if a Psychology degree qualifies you to teach Biology up to GCSE - although they are short of science teachers, it's more like Chemistry and Physics.

If your concern is behaviour rather than workload/shit management you'll be fine.

Worst, the workload. 70+ hours a week. So. Much. Pointless. Admin. requirements from SLT, HOD, Ofsted etc etc. It's a full-time admin job with teaching added on.

Best, the kids. A class you vibe well with - well, there really is nothing quite as good.

Actually it wasn't extreme behaviour that got me down, it was the death by a million cuts of apathy, talking over the teacher, denying things when caught red handed, all that type of low level disruption. Just so weary of it all.

You should know @MidoriNoRingo IME anyway most if not all secondary science teachers teach all three sciences, at least to KS3, as they are not usually separated.

My DC had science specialists from year 10 but I don't know how widespread that is, especially now. Do you have three sciences at A level? Would you be happy to teach psych as well (A level more likely than GCSE)?

I know there is a shortage of science teachers but your degree is not in your subject (not saying you wouldn't be able to teach it – but you might have to jump through a few hoops to show your subject knowledge (I had to for a different subject)).

I was a secondary teacher and these are the things I liked about it:
Chance to make a difference and we really did in some cases
Some great students who loved learning
Rediscovered a lost love for my subject (which I have retained)
Never bored, always busy
Easy to get and stay slim as no chance to eat and on feet all day (lol about the cake tho @ConfusedSloth that is true!)
Good to be off in school holidays with my tween/teen DC
Flexibility in the day – I started early it’s true but was able to leave at 4pm and be home before 4.30 (then worked at home obvs but I was there for the DC)
AMAZING colleagues, best team I have ever worked with and still see at least a dozen of them regularly

Things I didn't like
Rude and disruptive behaviour
Attitude of a few parents and some students
Being sworn at and subject to physical nastiness (spitting, pushing)
Endless workload of planning and marking which ate into my evenings and weekends and a good deal of the holidays too
Pressure to tick boxes for SLT such as marking checks, green pen replies, so much nonsense
Unsupportive SLT and poor HT

Some of my dislikes would be specific to the school (poor SLT for example) but others I am afraid are generic (marking and workload and box-ticking). But look carefully for your school and you may well find somewhere good.

In the end I left, mainly because of workload and behaviour. I now work elsewhere and tutor my subject a bit which I love.

All of the PGCE courses I’ve looked at have not stated what sort of degree I need, just that I need a degree at 2:2 level, so just assumed I’d learn enough during the course to teach that subject. I have an a kevek equivalent (access course) in physics and maths, but I enjoy biology a lot more.

The course will not teach you about your subject. For secondary, you are meant to come to it with subject knowledge. The course teaches you how to be a teacher.

Is your physics qual equivalent to A level? What about chemistry?

Have you considered teaching in a special school? Your recent work and Psychology degree might help.

I’ve worked in respite care with children with severe learning disabilities and it’s just not my jam unfortunately as much as I adored the kids.