AIBU to consider retraining as a maths teacher in my forties?

[Curioustoteachmaths]

I have a successful career in finance but quite frankly I am tired of the corporate game and looking to change careers into teaching maths. Late 40s, in London. Have you done this shift? What has been your experience?

I will be careful what I say, as it could be outing, but I work in this field (training maths teachers) and we interview people from their 20s to their 50s. The most successful are those who worked in another industry for 2-5 years and then retrain. We have had some come to it later (including this year) but it’s a hard slog and it might mean being mentored by someone 15 years your junior. I highly recommend visiting some schools and possibly doing some tutoring to get a feel for it. But nothing compares to the actual job of teaching.

Also, we are short of maths teachers but it’s not a doddle to get a job, and those who struggle through the training also struggle to get jobs. It’s also competitive to get into training because of the bursary attached, as it attracts a lot of people who graduate and don’t have a clue of what to do. I wouldn’t think this is an issue in your position though.

I did the same at 40. I loved teaching but it is a killer for the sheer number of hours you'll work. I worked between 70 & 80 a week and was on my knees, despite being a workaholic by nature.

I've worked in private and state schools. TBH, I prefer state. The kids on the whole are sparkier and a lot more fun. But it's also a lot more violent and behaviour is horrific at times. And of course, state has a lot more work. But there are obviously very different pressures in private. Parental expectations are through the roof and a lot of parents very much feel they are paying for a raft of top grades out of kids that are frequently not top grade material.

I've diversified out of classroom teaching now but I still miss it. There is nothing as good as the buzz you get from being in front of a lively, sparky, mad class of 15 year olds. They are FABULOUS.

Just to add I worked as a teacher for a significant time before my current role and loved it and miss it dearly. It’s so important to find the right school though. I think it’s what you make of it too. You have a lot of transferable skills already and will find some parts of the job easy, but things like classroom management, adapting to meet all the different needs and assessment for learning take time to learn and there are no shortcuts.

Absolutely the worst decision you could make! I taught for 20 years and the last 5-6 years were horrific. In your 40s you will be treated like shit by management and kids and I guarantee you that you won’t even be able to begin to imagine how awful behaviour is. Expect to be working 60-70 hour weeks and spending most of your holidays ill because you’re so run down from the relentless stress and pressure.

A relative of mine did this at 55 after being made redundant from a finance position. She only worked for two years after her PGDE as it was too much. But she was glad she did it. If you don’t try you never know. I’ve been a teacher for 32 years. Every day is crazy but there’s nothing else I’d ever do. I’m institutionalised!

I retrained as a secondary teacher in my 40s and I absolutely adore it. I'm 5yrs in and yes behaviour is challenging, parents are demanding, workload is high but I work in an excellent department with supportive SLT led by a strategic and effective head. If I didn't have the colleagues I do, it might be a different matter. I trained on the job as an apprentice so was paid and taught 0.8FTE, studying evenings and weekends. Several of my fellow trainees are less content. A couple have already left. The difference was the support in their respective schools.

How can you know the teachers' future intentions?

And I'm of the strong opinion that good maths and science teaching, directed towards any children in the country, benefits the country's economy long term.

Children who have been well educated are more likely to go on to be net contributors and we could do with as many of those as possible.

I think the alternative you're implying you'd prefer is some kind of indentured servitude where you only get the bursary if you then have to work in the state sector for a certain number of years afterwards. Luckily, it's not like that.

Would you believe it, some recently qualified teachers even quit teaching altogether after receiving the bursary. I'd say remaining in teaching at all is considered a success these days, never mind in what sort of school.

That's definitely not true in private schools. They use every skill they can get. I'm a Performing Arts teacher but, among other thibgs, I've run clubs in a language I speak, taught History and done lunchtime cross stitch as a well being activity. We once had a cleaner who had been on the Ukrainian National Gymnastics team. He was soon a key coach in our gym clubs. We also had a member of the grounds amd maintenance team who played drums in a band in his free time. He drummed for our school production.

I'd say you'd be in high demand for maths in an independent school. They might pay for you to do a PGCE, esp if you're anywhere near Buckingham University which does a qualification specifically for private schools.

In my opinion, work life balance is uneven, not non existent. It's hard to get in term tine, especially if your school has boarders as you'll often be needed on site until 7, 8, 9pm or even later.Then there's Saturday school too. But the holidays are long and you definitely won't need to work through them. Even in the 8 week summer, I don't think I do more than 2 weeks worth of work. Shorter holidays are only a few days working.

A friend teaches in a local independent school and enjoys it, although is exhausted at the end of every half term.

They interviewed for a new Head of Maths this week. In the past they have had trouble recruiting but she said there’s a better field this year because the VAT situation means some private schools are closing or look as if they might, and because more teachers are hoping to move from state schools.

I suppose that would apply to classroom teachers, too. Quite a few of their teachers have come from state schools but it’s rare to move the other way.

I did move the other way (independent to state) and I concur with the pp who said you get more energy and sparkiness among the kids, but the downside is more extreme behaviour.

So you need an SLT who are both humane and great at dealing with behaviour.

I've worked 0.8 FTE for most of my career. That ring-fenced weekday really keeps you sane and means you can keep on top of marking without sacrificing every weekend.

Plus side of Maths... no essays!

Before you make the leap I suggest you spend some time in a school to see if it really is for you. I heard of a journalist who decided to go into teaching and didn’t last a term. It is not for everyone be the school private or state.

I think if you're moving to teaching for a good work life balance you're not up to speed on what the realities are today. 1 in 4 teachers are doing 59+ hours a week, the average are doing 46 to 49 but measurement has always been a problem.

I retrained as a Maths teacher in my late 30s and am leaving the classroom this year, after 12 years in the profession. Like you, OP, I had a job in industry for over a decade prior to training. Spent most of my career in the grammar/independent sector.

I really really enjoy being in the classroom. I'm leaving for various reasons, but the teaching bit isn't one of them. I only work 0.6 though, which gives me a decent work-life balance.

Do you have children? I've no regrets at all about the path that I took, as I got to spend the holidays with mine. As they get older though, this becomes less important and definitely by the time they have left home, I do not want to be restricting myself to peak holiday fares.

I'm not sure I'd train in my late 40s - the first few years are very intense and my sleep and stress levels were appalling.

Forgot to mention - because I'd been out of education for so long, I was required to take a subject knowledge enhancement course before I started my PGCE. That was actually really enjoyable and we had a small bursary to support that.

Sorry, posted too soon.

I meant to add that I owe my teaching career in large part to DH. He's done way more than his fair share of child sick days, short notice WFH, food shopping and cooking. He was also a really decent "test subject" to practice teaching on!

Hi op. I have pm.you.

Why not? There are dozens of people over 40 on my healthcare degree course. My two besties are mid 50s.

Do it! (English teacher here)

I would add that teachers are the worst gossips I have ever encountered in any work environment and I have worked in a lot of different sectors. In every school I taught in, there was so much gossip, bitching behind backs, etc. The playground mentality seems to permeate the whole place.

The bullying came more from SMT, and again I would say it’s quite universal. Would never recommend anyone to go into teaching, it’s the toughest job I ever did. When I think back now, I marvel at how I ever coped with it!

I know it's not your fault but tbh as a Humanities teacher in an indy school this is the kind of post that makes me think it's grossly unfair that teachers of essay based subjects have the same timetable load but much heavier marking expectations. Their work life balance is often terrible, especially in indy schools where detailed written feedback is often an expectation.

Thanks ! I agree, I am meeting with a school to get the feel for it. Can I ask, what did you branch into please? Just curious as I think teaching is full on.

I agree, this seems to be the common theme, to be part of a supportive team could make or break the experience

Absolutely, thanks for this. I think it is a drastic change and needs to be tested before jumping into the deep end.

I have school age kids so they still very much need me and this is one of the reasons for the change. Term time holidays is getting quite difficult. But I now see that this is a bit more nuanced, work life balance and term time responsibilities of the teacher