Thinking about becoming a teacher

[EnglishWeddingGuest]

Am in my forties and had a full career - I have four different degrees and think I'm fairly organized - I've been in a very stressful job and done well - worked long hours

Am thinking of retraining as teacher - been wanting to do this for about five years now - teach around middle school age - grades 6/7/8 - - the change in pay will be a shock but one I'm ready for - I want to do something worthwhile

Am interested in views from teachers - what do I need to know - the good and bad and ugly

[EnglishWeddingGuest]

45

[ImperialBlether]

I think as you get older you become even more fed up of not being trusted to do the job. That's something all of my friends have said about teaching.

[rollonthesummer]

I hate to say it, but anyone over 50 has been managed out in my school. All SMT are under 30.

[superram]

Surely young =cheap not always good (but are sometimes). I am 15 years in and am just coping. Marked as watching a film with kids today. Would I do it again-not sure-holidays are helpful now I have kids but term time is awful.

[rollonthesummer]

I am nearly 20 years in and only cope because I'm part time.

I think the fact that young= cheap, by default=good to some SMT. Cheap is good, therefore young is good, too.

[mercifulTehlu]

I decided age 12 that I wanted to be a teacher. It was my vocation. It is no longer recognisable as the same job I went into 20 years ago and I fervently hope that I will never work in a state secondary school again.
People who think that teachers just like whinging are missing the point. There are umpteen threads on here about what's wrong with the way schools work. I'm tired of saying it. Nobody listens. No government will ever have the guts to do what needs to be done, even if they actually understood. Which they don't.

[honeysucklejasmine]

OP are you in the UK? If not, probably what we day won't be relevant.

I'd have thought your qualifications are more suited to secondary tbh. If its something you want to do, get in to schools to volunteer and see what it's like.

[EnglishWeddingGuest]

I'm in the USA but I think people's experiences are relevant across the board

[rollonthesummer]

Possibly, but the reasons we're all giving about the 'good, bad and the ugly' of teaching will be very different in different countries.

[mercifulTehlu]

It will be completely and utterly different in different countries! Most of what teachers are currently complaining about is specific to the changes in the UK education system over the past couple of decades.

[teacherwith2kids]

Country-specific. Absolutely no point in asking an English audience, it isn't even relevant to ask a Scottish / Welsh teacher about teaching in England, let alone across the Atlantic

Ask an American teacher / forum - and go in to volunteer a LOT before you decide.

[PlaymobilPirate]

Dh and I both teach - last week I was on observation week - dp took ds out and about all last weekend so that I could work. This week he's on observation week - I've had ds out of the house as much as possible.

Can't remember the last time we had any decent time together. ..

It's a great job for people who don't want to see their own family too much.

[EnglishWeddingGuest]

Thanks all - clearly the rules and regs differ - but the concept of giving up your career to go into teaching is the same wherever you live - especially if you teach privately

There's been some great advice in this thread that is completely relevant to me and my situation and I am very grateful for that

[kjwh]

I have a friend who was an accountant and became disillusioned with the stress and long hours and decided to retrain as a teacher. He's been doing it a few years now and loves it.

Says it's the best decision he ever made. Yes, he misses the money, but he now has very low travel costs as he works in the same town where he lives, compared with a few thousand a year for a season ticket, so that compensates quite a long way, not to mention the commute is just a few minutes rather than 2 hours per day. He doesn't think the time is much different in total - he was out of the house 10 hours per day before, now he works 10 hours per day on average to include marking and planning in the evenings - basically swapping travelling time for marking/planning time. What he really enjoys are the holidays.

Thing is, though, he has a very domineering personality. The kind of bloke where it's natural for everyone to notice him when he walks into a room -he really has "a presence". He tells me that he has few problems with the pupils as he is always consistent in his dealings with them and adopts a firm but fair approach. When he first gets a new class, he makes it clear who's the boss, by setting boundaries and sticking to them, usually by being a bit too strict at first and then softening slightly as the weeks pass, when he's made his point.

Yes, he finds the bureaucracy and management tiresome to deal with, but he had years of dealing with HMRC as an accountant, so is well accustomed to jobsworths and dealing with forever changing laws and rules, not to mention dealing with difficult/dishonest clients forever trying to bend the rules.

For him, it's his personality and presence that have made the job bearable. It looks as if, today, with the discipline and behaviour issues, a good teacher is more about being able to control and discipline rather than knowing the subject inside out. Shame, but that's how it seems to be.

[derxa]

I have a domineering personality and no discipline problems. Presumably the 'friend' has a lovely partner dealing with everything else at home.

[amarmai]

i wd not want my cc in a class with a domineering teacher.

[rollonthesummer]

Well, I don't have a domineering personality and still have no discipline problems...

[DanFmDorking]

Have a good look at this Teacher Training Scheme.

[DanFmDorking]

Sorry, I didn't read that you were in the USA.

[cressetmama]

Unless one is teaching a STEM subject, pay attention to PP who warns about ageism in UK schools. I retrained and qualified at nearly 55, but have never been asked to an interview.

[Serioussteve]

Very interesting about the ageism, I'm 37 and looking to go into teaching - probably five years for degree and teacher training.

What interests me in maintaining discipline and setting boundaries - any tips across primary and secondary?