GTP versus homelife

[luciemule]

I'd love to know how well people have coped with their own children whilst doing a GTP year. I'm thinking about starting a primary one in a couple of years time, once my 2nd DC is at school but am worried about the effects the year will have on home life. How intense is it and how much work at home is there likely to be? Hopefully I'll be able to do the year in the same school as my children so they could be with me before and after school but although I really want to follow this career (i'm 29), I'm wondering whether the strain of GTP on the kids will prove to be too great.

Graduate Teaching Programme - done within the classroom in a school year as long as you have a degree.

I diidn't do the GTP, but the PGCE, so can't exactly advise specifically. I will and try and ask my colleagues who did GTP about it (although both of them are childless..). I did my PGCE with 2 littlies (4 and 3), and am now doing my NQT year. To be perfectly honest, I have found it very difficult, but I am not world's most organised person, and a terrible procrastinator. I am lucky to have the support of my dh and my MIL, who does the drop off and pick up for the children every day. During the PGCE, on my teaching practice blocks I was regularly working the school day, and then working from 8:30 pm until 12/1 am. I am now working mainly 11 hr days M-F and a 1/2 day on Saturday. I am sorry, don't want to put you off terribly, but that is just my reality. As I say, perhaps the GTP is run quite differently. Ironically though, I chose the PGCE over the GTP because the GTP seemed more stressful! I will try and check with my friends - maybe they have a cheerier picture to paint!

I've just finished a different post-grad teaching course (dyslexia specialist - am already primary and secondary trained) and I found it v hard work with a 2 year old (plus 3 older siblings). Probably no help my mum dying half way through.
You'll be fine if you are v organised (I'm not) and if you have child care sorted whie you work in the evenings (I didn't as dh works away). The most frustrating thing was wanting to get on with work but being pt off by mundane household stuff. I felt I came 200th down the pecking order!

I'm sorry ot be negative, but I gave up the PGCE because I found the combination of the work and having a three year old just too much.

Are you working as an LSA at the moment? Prehaps if you qualifed as a higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) and then did the GTP the learning curve would be less intense. Working as an HLTA would give you experience of taking classes and discipline as HLTAs do cover in many primary schools. Also the standards that you have to meet to get HLTA are 60% of the standards that a qualifed teacher has to reach.

Do you have a desperate passion to be a teacher or are you just looking for a job that fits in with the school holidays. With workforce remodelling there are more skilled jobs than in the past. For example I work as an ICT technican for a primary school. In secondary schools there are millions of different support roles

thanks everyone - I am still worried about the strain on the kids (and me and the housework!). My husband will be working away in the week for that year so might be quite stressful with the kids, although they're good at bedtime and then I could work. I do like Frances5' idea about other support roles wihtin secondary schools though or even a teaching assistant role (joys of the classroom without the planning!) Thanks again - it's made me realise it might be tricky with juggling the kids.

I did the GTP and is hard work because you have the same amount of assignments as PGCE students but your in class 90% of the time. In reality I have no less workload than I have no planning, assessment, curroculum coordinator etc. Put the planning isn't as detailed and not as many assignments. Personnally I thought as an NQT the GTp prepared me better for the realities of being a teacher

I'm now back at work full time with a 7 month old and it's manageable you just learn to juggle well.

Find a good school to take you on as a GTP student and talk to anyone else they've had as a student.