social work or teacher? best career for single parent?

[scattybird76]

Hi
I am due to start a SW degree this year (LO will be 3) but am torn between this an English/Drama teaching...has anyone any experience of studying/ working in these fields as a single parent?
I think the SW degree would be very difficult with placements (but interesting) but not sure whether its a wise choise for a lone mum.. English/drama route would be easier (I think!) but is teaching a nightmare these days?? I am SO confused!! Can anyone give me first hand experience? :)

I didn't do the SW degree for the same reason - too many placements which could be up to 50 miles away in my area. I still want to do SW, am volunteering while studying a different course - hope to do a Masters eventually. Sorry can't offer any real advice! I think teaching's no easy option either.

Both are extremely rewarding but tough careers. I am a teacher, and, although not a single parent, dh works long hours and I sort childcare out. Having all school holidays at home resolves a MAJOR childcare headache once kids are at school.

mynameisnotmichealcaine (great name btw!) - is there much opportunity to do part time in teaching? and I am a bit concerned that English/drama is very popular and so competitive to find work!!! wish I had a crystal ball!!

Having just faced the same decision my conclusion was that both are too problematic! However teaching has got to be the better option as what you gain in wages with social work will go on holiday care. Also there is teaching in the private sector which will be better paid and there is the supply route. You can always do a masters in social work after getting a BEd if you change your mind. Uni is way easier than working in my experience.

I wish I had gone for educational psychology (which now has fully funded places to train). Interesting and well paid.

I looked into educational psychology a while back and thought it looked amazing.. however, isn't it quite tough to get into? I guess that is something you could get into after a few years of teaching? what did you decide to do instead?

English and drama?

All the marking of English and all the rehearsals of Drama.

It's a vocation, if you don't want to give it your life, don't do it!

I'd also look to see if you can get into educational psychology.

I think SW can be very difficult when you have children - especially as a lone parent, but some positions are more 9-5 than others.

Teaching isn't the cushy hours some think - but on the whole you need less childcare than you do in other jobs.

Whatever you choose to do, you are going to be in for quite a bit of studying and training etc - what do you want to do?

I'm a primary NQT and I love it. Am going part time this year but only because I want to do a Masters.

well to be honest im not 100% sure what I want to do but could see myself being a SW AND a teacher!! Educational psychology sounds fab but hard to get into... all I know is that, having been made redundant from an office job, I don't want a job that is the same every day and I want to work with people..I have considered teaching and SW as they are professions where there will always be work?

Ninah - did you do a primary teaching degree or a degree + pgce? how did you find the degree?

I trained as a teacher when i was a single parent and there was no way I could have managed the training or the actual job without the endless support of my parents. When on placement I was out of the house at 7am and not back until 6pm - and regularly fell asleep on the living-room carpet half an hour after getting DD into bed.

The holidays are great - but don't forget you will have a ton of catch-up marking, preparing and paperwork to do, plus there is no flexibility - so no school plays, special assemblies, sports day, medical appointments, and God help you if they are sick.

Plus your entry salary may be the only one you ever get - pay increases are entirely discretionary now, and controlled by the headteacher, who is in charge of the pay budget plus he sets his own salary with no limits out of that budget. And even if you get a decent headteacher, you can't take that salary with you if you move schools.

I wouldn't tell anyone to get into teaching anymore unless they were absolutely certain they had a vocation for it, because that is the only thing that will keep you going. Huge numbers of teachers are desperate to get out, or have already got out - that's why we have the youngest teaching workforce in the developed world. Have you been into a school and got a feel for it?

As single parents we have quite a limited amount of time available to devote to our careers because we need to be available to our children. With this in mind, a career that pays well with some flexibility is important, one where you can maximise the amount of money you can earn in a short space of time, ideally during school hours or the evenings.

I chose to diversify my career post baby to spread a balance across several streams of income. I work three days a week in my pre baby career, at home for two of them. I also have an ebay shop and teach in the evenings from home. Finally, I have a small concession in a local shop selling the same stock as in my ebay shop. All put together makes enough to pay for a couple of holidays on top of the bills and mean I can work around childcare with some time to spend with my DD. If one stream of income disappears for some reason, I can up the ante on the other streams to fill the gap.

I know that doesn't answer the OP's question but I wanted to make the point that if you are struggling juggling work and childcare, you can diversify.

I did GTP when it existed - Schools Direct is a similar scheme now, I think. That way I learned on the job and (vitally) got a salary. I managed my training fine without family help, using before and after school club. I really enjoyed the whole experience.

I am not a single parent but I did become a teacher to have more time with my children and they have certainly benefitted from my career change.

The holidays are a huge bonus for parents as is the ability to leave work at 4pm of you need to, not every day of the week but certainly a regular possibility.

Balsa I think lots of working parents are out of the house for those hours, not many working parents have our holidays .

scatty, I am part-time, but had to do a full-time maternity cover to get into my part-time position. I think part-time is easier to come by via a full-time role. I hated the year I did full-time. My son was in Reception and I'd been a sahm for 6 years, so it was a massive culture shock for the whole family, but we all survived, and, ultimately, it got me a job that fits in very well (school is 5 mins drive away, lovely department). I now teach SEN rather than English, but, again, that works well for me :)

Am about to go on maternity leave for no.3, and am hoping to reduce my hours when I go back (I currently do 4 days), which should be possible, as it's easier to negotiate hours once you're in the job, and have proven yourself as a good teacher.

brilliant to hear to hear these view points and I really appreciate it!! Flexibility, money and being able to be there for my little boy are all so important and I think that's what Im struggling with!! I may do a non-vocational degree and see where it leads to.. the schools direct training sounds ideal if I end up going down that route.. I seem to have become obsessed with these professions as originally (prior to LO) I wanted to emigrate so SW, particularly, was a good choice..TBH I would probably be a TA if I could afford it but I need to aim for a decent salary as Ive found it a struggle since losing my job...
mynameisnotmichealcaine- my son is due to start reception when I would be on year 2 of SW degree (full time + assignments) and it worries me..esp as I have been a SAHM for the last year..
Thanks so much for your responses !!lets hope I make the right choice :) x

Im a child protection Social Worker and lone parent of two. It's almost unmanageable. I am lucky to get home by 7 pm any evening, very often much later. When the children are in bed I work until the early hours doing recordings and usually one evening during the weekend. Its relentless and I often feel I am neglecting my own children.

I tried part time but the caseload didnt drop when my hours did. Often wish I had done teaching instead- I would spend more time with the children I am meant to be working with and would see my own during the holidays.

I'm a primary teacher and single parent to two. I work four days a week. I love my job, and love the fact that I can spend lots of time with my children in the holidays. Do your children have regular contact with their dad? I find I catch up huge amounts of work in that time. If that didn't happen I would need support from family I think.
On the whole though - I find it fits around being a single mum really well. (Agree you have to find the right school though - teaching is a full-on, pretty stressful job these days - vastly changed in the 20 years I've been doing it - but of course the rewards from the job itself make that worth it)

I'm a SW, It's really tough, even though i work PT and my hours are (reasonaly) flexible, it's still challenging. I trained before I had kids (and married/divorced etc) plenty of people I trained with had kids and i really don't know how they did it. I'm currently doing some post-qualifying study (it never ends) and am finding it really difficult.
I hadn't considered teaching as i don't want to work with kids (I work with adults) but i think if you are to undertake study now and then look to starting a career then teaching may be the easier option (not that it will be easy - but more flexible with childcare etc). The down side is that you can't have time off to do all the school things with your kids ie sports days, assemblys, come for school dinner, xmas plays, and all the endless things yoou need to be at school for during the week. Yes I have to get childcare in hols but I can use my leave to be at school in term time if I need to.
I really believe that; yes it will be really hard, but... if you really want it then you will do it. Just make sure you have some support around you, you will need it!!

It's also worth factoring in your child age to future plans. It would be wrong to assume that life gets easier when they start school for example.

When they are 4 and 5 school can be quite tough. It's quite normal to worry endlessly about them fitting in, progress with reading etc. They are often ill, there's INSET days that need cover and you might not be familiar with enough mums at the school who can help you out. I found working with my child in the infants stressful because they really need your time just when you haven't got so much!
By the time they get to year 4 their progress is more predictable and they are noticeable less reliant on you.
So I'd say plan for whichever bit is going to be hardest (placements or PGCE ?) for when they are in the juniors. This could be just me though!