I want to be a teacher

[puddinggal]

Am I too old to start wanting to become a primary school teacher? I am 28 (29 soon!) and do not have a degree. DO I first need to get a degree and then do a PGCE? Is there another way?

Are any of you teachers and like the job? or not?

Any info appreciated as this will change my life and I need to think about it in depth first.

SMALLER CLASSES!!
And switching off at 3;30 and not having to do anything til 9am the next day
never gonna happen!

Only nice kids allowed to attend school.

all teachers to have secretaries....

who make regular cups of tea for them.

In fact ... I loved going to work on Inset days ... Teaching is great when there are no kids about at all
I think time would be something that would make teaching easier ...
If I recall my day went like this:
8.20 Kids in class
Teaching right the way through to 10.50am ..
20 minute Breaktime .... everyday meetings or break duty ...
Teaching right through to lunchtime
We had to eat out lunch with the children ..
Lunch break ... meetings or clubs or in my case play rehearsals ... (had those EVERY term)
Teaching from 1.30 straight through until 3.45 ...
It was only then that I could a) mark work, b) prepare work, c) do photocopying etc, d) put work up on walls - a very important and time consuming part of primary school teaching ...
Before DS I very rarely left work before 6pm.
Add to that the times of the year when we had reports to write and things like Christmas concerts, parents evenings, sports days, um ... oh, I also ran the netball teams so I had Saturday mornings in winter too ....
Like I say ... loved it before being a mum ... hated it afterwards ...

Rather daunting, Ghosty, as I am in the middle of applying for a PGCE, but I know this is one of the realities of the job.
One thing I would say, puddinggal, is that there is a big emphasis on having experience in a school prior to application. Not necessarily actually working in a school, but some volunteer time at least. It is odd - there is so much talk about shortage of teachers yet it is apparently rather competetive to get on a course (esp. if you are a white female). Don't be put off though! It is great that you want to do it. (I will be 34 this year, btw)