How Stressful is the PGCE Really?

[DudeDudeson]

Hi, I have a place on a PGCE but have had cold feet about it ever since being offered it. I've been teaching English as a foreign language for too many years now and really want to get out of it as it feels like a trap. I'm decent enough at it after an initial few years of being absolutely rubbish at teaching. I've taught at university too while doing my PhD. I was ok at that but not great according to my former supervisor.

Anyways, long story short, I actually went and checked out two schools and it was ok? I mean the behaviour was pretty meh, nothing majorly awful. And yet I read a flood of stories about how awful teaching is the in the UK. My concern stems from this and also the workload. I'm ok with a steady amount of work but would not be able to withstand an avalanche of demands and zero work life balance. I also suffer from IBS and insomnia, exacerbated by stress which are not good for teaching. For reference I did teach full time in ESL, teaching 6 hours of classes a day but couldn't keep up with the pace. I'd get overtired and make mistakes. The reason I'm considering teaching is that it's a meaningful job and my CV is solely in education as that's all I've ever got jobs in.

I have an offer of an Instructional Design course as well, and am eyeing that but have major doubts about landing a job after it as many ID firms want corporate experience which I don't have. Conversely if I managed to survive the PGCE, I would be confident about landing a job. However, my lack of confidence stems from the actual surviving part. Given that my school visits appear to contradict what I'm reading on the internet, I'm at a bit of a loss in gauging just how demanding the course is. If it's fair, I think I can pass it. On the other hand what I'm reading is seriously spooking me and I can't afford another course that doesn't work out. I need to make whatever course I do actually result in a step up from what I've been doing for years.

Please don't take offence to this question but are you ND?
Just picking up om the black and white thinking, high academic and struggling with peers.
This isn't a barrier to teaching if so, but may get more support if you discuss this with PGCE provider. Apologies if way off the mark.
As a teacher of 30 years and now involved in training, I would be questioning your motivation as you are coming across as if in doubt teach.
A chat with a postgraduate careers advisory.be useful.

.

What is ND?

Neuro Diverse...on the ASC spectrum

I used to think it was a possibility but having interacted with autistic people online, I can tell there's a difference. I'm pretty good or so I'd like to think with reading between the lines, recognizing emotions etc. I know about tact and diplomacy, I recognize these things but sometimes consider them irrelevant or unnecessary which has ruffled feathers in the past but I'd be well aware of it. Only thing would be walking past people completely not seeing them while listening to music, they'd say hello but I wouldn't even see or hear them because I'd be thinking about something else.

I'm assuming you are female? Many "traits" you describe are not the same in women with ASC. Many women are good at eye contact, conversation, etc. But much is due to masking and often suffer with anxiety. If you suspect that you might be, it may be worth talking to your GP or getting an assessment. This may open up more support/opportunities.

I'm a bloke. I posted here as I read mumsnet has lots of teachers so it would be a good place to ask for advice.

I lost about 30% of my hair. Got to the Easter holidays and vowed I would never set foot in a school again other than for my DCs after completion of my course.

The lack of sleep, anxiety and workload reached levels I had not experienced. Plus I neglected my kids.

It was a horrific experience.

Sorry for the assumption.. I work with a number of men who are ASC and also don't fit the stereotype . Still, might be worth exploring. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Yikes, that sounds rough. This is what gives me doubts. I wouldn't last a week much less until Easter.

My brother did the course and found it quite an easy ride. He managed two years as an English teacher. He found it extremely stressful in every respect.

in terms of work I thrive with autonomy but die a death with regimes

Sadly, I would say this rules many (most?) schools out. You might be lucky and find a rare one, I guess.

Assuming you’re in Ireland - have you thought about civil service or public service ? You have lots of transferable
skills.

Have done so but I can't pass the IQ or personality tests they have.

Aptitude tests ? They don’t use IQ as a method to select for the Civil Service. There are courses you can enrol on to prep for the civil service tests.

Yup aptitude tests. I've practiced them but it's like asking someone who is left handed to draw with their right.

I did a BEd so can't comment on the PGCE but I heard it is tough. Been teaching for the past 3 years and I'm done. Ruined my mental health. I tried to give myself a work life balance and not work evenings, not work on a Saturday, put boundaries in place but got ripped apart by SLT for not doing enough and not being good enough.

Teaching seems to be the only profession where your colleagues, seniors, pupils and even parents can constantly criticise your work and tell you you're not good enough. Not to mention OFSTED. I wouldn't encourage anyone to enter a career in teaching right now, especially if you're not ready to work all the hours God sends and have a LOT of resilience.

I'm not a teacher but DH is. My husband did the PGCE when we had a newborn (she was born 3 weeks after he started his course) and it was time consuming but not difficult.
From experience, if you are planning on working overseas you will find it hard to find an international secondary school that offers NQT years now - they are increasing rare. International secondary schools (depending on the country) tend to have a higher demanding set of parents as they are private and fee paying. In our experience the work life balance tends to be the same but the parents are more demanding and expect higher standards than a UK school.

So what I'm hearing is:

• you struggle under pressure
• you can't cope with regimes/strict overseeing
• you love autonomy
• the idea of 11 hours a day is impossible for you
• you want to teach English (the subject with the highest marking load of all of them). You will be expected to both plan and mark outside of school hours.

Forgive me, but this is not a good candidate for teaching. I would not appoint.

I would say do PGCE then look for a job that is 0.6 & you would work a normal number of hours that week.

Had no problem teaching kids at university. UK teaching culture is dysfunctional, why do you think people are leaving?

Much less the UK itself, which is tearing itself apart. Brexit, Tories, economy and public services in free fall yet there's a prevailing serf mentality of knowing your place.

But you are wanting to move into the culture? You will have to adapt to it, it isn't going to adapt to you.

I completely agree which is why I’m glad I’ve worked for decades and can think about leaving.

You, on the other hand, have a place on a PGCE and want to join it purely be sure you think that’s the only option you have?!

@DudeDudeson teaching or training in a mainstream school is NOTHING like teaching at university, for a start you will be expected to teach children of all levels in a class together if they are not set by ability, that means children with a reading age of six alongside a high achieving child with a reading age of 16+, you will be expected to differentiate, make the content accessible to all and offer challenge. You'll be expected to engage students and control behaviour when the students have no interest and don't see the point in what you are teaching. You will be teaching children who have extremely complex home lives and needs, who only get to eat at school, look after disabled parents, live with addicts etc and the last thing they want to do is listen to their teacher going on about analysing war poetry.

Compared to your experience of students that are interested and paying ££££ for a university course, who are independent enough to move from home and have achieved good grades at GCSE and A levels.

Yes but if I get the PGCE, I can teach abroad for better conditions than with just a TEFL cert. I've seen job postings in France and Spain that are NQT/ECT friendly.