Teachers - career advice, pretty please? (Especially primary)

[NCHammerTime]

Hi, I hope you won't mind me posting here - I know you are all very very busy people, but I'd be very grateful for some advice on getting into primary teaching in slightly adverse circumstances. This is a very long OP, but I've broken it down into background and questions so please feel free to skip the detail!

I'm aware that this will make me sound a bit like an arsey X Factor contestant, but there's no other way of putting it: becoming a teacher has been my dream for as long as I can remember, and I can't imagine myself spending my life doing anything else. However, I feel like I've already screwed my chances up irreparably.

I have a good set of GCSEs and A Levels, and a first class degree in English Literature from a RG university (and loads of extra-curricular stuff alongside). Academic rigour, heavy workloads, and time pressure are no problem for me - I have always thrived on that kind of motivation, and can't see that changing much in the future because children aren't a possibility for me and my DH.

[B]Background to problem:[/B]

In light of my talent and love for English, I began to pursue a career in academia with the aim of becoming a lecturer, and was awarded a scholarship to support me in doing so. However, it has proven to be a terrible decision. I'm not cut out for research at all (I find it isolating, demotivating, and emotionally harrowing because I unwittingly picked such a disturbing specialism), and I know I wouldn't cope well with the total lack of job security. Due to a combination of the above and some very difficult personal circumstances during the year (several deaths in the family, both parents needing help following operations, and more), I ended up completely burnt out halfway through the programme and had to arrange a Leave of Absence, which means that I'll be completing the postgrad course partway through 2014. I know this won't look good on my applications, but I don't think there's much I can do about it .

I want to use my time away from study to get myself back on track but I'm not sure how to do it.

[B]Questions:[/B]
There are so many routes into primary teaching, and I'm not sure what to apply for. For instance, I'm happy to take on the debt required to do a PGCE but I don't know whether it's still regarded as the best route, and I'm not sure whether they'd take me on with my absence record. The same goes for SCITT, and the School Direct Training programme. The only thing I do know is that I definitely wouldn't want to do Teach First! Also, who should I be approaching for references: lecturers, or work experience contacts?

Also, how much experience do I need, and how far in advance should I be arranging it? Should I be requesting work experience in secondary schools as well, despite the fact that I know for certain that I want to work with younger students?

At present, I haven't done any work experience in schools, but I have worked with children ever since I was 16 (first doing EYFS planning and assessment for a childminder, then tutoring classes and individual students), and I'm soon going to be volunteering with Cubs and Scouts. Will this be relevant to my application? (I ask because one PGCE programme leader rolled her eyes when I mentioned it... )

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hi,

I would say that you need experience in schools itself. I did my pgce a while ago (about ten years ago) so the criteria may have changed, but I was asked to do this even though I had other experience of working with children. I only did primary experience and back then ten days was the minimum. Try to get as much as possible.

I can't really help with which route to take, but want to wish you luck!

Thank you very much, foreverawake! I'm definitely going to do lots of work experience once I'm through my driving test (necessary as we live in the exact centre of nowhere), but it's good to know that I can use the time I'd otherwise have spent on secondary level work experience getting more experience in a primary school.

I would second the school experience, as much of it as possible.

I would do a PGCE if you can afford the time/money to do so. Although nothing wrong with doing it 'on the job' either.

I would worry about your bitty cv too much at this point. Post PGCE will be of more interest once qualified.

All experience with children in good, and will be helpful in getting work. However, school based is what you need for the PGCE - as this proves your commitment to schools as opposed to youth work.

Thank you, Lottie - that's very reassuring . Once I'm through my driving test, I hope to throw myself into it full time for several months, as long as I can persuade enough schools to take me on!

I can just about manage the money and time to do a PGCE, fortunately. Does it matter where I do it, in terms of prestige etc? I've heard that certain universities (e.g. Warwick) have better connections with schools than others, but I have a friend who did hers at a far less prestigious university and had a job offer from her "first choice" school before finishing the course, so...

Can you offer a day or afternoon a week at a school for a term while you are off? It would mean you get to see a class over time and can be helpful to them etc.

LittleRobots - I work at weekends, so I could potentially do 5 days per week for a term or more (even if I needed to split it between a couple of schools). Is it okay to ask for 5 days per week for a short time frame (e.g. a month or so) and then ask for permission to extend it if they're happy with me, or would it be too cheeky to ask for that much from the start?

I think I could make myself useful - I've spent a very long time working with primary school children on reading (I know phonics), general literacy, maths, and science as part of my tutoring, and I'm always happy to do the jobs that other people don't want to/don't have time for.

Also, does anybody know, please: will I need to factor in a delay for getting an enhanced CRB check for each school?

Agh turns out tired teachers can't type. Glad you understood the meaning behind that nonsense!

I would imagine a school would bite your hand off for that sort of volunteering commitment, but don't penalise yourself too much, you don't need to work for free for too long!

Since CRB went to DBS the process of checking has become much quicker. (About a week instead of six!)

Oh that's brilliant news - I baulked slightly when I remembered how long it took to get my CRB clearance last time around!

It's good to hear that full-time volunteering should be possible - I was worried they'd get fed up with me! I love working with children, and I know that I'd learn a huge amount from observing and helping lots of different teachers.

Thank you all very, very much for the advice and encouragement so far - I can't tell you how excited I am!

(Gosh, so many exclamation marks... )