How can I return to teaching (if at all)?

[Perpelxedandoverwhelmed]

Hello,

I was wondering whether anyone could provide me with some insight into how I might go about returning to the teaching profession? I qualified and completed my NQT year back in 2002 and then completed one term following this, before deciding to take a career break due to a location move and starting a family. My children are all older now and I'm beginning to pine for the classroom again!

However, my initial preparations have shown up some glaring issues that I'm not sure how to get round;

1. I am completely out of date with current methodology;
2. I have no references; my former school has a new HoD and a new HT.
3. How am I going to explain the massive whole in my CV?

I was considering retaking my PGCE, but apparently this isn't allowed. If anyone could confirm this, that would be great.

Sorry for the long rant, but I'm feeling pretty unemployable right now and would love some feedback as to how it can be done.

Any input very gratefully received.

Oh, my subject was English at secondary level.

Thanks.

There used to be a return to teaching course run by the tda. If not you need to get into a school - try volunteering? Or just do supply. Bit scarey but you'll learn loads.

I returned in January after a 10 yr break ( and 3 children) but I had been teaching for 10 years before that. This made me both expensive and recently inexperienced; I knew that all my application forms were going straight in the bin.

I started volunteering in Jan 2012, then was asked to do supply within the school in June 2012, then got offered a long term sick leave cover in Jan of this year. This cover turned out to be for the rest of the yr. In Sept I started a contract for this year. Who knows what will happen next year?

So it took a while! And I am Primary which is possibly easier to volunteer for. My experience is that the school has to get to know YOU rather than the application form.

Another teacher in the same school had a very similar situation to you and came back as a TA for a year and then applied for and got a teaching position this September.

Good luck.

Go for voluntary / TA/ HLTA posts. Try. I was 6 years out, getting back into it through HLTS ( did TA for a while before that). Things have changed, it is worth the time as a Ta to get with it with the levels.

1. Get some examining experience if you can.
2. Look for jobs offering a few hours if you can afford to do them - schools are a lot less fussy about these posts and they are unattractive to others.
3. Approach your local FE college and ask if they have any casual hours.
4. Make friends with an English dept and ask if you can observe for a couple of days. When there, ask if you could teach a lesson and get some feedback. You'll have to do it at interview.

Explain gap on CV as having children - that's normal. Give your previous school as a referee because they'll have a file on you on the head will ask a member of staff who remembers you. If you HoD is no longer there, the Head won't have much to say so make sure second referee is good. Do you know where ex HoD is now?

Our school doesn't like TA experience. It may be unfair but it is definitely a disadvantage. Cover supervising not so bad so long as there's not too much of it but essentially they want to know what you're like managing a teaching workload and whole classes. Good luck!

I would say that years back TA experience was a disadvantage, but now not so much. You do get a workload to manage ( I manage a large amount of interventions) and are involved in planning and so on. The snobbery surrounding such posts has largely diminished, I find. With so many teachers returning after gaps, it has been my experience that many TA's are teachers, and many returnees have been TA's. I can think of at least 7 in my own experience. On the other hand, i've been told that it's better to be a TA/ HLTA than a Cover Supervisor! I was told this by my good friend who is also a Head.

I think you will pick up new methodology etc quite quickly once you get back into a teaching environment - in any role. Then after a year or so you will be in a much better position and more confident. Have you thought about private tutoring as a stop-gap? I found it a good bridge to teaching and saw it as getting paid to get up to date with syllabuses. Plus it gave me some insight into teaching methods that had led to the need for the tutoring. Also, if you are in or near a grammar area and felt you could do 11+ tutoring I'm sure people would snap your hand off. Is there a suitable conference or seminar you could attend? I got a great deal on one during maternity leave (I was on leave between qualifying and starting as an NQT) - school wouldn't pay but I negotiated and got a really valuable day for about £50. My union (ATL) also offer free CPD and you can normally get a year's free membership with most unions.

Honestly?

Don't.