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The staffroom

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

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Original poster

Am I mad to want to become an Early Years teacher?

4 replies

Misfitless · 01/05/2014 15:09

I'm hoping to get some positives and negatives here, and be able to balance them out in my head.

My plan is to do a one year course commencing in Sept 2015 and then be an Early Years specialist. However my plan was to go part time after maybe 2/3 years. Having read a thread on here, it seems my chances of being a part time teacher are virtually nil.

I have 4DC at home, with the eldest doing A-Levels and the youngest just about to start reception this September. If you are a primary/early years teacher and had your chance again, would you still choose teaching as a career? It's something I've always wanted to do, but was banking on being able to work part time, not full time.

TIA

OP posts:

Noforasking · 01/05/2014 20:18

Not mad at all. I teach in a nursery attached to a school and I love it. It's completely exhausting, but I can't imagine enjoying any other job as much. Are you doing a PGCE? That is a tough and not particularly enjoyable year. Worth it though. Good luck!

AmeliaToppingLovesShopping · 01/05/2014 20:21

The reception class at my DDs school has 2 teachers who job share.

I was thinking of early years teacher as a career change but leaning more to post 16 now.

Original poster

Misfitless · 02/05/2014 00:35

Oh thank you, that's good to know, Noforasking.

Well, I'm not sure whether to do a PGCE or try and get on a SCITT placement (not sure if that's the right abbreviation.)

Good luck with your career change, Amelia.

OP posts:

Lara2 · 03/05/2014 10:53

Not mad at all but look very carefully at what's going on in Early Years. Pre-school/nursery seems to be the best bet, the Gov don't seem to be messing around with it too much. Reception is another matter entirely - there are rumours that they want to get rid of the EY curriculum from 2015. More and more content is being squashed down from KS1 which totally flies in the face of child development and brain development research.
I've been teaching since 1987, mostly in EY's and have become increasingly despondent by the meddling and the inappropriate expectations. I love working with young children but there are no nursery jobs in my area, which is where I would be heading if I could.

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