Ok, so I am 40 and hoping to be a teacher....

[walkingonthemoon]

But these threads about the realities of teaching and work/life balance are frightening!!!

Hoping to do a PGCE in 2016 and just doing my research. Was thinking of doing a TA course at level 3 but when I am doing my voluntary work I really feel I could teach....

In a right quandary ... Anyone have any thoughts/support/ pointers? TIA.

Yes. If you have no family, friends or life, teaching is your ideal job. If you would like to have some time to see your children before they go to bed/look after elderly parents/ walk the dog/ read/go to the loo when you want to, teaching is not for you.

I've been in the game for 23 years, I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy, let alone anyone I've never met.

I did a career switch. I was trained in IT / Librarianship / Information management. I did a change to teaching after librarianship and consultant IT work, loved it ( although I dropped 6K in wages). But I was 28. I am 43 now. Could I change now? No. Even going back to it after a maternity/ parenting break was a biggie. If you are single, dedicated, no ties, go for it. We need you. If you have other ties, it's not worth it.

I do it with 3 children. You have to be super organised, and it does take up a lot of time.
You need good solid child care, and an extremely strong work ethic.
You also need to be tough. Criticism comes from all directions, almost constantly.
However...it can be bloody rewarding. As well as being a lot of fun. I teach secondary school, and teenagers are the best. Fabulously honest...great to work with, but occasionally tell you to fuck off.

In terms of work life balance...it is all consuming. You drop everything if Ofsted call; exam/coursework times you don't go out; you don't get to go to school plays etc for your own kids...cos they're in term time.

However....and this will make me unpopular...it isn't as bad as some people make out. I certainly don't work all holidays, or all weekend, and I do have a social life. It isn't 9-3, by any means, but it doesn't have to destroy your life.

I'm a TA and wouldn't make the switch to teaching.

Why do you want to teach? It's not a sarcastic question, but what do you personally want out of the job?
What would you find a real challenge and difficult to manage on a long-term basis?
What specifically have you read here that makes you shudder and reconsider? What have you done as a job in the last 20 years, and are the pressures similar? Social worker, nurse?
The other point is that it's not just the few of us that post on MN you need to be reading, find out more about the thousands that are leaving every year and why.

Don't let anyone else sway you. If you only listened to the horror stories about parenting you'd never want kids. Teaching is a lot like that; it's not easy or half as valued as it should be but there are rewards and it's up to you too decide whether they're worth it. Good luck.

It's also not a life sentence, you could do the PGCE, get your NQT year in and work for as long as you wanted to.
The trick is to be pre-emptive about any problems and to know how much of a load you can carry and juggle. Most of the frightening posts on here are from people who have pushed themselves beyond their limits for too long and are not just struggling but drowning.
I know a number of older NQTs who have children in secondary and are career changers who are thriving, because they know that they can decide to do something else, and because they often have a wider experience of workplaces where bullying, constant criticism and continuous overload without reward would not be expected or tolerated. So they are more willing to challenge, or move schools or leave, because they know what the real world is like. If you went straight from school to uni to teaching, you might not have that understanding.
Being on supply shows you the difference in expectations and practice as you move from one little kingdom to the next.

Being on supply shows you the difference in expectations and practice as you move from one little kingdom to the next.

yy - definitely agree!

I could have written your op last year. Am over half way through my training and really enjoying it. It isn't easy by any means but if I can do it...!

Brilliant fun if you don't have additional responsibilities. Hell on earth with young children at home.

Find a wig maker soon.

Teaching at its best is THE best job - full of laughter, creativity, fun. But at its worst it's utterly soul destroying, unjust, dishonest, unrealistic and mentally crushing. It all comes down (IMO) to the management of the school you end up in, and the pressures bearing down from above them.

I don't like it when people give a resounding "don't do it" because it's simply NOT that awful in all schools. I will say though that my post is coming from the point of view of someone with no children or other commitments, which gives me a lot of flexibility wrt managing my time.

If you decide to do Schools Direct, be very, very careful with your choice of schools and go for one which also takes PGCE students and is therefore used to mentoring.

Also, do try and get the "inside" story about the school. Where we live there seems to be quite a few "pressure cooker" schools led by unhinged head teachers. Like someone said above, your tolerance levels will be much lower than when you left uni! Be ready to want to go back to your previous career sharpish and plan accordingly. My hubby wasn't and now we're in a bit of a mess.

Of course, it might all go swimmingly and that is what I wish you.

Good luck.