Teaching as new career?

[Toastandstrawberryjam]

Are you a teacher? Could you give me some insider knowledge on it, are you pleased with it as a career? What are the bad points?

Have had it suggested to me as a change of direction and am mulling it over but need to know more!

If you've only got GCSEs then which teaching course do you think you can do? I thought you needed at least a levels?

THe OP that's already mentioned which degree she is thinking of doing.

For a teaching degree, she's likely to need 280 UCAS points. We don't know where the OP is located, some of the colleges in Wales seem to accept lower and some unis and colleges may be open to mature applications with alternatives to A levels.
So it will take you 4 years once you've got on a course, but how long will it take you to get the qualifications to apply for a degree?
But OP, you have young children, you are not likely to want to relocate to attend a uni, you are going through a messy divorce and you don't know any teachers to ask.
So the friends that have been suggesting primary teaching as an alternative presumably don't know the reality. Read some threads on this section on MN and see some of the disadvantages. The huge workload, the pressure, the relentlessness of it, the fact that it's not family friendly.
I taught FT in class for 30 years and got out a couple of years ago. I'm now on supply and I love it. I'd never go back to FT class teaching.

OK, OP, I am going to give you a different point of view. I did my PGCE three years ago at 47, having first done an OU degree (over three years while working which helped prepare me a bit for the rigours ahead!). Yes, PGCE year was difficult. Yes, NQT year nearly killed me. But I love my job (secondary) and although it is ridiculously badly paid for the hours I put in, it is totally worth it. I have three children, all now at secondary school though one was still at primary when I did my PGCE/NQT. It can be done, and if you really want to do it, you should go for it.

Are you a teacher? Yes-have been since the late 90s. Did an NC subject degree, then a primary pgce.

Could you give me some insider knowledge on it, are you pleased with it as a career? I loved it for the first 10 years. In the last 4, the paperwork and crap has spiralled out of control. Lessons I got 'outstanding' for 5 years ago would get me sacked now. Not because they're bad, but because they don't include a whole heap of pointless, time-consuming stuff that Ofsted/SMT expect to see. Learning objectives, success criteria, marking in difference colours, response marking, deep marking, photographing practical work as evidence it actually happened, assessment, tracking, data analysis, pupil progress meetings, impact of interventions, mini plenaries, use of TAs-the just is endless. Little of it useful to the children. PMR is probably the most damaging of all. It means that inept and crap heads can keep new teachers at the bottom of the pay scale indefinitely and get rid of experienced teachers because they are expensive-all because subjective lesson observations say so. You are only ever as good as your last observation and can be got rid of very quickly if your face doesn't fit. This is done because there's not enough money in school budgets, there is oddly enough money in many school budgets for a large number of non-teaching deputies whose sole job is to watch you; book scrutinies, lesson observations, climate walks etc

What are the bad points? See above!

I think you'd be mad to do it at the moment. You'll be welcomed with open arms though-teachers are dropping like flies and new fodder entrants are always cheap welcome!

I retrained as teacher at the age of 52 (school direct unsalaried) when my Dc were all in secondary - would not have worked before that because of the workload and the inflexibility of never seeing their sports days, assemblies etc The course was rubbish, so I do resent the 9k fee, although I got a bursary as a shortage subject (secondary). If you do decide to study, do forensic scrutiny of the course before you commit!
My DH was very supportive - would be difficult to do without a reliable relative to do all the stuff you don't have time for as a teacher..
The PGCE year was not too bad from a workload point of view as I have always had demanding jobs, and much less work that being a 'real ' teacher, but I saw nightmare situations where NQTs jumped for the first job they were offered and had horrendous experiences in schools. So decided to do supply for a while.
Love supply - all the fun of being in the classroom without the stuff that is causing teachers to leave in droves - finish at 3.15- ish, go home and have 'normal' evenings and weekends with no stress.
However, even though I work 5 days a week (different schools, some I go back to a lot so have built relationships with staff & kids) I could not afford to do it if I needed the money - it is more of a hobby, as supply work could dry up as budgets are pinched, and although it is plentiful in London where I like, is very sparse in some areas.
OP, I wouldn't do it if I were in your position - sorry

Yy to everything Letseatgrandma said. I used to love teaching. It is unrecognisable as the job it once was. And how many of those changes have really benefited pupils or made schools into happier, better places? Ummm...