If you'd had the chance to get out and retrain...

[BetweenTwoLungs]

Would you? Three years in, primary teacher, done y4 and now in y6. Contemplating doing Ed Psych doctorate. I love the children I teach, and am good at my job, they make good progress and I get on well with my head. Workload is just about manageable but as with all, evening/weekend work is common. I love the community with colleagues, working as a team, the children and the lovely bits we get to do, seeing it click for a child etc.

However, I see those around me with higher roles and just think it gets harder, not easier. Ed Psych doctorste, if I was successful, would be three years of training and then better working conditions, flexi time, option of true part time and better pay. But less of the bits I love, im worried I would be lonely going around different schools as Im the type that loves working with others.

I like my job now, but I can anticipate I won't once kids etc are added to the equation. If you could go back and retrain prekids, would you? Or if you did, do you feel you made the write choice?

I love teaching but just feel it's incompatible with life.

I re-trained 'in' - from a previous career to a secondary teacher. Amazed at the rubbish teachers put up with, and so am very happy doing supply as I don't really need the money - all the fun of being in the classroom with none of the mindless box-ticking. If this were my first career and I needed to earn a proper salary I would very definitely be actively seeking options outside.

I'm retraining now. Something unrelated to education which I plan to do in a freelance/self employed basis alongside some supply and/or tutoring once dd is out of primary school.

I've been part time since she was born apart from a short stint of full time cover for a colleague. That nearly wrecked my marriage and sanity. No way do I want to ever work full time as a teacher again!

I've seen comments on here from Ed Psychs about the relentless pressure, high workload, having to turn away children with needs that there is no resource to support with etc etc.

I trained when my son was in year 3, so teaching is my second career. Fortunately, I love it despite the long hours and pressure and am now on the leadership team.

I did the Primary Maths Specialist Teacher course (MaST) a few years ago and am about to emback on another 2 year Maths specialism in Mastery teaching. One of my options for the future is to start to build up some sort of maths advisory role and reduce my number of hours in the classroom - I know someone who does this with English/Phonics and it works really well for her - she stays in touch with a class of children and also gets to go and do her own thing for a couple of days a week. I think I'd like to do that!!

Do you know any Ed Psychs personally? If not, I would make friends with one and see if you still want to re-train.

They really don't have much more earning capacity than senior teachers/ SLT. The way they work is LA dependent but many have HUGE caseloads and do not know the individual children on their caseload at all. They spend a lot of time doing paperwork, including EHCP reports (used to be called Appendix D I think) on tight but un-missable deadlines. They are increasing held to account for being 'value for money' which means they have to justify every minute of their day.

Both of my Ed Psych friends have jacked it in to go private. The grass is not always greener!

I am a primary teacher with my own kids. I love my job. I work part-time which makes everything manageable. However I must admit I am no longer ambitious as I was pre-kids, I am not in management and am comfortable with that. I feel my work-life balance is good.

Yes have had a chat with a few ed psychs who have said they enjoy what they do and have found that pressure is less than teaching. I do the applications for funding/EHCs at our school so am used to that sort of paperwork. However I'll see if I can find some other ed psychs to get their view - they seem hard to come by though, there's not many about!

Difficult to know what to do for the best.