I'm thinking of training as a teacher... please help me with the age group choice.

[elfycat]

Hi.

I have a 2:1 degree in English Literature (and will be taking my masters with the OU this September - but let's consider that my hobby). My youngest DC is in reception and finally I feel like I can think about my ongoing career.

In my previous working incarnation I have been a nurse - operating theatre speciality. I don't want to do the shifts and the commute to hospitals, and my nursing friends are all saying 'hell no'. I want reasonably family friendly hours (my sister is a teacher - I know that there's more to it than just classroom time) and I like 'teaching', though recently this had mainly been teaching my hobbies to adults. I liked teaching when it was part of my nursing role too.

I'm trying to decide if I would prefer to teach primary school (?KS2) and teach the full array of the curriculum to a single class. I like a multitude of subjects from sciences to history to art (more the history than any skill at painting myself), ICT, geography etc.

Or secondary school where I can focus on the subject I am passionate about. My reservations are based on my own school experience where the students really tested the boundaries on discipline. particularly in this subject (and Music).

I've been close to filling out the application form for the whole of last term. But I know I'll have to pick where I want to have my placements. I just need to think through my options on this, if anyone wants to share what they like (and find challenging/difficult) about their KS teaching, with me.

[breward]

The course was for primary teachers, so the need is in both the primary and secondary sectors.

The worry in primary schools is what age to talk about sex and whether the parents will be onboard. My children had sex ed in Yr 4 as part of a topic on the body. It was just another system...respiratory system, digestive system and reproductive system. Then puberty talk in Yr 5 and relationship ed (consent, contraception, same sex relationships) in Yr 6.

Other teachers were horrified Sex ed and the ins and outs (!!) were done in Yr 4.

[YvaineStormhold]

God, I would love to do that.

Be a sex and relationships teacher in secondary schools.

Just think of the genuine difference you could make to lives, but no marking.

It's such an important role.

[breward]

I was on a PSHEE course today and so many coordinators said staff in their schools hate teaching the sex and relationship education part of the subject.

They would love a good outside provide like a nurse/specialist teacher to deliver those lessons... Someone not familiar to the children so neither party feels embarrassed. This could be a great self employed job opportunity for someone who wants to leave teaching but still wants to teach IYSWIM and is comfortable talking sex all day !

[MuddhaOfSuburbia]

School nursing is no longer about tick boxes and leaflets, more child protection/plugging the gaps of an understaffed and underfunded social services round our way

(which is of course shit, but a different sort of shit iykwim)

[mercifulTehlu]

True, MrsGuy. Also, it would be nice to think that kids only behave badly or are uninterested when they are in lessons taught by bad teachers, or in just a couple of subjects that don't appeal to them. The reality is that good teachers up and down the country slog their guts out every day to make their lessons appealing and fun for kids (while also ensuring they fulfil OFSTED's criteria, obvs), only to be greeted by utter indifference and insolence in some or many of their classes.

I covered a lesson this morning where quite a few of the kids wrote no more than two lines of work in an hour. Not because they are not able to. They just couldn't give a monkey's even though they chose the subject for GCSE. All they wanted to do was talk about make-up and which parties they were going to get drunk at (underage) this weekend. I confiscated two phones whose owners were trying to take selfies and had to stop two from re-doing their HD brows in class.

Maybe I'm just jaded after 20 years, but I get to the point where I think "You know what, if they don't give a shit about their results, why the hell should their teachers?"

[MrsGuyOfGisbo]

Also, if you really love your subject ( I love mine)) can be depressing seeing it reduced to tick boxes/key words/formula to pass exams.
My own DC read voraciously and enthusiastically in pre-school and primary - hoovered up books and I am still clearing out roomfuls of them. And the loved writing stories 9 hilarious, will always keep those)
But when they hit secondary and it became 'English' they lost interest, to the point that they both loathed it, and gave up after GCSE
Not trying to be negative but the reality may be some way off the expectation.

[elfycat]

Muddha LOL at the 'NO ENGLISH TODAY' dance. I might love English but I appreciate that everyone had that subject or teacher.

School nursing - just no. Too much emphasis on tick boxing, labelling, and handing over leaflets faster than a Jehovah's Witness on speed. The least 'nursing' form of nursing I could think of (I briefly looked into it before I let my registration lapse a couple of years ago).

I want out of nursing altogether I think. It's not what it was (I'm old school trained).

I think I've just reached the point where the SAHM phase feels done with and I'm rushing to get on with the next phase while in possession of my new degree . Extra income earning will need to feature in my life at some point as we're ticking by on one income (DH works at sea 50% of the time, not the best seafaring income but there's still an uplift) but there are house renovations that need doing and other extra expenses coming up which would be very much more possible if I work.

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

Have you considered teaching nurses or HCA. Pay not much better but at least generally they have chosen to be there.

[FinallyHere]

I have friends who are teachers and friends who are nurses, no experience of either myself.

Just from what we hear about what is happening in both professions, I would strongly encourage you to look outside both areas for opportunities which are funded well, where daily working is well funded and appreciated by those paying your salary. The school nurse suggestions from PPs is just one example of the whole world of opportunities available to you.

[MuddhaOfSuburbia]

This might be way off the mark, but have you thought of school nursing? I know someone who went from icu to school nursing after dcs

(just thought of this thread as found dd doing a little dance in the living room. When I asked what her dance was for, she said 'NO ENGLISH TODAY, I'M DOING THE NO ENGLISH DANCE' )

[MrsGuyOfGisbo]

Just beware that when you go into schools you will only seen the best parts the nicer classes etc. I asked to see tough classes, but teachers would not accept visitors in those...
Also, you will only see the classroom side - what you really need to see the time-consuming things like meetings, marking, parents calls, detentions at break, lunch , after school. Chasing students for incomplete course work, pouting action plans and intervention plans in place for kids not o n track for target grades, moderating course work, moderation meetings.
I think primary teachers work harder ( ie have more to do than time for) than secondary, and English/Dram/Music secondary workload the most time consuming.
I would only take on permanent teaching job part time in an indie school.

[elfycat]

I'd have to do the full return to nursing course MrsGuy and I did nursing for nearly 20 years and I'm not all that enthusiastic about going back. I was agency for years but 9-5 jobs are not the most common and are not in my area of interest. Yes I can do shifts in care homes, or work in the community - but that's not MY job in nursing. I only completed my training because of the theatre placement. I hate ward work (except orthopaedic rehab).

I did try day surgery units between DDs but the amount of times it ran over time was ridiculous. And you can't leave a patient mid operation or recovery period because your nursery was closing for the day.

I think I'll put the teacher bit on hold for a year, and get some experience - of primary schools at least.

[MrsGuyOfGisbo]

Why not do agency nursing, picking day shifts?

[y0rkier0se]

Have you considered school based training, e.g. SCITT or School Direct? SD do salaried places for people considering a change of career (i.e. people not fresh out of uni). Sounds like you would fit that criteria, and if you would be happy to spend a year doing your masters whilst volunteering you would definitely have the school experience required for your application. Also, you can choose to gain qualified teacher status without doing the PGCE meaning less assignments (although by no means easy!) Hope that helps.

[elfycat]

By 'family friendly' I meant no night shifts or on calls. At least there is wrap-around childcare Monday-Friday. There's no one at 3 am when you need to go in for an emergency operation.

And I do appreciate the PGCEs are full on, but I'm already booked onto (and paid) the first masters module starting October. I might volunteer in school as a helper next year, and take that year to decide if I want to become a frazzled teacher, rather than a frazzled nurse.

My area is planning to change the 6th form to colleges rather than at the schools over the next few years. Perhaps in another couple of years I could take a PGCE and teach Literature.

Thanks all for your input.

[MrsBenWyatt]

"Family friendly hours"

Honestly, as everyone else has said, doing a masters, a PGCE and being a parent would be impossible. During my training, I worked and slept - that's it (and there wasn't much sleeping going on).

[ScarlettDarling]

I love teaching...but I work part time. Ever since having my dc I've worked 0.6 and it's perfect.

I teach in y2 and I honestly think it's the best age to teach. The children are young and funny and enthusiastic, but they have a level of independence which they don't have in EYFS, which I taught for a long time. In my twenty years of teaching I've only taught ks1 and EYFS and I'm so happy with this age range.

There are loads of great things about teaching which are rarely mentioned. The fantastic relationships you develop with the children, the pride in seeing them 'get' something tricky, the fact that no two days are the same, the creativity you need to use everyday...and the summer holidays!!

You can't go into teaching half heartedly. Your pgce will be really full on, especially as you have children of your own to juggle. The first few years are difficult and of course, the way the government keep changing EVERYTHING doesn't help the workload. But, if you are committed it could be a great move. If you've worked as a theatre nurse you clearly know a thing or two about stress so there's no reason why you shouldn't thrive as a teacher. Good luck!

[YvaineStormhold]

Don't.

Seriously.

I'm still on meds and I left full-time teaching two years ago.

[Letseatgrandma]

The fact you think you can do a PGCE/nqt year with a masters in your hobby time makes me think you haven't researched this at all well.

[rollonthesummer]

I hate to be negative but I am leaving the job because it is just so not 'family friendly hours'! I've taught ks1 and 2 for nearly 20 years and I'm done in-I wouldn't recommend it as a job to my worst enemy. I never see my kids and the only way I'm staying afloat is by working part time.


But.... if you dead set on it. Go and shadow a teacher, not to hear readers for 2 hours every week, but a whole week-full time. Talk to the teachers at that school about the job and the workload and the expectations and really listen.

I have seen too far many new teachers full of 'I'm not afraid of a bit of hard work' or 'my mum was a teacher so I know what I'm getting into' to have quit or be failed by February in their nqt year--totally broken (most ending up on medication).


If you must train-go into it with your eyes fully open.

[mercifulTehlu]

Teaching at the moment is awful. Sorry, but it is. If you do decide to go for it then you're a brave woman. It certainly shouldn't be difficult to find a job once you're qualified though - huge numbers of classes across the country, even in 'good' and 'outstanding' schools, are currently being taught by supply teachers and unqualified cover supervisors. 50 000 teachers are reported to have quit teaching in the last year. Somebody was quoted as saying that entering the teaching profession in the UK atm would be like running into a burning building past all the people who are fleeing out of it. It was the only job I ever wanted to do, since I was 12. Wish I hadn't.

Sorry to be so negative, OP. Hopefully if things get bad enough, something will have to change, and the next generation of teachers might have it better.

[MuddhaOfSuburbia]

I'm a parent of y7s and had another big one go all through secondary (different schools, different teachers)

I would say-if you like literature and creative writing, don't teach secondary

The joy has been rinsed out of the curriculum and all my kids (who are capable, two predisposed to like English, one very creative) found/are finding it their most boring subject



I feel dead sorry for the teachers who are/have been enthusiastic and hard working

But I fear the days of English being kids' inspirational/fun/enlightening subject are over, at least for now

It's a tragedy. Seriously.

[t4gnut]

Teaching is one of the least family friendly jobs there is. You will never be able to make it to the school for those assemblies, open days etc, nor drop off or pick up. At Secondary you can expect to put in a good four hours an evening on marking and prep, plus at least 1 day at the weekend.

As the profession currently stands seriously reconsider.

[G1raffe]

You really can't do a pgce and masters! In terms of workload your pgce year and first few years teaching will have you working most evenings and weekends in term time. (Of course good holidays for balance!)

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

I really wouldn't try to do a masters at the same time. It might seem like a hobby, but OU modules are demanding, the estimated hours (generally 16-18hrs for a 60 point undergraduate module) are not an underestimate, that is how long it takes. What do you think that you will do when you have PGCE deadline, OU deadline, child's birthday party to organise and you're recovering from the flu? Something has to give. I see lots of students who think that they can do everything and they can't. Either they suffer, their health suffers, their family suffers or their work suffers. Enjoy your hobby as a bit of relaxation while doing the PGCE and pick it up as a masters once you have finished your NQT year. There's no point in doing two courses badly.