Teaching training in my 40's .... advice please

[maxisinapaddy]

So I'm at a crossroad and could do with some advice.

I have been helping out at a local preschool for four years or so....I started on the committee and ended up chair ... I have decided to study for the nvq 3 in early years to be a 'proper' helpful member of staff. I am enjoying it and have enjoyed using my brain again. I am about half way through and expect to qualify by Easter next year. But as those of you in early years know the pay is terrible.

I used to have a 'proper' corporate job before children and marriage. I really wanted a family and left that job with the full support of husband to get pregnant and have a family.

Nine years later I'm a stay at home mum who works two days a week at pre school sometimes more and is studying for the Nvq and running the home etc.

The children are growing up and I would like to have a more challenging job.... I am considering the SCITT scheme for primary teaching. (I have a degree) I am concerned about the work load and keeping the family going. Husband has his owns business and works a lot. I am also concerned about the negative comments on here about the state of teaching at the moment and how stressful it is.

Am I mad...I want to set a good example to my children, we have a very traditional set up at home and that bothers me. When I first left university I did do some teaching in adult education 16+ but struggled with it and ended up not coping. In hind site I was too young and didn't have the experience or support.

I am going to an open day soon to explore options and after I have finished my current course I am hoping to get some work experience at a local primary school...if that works out I would apply to start in 2018. Applying for 2017 seems to soon ?! The children will be in year 6 and 4 at primary by 2018.

What are your thoughts mums net?

The workload isn't the bit that breaks you. The constant feedback is what breaks you. It is a job that sucks so much from you that when you are told "this could be better" it feels incredibly personal and almost like a punch to the face. But that never goes away because you can always improve. I'm on SLT and had this yesterday and it has been going around my head all night. I also have an observation next week that I will spend the next week slightly anxious about.

This. It isn't the workload, in spite of the sheer size of it, it is the emotional drain.

Another one saying don't do it. It's the least family friendly job I know. Constantly asked ( told ) to stay late for parents meetings, information evenings, opening evenings, Christmas Easter, end of year concerts. My childcare ends at 6:30 but every other week I am expected to be in school until 8:00 ish. Then I have to go home and get ready for the next day. SLT have a habit of dropping in after a late night. The constant "this could be better" grinds you down. I am finishing at the end of the year my children need me. X

I shall be dropping off my children at school this morning with a whole new respect for teachers! I am sadden by the home truths on this thread, I come from a family of teachers and I know that by the time my dad retired he was despairing and that's teaching art at secondary for 30+ years which should be an inspirational subject to teach (I sound naive I know!)

I shall concentrate on my early years qualification for now I think and do some voluntary days on my days off... It's sounds like a TA role might be better for family life.

I think it's all so important for our children .... The early years are so formative and I know we make a difference to the children and parents that come though our preschool but it's certainly a more relaxed approach than school, we are able to concentrate on a more holistic approach to everyone's benefit.

When people say the hours are not family friendly, what time would they expect to be starting in the morning and finishing in the evening?

Well I was at work from when security opened up, 7 usually, doing prep, I left in the evening when security kicked me out doing all the stuff that had to be done in frustrating triplicate, the duplication is a killer! I had to do my attendances in FOUR DIFFERENT WAYS/PLACES!!!, There was no such thing as a lunch break, you grab food as you go, but your paid hours deduct a break.

Once I got home I would be working on my lap top or marking long after everyone else had gone to bed. I wasn't "present" when I was home, I was always working. Even when off sick I was expected to respond to emails immediately and submit stuff from home.

If I hadn't burnt out and had progressed then I might have managed to not ALWAYS be working, but TBH the seniour staff I worked with here doing masses of hours above their paid hours too so I don't think it was particularly a problem with my speed/time management if everyone else was in the same boat no matter how experienced

The workload isn't the bit that breaks you. The constant feedback is what breaks you.

Yes yes yes yes
You act on one piece of feedback and then you get pulled up on THAT and get told to go back and do it the way you were doing it in the first place before you were told to change. You cannot win whatever way you do it is wrong.
It's never ending, it is worded personally, even though NOBODY is keeping on top of it all because it's too much you are made to feel like a failure if you aren't ahead of yourself.

There is nothing more heartbreaking than sacrificing a load of family time to plan the way you've been told to plan in good time, only to be pulled into a meeting to be told to scrap that, we're changing it this term. It's actually heart breaking! Then you get hassled to get the new stuff in on time even though you've been given barely any notice.

Where I worked we would be majorly out of favour with our HoD if we didn't reply to emails promptly, and my HoD emailed late into the night, on holidays and if you were off sick. Which meant you had to set up your phone to alert you to work emails, it was an un-written rule, which meant you could never EVER switch off, ever!

I retrained from another profession, and decided after training not to apply for permanent jobs for same reasons as others have noted - not compatible with own family, and I saw unrelenting cynicism and weariness in staffrooms. I have now done supply teaching for a few years, and will probably continue for another year or so because it easy and enjoyable, although poorly paid, so will probably go back to my former profession when my own DC are older. I love being in the classroom, get all the fun and none of the dross, leave at 3 (secondary) and get uniformly positive feedback from the schools I work in and so am often asked to apply for permanent roles. No WAY is that gonna happen, even part-time!
If I had known then what I know now, would not have wasted the time & money training.

Another ex-teacher here.

The thing that struck me is that you're in your 40's now. Every teacher I've know of that age and higher wants to get out. Every single one.

Is there nothing else you'd like to do?

I was thinking of re-training.
I'm not now.

Good luck OP. It sounds hard work.

When people say the hours are not family friendly, what time would they expect to be starting in the morning and finishing in the evening

I'm in at 7.30 (and the car park is 3/4 full by then already) and leave at 6, with a couple more hours in the evening. DH works 9-6 and brings no work him. His hours are more family friendly than mine!

I'm going to do the SCITT programme or a PGCE hopefully next September. I've been a TA for the last 4 years, so am aware of the stress alot of my teaching colleagues are under but still want to do it. I've thought once I've done my first year that I will then go part time and do the NQT over 2 years.

This was my plan anyway.

Everyone's already said what I was going to say ... I did my PGCE in my 40s as a career change. I am no longer a teacher for all the reasons given above.

Such as shame that what should be a wonderful and fulfilling profession has been wrecked by data, demands and unceasing pointless change.

I'd seriously consider going part time so early in your career JakeBallardsWife

You will end up working on your unpaid days just to make ends meet.

If you're going to do it, I'd just do it full time until you're secure with what you're doing. At least that way if it doesn't get done because you can't fit it in, then tough.

You would have to be INCREDIBLY resilient and thick skinned to be able to put your work down and relax on your days off - you will have so many "development points" in the early stages of your career that you will want to work in your spare time just to get on top of things.

I'm having a baby and still think I'm going to have to work full time afterwards because even by dropping one day, I know what I'm like and I'd just end up catching up on jobs in that day off.

I cannot cope with feeling out of control and hate my workload building up - it's a common trait in teachers.

The only way that I think it's manageable is if you're happy just coasting along at an OK level in your job (SLT make this hard!) OR if you do PPA cover where there is less pressure for other class based stuff, paperwork etc.

I'd seriously consider going part time so early in your career

Yet you then advise against it?!

OP-if you find yourself a good jobshare, it can actually be ok.

I meant re-consider, it's a simple typo.

In fact, "seriously consider" just means think about it carefully.

I suggest looking for a Nursery Officer/Nursery Nurse role in a maintained school or children's centre.

Better pay than PVI pre-schools and other settings, though you are vulnerable to cutbacks.

Oh it doesn't sound any better than nursing ! Maybe not then .

I retrained when I was 40. Was a SALT before that. I had about 12 good years out of it. I was a good teacher but hated the paper work and micromanagement. The performance management and quite poisonous relationships between some teachers is horrid.I think you have to be very thick skinned and admin orientated to survive. I miss the teaching and children quite a bit.
I'm a farmer now and breed sheep. I'd rather stand in shit than in a classroom

Derxa..... That made me laugh

I am in my 40s and have two children (reception and Y2). I'm four weeks in to my PGCE. I'm loving it so far but I know it will get a lot worse as the year goes on!

Countless people told me not to do it. I nearly had a re-think. But then I decided that I'd prefer to find out for myself whether it was right for me. There are still some people out there who love it (my sister is one, my neighbour's sister is another). So I decided to stop listening to others, follow my own path, and if it doesn't work out then I'll come up with another plan.

You can do it but make it work on your terms.
E.g. I never do any school work on the weekends or in the evenings, I just don't.
The way I see it is that life's too short and if I am not given the time or resources to complete the requirements of my job during the school week (7:30-5) mon-fri, then ifs nit my problem.
My classes are engaging because I'm not too tired but yeah there are some last minute panics here and there when I haven't done things e.g marking or data tracking but it all gets done in the end.
My displays are works in progress but the children in my class are happy and if you can out up with literally NEVER getting to the bottom of any to do list and drop the ridiculous perfectionist nonsense you can make it work for you.

My secret ambition is to get to retirement and whisper to all my colleagues 'Pssst- I never worked evenings or weekends in my whole career and nobody died!!'

Probably not the attitude but it works for me.

Jake, part-time teaching posts are incredibly rare. I did a part-time PGCE, always intended to teach part-time, ended up doing my NQT year full-time and I've been looking for over 5 YEARS on and off for a part-time post, with no luck.

Actually pt posts are becoming much more common but are rarely advertised. At least a third of staff in my school are pt-they started full time and have gone down to pt. I've been a teacher for twelve years. I still love the kids and the essence of the job. I've learned which initiatives will come round and go away and am good at nodding, smiling and ignoring a lot of stuff! The job did nearly break me and I usually end every autumn term weeping on the last day because of the stress but I'm still teaching and enjoying it (and am good at it).

Jake, part-time teaching posts are incredibly rare.

I disagree. Nearly every teacher I know (I mean those who are still left in teaching as most have left completely and run for the hills) are part time. Over half of the classes in my current school are taught by part timers.