Teacher to TA?

[needsahalo]

Have decided I can no longer work with the demands of a teaching role but I want to stay in education and look at going back to teaching when my children are older. I am secondary but have both KS2 and transition experience and would like to become a primary TA with a view to eventually teaching again in primary.

How hard did you find it to get a TA post? Any tips or pointers? Should I make my reasons for the change clear in the application letter or wait till interview? Thanks for any help.

I found the transition easy. I left full time teaching and started doing supply. To begin with I was still teaching then a TA maternity cover came up and I loved it. I've been a TA ever since.
I mentioned all my experience in my covering letter for my current post. How it would enable me to support a teacher effectively while providing me with the opportunity to spend more time with my young family.
For me I tried to ficus on what I could do to support the school/teacher /children without it sounding like I actually wanted to be the teacher. I didn't say anything negative about teaching just focused on the positives of being a TA and what I could bring to the role.
Good luck!

I'm a former teacher working as a PSA (Scottish equivalent of TA). I have 2 colleagues doing the same. We love it, wages are rubbish but not having to stay up till midnight planning and marking more than compensates.

I completed my NQT year then went into supply teaching and am now a TA. Although I want to get back into teaching, for now my role suits me because I have a baby and I don't want to sacrifice my time with her for the teaching stress and workload. You'll have to be prepared for a pay cut but the up side is that you work less hours and have less stress!

I work a 0.4 contact as a teacher, UPS1. I get paid more than a TA and am not up until midnight planning and marking because I only work two days a week. I do do some work at home, but I don't actually mind, because over 14k net for 2.5 days work seems absolutely fair enough. I think I could be a TA for a good teacher, but would REALLY struggle if I felt that I could do it better!

*contract that is.