Teacher training help please!!

[AllGoodDogs]

POSTED HERE FROM WORKFEST FORUM (thanks, appuskidu)

Im baffled, bamboozled and flummoxed with the online info about how to even start down this path.

I'm 32, educated to A level and have worked in customer service and admin roles up to now. DCs are in full time school now and my parents have suggested now may be the time to think long term- a career with progression, pension, security etc rather than middling along in admin jobs. I currently work part time for a preschool, was considering doing a TA course but would like to learn more about teaching.

Can someone explain to me in layman's terms what I need to do. How do I train - will I need to do a F/T uni course? Are there options to help with childcare before & after school etc? My DH works abroad so I don't have anyone on hand to rely on regularly for wraparound childcare.

Financially we could manage without my meagre earnings but couldn't afford for it to cost us to train so would need student loans or bursary to cover the costs of training.

Thanks very much in advance for any guidance!!

You don’t really get to choose which year group you get to teach - you might want to teach early years but if the head wants you to teach year 6 that’s what you do.

Yep-this is very true. Unless obviously you work in an infant school then the highest will be year 2. Our old reception teacher was moved out of reception (against her will) and has been in year 2 for 5 years!!

Sorry emo that was a very civil response to my huffy post! Thanks - I was obviously feeling shit Sunday-nightish last night - I'm usually not so touchy.

You couldn't pay me enough to do Primary - having to teach everything! - I have done some on supply and it was knackering so all credit to those who do. You're right - it is possible to teach with small children and little/no help at home, because I've done it too (but many, many years ago) and I'm unsure that I could now. I think the workload has increased immensely from when I had small children and it sounded as though OP was looking for something that would be easy to do without having to pay to train and without having after school childcare.

Apologies for the rude tone of my previous post!

I’d work in reception or early years ideally. Is the workload still the same? There’s no marking I’d imagine for under 6s?

Um, what about Learning Journals? I came from KS2 into Reception and have found that the journals probably take a similar time to the marking I had before. Plus all the PLANNING (adult directed, child initiated, phonics etc), assessment (baseline within 3 weeks of the start of the year!), the resourcing (christ, the resourcing!), the pressure of trying to get as many kids as you can to write a sentence independently by the end of the year when many of them come to you barely able to hold a pencil, and the general exhaustion of a class full of 4-5 year olds who have no fucking clue how to school when they first start. Plus you still have all the SEN issues and paperwork, subject leadership stuff, reports, parents etc etc.

Nah, the workload isn't that bad

Plus, like others have said, you might not always stay in early years. I came from year 4 and year 3 down into Reception with absolutely no clue about EY!

Sorry I don't why 'planning' came out in capitals there!

In EYFS you have the learning journeys. I asses my observations every night to keep on top of it. That takes about an hour every night.
What I find takes the most time is all the setting up. All the resources that need making.
Planning for the sand pit, the water tray, the sensory area, the junk modelling, the writing corner, the role play area, the book corner............ keeping on top of it all, ensuring all those areas are ready for the next day. Not to mention all the resources that you have to pick up on the way home or at the weekend, like flour, shaving foam etc.

I definitely had to mark work in Reception. Coloured coded according to school policy, never mind that the children couldn't read it....on top of all the LJ's etc as pointed out above, making sure there was enough evidence against ELGs throughout the year for my judgements to be moderated. It's definitely possibly. I retrained as a single parent without family support and taught for the famous 5 years, but my dc did suffer by the end of it and I left to have time for them. I'd expected them to need me less as they got older, but one of my dc had quite a difficult time and needed support.

I've found KS2 marking easier than EY.

You've got to want to be a teacher to commit to it and enjoy it and, I have to be honest, your OP rings alarm bells.

Don't go into teaching (of any age group) because of pensions ( a long long way off!!). job security (not even always true nowadays) , career progression (true of many jobs) and. most of all, because your parents told you to get a proper job!! Do it for you . Convince me you want to. But you sound a bit like you can't be arsed with a bit of a workload and that inconvenience and inflexibility will be real issues. This won't work.

Sorry : tough love talking!

Thanks piggy

The purpose of my original post was just to find out what is involved so I could consider it further. As it is I think I'll cross that vocation off the list - there haven't been many on this thread singing the praises of a rewarding teaching career even once you get through the training.

You do sound like you're good at talking down to people though so you're obvs a good teacher

Piggy's not talking down. Teachers who went into teaching because it was their true vocation and the only thing they really wanted to do are leaving the profession in their thousands because they can't stand the job that it has become. People who go into it because it has a good pension and will fit in with child care are deluding themselves and won't last two years.

I wasn't talking down I was responding to your OP as I thought, after many years (now that is talking down) that your motivations sounded wrong. I ahev worked with lots of trainees. the ones that survive and flourish are very energetic and committed. Quite a few do have DCs, as do I. I personally don't see DCs as a barrier but your particular circumstances with DH abroad sound quite challenging. That said, I have a DH who is also a full time teacher and neither of us has any family. Childcare issues were extremely tough in the early days and there wasn't an awful lot of sympathy from SLT. It definitely stalled promotion and career progression.

I find my career quite often draining - but often rewarding. But I did always really want to be a teacher. I think a post like yours often attracts the 'don't do it' brigade.

But I can directly answer your questions _ you need either a BEd (FT at a uni with placements, usually 4 years) or a degree (which I guess could be PT but that would take a long time) followed by a qualification route, eg PGCE, so again, this would take at least 4 years

Once upon a time some secondary schools had childcare attached. If you work in a EY setting or Primary School, staff often use that school's wraparound childcare (it is astonishingly not always all that wraparound at some schools!) for their own DCs. This does tend to kind of mean you need to work at the same place your DCs attend, which isn't always desirable or easy.

How rude. Teachers don't talk down to people.

But you sound a bit like you can't be arsed with a bit of a workload

Was rude, IMO. I never said I didn't want to work for it, I was asking for advice so I could realistically look at my options.

OK I retract that phrase : wasn't meant to be rude ; just using vernacular.

You sound like a heavy workload might be a lot for you to manage with your other commitments and , therefore, if this is your primary concern in a career , there are many careers including teaching which might not be suitable.

I genuinely was trying to be honest and helpful. I did say it was tough love

I have been teaching for more than 20 years and am still at it so I do think my opinions are based on valid experiences. Hopefully my follow up clarifications have helped.

I am not often upset on MN but this ahs upset me as I was actually trying to be constructive

I can't tell if you are being ironic cat !

I was

Oww.. in that case.

Piggy was talking the truth and give constructive criticism.
You would get much worse during training.

My PGCE broke almost half the original students. A lot of those were mature people in professional roles that decided to have an "easy" career change.

Ok piggy. Sorry if I jumped the gun.

Thanks for your advice.

I’ve just dropped out of my PGCE. I have a young child who has just started reception (and not settled too well) and DH went onto permanent nightshift so he could do school run/be around more for DD.

I LOVED the actual teaching but, even with DH and very supportive family nearby, it still wasn’t the right time. DH also struggled with nights (?circadian rhythm all out of sync).

Out of 22 on my course, at least 6 have dropped out and we’re only 6 weeks in.

I fully intend to apply again in a year or so once DH is more settled in his new role (more flexibility, days rather than nights) and DD is settled in school.

I’m under no illusions that it will be easy but the small taster of actual teaching felt like what I was meant to be doing.

Please no flak for dropping out from anyone. It’s still quite raw and I’m giving myself a hard time over it but I may not have had a marriage after it and I had to make a choice

you'll need at least 2 A'Levels, plus GCSEs in Maths, English and Science. If you haven't studied since A'Levels you may need to do an Access course, then either a degree in a curriculum subject followed by PGSE or BEd degree. It's a long slog and you'll need to really want to do it, plus all the issues raised in previous posts.

If you're looking for family friendly, look at working for a Local Authority. Flexitime, Agile Working, Family Friendly hours. Schools also need non-teaching posts like Office staff if your priority is to have term-Tind work only.

Or, if you want to step away from the admin, pursue the pre-school path that you're already on; increase your hours, get more qualifications and make a career in that.

The trouble is, people just don't understand what the job entails apart from the 'being in the classroom' bit. That isn't a criticism - why would they understand? I can see how it would be difficult to imagine what could be so hard about planning and teaching some lessons and marking some books...

This thread is really disheartening.

An insane amount of work and no control over which age group you’ll be teaching.

Would none of you recommend it?