Am I too old??... 49!

[Brighteststars]

Am I wasting my time / too old to start a degree at 49 years of age to become a primary teacher (qts)... 53 when qualified!!!... help!!... your thoughts please!

I honestly don't know anyone in teaching who would...

Many in that position return as helpers to listen to children read, or volunteers - helping at schools but small groups and on days they 've chosen!

I'm leaving teaching at the end of this academic year. To fund that, dh and I bought a house 60k cheaper than we'd have liked, in a place we wouldn't have chosen, so that we can pay the mortgage on one wage for a while. We'll go to one car and not use that during the week. We're resigned to not going abroad / any holidays other than a week's camping once a year for the next 5 years at least. We will probably only have two children rather than the three we'd hoped for. All of that sacrifice is to enable me to get out of teaching.

Bosswitch....

What is so bad about it? Is it that bad??

(((((Boss))))) Our life really hasn't gone the way it would if I'd stayed teaching financially. I so wish I'd chosen another career! Do you know what you will so next..?

It's such a shame that your careers are not what you'd hoped. Sad for you to not enjoy your jobs, and the flip side of that is;
It's unfortunate for the children that some teachers aren't loving what they do.
Does it come across during lessons that you feel disappointed

A lot of teaching is acting. Plus I really like a lot of the kids I teach (secondary, so lots of classes). They aren't getting the mega enthusiastic me of 5/6 years ago but I'm not sat at the front of the class saying "well this is shit!".

For me, it's relentless workload and the constant knowledge that you aren't doing enough. I say knowledge not feeling because at any one time there'll be at least 5 things on my to do list that aren't going to get done or that I'm going to need to fudge the data on and hope no one checks. It's exhausting, and the fact that most of it is pointless 'weighing the pig' data and tracking which you know will then be held against you in performance management later. So, X kid didn't meet their GCSE target, because they're a lazy entitled dick bag who has done no work for three years... but if you didn't give up YOUR lunchtime, your after school time, if you weren't calling home after every missed homework, every missed detention, you are at fault. Because they got a certain result at the end of year 6 and nothing else matters! And the same will apply for maybe 5 - 7 kids in the same class.

stick no plans yet. Have luckily managed to time my pregnancy so that I'll go on mat leave at the end of the year and plan to not return (will have to pay back emp obviously but that's fine.) After that will be a SAHM for a bit so that I can decompress and try to work out a new path. No idea what though!

I loved the SAHM bit. And end of August not feeling The Panic.

BrightestStars. I think it's a real problem that the general public isn't aware of despite all the teachers protesting. Already so many schools have lost most of their experienced staff and it shows. Although nqts are fine when most the school is staffed with new staff you lose the depth of experience.

Similarly so many primary staff are disillusioned with the ridiculous curriculum they have to teach, it would be so different for the children if they were allowed autonomy and able to teach through drama and creativity again.

I think we're failing a whole generation of children. Teachers are amazing but they can only do so much within the constraints and pressures put upon them. The levels of pressure and testing will just build up problems elsewhere.

Honestly panicking because they can't spot the fronted adverbial at 7 and worried they might not get enough in a test or being kept in for detention - all normal in primary schools now. Secondary schools drilling ""knowledge organisers" for tests and explicitly not teaching around the subject. Detention for any infraction.... so many things. If teachers were allowed to teach it would be so different. I know many primary teachers who have left simply as they don't want to keep putting the kids through the hoops they have to, they no longer in good conscience do it.

Similarly locally so many year groups have one class that's just going through a cycle of teachers. It's so common for teachers to leave, then supply, then try to recruit. It's horrible

It is such a problem in teaching at the moment. The govt really doesn't see that breaking teachers doesn't have a good effect on the children.

And it's the really basic stuff too. If you're currently in a job where you can go to the toilet, drink hot drinks, make phone calls, check emails, have a lunch break then imagine that you cannot do those things.

'Does it come across in lessons that you feel disappointed?'

That's actually quite a hurtful question. I've only very rarely seen a teacher that you could guess hated their job. Maybe 1 in 30? They just cry in the car park.

I would suggest shadowing a teacher for a week. At least.

Ah yes, going to the toilet! Wave bye bye to that! I go when I wake up in the morning and when I get home in the evening and that's it most days. Useful skill for long car journeys though...

Do you know how exhausting it is keeping all the stress inside and projecting complete happiness to the children in your class? Usually it’s your family and partner who get to enjoy your stressed self.

We want this job to be what it could be, spending time changing young people’s lives instead of trying to meet ‘aspirational’ targets without any support or intervention or understanding that sometimes children just aren’t ready yet to know time to 5 minute intervals.

I am knackered and I know I will have no life till data is in in June. I have parents evening next week where I have to tell parents their children may not meet age expectations even though they are doing their best and are quite bright! I hate upsetting parents and telling children they are failing but that is now part of the job.

It’s not awful but it’s not a dream job either.

Does it come across during lessons that you feel disappointed

Some of your comments actually come across as quite tactless and possibly even a bit goady.

For someone who is themselves planning to spend tens of thousands of pounds training to be a teacher, you suprisingly appear to have done very little research and seem to know very little about the reality of life in the classroom. I echo what others have said about getting some good shadowing experience in a range of schools before going any further.

No, to answer your question, I wouldn’t teach I didn’t need the money. I love kids, I loved my degree subject, I love teaching.

However, I don’t like the current climate in schools. I know-because I trained 20 years ago-that the workload simply doesn’t have to be like this for children to learn, which makes it incredibly frustrating.

if you are a 49 year old man and you’ve paid off your mortgage, then do it. You’ll rise through the ranks like scum to the top of the pond.
If not, then I don’t recommend it.

Comments were not meant as "goady" (is there such a word), nor were they meant to be hurtful. In asking if your disappointment shows, was a polite way of asking "are you happy/ pleasant whilst teaching?" as opposed to showing that you are totally pissed off. Great to hear that you hide it well and teaching is a big act / performance.
I am genuinely surprised at the amount of bitterness and pressure felt by many teachers here.
I will be most definitely gaining experience, shadowing in the classroom, before I 'shell out thousands'.
Interesting comment about ' men without mortgage' rising to the top!!?? Not sure what the financial connection is... no mortgage equals rising to the top??

I think of you're genuinely surprised you need to read a little more about teaching before starting! Have a look at other mn threads in the staff room (or in primary) or look at the TES. It really is quite well known it's a tough climate for teachers/schools at the moment so there a many threads! Not that you should nt do it but it's a bit naive starting with no idea of what it's currently like!

I wonder if it would be worth doing a year as a TA or a volunteer . You could go on to cover classes as a hlta or teacher training if you were still sure.

OP I can see why people are finding your comments goady. I will be charitable and assume you are typing fast! But it really is important now to go into teaching with your eyes open. I could write at length but I won't because you are not listening to the many dedicated and skilled teachers on here who are truthfully telling you: there has never been a worse time to be a teacher. In a few years when it all crashes down maybe things will finally change. For now people struggle on or leave.

And unlike many people I chose to go back even though I could live without the money. I loved it that much. But another year or two and I'll be gone and this time I won't look back. The job has changed too much and the joy I get from it is outweighed by the damage to my family life and my health. We mostly manage to keep the stress inside rather than dumping on the pupils but either it comes out at home or stays inside us making us ill. I have to start thinking about my own children instead of prioritising others.

Teaching is a tough profession I am sure, butso are many other professions too. I know people who have gone from working in the City to teaching and love it. They are used to long hours and hard work. I think its also really valuable to have teachers who have experience of life outside the school system.

Having read through the comments it seems you have made your mind up and you are not really listening to what you are being told by teachers. That’s fine it’s your perogative but not sure why you asked the question in the first place if you weren’t really going to listen. I don’t mean to sound confrontational at all it just seems you have decided despite the feedback from teachers. Good luck anyway I hope things work out well for you.

In asking if your disappointment shows, was a polite way of asking "are you happy/ pleasant whilst teaching?" as opposed to showing that you are totally pissed off.

I don’t go through each day desperately disappointed and showing I’m totally pissed off, no, because I am a professional and can behave as one .

I will bow out of this thread now; I’m really not quite sure why you posted.

APPUSKIDU - I think it's a good idea that you bow out too 😀 too much negativity.

‘Too much negativity’ - how rude. You know best having never done the job. Good luck with your career, you sound like just the sort of person this government wants in post - you sound perfectly qualified to be Education Secretary

I am genuinely surprised at the amount of bitterness and pressure felt by many teachers here.
Seriously?
(I was going to type more but there doesn't seem much point)

Carrieblue... of course I don't know best! That's why I came here for opinions, and I'm genuinely interested to see all sides and aspects of how teachers feel. I can see it's clearly a stressful role and huge pressure is placed upon you. My comment of too much negativity is for Apuskidu!... no need for sarcasm.

And yes 'sadeyedlady' I am surprised!! That's why I came on here - I had no idea the depth of the stress that some teachers are under and it must be a really hard job. Again there is no need for sarcasm