Advice about teaching

[Kat2341]

Hi, I’m looking for some advice about pursuing a career in teaching.

I think that I would really like to teach English at secondary school level both because it is a subject that interests me and there seems to be more chance of securing employment in my local area. However, my degree is in law and I do not have A Levels in English. So my question is what further education/training could I undertake to qualify for both the relevant teacher training and subsequent job vacancies? Would a masters in English be sufficient? Are there any alternative (less expensive) qualifications that I could do? I work so would be looking to study part time preferably distance learning. If I do decide to retrain as a teacher I’d be looking to do it in about 8/9 years time - when my children are older.

Thanks in advance.

Have a chat with universities who offer PGCE courses - entry requirements may be flexible and at the discretion of the course leader.

However, whether you CAN become a teacher is different to whether you SHOULD. Try to get some work experience before investing in further qualifications, and chat to teachers about their jobs. Most will advise against becoming a teacher, especially if you're a parent, because it's low paid, the hours are long, the workload is heavy, and basically you will never see your own children or have any sort of life outside of work.

Hi, thanks for the advice :). I did think teaching would be hard on family life which is why I wouldn’t pursue this career change (if I do decide to go for it) for a good 8 years or so. I’m currently in a job which I really enjoy but unsure whether it will lead to career advancement in the long term. If it does then that would be fantastic and I’d not pursue a career change but if it doesn’t then I think by the time I reach my mid forties I’d like to consider my options; after all, I’ll likely have at least another 30 years of work ahead of me at that point. Teaching is something I always come back to although I’d definitely do some more research as you suggest before committing to it. I will ask the universities but I’d also like to know what qualifications would stand in me good stead from a job hunting point of view?

Hmmm. Have a look around some local schools. There are very very few older teachers now. In my daughter's it is mainly young nqts and recently qualified teachers.

Adventures, well perhaps bringing in more mature career changers to teaching could benefit schools then?

I'm not intentionally trying to be goady but why do you think you could teach English when you have no English qualifications? What exactly do you think the job involves?

You have a degree. The key question is whether you can get accepted for an English PGCE or whether you'll need further qualifications. Only the universities can tell you that. In many cases, as long as you have a degree then postgraduate course entry is at the discretion of the course leader. I did a postgraduate qualification in a subject which was unrelated to my degree or A-levels - the course leader interviewed me and decided to accept me.

Its not because they dont enter Kat - its because they dont stay! So many teachers leave within the first years of teacher. Schools on tight budgets often employ cheaper staff, and physically its draining - teachers used to be able to retire really early (55? ) in recognition of the fact that older teachers usually dont want/cant manage teaching. Or old enough to see sense and realise its not worth slaving away and not seeing kids term time.

Honestly chat to some local teachers, do some shadowing etc. Nearly all the teachers at my kids school left after having kids.

The profession isnt what it was.

Go for it. In 8-10 years you will be a mature entrant but still a cheap NQT. You do need a better understanding of what the job will involve, so do some research now and then even more when you think you are about to swap careers as the job will have changed again by that time.
English is tough. Essential subject that you will be teaching to a number of children who don’t want to learn it, massive subject knowledge needed and a huge marking load.

Mature career changer here ... now no longer a full-time classroom teacher! Going in older may mean slightly less rose-tinted specs (only slightly) but it does mean less stamina and flexibility. No one in their 40s can expect to have 30 years of teaching ahead of them in the current climate.

Can you do a 60 hour week?
Are you able to deep-mark 30 essays tonight at 15mins each?
Are you willing to let your own children come second to your pupils?

Please spend some time in a school and see what teaching is really like. Look at the new curricula and exams.

I teach English and have been doing for 20 years. It is no longer any fun at all. It is not teaching pupils to love and appreciate literature or foster a passion for writing.
It is delivering a restricted GCSE syllabus that starts in Year 7 with the skills they need and involves teaching children to memorise poems and quotes by the bucketload.

I am passionate about teaching but I feel I no longer teach. I coach exam skills.

Purplesky. As an ex teacher seeing my kids going through junior school and about to face secondary it makes me so angry and sad for them. I want history to be about historical akills, not regurgitated facts. And English and and...

Adventure it saddens me that the exams are
the only thing that matters.

@AdventuresRUs I'm terrified of my kids going to school too. Having been a teacher I'm fully aware that they'll be taught by people who are too overworked and exhausted to teach effectively, and who probably lack commitment because they don't want to be there and are wishing they could get out.

OP, pp is correct that you won't have a 30 year career as a teacher. If you don't burn out, you'll be pushed out when you climb the salary scale and are no longer "cheap".

Wow I expected the long hours and stress but it’s shocking to hear that experienced teachers are being pushed out. A lot to think about. Although my question was what qualifications in English will I need to be taken seriously by employers if I do decide to pursue teaching. I will ask universities - can I ask you though, do schools only care about successful completion of the pgce/teacher training?

You may well find that the better the school, the higher their expectations and standards. The schools and academies who struggle to attract and retain staff will be less fussy.

It will depend on the school. I think for smaller or less common subjects they are more likely to take something "similar." Science teachers often teach another sciencr to their own or all of them in the younger years. Sociology and psychology sometimes teach each others subjects.

English is such a popular degree though, and such a core subject, I think I've only met teachers with and English degree. I think English A level would be hard to teach without an English degree.

Im not SMT though and many schools are desperately shortstaffed so may take those not so qualified? It might be a risky approach.

Without an English degree you won't teach higher than Ks3. Why not do a post compulsory PGCE and teach law?

Secondary English teacher here: I have never met an English teacher without an English degree.

In terms of qualifications, I can’t say what you’d need because I am not an admissions tutor on a PGCE course. Hwever, if I Google PGCE English requirements, every hit mentions a degree in English Literature or Language or “a very closely related subject”. You’d have to enquire as to whether that includes Law.

Genuine question: what makes you think you’d be able to teach English as opposed to any other subject you could have randomly picked?

Bobbie pin, I would be interested in teaching law. But there doesn’t seem to be much guidance out there about pursuing teaching at A Level only and I’m not sure how I’d go about it. Relocating isn’t an option either and I’d be concerned about shortage of jobs in my area once qualified.

Boy, I’d complete a masters in English before pursuing a career in teaching English - my question is would a masters be sufficient for good quality schools?

Thanks everyone for your advice.

It’s not the schools you need to convince, it’s the universities where you’d be applying to do your PGCE. Like I said, they are looking for applicants who have a good honours degree where at least 50% of the subject content is English-based. So you’d have to ask them if they would take you with a postgrad qualification in the relevant subject.

If you’re not intending to do a teaching qualification, on the other hand, I’d be amazed if schools are hungry enough for English teachers to consider one without a relevant degree, regardless of the Masters.

English is a shortage subject so has fairly good employment prospects for teachers. Having said that, without an English degree you probably won't be first choice.

DO NOT become an A-level teacher. There have been massive cuts to budgets for post-16 education, salaries have been cut significantly and aren't protected in the way that school teacher salaries have been. In some cases salaries have been cut by up to £10-20k and capped at entry level (£23k) so there is NO progression no matter how long you teach.

www.fenews.co.uk/fevoices/15725-who-stole-the-techs
F

Do you fancy some positivity op? I love teaching English. It’s the best job in the world

My degree isn’t in English either so - on the advice of pgce tutors - I did one module of an Open Uni degree (I think it was called Introducing Literature) before doing my pgce. I’d agree with PPs who said to contact admissions / tutors to ask what they’d expect.

Good luck

I know a law grad who is doing teach first in maths. In a shitty school

You can't teach secondary English without an A lelvel at least in it , and a degree in a 'closely related subject' although in desperation many training providers are relaxing that bit.

Your subject knowledge will be sorely lacking. I metor poele with degrees allegedly in English who have poor subject knowledge!

One of my ex colleagues had a law degree and taught English (he had A level though). He has gone back to Law.