Is being a teacher so bad

[renniks]

I was considering getting onto the teaching path as a career choice. Primary school age not secondary. Is it as bad as it seems? I've just posted in AIBU for traffic and a lot of people there are saying it's harder work than people think (like me).

It's work and a lot of patience but I'm so determined to make something of my life I'm a little disappointed people haven't got many positive things to say about being a teacher.

It’s almost guaranteed to be harder work than you think it will be. That doesn’t mean people don’t have positive things to say about it. But it won’t all be positive.

I LOVE teaching. On Mumsnet I read how everybody hates being a teacher and is quitting. But real life is different!

My current class of year ones are hard work though!

Can you be more specific about your background OP?

@Chocolateorangekitten in real life there is a shortage of teachers, more are leaving the profession than are beginning careers and a very high percentage of nqts leave within 5 years. Some still love teaching (I’m one of them), but there are massive problems and it is a profession in crisis and it would be wrong to pretend otherwise.

I absolutely love being a teacher. I think the key thing is to have a nice school, where you fit in and which is genuinely supportive. Mine was, until this year, and I loved my job. Now it's horrid and feels like borderline bullying.

My daughter is almost 5 my son has just gone 3. He won't start school until 2021, not much support for child care and stuff. There dad works hard all day 5 days a week 9-5 sometimes earlier sometimes later. My dad runs his own business so he's always working, my mom isn't here anymore and In laws would complain so it would be sort of paying for child care whilst trying to succeed in doing this. I just really want something for myself a decent job, that has prospects and is different every single day.

I really like it but I think it helps that I work part-time. It is very full on with very high expectations but in a lot of ways a very enjoyable job.

However, there are not shortages of teachers in all parts of the country, some areas are much harder to get work in then others.

Also, there are parts to it that are really difficult that you might not expect and don't get a lot of experience off on training, such as building good relationships with parents.

I have read your AIBU now OP, and you get lots of advice there.

I didn't understand your GCSEs : you mention 'literacy' twice which isn't a GCSE I know of.

You need to get yourself qualified :it'll be a slog and you'll need to think about the costs : financial and personal.

It's a very hard job to do without family support : I know that! Got the t shirt on that one!

Please don't take this the wrong way : how good are your numeracy and literacy skills? This is what you will predominantly be teaching.

Maybe also consider TA and nursery nurse as jobs, or stepping stones. Which also need qualifications, by the way.

Their dad works hard all day 5 days a week 9-5

This phrase interests me : it implies you think he won't be able to help you out and your life/job is somehow less hard work than his , or takes aback seat. I just want you to know , LOTS of teachers work very hard and longer hours than this (or, at the very least , the same) at least in term time.

I'm training now. 9-5 is a short day, trust me!

Yss. Hth.

You’re going to struggle with childcare and any career. Go into a career because you have a passion, don’t expect teaching can fit around your life more than another job.

I love being a teacher!

I'm an NQT (secondary, rather than primary) and I just want to echo Piggy's point about childcare! 9-5 is a short day in teaching- and it's an even shorter day when you are training. Depending on how/where you choose to train, you can end up in a placement school with a long commute, and even whilst training you are usually expected to attend all before/after school meetings. There will be times when you have to stay late for parents evening/open evenings etc.

Realistically, you'll also end up doing work at least one day a week at the weekend.

There are a few SCITTs which offer part time training options, which can work well for parents/people with caring responsibilities- it all depends what is available local to you.

FWIW, I do enjoy teaching, but the PGCE was really bloody hard, emotionally and in terms of workload. I'm finding the NQT year so far (mostly) easier, but there are still times when it is very tough, and I am constantly knackered.

If you haven't already, then maybe spend some time doing some volunteering in a primary school- this will help you get more insight into what reality is like!

I enjoy it. I am in a lovely school. Supportive senior team. 15 min commute. Non core subject.
You need to get in and volunteer/observe a few different schools to get an understanding of the reality of the pressures and the differences.

@Piggywaspushed yes I got loads of good advice there. My numeracy and literacy both very good although I prefer numeracy personally.
The literacy GCSE I refer to was an online course I did just before I left year 11. Not GCSE but just a literacy qualification.

I was on the gifted and talented primary and secondary and always in top set for English, maths and science.

not much support for child care and stuff. There dad works hard all day 5 days a week 9-5 sometimes earlier sometimes later. My dad runs his own business so he's always working, my mom isn't here anymore and In laws would complain so it would be sort of paying for child care whilst trying to succeed in doing this.

I don’t think I could have been a teacher without the support I have had.

DH works very flexibly and can work from home whenever needed. My mum lives round the corner and goes to any of my children’s parents appointments, assemblies, sports days, family lunches, school trips I can’t go to (all of them if you’re full time). She also had my children from 7.20am each morning so I could get to work (for 7.30) and picked them up from school and had them till 6 (8pm if parents evening).

She also had them when they were throwing up or covered in chickenpox, for Inset days, snow days and strike days when their schools are closed but mine wasn’t etc etc!

Have you thought what you might do for these types of situation where you can’t take annual leave and you have no support from family?

My partner is a teacher and hates it. It's not the teaching that's the problem but school politics.
He works in a private school and the school governors run it. Most have prep duty until 20.00
The only bonus is the school holidays. Luckily he retires in 2 years but it couldn't come more sooner for him.

You will need cast iron childcare from at least 8-5 every day (possibly longer depending on your commute).

The workload at primary is usually higher than Secondary. Plenty of my secondary colleagues leave by 4 but work in the evenings.

Your training year is hard, NQT year even harder, first year of teaching after NQT I found the most difficult. It's not a quick train and earn mega bucks situation either.

It's an all-consuming job. Researching very carefully- def get into schools and do some volunteering.

Well your children’s father works a short day, which will help. Your day will most likely be more like 7.30am - 10pm for the first few years. Parents evenings end around 8pm. Endless meetings. Before and after school. And your summer family holidays will never be affordable again . Goodbye

It is 10.30pm and Im marking atm. Not very productively obviously.

It’s bloody hard work, but I know plenty of teachers who love it - as they are in supportive and well run schools. They all do plenty of hours outside of the school day. Volunteer in a local school to get some experience and then maybe look at LSA roles as a way in and the availability of SCITT training - which would get you to NQT level.

I read your post on AIBU. I think it’s great that you have an interest in teaching - that’s where every teacher starts off after all, and I think all of us are a bit unaware or in denial about how intense the workload and hours really are before we started doing it, or at least we imagined ourself coping much better than we do. Still, we plod on because there is something so rewarding about it (depending on the school you work in and how good your leadership team is). But I think realistically in terms of your experience and current qualifications you are still a long long way off getting there, and that’s where you need to be realistic about how much you actually want this and whether it’s worth the time and effort. You’ll have to get some experience in schools - it’s highly unlikely any TT provider would consider you without it. You need to play catch up with your A Levels, then get a degree and then go down a teacher training route - PGCE is most common and takes a year, shorter paid routes are very competitive and hard to get on to. Then an NQT year... that’s a long road towards something about which you will have no real concept of it involves until you get the job at the end. But then again on that journey you will still gain plenty of transferable skills. Something to think about.

And actually just the process of applying to colleges/ universities/ actual teaching interviews can be pretty gruelling in itself.