Advice about re-training as a teacher

[dayakie]

Hi all

First time posting!

I've recently found out I'm going to be made redundant from my current job. I've always wanted to be a primary teacher so am thinking of retraining.

I've got a couple of questions - I have a degree and am looking to join primary with a focus on English.

Fees - look to be around £9k - I presume that you take out a student loan to cover that?

Maintenance grants - I'm married with a child and have a house not with parents - would I be eligible for a grant?

Pay during training - how much does this tend to be?

Any advice or help would be really appreciated!

[needmorecoffeeandcake]

What is your experience? And what appeals to you about being a primary teacher?

[dayakie]

@needmorecoffeeandcake I used to teach drama to primary aged children in a private school setting and I set up and ran a Beaver colony.

I just love being around children this age and think it's an opportunity to do something worthwhile. I know it's not perfect and I know it's hard work but I think I could do something good here.

[BigButtons]

Worthwhile? OP you really don't understand.
Doing drama in a private school is as different to teaching in mainstream state school as you could get.
Please reread the posts on here.
Teachers go into the profession because they love working with children and want to make a difference then they soon discover that
they are being crushed by an unachievable workload, they are mistrusted and constantly scrutinised, the targets are impossible to meet. It is about tick boxes and data tracking. "failing' teachers are hounded until they leave- usually this is after having been driven to long term sick leave.

It is NOT about the holistic wellbeing of the children or adults who teach them.
Don't go into this thinking his is about you loving working with kids and wanting to share your talents and knowledge with them.

You'd be an absolute fool, especially after having read it all on here.

[Piggywaspushed]

I know primary is very intense on workload but can those suggesting OP teaches secondary please remember she is an English specialist. Marking is like the seventh circle of Hell! And the scrutiny of English depts. is not fun.

Notwithstanding, I think someone who ahs already worked with young children does have valid experience and should not be discouraged from at least finding out if it is for them. I don't understand - with all the issues of recruitment to the profession- why so many teachers try to put off entrants. Home truths are fine. Telling someone they are mad- not so much. OP could end up being a very talented and dedicated teacher.

[RedRed9]

I just love being around children this age and think it's an opportunity to do something worthwhile.

^ I get where you’re coming from OP but the reality is that there isn’t enough of this part to balance out the sheer abuse of the rest of it. The ratio of lovely moments and enjoying being with the children is massively overwhelmed by being a punching bag.

Seriously; you’re a punching bag for management, the government, the public, parents, and quite often a literal punching bag for the children too.

If you have double rhino thick skin, the secure mental stability of a bullet proof robot, and the everlasting energy of a hundred toddlers... then go for it. Otherwise, run.

[RedRed9]

I don't understand - with all the issues of recruitment to the profession- why so many teachers try to put off entrants.

Because we’re not the ones trying to recruit. We are the battle weary, broken majority. We’re the ones who have been to the front, seen the trauma and are desperately trying to stop eager innocents run merrily and unknowing towards their doom.

Yes, there may be some super heros amongst the bunch. But for the mortal majority? They need to know what they’re walking into.

[Piggywaspushed]

Well, the country needs teachers/heroes.

[dayakie]

I don't think I'm an eager innocent. I am not seeing it through rose tinted glasses. I know from friends that it is incredibly difficult, long hours and little reward.

I've been in business for 20 years so I know what it's like to be a punching bag for management and everyone else.

Going into teaching will mean a big pay drop for me but as cheesy as it sounds I think I'd be really good at it and maybe I could be one of the super hero's.

If not me - then who? Our children need educating and surely you want driven, passionate people coming into the profession, even if they end up having some of that passion kicked out of them.

[Kingfisher5]

Hi, didn't want to read and run... Yes teaching is stressful, draining, time consuming etc BUT I find that the joy of being in class outweighs these negatives. I work 3 days a week now which has helped my work life balance significantly. I think it also varies depending on the school you are in. My previous school was much more demanding in terms of pointless paperwork. You seem to be aware of the struggles and demands of the job so I'd say go for it. I found my pgce year much tougher than actual teaching so bare that in mind. We need teachers who feel called to the profession. Good luck OP!

[LolaSmiles]

please remember she is an English specialist. Marking is like the seventh circle of Hell!
Sadly this is very true.

dayakie
There's a fine line between rose tinted glasses and a natural naïvety and enthusiasm that comes from someone that's not spent years in the classroom. Sometimes due to poor experiences it's easy for us to view the latter as the former.

Ultimately schools need enthusiastic teachers who enjoy their job and to stick at it and not be on the verge of drowning it helps to have a personal motivation. However, you do come across perhaps a little over idealistic that you have some quality that all these burnt out teachers don't have and I think it's important to remember than many of them were like you once. I'm not saying that to be negative, but because at some point reality bites and it can feel like a big fall when it does.

I'd get into a range of schools for experience, including different catchments, one form entry and multiple form entry, different key stages and get a feel for how things work.

You may well enjoy teaching and be very talented. Some of us still enjoy the job (me included) and would recommend it, but usually that's with the caveat that the biggest difference to your teaching career is the school you end up employed in.

[SunshineAvenue]

You just said what I was thinking OP - if not you then who? You know it's going to be a tough gig but you are keen and really feel this is for you.

To the naysayers, tell me who should teach our kids? I appreciate 'things need to change' in the education system but realistically this won't happen for years if at all. In the meantime, who is going to teach our primary school kids?

This OP is going in with her eyes open and still WANTS to do it

[CarrieBlue]

Things won’t change because people don’t believe how bad it is because teachers paper over the cracks. I feel much the same about food banks - why should the government provide a fair benefit system or guarantee a proper living wage when the rest of us are willing to make up the shortfall.

[Piggywaspushed]

carrie are you really suggesting it would be a good idea to have teaching lurch into a huger understaffing crisis to make people wake up? I am not sure the profession or the kids are worth that!

And, goes without saying, I don't think the current government would react anyway.

[LolaSmiles]

And, goes without saying, I don't think the current government would react anyway.
Sadly, me neither.
They'd just get cover supervisors to deliver scripted lessons from.standardised booklets.

[BigButtons]

What does happen is people go enthusiastically into the profession because they are passionate, they care and want to make a difference.
Then they quickly become too burnt out and stressed to continue and are replaced by ever dwindling new recruits.

[fedup21]

What does happen is people go enthusiastically into the profession because they are passionate, they care and want to make a difference.

There is also a growing swathe of people who post on here having had children and quite fancy the school holidays off, who decide that just because they a have a real ‘passion’ for their subject, that any school would be lucky to have them.

The reality is (because I have worked with many late entrants to teaching) that they train, realise extremely quickly that they actually despise the job and don’t get to actually teach much of their subject or how they’d like to teach it, and promptly leave, thousands of pounds in debt with a failed career on their CV.

Having a substantial amount of voluntary work under your belt or even a year working as a TA before you decide, will give you an insight into what it might actually be like. People who can’t afford to take the time off work to do this, probably can’t afford to lose thousands of pounds to train in a job they know nothing about and will in all likelihood, hate.

[PlomBear]

I’ve been a volunteer at a school and have been offered a place on a SCITT. I’ve turned it down for a job in the civil service on more money. The teachers at my school have been encouraging of me being a teacher but Mumsnet and the TES forums have put me off!

Oh and I lasted half a day as a TA to a child with SEN who attacked me. I walked out at lunch.

[CarrieBlue]

@Piggywaspushed I don’t know really, but at what point is ‘enough’ and how do we make this government listen? Because a constant turnover of nqts and vast under recruitment clearly hasn’t been noticed or reacted to by the dfe and we let it happen by (trying) to make up the shortfall. It’s just a mess all round

[LolaSmiles]

The teachers at my school have been encouraging of me being a teacher but Mumsnet and the TES forums have put me off!
I'd not judge teaching by the TES forums. They're a snapshot of some of the most awful experiences of teaching and most posters there seem to be disillusioned with nothing good to say. Workplace dilemmas was especially negative for obvious reasons.
I stopped using them because it became apparent that the only answer to anything is that SLT are the devil and there's no such thing as a teacher who isn't up to scratch.

Mumsnet boards tend to give a much more accurate picture in my opinion as there's a good cross section of people.

[RomanRita]

I entered teaching relatively late in the day - 50+ and owing to my 15 years as a TA thought I knew what was getting into.
How wrong I was! There followed 8 years of sleepless nights, waking dread, feelings of constant inadequacy and then finally the brutal process of being managed out.
Please, please think very carefully before going forward. It should be the best job in the world but as many have said, something has gone very wrong!

[MaybeDoctor]

I think it is good to be committed.

Arrange some school observations. But make sure that you really do shadow the teacher i.e. arrive when they do, supervise the playground with them, leave when they do. Also, sit at the front not the back of the class as you will get a far better insight into how they are keeping everyone on task.

[BigButtons]

No body who is thinking about going into teaching actually has a clue what is involved- what it is rally like on the coal face. It is a wise person who is prepared to listen to the folk on here rather than thinking that they already know what it's like.

[Bluewavescrashing]

I recently started a new job as a higher level teaching assistant. All the shortlisted candidates were qualified teachers willing to take a huge pay drop (think half pay) in order to come in to school at 8.30am, teach planned lessons, mark and come home at 4. 30pm. No work in the evenings. I bloody love it and am happy to give up my teacher status (although my colleagues know I'm qualified) for this arrangement! I get to be in charge, enjoy my classes, have the security of a permanent post but none of the stress and insane workload.

[Bluewavescrashing]

Sorry--to clarify, by 'be in charge' I mean I cover classes when teachers are out of class. I much prefer that to supporting in class but it's an individual thing.

[ThreeImaginaryBoys]

Hi OP. I left my career of 20+ years last year and am retraining through Teach First. I'm currently volunteering at a local primary (London) and loving it. The scheme is definitely worth looking into as you get paid to train.

Good luck!