I want to retrain as a teacher. Scared of leaving my secure career for practical reasons.

[LockedDownOpenUp]

I’m a specialist speech therapist currently on 30k a year. Have been wanting to leave for a while. The career isn’t what I thought I would be - very rarely do I get to directly work with kids. Instead I run a lot of parent workshops and make session plans for our assistants to deliver.

Ive wanted to be a teacher for years and it was a toss up between that and SALT. I’m regretting my choice!

I’m used to working above and beyond my usual hours making session plans late into the evening or weekend and having to buy stuff for this out of my own pocket. I’m used to working with difficult parents and children with complex needs. I have about a year of classroom volunteer assistant experience (did this when I was trying to gain experience for uni courses).

As I already have a degree and live in Scotland, it’ll be a one year post graduate course which I’m sure SAAS will fund. I really want to do this but am TERRIFIED of giving up a secure position to be a student again relying on a small student loan for income. I’m a lone parent with no family support so can’t work evenings around it as a job would need to be within childcare hours.

Am I mad? I can’t stop thinking about teaching but terrified about what I’d be giving up to retrain, the financial disadvantages to my family because I chose to be a student again (limited savings but I could stretch them for a year for basic living - no usual treats) and ultimately I might struggle to find a permanent job at the end of it.

I hate my job at the moment and no longer feel like I make a difference. In my position, would you retrain?

I studied my undergraduate degree as a lone parent so the juggling of that with studies doesn’t faze me. It’s the year of financial shittiness of being a student again!

Don't. I never managed to find a permanent job after completing my NQT year in 2011, so I did supply on and off for a few years, until that dried up too.

You are making a difference in the work you're already doing and you will be valued and respected more than if you're a teacher.

Private SALTS are like gold dust. Maybe combine student life with some private salt work? They charge £50-100 an hour. Desperately needed by SN children.

If you're that passionate about it I would go for it. I earn more than you do now. The first couple of years will be financially tough. How old are your children? When I was single mine were nursery aged which meant I could have them fed there and work until 6. School aged a bit trickier but theres after school care.
Teaching is hard but rewarding

For me it was a toss-up between speech therapy and teaching and I chose the latter, to my lasting regret. The poster above gives excellent advice about going into private practice.

If you really think it is for then go for it. Have you considered a SCIIT?

I'm a teacher and currently using a private speech therapist for my three year old. We've done the parent workshops and had recently got to the stage where we were told our dd needs some one-to-one therapy, but the waiting is at least 6 months, probably a lot longer. She starts school in around 6 months so we're paying privately for some therapy. £77 for one hour, £50 for half an hour.

I think you should explore going private before retraining. I wish I hadn't left my previous career to retrain as a teacher!

Hee hee I’m a teacher - I retrained aged about 30. I was recently wishing I’d retrained as a SALT! My dd is autistic (not yet diagnosed) and we’ve been using a private SALT. Could you look into that?

Teaching has several routes in - I did a salaried route. It was called schools direct. Check out all the routes in to find the best for you. But I would really really spend as much time in schools (when they reopen) as possible. Shadow teacher friends etc if you have any. I love teaching (SAHM for now!) but it’s not for everyone and it is exhausting and draining!

Going private will be self employed. Do you understand what that actually means? Especially right now? You cannot treat anyone. You have no sickness benefit. You pay for all of your pension. You lose your pension if the stock market crashes. You have no holiday pay. Think very carefully about the finances because your total salary package isn’t £30k. It’s way above this. So do the sums and hope your pension contributions are enough. For millions of self employed people they will never be at the rate of employed people and there is no employer contribution. It’s now likely NI rates for the self employed will be hiked too so you have no wriggle room on that to make your enhanced pension contributions.

If job satisfaction trumps all of that - go for it.
Most NQTs get jobs by the way. There is a shortage of teachers. Can you look at the alternative routes into teaching?

I’ve been teaching for nearly two decades. I’d leave if I could. I would advise against becoming a teacher.

I gave up a secure job to retrain as a teacher, it was the worst thing I ever did for my own family, my happiness and just about everything. Even allowing for a family bereavement just after I left I was still happier then I was when training. In other words, don't do it.

Thanks for everyone's replies! I appreciate the suggestions but I really couldn't become self employed. Far scarier a financial situation than being a student for a year! Job security is a huge factor for me which is why I went into NHS in the first place.

I can't seem to find part time or alternative route options into teaching near me.

Maybe I need to try moving over to adult SLT instead. It's not working with children but is a change of career which I can gain further training for in the job. I just know I can't do this job any more.

@lonelylouise I feel this way sometimes. My sympathies.

Christ on a bike, don't do teaching. It sucks your soul out of your arse and leaves you to bleed out in the gutter.

The problem you'll find here in the staffroom is that many are really tired and disillusioned- no judgment there. But in my school, all of my friends are really happy teachers. We're a SEN secondary though.

There ARE happy teachers out there! But do you really want to give up one demanding career for another? I'd look at going sideways as a SALT if you can. Perhaps you could look at lecturing?

Have a look at the thread where the just qualified teacher is being asked to work for free in her new school until her start date in September. Public health guidelines be damned, employment rights be damned. It sort of summed up for me where teaching is right now

As a former primary governor, I don’t recognise this hatred of teaching. I have seen all NQTs stay at the schools and many have had very successful careers. I have seen teachers in their 60s do a great job and enjoy it. I think the school leadership is key regarding how much people enjoy teaching. However I still would not necessarily say you should make the change. But some of the reactions on here do not correspond to the vibrant, happy and career minded women I have met who are successful teachers.

With respect, as a governor you won't see it.
(former teacher, former governor here)

Where in Scotland are you? Are you planning on secondary or primary? I think Scotland has far more union power than England, we are not under as much pressure although of course there is still pressure there.

I like my job in a very positive secondary. There are high pressure points throughout the year but that's why we have so many holidays.

Your background will give you such advantage, I'm sure you will find a job after your probation period.

Depending on what subject /sector you are training for, you may be entitled to additional funding through your training year.

I wish I’d been a speech therapist. Don’t go into teaching-it’s truly miserable.

Honestly I wouldn't. Teaching is nothing like you imagine. I have just left and I honestly look ten years younger. It's all targets, data and accountability. Behaviour has deteriorated over the years , it's just not a nice job anymore sorry. I'm just being honest

I am teaching again after a decades plus out of the classroom and I love it. It’s bonkers as a job - so many kids, nothing is ever as good as it could be but if you thrive on kids and have a ton of energy then it’s fun. I am never bored - I hate, more then anything, being bored.

I have kept my registration In my previous work - private work at £50/60 ph but suspect I will stay in the classroom. You just have to find the right school.

But some of the reactions on here do not correspond to the vibrant, happy and career minded women I have met who are successful teachers.

It's probably best to look at overall trends rather than at individual experiences, whether they be good or bad.

Last year the Department of Education released data which showed that new teachers quitting the profession after their first year were at their highest rate for nearly a quarter of a century. I suppose there are different conclusions that could be made from that, but I don't see how any of them could be positive.

Well the intervening 25 years have not been so awful then, have they? I know some people make mistakes. The high flying NQTs can get better jobs elsewhere and if they are not dedicated to teaching can find another job. However the stats don’t tell you in what areas teachers are leaving. Is it in run down areas? From RI or worse schools? From poorly run schools? From schools in poorly run mats? Is it where mums are trying to juggle DC and work that makes it impossible? We don’t know. I doubt if the overall stat applies to all schools equally and many schools undoubtedly do have NQTs who stay and thrive. Maths and science teachers would find it easier to leave though.

As a governor I knew why staff left. It’s appropriate to do something about it if our retention levels were giving cause for concern. So no Governor should be shielded from this info and the GB must do something about it. That’s our job!

I've left lots of schools - I've never informed the governing body as to why. Also never had an exit interview, so how do you know really why they left? No-one has ever asked me.