Do I have a shot of re-starting my teaching career?

[TeacherPlanet]

Hi everyone,

I completed my PGCE (Secondary English) few years ago (pregnant during) followed immediately by another pregnancy. I decided to become a SAHM rather than pursue my ECT.

Now, my kids are growing and I want to work as a teacher. I’m feeling extremely down about my chances of ever getting a role due to my lack of work experience. Only time I worked was during my A levels. After, I went to Uni followed by PGCE which took 2 years as I interrupted during my second placement after being hospitalised because of my pregnancy (severe HG). Followed by being a SAHM. I did very well during my PGCE…my tutor prepared a great reference for me to eventually use for job searching.

I genuinely don’t know where to start now and feel like who’d want to hire me? I have this irrational thought that even ECT roles would not want me? I am not even worried about teaching in itself just the hiring process.

Where do I start? What do I do about references? How would my gap be perceived?

I am currently volunteering teaching English to non native speakers. I genuinely enjoy this. I also want to be involved in EAL/SEN once I get a position.

Please share your honest thoughts, information, suggestions…for those involved in interviewing teaching roles, searching for candidates etc - would you frown upon someone like me? What would you be looking for in such applications?

Thank you!

What age range and subject?

Hi,

English 11-19. In my third placement, I was at a college setting (London).Class demographics were retakes, non-native speakers/immigrants. Gained lots of experience for KS4. Covid rules still applied, so invigilated and marked pupils’ GCSE papers. They also offered A level thus gained experience marking coursework.

It sounds like that was a long time ago - so your experience on your PGCE is kind of irrelevant to what teaching is like now. The courses are all different - everything has changed.

I think you would be absolutely fine but I would definitely be acknowledging the gap in your interview and your willingness to learn and be up to date.

I do think parenting is relevant experience to teaching personally. I'm not saying childless people can't teach but I think it gives you an understanding of how to communicate with parents.

Secondary schools are crying out - so I do think you should try but it will be difficult. There's no requirement to immediately do your ECT. Good luck!

2021/2022 does seem like a long time ago. Just briefly, what are a few things that you’d say has dramatically changed and I should watch out for? I’m glad that parenting experience is valued. I don’t even mind volunteering in schools for a bit to see how things have changed. I wonder if Secondary schools would be open to that?

Thank you for taking the time to post.

Secondary English honestly just go for it. I wouldn't recommend teaching but the right school makes a huge amount of difference.

Put the course down as the reference along with the person who did it previously. See if you can get a few days in a local school to observe.

It's absolutely not a lost cause! You could possibly apply to the independent sector as they are often relaxed about whether someone has a PGCE in the first place. It might be difficult to get a job in a super competitive school (state or private) but lots of schools are struggling to recruit right now which could work in your favour especially with your EAL experience. It's worth knowing that if you don't start ECT within 5 years of gaining QTS, you can face restrictions on short term supply work. Do you have the capacity to take on some supply now to show you have recent mainstream school classroom experience?

Look on the DfE website as I'm sure I saw something about wanting to return to teaching and ways to do it. There used to be refresher courses. Can you register as supply first and get some experience again in schools? You could then use supply agency as reference. Get up to speed on current exam boards used by schools that have vacancies.

I contacted them a while back, but it was literally just read through this and that. I thought it would have been more like working opportunities. I think supply work will probably be the only way. I contacted my old tutor as well - fingers crossed. I’ll try the gov get back into teaching again to see if they offer anything new.

Thanks for the warning and encouragement. I think I will sign up with 1-2 supply agencies whilst I’m within that 5 year limit. I’ll probably just have to stop procrastinating waiting for the right conditions and just apply apply apply. Any interview tips? 😂👍