Teaching - what's it really like?

[Meandacat]

Seriously ? what?s being a teacher like? Stressful but rewarding, or just plain stressful? I?m talking secondary here, not primary.

Various circumstances are making me think I may need a change in career. People have told me before I?d made a good teacher (no idea why) but having already been forced to change careers twice in my life, and already being over 40, I am reluctant to do so again and find myself in something I hate. The govt. does a good job of putting a nice gloss on teaching. Plusses: The pay is good compared to what I?m on now, it?s a job you can do in any part of the country, I can get the qualification I need while still in my present job, I wouldn?t need to look for childcare for DD during holidays so much (when that times comes). Downside: am I only considering this because I don?t know what else to do? For now, um.. yes.

So I?d appreciate hearing from secondary school teachers? experiences to know if this is something I could seriously consider and feel committed to.

I love teaching. It is stressful yes, but so are all jobs that pay well. The first two years are very hard while you get used to syllabuses and used to managing a classroom. However every year that passes after that is easier and more enjoyable.

I am passionate about my subject (maths) and enjoy the company of teenagers so I feel very fortunate to be in the job I am in. There are plenty of downsides (P/T meetings, reports, paperwork, Ofsted etc) but I also get a huge amount of job satisfaction.

It is very very hard to qualify whilst doing something else (unless its the armed forces). Even with the OU the placements are all full-time. This means 8-5 in school with time on top of this for: lesson planning, reflections on your lessons, preparing resources and coursework. With the OU the placements are 2 weeks, then 4 weeks then 8 weeks then 10 weeks long. You may now get a local school for your placements so may need to add commuting time on top.

Yes you get more of the holidays, but your kids might get to see less of you during term time.

Jobs are not plentiful unless in a shortage subject. Government cuts will also affect teaching.

If you still want to try, get some experience (at least 2 weeks) in one or more local schools. Good luck!

Mummytime - so how far removed from the average working day of 9-5.30 is it?

Also, I see I need to give more thought to placements, so thx for flagging that up.

It's very very dependent on the school you end up in. I'm currently teaching in a nice independent school and while I'm very busy and it's long hours, I don't have the stress of managing behaviour. If you end up teaching in a school with behaviour probs and an unsupportive management team then it's very stressful.
Definitely do some visits and try to visit a broad range of schools - good and bad.
It is a family friendly and fulfilling career but you'll need a supportive partner or family during term time, particularly during those first couple of years.
Look into it more and don't be too influenced by the government ads, but if it's right for you then I think you can't beat it!

It can be the best job in the world and the worst job in the world, depending on your school and the classes involved.

Have been at both sides. Intact I now no longer teach secondary and havent for a while. But I am back in schools, now as a TA in primary and loving it. Never thought I'd think that again tbh.

I've recently returned to full time teaching after being a full time mum for 4 years. I am absolutely loving it. I enjoyed it before, but seem to be enjoying it even more now. I teach Performing Arts, so less marking, but lots of out-of-hours activities (did 2 full Sundays for the school play just before half term) and lots of planning (fewer in-place resources and no current Schemes of Work in my school at the moment)

I went into teaching originally because I wasn't sure what else to do, but found that I liked it very quickly.

As for stress - all jobs have stress. I am finding that the pressures of being back at work full time are easier to deal with than the pressures of being at home full time with todder twins (they're at school now)

If you think you want to go for it, then I second the advice to spend some time in a local school. As for qualifying whilst doing another job - I'd question that. My sister is doing a PGCE at the moment, and it's all-consuming. Teaching is not something you can do half-heartedly.

It is a hugely interesting and rewarding career, if you have a passion for your subject and a love of inspiring young minds. Being totally honest, it is also very hard work, simply because every day is full on, and the expectations placed on you (not just by pupils and parents, but by Govt, Ofsted) are very wide ranging.

The training and NQT year will undoubtedly be the toughest part, and many people do give up (even if they've come out of other, quite full-on, careers). After that, it will get easier year on year, though whenever you change schools, it can be tough again for a couple of years.

I would say a typical day is probably, say, 9 hours in school. Most teachers will be in their classroom or office by 8am (apart from possibly part timers, on hourly rates) and will be there until 5pm. I would say the beginning of the day is more important - ie, if you need to work a short day, you're better off starting at 7.30/8 am and leaving by 4 pm rather than trying to dash in at 8.30 and playing catch up all day. Of course you'll have meetings/ parents evenings etc on top of that, and in your early years of teaching, perhaps two hours marking and prep per evening, and then an afternoon/day at the weekend. I've found that over time, I'm able to organise my time so that I bring less work home - though having said that, I do a longer day in school, aiming to start at 7.45 am at the latest.

The paperwork is immense, and can get you down at times. Govt changes can also be frustrating. And of course you have to get used to the idiots who think your job is 9 til 3... lol

If you're in a shortage subject, then its well worth considering, though its hard to get into popular subjects these days.

Overall, I can't think of a more worthwhile or fulfilling career, and you'll meet many likeminded, interesting colleagues.

Good luck with your decision!

What subject would you be teaching?

I would say I am usually at school for ten hours; 7.30am to 5.30pm. This means I don't usually have to take any work home.

As Stargirl and Hulababy say job satisfaction does depend on your school- and on your boss. Schools vary enormously and departments within schools vary. Finding the right place for you can take a while.

Thanks to everyone who replied so far. It's heartening to see so many of you who get so much out of it. Am am shocked, however, by quite how much time is spent on paperwork or whatever in addition to teaching time. I was not one of those idiots who thought it was a 9-3 job ( Violethill) but I admit I had imagined it to be more like 8.30-5, including time for marking. Still, given that I currently spend 3 hrs every day commuting in order to do what I do.... But that's an eye-opener, for sure. Hats off to you.

KangarooCaught - if I go ahead, it'd be French. I think Modern Langs. is a current shortage area?

An additional question, then. Have any of you or do any of you know someone who has gone into teaching later in life? And have they found it any harder or easier than those who went into it earlier in their career?

Hi, Meandacat
I can't offer advice but a couple of tips as I am in similar place to you at the mo, considering retraining as I was fed up of how un-family friendly my last job was. I have just taken a job as a TA (very very part-time hours!) and volunteering too. I wasn't sure how to get my foot in the door so to speak, but I just rang around a few local schools and they were very helpful, within a week I was sitting in on a Year 11 class! I guess they're used to being approached, and some schools are more helpful than others, and also I know that some admissions criteria are 10 hours of classroom observation.

Also the TDA helpline is really helpful for routes into teaching. If you want to work while you train (this is also my plan as can't afford to do PGCE full time) have you looked into the GTP? You need to find a local provider, but you can do that via the TDA website...here;s the link- hope it works:

www.tda.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/teacher-training-options/gtp/Search.aspx

The best advice I can give is to get into schools even if it means using up holiday to do so. It will make any application to make more likely to be successful and give a clearer idea if French teaching is for you.

If you go the GTP route you need a school who has room for you to teach a 70% timetable almost from the off & someone in the dept capable of mentoring you. You and they would need to be sure you could hack it which is why they often like you to do a 4 week stint first. However, language teaching is very specialised and unless you already have experience in this sphere(?) then the PGCE route would be the gradual progression approach and the one you're more likely to get a placement on (but of course it doesn't pay as a GTP placement does)

I'm a full-time secondary school TA. I took the job because I am thinking about doing a secondary PGCE (have changed career once already from broadcast journalist to youth worker, so want to be really, really sure before committing to another carer change!).

Even my role, which doesn't involve any marking and includes only a very small amount of prep, is utterly exhausting. I work 8.30am-4pm, but I have to hit the ground running as soon as I walk through the gates and am pretty much give, give, giving all day long. I love the job - so, so rewarding - but it is relentless.

Teachers have it much harder in many respects. The jury is still out as to whether I can really commit to teaching while my children are still quite small (tiredness is a major factor). But I would advise anyone considering teaching as a career to get experience in a school by any means necessary. There is just NO substitute for being in the thick of it and seeing the profession (and kids!) up close

career change

Can anyone comment on the value of returning to teaching with a 9 month-old baby? I don't absolutely have to do it- financially- and before I had my son I didn't particularly love my job as HoD due to the hours, commitment and stress of running a department. In many ways I'd like to wait longer before returning to work but on the other hand I am worried about a) losing the skills I have built up over 8 years and b) finding it difficult to get back into teaching again in a few years if I did decide I wanted to (NQTs are always cheaper to employ than experienced teachers). I assume I'll have to resign my post if I don't return within 12 months of taking mat leave. Thanks.

I really am very grateful to everyone who has posted in this thread. It's been a real eye-opener in some instances, and you've all given me a lot to think about. Cornerstone75 and KangarooCaught - thanks for the 'route in' advice. I'm in Scotland and I know things are often a little different here - the Scottish Exec has it's own "get into teaching" site which I'll need to explore more thoroughly in light of what's been said.

Thanks again - this has gone from a notion that I wasn't sure about pursuing to something I still think may be an option, but perhaps when my DD is a little older.

God, I wish you could correct your own posts after posting. Bad grammar is not a good example from someone thinking of going into teaching!

pmouse, I'm about to return after my 3rd child but part-time & am already worrying about how I'm going to juggle it all.

It was do-able with 1, tough with 2...er 3, god knows!? The main concern is my subject is intensively marking heavy, it's not the teaching but very early morning starts & the late nights once the dcs are asleep that take its toll. It puts a big pressure on family /married life. There is no way/no how I could do it full-time.

I did find in my previous school that having responsibility did lower my overall marking load and the admin I could fit in work time. Depends v much on your personal situation. If I was full-time though a cleaner once or twice a week would be vital necessity!

Meandacat all the best of luck with it

Meandacat, I'd recommend you have a look at the Open Schools programme on the web. You spend a day in a school, following the rhythim of the school day, observing lessons in your subject area and hopefully get some honest answers from the staff. I cannot imagine doing a PGCE part-time with a baby but I know lots of people do it- my colleague with an 18MO. Depends on your temperament and ability to cope with stress and pressure. I certainly found my course tough and that was full-time as a singleton aged 26.

pmouse

If i was you go back and do the 12 weeks so you can make an informed decision. If you can get part time- maybe 2 days a week non hod to keep your hand in.

However if you don't need to- i gave up a similar role to be full time mum and i have never been happier but everyone is different.