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Original poster

when i write this down it will probably be a NO BRAINER but would appreciate views

25 replies

Moomin · 07/02/2006 12:38

I'm on maternity leave from being a 2ndary english teacher. I work 20 miles away and i need to use bypasses and motorway to get to work which has gradually got worse since I started work there 9 years ago. It takes me at least 45 mins to get there now and I've decided that i do NOT want to do this journey anymore with 2 kids to sort out and bundle off to childminders at the crack of dawn so i'm going to hand my notice in and get a new job for sept.

I decided to register with supply locally for sept and see how it goes. In the meantime I have also been considering working for primary and I actually got very excited about the prospect of something new. I've got work expereince in a few weeks at our local primary school and I've also applied for a p/t job 1 year contract in a lovely little school 12 miles away (country roads, not a bad journey at all). Job interviews will be beginning of March but I have no idea whether I'd get it or not, given my experience.

Now an old mate has rung me. He's the Head at the 2ndary school right behind my house! He is pretty sure that his head of english will win a secondment and be out of school for 2 years and he basically offered me the job if i want it, from sept. I wouldn't be doing the head of dept stuff, just her timetable but he says he'd be happy for me to do 3 days, which i wanted. It would literally take me 2 mins to get from my house to the classroom every day! Dd1's school is 3 mins walk away and dd2's childminder would be 10 mins walk away.

I'm just a bit scared that if i go back into secondary now i won't get to explore primary and i was very excited about it. other side is, the 2ndary job would be 'easy' for me because it's what i know.

Neither jobs are 100% certain yet anyway but my mate said he'll know about the secondment in 2 weeks' time so i need to hav thought about it by then and have an idea what i'm going to do.

OP posts:
Original poster
Moomin · 07/02/2006 12:39

and scuse typos please

OP posts:
GDG · 07/02/2006 12:40

I'd go with the secondary job for 2 yrs - it's just too convenient to pass up! YOu can explore the primary after that couldn't you?

I don't know, it depends how strongly you feel about taking on a different challenge.

littlemissbossy · 07/02/2006 12:40

Are you excited at the prospect of the 2nd job? or is it "better" because it's easier on you?
Go for your gut instinct and/or the one you want!

BTW if you went for the primary school job and it didn't work out, you could always go back to secondary.

moondog · 07/02/2006 12:41

Take the job near home.
You can always change later if it's not for you.
Believe me,now is not a good time to challenge yourself professionally.

Original poster
Moomin · 07/02/2006 12:43

do you mean now i've got the baby, moondog? yes i spose i could do with something easy and convenient while she's getting used to a childminder and while she's so little. dd1 will also be starting school (reception) in sept.

OP posts:
mummytosteven · 07/02/2006 12:43

I'ld go for the 2ndary job. I think retraining/reskilling will be a bit too onerous when you are returning from mat leave. My secondary school teacher friend did a 1 one term course on primary school teaching, and didn't feel confident to teach primary as she felt there was a very lot to learn/lot of difference to 2ndary teaching.

moondog · 07/02/2006 12:44

Yes moomin.

GDG · 07/02/2006 12:45

Agree with MD - it sounds as if you have enough on your plate atm so do the secondary job which you can probably do standing on your head. Then give primary a whirl after the 2 yrs.

fisil · 07/02/2006 12:50

ah, well I did the opposite. I had a job offer of a maths teaching post, 3 days a week at a school 5 minutes walk away (I was head of maths before my maternity leave). I was also applying for an exciting new job - as a national strategy consultant which is about 30 minutes drive away. I actually turned down the school job before I knew I had the other one because that was what I wanted. I've been doing the new job for 6 months now and know that it was absolutely the right decision for me, in fact I started on 3 days and went up to 4 I like it so much. Go with your heart - you need to be happy at work because it is soooooo much harder when you have two children.

Original poster
Moomin · 07/02/2006 16:08

my heart's with my kids at the moment, so i'm thinking the 2ndary post will win through. But i do still want to look at primary later. Dd2 will be at nursery by the time this contract runs out so she'll be that bit more independent. and i really want to do well if i undertake the primary stuff - i'll need to get to know a whole new curriculum and i know there's tonnes of preparation to do, so I could do with having things a bit more settled at home with the dds.

..talking myself into this one aren't I?!

OP posts:
motherinferior · 07/02/2006 16:15

I too would say don't turn down a challenge automatically just because it is a challenge. If you really, really want to go for it - do.

Beetroot · 07/02/2006 16:18

the secondary job sounds eperfect.

try out the primary one while do work experience adn then see how you feel. I would prefer secondary any day....

Original poster
Moomin · 07/02/2006 19:54

why beetroot? (just out of interest)

OP posts:
Caligula · 07/02/2006 20:03

Yep, no brainer.

Life as the mother of very young children is hard enough without going in for new challenges. Don't forget that a new job alone is a new challenge, without moving into a different sector, so you'll still get intellectual stimulation. And as others have said, you can explore the primary option when your children are more settled.

Beetroot · 08/02/2006 08:52

momin, i prefer the older kids, i like th challenge, i like the idea of a speicalist subject rather than an all rounder. ummm, ilike the five mins inbetween lessons.

throckenholt · 08/02/2006 08:55

if it is offered do the local job - but maybe try and get some part time experience in a local primary to see if that would be a sensible option for the furture.

WideWebWitch · 08/02/2006 13:45

Bloody hell, take the part time job right behind your house! I would, anyway.

beckybrastraps · 08/02/2006 13:58

If it was a straight choice betweent he two jobs, I'd probably go for the primary one. I've used my maternity break as an excuse to do something different and I am so pleased I did. However, it's not a straight choice is it? Presumably you will have to make up your mind about the secondary job before you even know you've made the short list for the primary one, and that is a pretty big risk. Without wanting to sound negative, you may well not be the best qualified person for the primary job and they may go for a "safer" option.

I think it depends on how much you want to change direction, and how much you need a definite job. I haven't found retraining onerous with small children - I've found it exhilirating. But if you need to go back to work at a certain time, the secondary job is a safer bet.

edam · 08/02/2006 14:04

There's a big learning curve when you change direction after maternity leave. But you sound like you might well thrive on the challenge. Tough call between safety, convenience and excitement.

If you took the safe option, would you regret it a year later? Would you still be yearning for primary? I know all the sensible arguments about being nearer to home, etc. etc., but working is hard when you have kids - you have to make it worth all the hassle. If you'll be bored and frustrated by the secondary job then it's not worth doing.

motherinferior · 08/02/2006 14:05

I do find that challenging work is more fun, really.

Original poster
Moomin · 26/02/2006 11:39

update - well, wouldn't you know it, but NEITHER job is still on offer!! [trying to keep it lighthearted despite shitting myself]

as beckybrastraps predicted, the primary job went to someone qualified in that field. I didn't realise that it was open to teachers wanting a 1 year secondment so there was a huge field for the job - and who can blame them - one year in a gorgeous rural community school.

my mate (head of secondary behind my house) rang me this morning to say his head of eng didn't get the job. He still remains pretty hopeful that something will come up, either through her leaving or a p/t vacancy coming up anyway (probably 2 or 3 days a week) but he also said to look after myself first and not hold out for a job with him as a definite (which i wasn't anyway but i was pretty hopeful).

What to do?! Feel much less confident now. Can't BEAR the option of staying at my present school from September, even doing 2 days a week, the travelling would be a nightmare and i just don't want to leave my babs at 7.30 every morning before a 50 mins drive into communter-helldom. HOWEVER, am also scared about handing my notice in with nothing definite to go to. I've been cleared for supply now but am still a bit unsure about that. The last few weeks have at least showed me that a primary job would be a very big step at this stage and that secondary would still stimulate me and I wouldn't mind doing it while dd2 is very young at least. I guess we have to work out whether we could survive on dh's wages alone is the worst came to the worst.

Is it madness to give up a well-paid job because you can't stand the journey???!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Moomin · 02/03/2006 10:18

bump - anyone? am i mad to consider giving up a well-paid and secure job just because of travelling and stress of being so far away from dds if they need me? (dh works miles away from home town too)

OP posts:
hovely · 02/03/2006 15:01

not at all mad moomin
it is one of the biggest things in a working parent's life, distance/travel time away from home if needed. When you and DH are both out of town it is a very big issue indeed.
as always it is a huge trade-off, your present job security and pay against peace of mind of a different kind.
at present DH and I both work, he works fulltime 50 miles away and I work 4 days a week on ad-hoc assignments which are usually in the same town as DH, ie also 50 miles away. The whole arrangement only works for us because we can afford live-in child care and have been lucky enough to find someone very dependable whom we trust. If any part of that was missing it would be unsustainable.
looking on the bright side, opportunities came up for you, even though they didn't work out others could turn up, you have the prospect of supply, and as children get older I guess the issues become different - not necessarily easier but different. So making changes to fit life's changing shape - not at all mad!

Original poster
Moomin · 02/03/2006 19:04

thanks hovely what a nice post.
You're right about 'things happening' - something does always seem to come up in whatever situation i get into, so a big part of me thinks i'll just sit it out. but because money's involved i'm just getting twitchy. dh and i have agreed that we could just about live on his wages alone come september in case supply work is thin. But i'm so used to having the security of having my job and feel quite smug when i have to fill in forms stating i've been with the same employer for 9 years! mad, i know! i don't have to hand my notic in until end of may so i can at least wait til then, and the best time of year for teaching jobs is the next 2 months so i guess i'll just have to wait and see

....... [la la la, twiddles thumbs]....

OP posts:
hovely · 02/03/2006 21:40

Check back in here in 2 months time!

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