Teachers - what would you say to someone considering teacher training in their late 30s?

[PenelopeChipShop]

Just hoping for some honest words! I'm 37 and currently work in magazine publishing. I do love it, well I like the work, but I'm thinking of getting out of the industry. It isn't very family friendly, and despite years of building contacts and having a fairly successful freelance career around the kids, I'm struggling to juggle it all, the money NEVER gets better and in fact in some places gets worse, and it's pretty thankless at times.

Since having my kids I've really loved playing with them (I know a lot of parents DON'T like this, hence why I thought it might be relevant, but I could be being very naive!) and I'm fascinated by child development in quite an academic way. I've done baby signing with both children and loads of reading with them and I love setting up play stations and seeing what they do with them, trying to teaching them through play. I find the acquisition of speech amazing and have read quite a few books about it.

It's for these reasons really that I feel drawn to working with children. I did think initially about studying to be a speech and language therapist as it sounds fascinating but then I found out jobs are hard to come by. I'm now a LP and NEED to work so I can't take a risk. I feel strangely drawn to being a reception teacher, but I'm under NO illusions that this is anything but very very hard work, and it's not as if I'd make much more money than I do now! But the school holidays would work for me...

Do I sound hopelessly naive? Would you recommend it, even with the disaster that is education funding at the moment and the pressure on teachers? Any comments welcome!

Teaching isn’t family friendly too generally. Yes the holidays are great but in term time teachers often struggle with managing their workload vs actually seeing their own children. Sorry! That’s not to say you shouldn’t do it, but don’t be under any illusions!

Teaching is not really family friendly. Yes you can work your 'at school' hours around the school day but you need to spend an awful lot of extra time on planning, prep etc.
Also consider the emotional load. You will spend 5 hours plus a day with 30 little individuals, all wanting you to make them the centre of attention, all day. How much emotional energy will you have for your own children after that?
My mum was a primary teacher. She used to get to about 8:00pm and start yelling " I've had children all day and children all evening. Go away!"

I considered it and ruled it out. The holidays, yes, that's great. But they might not tally with those at your DCs schools especially if you live close to LA boundaries and end up working on the other side. You can ONLY have holidays in school holidays - no time off to go to your children's nativity plays, class assemblies, sports days, cover their INSET days etc. Before and after school care still needed, sometimes going into the evening (parents evenings). Oh and it seems like very, very hard work.

I feel strangely drawn to being a reception teacher

There is no guarantee that it's that class that you would teach.

Until last year I was doing teacher training. I dropped the qts part of the course ahead of getting pregnant because I knew we were getting to the stage of starting a family (been together almost 5 years) and the amount of stress was ridiculous. The people on my course are doing their final year placement at the moment, they're two weeks in and shattered already!

Having said that there are a number of people over 30 with children successfully completing the course this year so if you are determined to do it then go for it, it's definitely doable. Just keep your expectations in check (several have mentioned they feel bad for putting their children in all day care or after school care and barely seeing them) but at the end of the day it's your life, you have to feel satisfied with what you're doing too.

Last point, you can specialise as an early years teacher but as pp said there it no guarantee you'll be placed in reception. Even if you're hired for that year, the school can and will move you to a different year group whenever they see fit.

Don't do it!

I quit teaching last year after teaching for 8 years.
I loved the job but the paperwork and hours were killing me and I missed so much time with my own children.

It is a 60 hour week for £22k in your first year.

I am strongly thinking of leaving in my 8th year.

Nope, don't do it!

Don't do it. I left a few years ago after a 12 year career.
It had become an awful, soul destroying, life sucking career.
I completely changed careers and feel like I have my life and soul back!

Ah I didn’t realise they can tell you what year you’re teaching. My son goes to a tiny village school with one-class intake and all the teachers have the same year all the time, perhaps this isn’t representative!

Of course I know i’d still need childcare, but I have that anyway.

I did initially think about actual early years care, ie being a nursery nurse, but friends have said it’s just as hard work without the money and status of an actual teacher...

Also my mum was a teacher and she has always said it should be a ‘vocation’... I guess if i really felt that way i would’ve done it before now. I don’t know!

What did you switch to Cataline?

Unfortunately, being a reception teacher is nothing like playing with children. It’s bloody hard work with a massive load of paperwork, documenting and proving every minuscule thing the children have done and assessments every five minutes.

In my experience the most successful teachers who don't burn out are a weird combination of very organised and laid back. Obviously we all love kids and teaching etc, but I think personality is a key factor. If you are a highly strung perfectionist please just forget it. I actually don't think a vocation is crucial... I know a few happy teachers who fell into it and surprised themselves with how much they loved spending time with kids.

Don't.

@PenelopeChipShop My actual role is too outing to mention but it's for a large public sector organisation where I get treated and trusted like a grown up human being and can have a cup of tea or a wee at any point during the day!