Can anyone who works in education give me some careers advise?

[Boco]

I need to go back to work within the next year. I work from home but have to face the fact that doing illustration isn't going to earn enough money.

I've got experience of teaching adults with learning difficulties - although unqualified. I have a good degree, but in something irrelevant. I'm going to be setting up an art club in my daughters primary school, and doing reading with the children once a week.

I think i'd like to retrain - maybe do a pgce, but i'm not sure if i want to be an actual teacher - or maybe i do. What else can you do in education, and where can you get good careers advice. And does anyone have experience of special needs type employment ops. what are SENCOs?

Please, i'm stuck, what do you do?

Boco - have you had a look at the Prospects Web website?

T
Explore types of jobs

I find it a very comprehensive list of types of jobs that you may not have thought of or known existed.

Thank you ekra, i'll have a look at that

I work as a teacher with children in care or out of school. There are lots of job opportunities out of the classroom, but most teacher's start with a stint in the classroom. A SENCO,is a Special Educational Needs Coordinator, all schools will have one but the job varies hugely from school to school. Essential they manage any authority provision for pupils with special needs and review the child's statement of special needs, many will also teach. A career as teaching assistant doesn't pay as much, but you can find some posts with on the job training as a teacher. Good luck!

I am a self employed music teacher and have a variety of jobs to fit around ds - some private teaching at home, running preschool groups in the morning, working in the classroom as a music specialist once a week.

Could you do a similar portfolio of stuff, but around art. A bit of art therapy, a bit of craft and painting stuff with preschoolers, the art club you mentioned and some art lessons at home, some illustration etc.

You keep a good spreadsheet of how long you do each for and what you earn. Then after a year you decide what pays the best versus what you enjoy and start to seek more of that work - and less of either the really badly paid (unless it's also the most enjoyable) or the worst to do.

I've found it great because I haven't committed myself to any one thing beyond the academic year, so there isn't the same chance of retraining to find that I actually don't like what I retrained to do.

I work as a cover supervisor in secondary school, when I started I had no relevant qualifications in education (though have a degree), and little relevant experience! It was a steep learning curve.

It's a very demanding job, (supervising the classes when the teachers are absent on courses or short-term illness), and the pay is not great. But it's better pay than TA, get paid 52 wks/yr with 13 wks hols, and it's school hours only, so apart from school runs no childcare issues/costs at all. (I do up to 15 hrs p/w cover, then various admin/support duties for the rest of the time.)

It's also a great way of finding out whether working in schools is for you. My school have offered to support me in doing the GTP (in-school teacher training paid whilst working): but I don't want to atm.

You could work for the Connexions service, which is what used to be the careers service. You may be assigned to a school and see years 9-11 for individual interviews, plus groupwork. You would give particular attention to the kids with Special Educational Needs, to ensure they have smooth transitions to further education, but basically that's your remit.

You could also work in an FE college, or a youth centre in this role.

Your experience is really relevant - COnnexions services take on unqualified staff and then you can do an NVQ 4 in Advice and Guidance, usually funded by the service. Unqualified salary is about £21k, and the conditions are family friendly.

I have just compleated a one year course in children's care, learning and development. It was a part time course and now I can find work as a classroom ass. It's worth a shot from anyone who wants to work in childcare. Ring your local college.