Calling all teachers!!!! esp seniors school.

[davidtennantsmistress]

I know you'll prob all mostly be at work but if anyone has any thoughts please let me know - failng that please keep this bumped for a bit

I have decided I would like to become a teacher - with a major in maths, but i'm not too sure on how to get into it, althou I have some close people to advise me it's all changed in the 10 years they've been in!

I have 10 GSCE's and foundation CAT level (for accounts) apart from that nothing relevant I don't think. so my questions are:-

will I have to go the a levels degree route (either pcge or teacher degree) or is there another way.

realistically would a course be possible as I have a 2 year old. (am assuming him to be 6/7 when qualified)

how do your hours work around your children?

how did you decide which age to teach? i'm looking at hte older ones - but also what's putting me off a little is the attitudes, so not sure.

but this is something I think I want to do after being out of my office for so long I don't want to go back into it.

any help greatly appriciated

Bumping for you. I can't answer your questions, but would encourage you to go in to teaching with your eyes well and truly open. I grew up wanting to teach, took a different career direction, with the objective of perhaps going into teaching later. Have been put off by knowing lots of secondary teachers, who constantly remind me what a stressed out, underpaid, unrewarding career it is. I am stressed out and underpaid, am often on the road at 6, getting home at 10, don't get the holidays, and get paid similar amount to a teacher. But still all my teacher friends tell me teaching is harder. I'm not prepared to take the risk.

hi DTM I run a school based teacher training course, for which you need a degree int he subject you want to teach (or v similar - always a degree though) and would advise you to check out the TDA website which has masses of advice, get yourself into schools to see whether or not you like it

oops sorry posted that too soon!

You do need to be sure its what you really want to do, it is an awful job if your heart's not in it. Its also not as easy as you think to fit around DCs school hours as you have to be there earlier and later than the kids. Having said that, it is a great job if you enjoy it

I retrained as a teacher (Secondary maths) before having children and the course was very tough. Having said that I know people have managed it with families - particularly if they do the pgce part time.

I'm now working part-time - dd is in nursery 3 days per week from 8 to 5 and I do my marking and planning after she has gone to bed. With school age children you would need to use breakfast and afterschool clubs or have a childminder to drop off/pick up(primary school hours tend to be shorter than secondary).

I think you would need a degree first - worth considering the OU - you would be able to start without A Levels as their level one courses are very accessible (and there are different options depending on your background you would start with MU120 or MST121). The OU also do a flexible part time pgce course.

Worth trying to visit a local school for a day to observe some lessons.

I really enjoy teaching but it is very hard work.

Not sure if I can be too much help but wanted to say that in my pre mum life I taught science and loved it! Teaching is a fab job if you enjoy the whole perfomance aspect of it and if you have a basic liking for teenagers - less difficult than you might think, most are lovely. It is however lots of work and I havent gone back to it yet as can not see how I would combine being mum to two under 4 and doing my job properly without completely exhausting myself. I would advise the degree route because if you later change your mind you still have a degree which isnt wasted, also IMO you learn the useful stuff about teaching in schools on placement not in college. The PGCE year is hard and you may have to travel to placements so that might be tricky with kids. I am sure there is some sort of in school training route as there was someone at our school (4 years ago now) qualifying and working at the same time but not sure of the details. Try the gov site for teacher training or ring your nearest teacher training centre. Good luck

thanks for the info guys has been really informative. I was intrested in the OU courses actually - mostly from the POV of bein able to do a PT job and do my studies around it, alhtou to be fair DS is a full time job on it's own, so I really need to thik about my best options there, and definatly talk to someone in the teaching college.

are you able to observe lessons in schools easily enough or do you need to be on a ourse in order to do it? (I am of course remembering what I was like at school - not always goo! lol)

alos is a OU degree treated the same as a deree from a university (ie in the long run i I went for my first job with that and another candidate had a uni degree would I still have equal chances?)

I appriciate it will be hard work - but am hoping in the lon run it will be worth it, and am currently a tthe stage in my life of wanting more than what I had pre ds in my career, hopefully it will provide him with a better start as well in an odd way. i'm also want to feel passionateabout what i'm doing again - not jsut go to work do my hours and come home. ho hum. will def talk to someone about it thou.

hi DTM most schools will let people interested in teaching come in to observe, jsut ring them up