Finished Primary PGCE at 50 and don't want to teach

[peebles32]

I have just turned 50 and finished a PGCE in primary teaching. My placement was ok but I knew I had made a mistake and did not want to leave halfway through. It was the physical demands as well as the mental demands. I have wanted to teach all my life and never had the opportunity to do it. I was a TA years ago and the classroom has changed in the past 15 years!! The amount of SEND children not getting any support is shocking.
I am shattered. I was the oldest on my course and all the lecturers kept telling me how much they admired me and I got swept along. Even the ones in mid forties were struggling so why did I not see it myself?
I did not think about menopause, back problems and even on HRT I am struggling, but I was embarrassed to say I had made a mistake.
I just don't think I will be able to hack it so looking to go into a more pastoral role.
Anyone got any ideas on what I could possibly do? I have elderly parents and young teenagers and never really gave that thought how I would cope with them too.

My family are all so proud of me and I feel like a fraud! I need to work as we cannot manage on one salary but don't know what to do.
Everyone has all these expectations of me and I feel like I will disappoint everyone.

Both are used. I was a SENDCo when I did the role a few years ago.

Get a 0.5 teaching job. Yes it's exhausting but the holidays are a perk & it's never boring being in a school.
Agreed, but that's also 0.5 of a salary so has considerable cost implications, OP may not be able to afford that. There are so many teachers working part time who would work full time if the job was more reasonable. It's partly masking the retention crisis.

Part time is perfect you basically get a longer weekend than working week.

Supply is good for being in control of when you work but pay is shit.

Just try lots of education jobs that aren't in school failing that.

• museum Ed (impossible to get in my area but you might have better look where you are).
• vacancies in hint or lint.
• prison education
• library groups
• play schemes
• hospital schools
• family support worker type jobs in schools

-eal/traveller/refugee support

Out of the people I know who have a primary ed degree but aren't teaching in a school, a few run baby group franchises, one is family support in a primary, one is pastoral support in a secondary, one works for the low incidence needs team with send kids and one works on a farm running the educational visits. I also have a friend that used to work in prison ed until she retired and loved it. I genuinely got the feeling she thought her work was important and could see the difference it was making.

The problem is that teachers are looking for 'similar but less stressful' jobs in droves. Every job like that will have multiple applicants from teachers who already have lots of experience.

Better to try and get the ECT years done on a part time basis, I would say.

@yipeeyiyay there's been a 'D' in the role for many years now.

@yipeeyiyay (just in case you need further, 'official' clarification...here's a link to the SEND code of practice!

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/398815/SENDDCodeoffPracticeJanuaryy_2015.pdf

How about taking a side step? I work for an independent charity school. It's a special school. The focus on staff wellbeing is like nothing I've ever experienced before

Look for a part time job in a nice school?

Tutoring, Camp site manager, Part time teaching, After School Care Program, In home Child Care, part time, for special needs, Foster Carer short term, One to one work at a large tutoring business, Tutoring trainee teachers at uni. Holiday Program Arts or Sports or Science (what ever your calling), Library Assistant. Teaching Maths and English to Adults, Working one to one in a school in a specialised program.

Your PGCE year will be the hardest ever. It puts nearly everyone off the job because of the enormous amount of learning in every level and the huge expectations. I would try teaching for a couple of years but try and find the right school for you. I’ve never taught primary but I know that having your own class and team is an entirely different experience to teaching other people’s classes with the added pressure of assignments and learning new systems. I’ve been teaching 29 years and it is far more tiring at this life stage but what isn’t?

it really is SENDCO (special educational needs and disability coordinator!)

Not being petty - but check you facts before you say someone is wrong. Both are used.

@user1492757084 I’m not sure that foster caring is a good suggestion for something that would be “easier”. The children would likely have very high emotional needs which comes with challenging behaviour. You would also need to do further training you can’t just do it.

The OP would never get a job tutoring trainee teachers with zero experience either!

OP, I am an ex teacher about to start my 4th year of local authority work. My job is SEND specific and requires a significant amount of experience and a masters degree in a relevant area however there are lots of other roles on the team where you don’t need to be as qualified or experienced. They pay around the same as early teaching (£28-32k) and are largely WFH. We are crying out for people to write EHCPs for example - every local authority will have people in that role and you don’t need heaps of experience, just the ability to do basic reading comprehension as training is given.

FWIW my job is great and I am progressing - I wfh most of the time and manage my own calendar. Some people think it is stressful but it’s nothing compared to teaching!

Your problem is you’re not a qualified teacher yet as you haven’t done your school based part of the training. So a lot of these suggestions aren’t open to you.

Do you feel you could do the NQT year (I know it’s called something else now)? It might open more doors? I think you need it to do supply.

You should feel proud of finishing the PGCE and proud that you are able to see it isn’t for you. In a few months time, no one will even remember. Just frame it as ‘I’m so glad it did it or I would have always wondered if it were for me’. And move on. Making mistakes are all part of life’s rich pattern.

Nice schools still have under-supported children with SEND. It can be a very difficult environment.

OP what about a Family Support Worker in a primary? Lower paid but a decent role.

You need a TEFL qualification to teach English. Having achieved the qualification I know that the teaching approach is very different and very prescriptive. I would suggest tutoring younger age children or looking for a part-time teaching post.

I’d try to get a teaching job, actually.

It depends where you live but it can be hard to get a primary teaching role, and the problem is that if you don’t, the qualification is nulled to an extent.

Have a look at Kip McGrath. I know a lot of people who make good money doing that. The kids by and large want to be there and it's very prescriptive.

I would post in 'staffroom' to get responses from people who really understand schools. As a pp has said you are not fully qualified having just achieved your PGCE as you have not have completed your school based practice. What did your study at Degree level in order to do the PGCE? - that might offer some pathways to employment. Also why didn't you know all this stuff??

I work for a large utility company, we have ex teachers working as education advisers who visit schools, local fairs etc and create learning resources and talk to the kids. Maybe something like that?

Any prep schools nearby?

Do your ECT 2 years at a nice preferably rural prep and then see how you get on?

Of course to late for a September job now, what was your plan?

Jericha - op isn’t an ex teacher because she hasn’t finished her training m yet. Those jobs require experience. It’s also very late to be applying for jobs for next term!!

Teach for a bit, get some experience then set up your own tutoring business and work the hours you want to.

What are you planning to do in September?
I'm going to agree with pp and say, go for a ft teaching job, get your NQT year in at least. It'll be tough, but you've always wanted to teach, so it will be engaging and rewarding as well. You may find that you get into it. You may regret not at least trying.

Everyone keeps talking about what ex teachers do. The OP is not annex teacher. She is not a teacher at all. Every single qualified teacher has to pass their NQT year. This must be completed. The OP does not want to do it!!! Therefore she has very limited experience of teaching. Just what she did in the pgce and she is not qualified. So at the moment, jobs are limited. The year to get NQT status is very hard. But it’s vital. She can walk away from “teaching” but she not a qualify ex teacher. She also would not be welcomed as supply. She’s not qualified.