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.

Hi OP,

First of all, WOW, just WOW! I'm so impressed that you qualified as a Primary school teacher at 50. It just goes to show that it's never too late...

Secondly, I can relate as I'm not too far behind you age wise (I'm 44) but in my case, I've been teaching over 14 years (with one or two gaps where I tried other things) but have never really felt it was the right choice for me. I've often felt like a square peg in a round hole in the staffroom and to be quite honest, I don't enjoy working with women only (which is the case in my current job) nor do I enjoy taking about kids and parents all day. I find it boring and limiting. I guess it just goes to show that I'm not passionate about it. Sadly, my issue is never having had a clear sense of what I'd like to do, I haven't yet found something that ticks the boxes and fulfils me. I'm now applying for other roles, non classroom based but still in the general education field so hopefully, I'll find something that I'm suited to and happy doing.

In your case, I can definitely relate to some of the things you say. Teaching in my opinion is a young person's job as it requires a huge amount of physical and emotional energy. That's not to say that an older person can't do it but it does require the energy, enthusiasm and physical good health to perform. As someone who has worked in the area of Learning Support/Special Ed. for most of my career, perhaps that's an area you could consider? It still requires energy and enthusiasm but rather than dealing with 20+ kids, you're dealing with smaller groups or working one to one. Alternatively there are lots of education related roles out there- working with curriculum bodies, health promotion in schools, working at 3rd level, working with youth groups etc.
I wish you luck in finding your niche and hope I do too!

You could be a private tutor if you are in an area with selective secondaries
you could be a nanny or work in after school club for school age children and offer extra academic support / homework supervision
look for a teaching role with an element of non teaching such as inclusion support

Most of these suggestions are not open to @peebles32 because you need to do the 2 yr ECT , and if you do that pt it will take a very long time .

What about a Special needs school?

Why would that be easier though?

The problem is that the post grad qualification is not putting her in a very advantageous position without the teaching practice in a school to fully qualify. She’s almost in no man’s land. A job as a TA, that she did not want, is still open. Plus other roles which do not require a qualified teacher but there’s not many of them. Tutor might be a good one to aim for if parents don’t mind the lack of qualification. A special Ed TA might also be worth a look. The one to one jobs. It’s not going to be easy and most of the jobs are low pay.

@Scorcher79 - teaching is not a young person's job. Ageist nonsense.

Why don't you do museum education? The pay might be a bit lower but it would be less tiring.

Museum teaching would require the person to be a qualified teacher.

Yes, and the person has just finished a PGCE. And actually no you don't always have to be a qualified teacher.

I personally don't think there are any 'easy' teaching jobs. Do what YOU want to do, don't worry about what other people think.

What about something like a SaLT assistant? I could imagine that with the life experience and understanding of child development you've got from the PGCE your hand would be bitten off - indeed SLT apprenticeships might be something to look into as well.

I did my PGCE, NQT induction stuff, years doing contracts and supply - but it was when I did a full career change and retrained as a SALT that I found my niche (I work with adults with learning disabilities). Found that I was a decent prospect for universities when applying for the course and that the PGCE background knowledge really helped throughout it (and teaching SPAG made doing all the linguistic content a bloody breeze) and I love the job. Originally thought I'd want to work in a special school but then found my niche in LD - but such a variety of routes were open to me.

Also - adult sized chairs.

The person has not completed their NQT.
Every museum job I've ever looked at requires a qualified teacher. However, you may have seen some which do not. Why they would appoint such a person with no teaching experience though I have no idea.

Before I became a Lecturer I worked in Degree Apprenticeships. I now teach on them. I worked as a Skills Coach and it was a very rewarding role. No teaching bit more a support and mentor role. Some training providers do require experience in the field of the apprenticeship to be a Coach but others are looking for the Coach to be more of a pastoral support coach. In the Skills Coach team I worked with there were ex-school teachers looking for the easier life. Essentially you book in review meetings with apprentices 3 times a year and meet them in their place of work or online with their line manager and discuss work and Uni progress. You type up what was said. You have a caseload but I found the job to be flexible around my time and I planned my own diary.

Really rewarding to help people of all ages complete their degree and be their sound board.

Hopefully you find what you want to do...

I did a PGCE and it gave me QTS. Is this not the case for all PGCE courses?

@peepeebles32 I have taught since completing my PGCE in my 40s but had a break for a few years. I would advise joining an agency and picking up supply work. I am now working as a 1:1 teaching phonics which I'm enjoying.

You need to complete an NQT year of teaching in order to be fully qualified.

Because of course there are LOADS of them, and no-one else who is already qualified and wouldn't need mentoring will be looking for them

Again, have any of the people suggesting these things, ever worked in one?

Why on earth would anyone think that someone who has decided they can't cope with a mainstream school, be able to cope with working in a special school ?

I'm a few years in. It's dreadfully hard work, especially at the start but I've found that it does get easier. I did a year of supply teaching. It was great. You get to see which schools are good and ones to avoid. The money wasn't too bad considering there is no planning.

You would be ideal for the roles currently being advertised in the secondary school academy trust I work for. They want primary trained teachers to tutor small groups struggling with reading and maths at KS3.
Or, if you wanted a stress free job in teaching, you could be an intervention tutor like me. It's term time only pay, but it's small groups for maths or English, very little planning or marking, no parent evenings or meetings. Supply hourly rate plus pension. I have a maths tutor friend who is primary trained and works in secondary with me.
Do try schools direct first, check the jobs sections of local academy trust websites. Supply agencies take a lot of commission and send you all over the place.

I agree, @UsingChangeofName . I think many people just really do not understand how teaching and schools work.

It has changed. You now have to complete 2 years , now called 'ECT'

You're right! Sorry, my mistake.
I don't know why somebody would do a PGCE and not take a teaching job. It's a tough course. Our last two PGCE students worked incredibly hard - starting teaching won't be harder than that.

OP, what would you LIKE to do?
Make a list of potential jobs.
What have you done previously?
You must have a ton of transferable skills?