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.

😂😂😂😂I taught for ten years in mainstream and then twenty years in special and loved it but I've moved back to mainstream now. Mainstream is far less stressful. I can only assume that you've never taught for a sustained period of time in special education @violinviolet.

@Philandbill , I've only ever taught mainstream and don't think I could teach in a Special Needs school. Hats off to you, and others like you. That's very demanding.

Don't make any decisions at this stage of the year! Everyone is knackered!

@Curioushorse is right.
At this point in the year, you are doing well if you are standing upright!

Take time to evaluate and reflect during the summer break.

I think many people on this thread don't understand schools and the teaching profession at all. There have been some ridiculous suggestions and some incorrect advice given. The OP is not an ex teacher. She is not even a fully qualified teacher at all until she completes 2 years as a full time Early Career Teacher (ECT). She has 5 years from getting her PGCE in which to complete the ECT induction period. If it is not completed and passed, then she will never be a fully qualified teacher with QTS. I am a teacher. My daughter is just completing her 1st year ECT. I train PGCE students and trainee teachers.

OP, I hope that you find a role which suits you.

I thought the 5 year limit on which to complete the induction period had been abolished?!? Has it been reintroduced then?

Online tutoring

Have you thought about becoming a school bursar or business manager? Schools seem to really struggle to recruit for this role, we advertised for 18 months before we got somebody. You'd still use your teaching skills because everybody who works in a school tends to pitch in and get to know the kids and whilst it's not an easier job per se it is less physical than teaching and I've known people be able to do this sort of work well into their 60s.

Do supply OP you don't need QTS to do supply, agencies will bite your arm off, I've not been well enough to work for a few years and I still get agencies contacting me.

While you are doing that have a look at other settings, FE, prisons, NACRO.

Private tutoring is also an option.

Business manager?! Ours is on £59k and previously worked for HSBC, and the other candidates all had experience with business and administration. It's unlikely they'd appoint someone like the OP!

Any thoughts on what you might do OP?

did you enjoy and do well the academic side? could you move on and do a phd and make your research area be supporting career changers into teaching or similar?

I agree with this. I used to manage people working with schools and we got lots of teachers applying.

And those recommending after school clubs, etc, these are very low paid roles, and you don't even have the NVQ qualifications needed.
Other jobs being recommended on this thread often require qualifications e.g. hospital play therapy is a degree course job.

It does make clear though what jobs though people think anyone who works with children can do.

Teaching adults needs a different qualification. It is very different to teaching children

Haven’t read the comments but life after teaching Facebook group always has great ideas.

I was only 20 something when I did my PGDE but I totally feel your comment about getting ‘swept along’. I went for the interview assuming I wouldn’t get in because the odds of getting in were so slim. Bizarrely I got a woman who had retired and was just drafted in for that day, I think she let everyone in my group onto the course. I then thought ‘I’ll wait until I fail the first placement then’. Met my assessor towards the end of the first placement.. of course they’ve been short staffed and drafted in another semi-retired tutor. He was the loveliest man on earth and yet again, I didn’t fail 🤦🏼‍♀️ Each time I passed I just thought I’d wait until the next one to fail but somehow I got through the full course, even though I found it pretty horrendous. I knew the whole way through it wasn’t for me. I then did the same kind of thing with my probation year and applying for jobs. I just kept on making it to the next stage and felt I couldn’t throw away the money being offered, despite hating it. The behaviour was so so bad and crying was a regular part of the job (for most people who worked there). I ended up teaching for 5 years and it was really lockdown that broke the camels back. Just seeing that there was this world where people could earn money without being trapped in a classroom was mind blowing.
I returned after lockdown but had developed anxiety for the first time in my life. It was affecting everything. I would feel like I couldn’t breathe and start having a (hidden) panic attack if a parent wanted to speak to me or my head teacher asked if they could catch me after school. Observed lessons were impossible and I struggled so much every day. It was purely from repeatedly forcing myself into a career I should never have been in in the first place, it was the complete opposite of me. I ended up on medication for it and almost had a bit of a breakdown.

I had a baby and would regularly see friends who were working from home just out a stroll mid-day. I couldn’t help but compare it to me having previously been gulping my lunch down in 3 seconds in between listening to people ranting/crying/moaning about how they couldn’t do it anymore. None of them would ever leave though (I don’t blame them really, I didn’t at that stage either)! I just realised life was too short though and handed in my notice. It was the biggest relief I’ve ever felt. Don’t waste your life doing something you shouldn’t be doing. You will make yourself ill. Teaching is an impossible job now and I think most teachers are miserable but just can’t see a way out sadly 😞 good luck with what you do next

Teaching is not an impossible job.
Most teachers are not miserable.

OP - have you any thoughts from advice on here? I'd say go for a teaching job, get your ECT and take it from there.

A lot of these suggestions are not relevant as you need to complete the ECT part of the qualification. This is class based over 2 years .

I'm sorry you feel the way you do but I'm surprised you didn't do some more research before you went into this .

I have to say my experience of later qualified PGCE students is that they have this misguided idea they can do a better job than current teachers and go into this for an ego boost .

Ok but in our school we tried to recruit somebody with that type of experience and failed miserably (mainly because most small schools can't afford £59k) and settled for recruiting somebody inexperienced but bright, enthusiastic and willing to learn. This is a common experience for smaller schools in our area.

So would they take on someone like OP? Or prefer someone who has recently done clerical and administrative work?

Holiday clubs ? (see the threads at the moment on people struggling with holiday childcare)

Tutoring? I am so grateful to my children's tutor,.she has kept them not just excelling but also loving learning,.even through the Pandemic.

Or yes maybe do part time /supply?

Working at holiday clubs will be minimum wage or just above. You won't get slightly better paid supervisor jobs as you don't have the necessary qualifications.

Childcare is usually very badly paid work and long hours. There are better jobs out there even with no degree.

How about a private school?

Completing PGCE isn't fully qualified. There is a two year (or pt equivalent) ECT stage to complete before being fully qualified.
It changed to two years from one year a shirt while back.
I was one of few years who didn't actually have to do an nqt/ect period ti be fully qualified but that was back in 1996.

Oh good grief.

The suggestions are getting more farcical as the thread progresses.