Secondary school teacher

[seethebeauty84]

Does anyone have opinions on how feasible becoming a part time secondary school teacher would be with three young children and no partner (recently widowed)? I want to be able to see my kids and be there for them, but need to do something for me too... (Previous job does not work as a solo parent to three little ones.) Thanks in advance x

Assuming you don't already have a PGCE, I'd advise strongly against teaching. The PGCE year is incredibly hard work and it's very difficult to do part time. Once you've qualified, the post qualification year is now two years (so pro rata, it could take eons p/t) and it really isn't a family-friendly job. Yes, you get the holidays off, but term times can be brutal plus it's hard to get time off to watch your kids assemblies, sports days etc.

If it's going well, teaching is the best job in the world but it's always what my dad callls a rough trade. Given the trauma that you've all been through I would avoid. Sorry!

Working hours are long.

You need to be (obviously) in the classroom 9-3:30 and there are often meetings before or after school.

Many people then go home, so kids yea and bath and bedtime and then do planning and marking later in the night.

The overall workload is high and the drop out rate high.

You will need to work in the holidays but you can at least do it at home.

I have some teacher friends and family who have a very good set up. Work p/t and flexibility for dcs plays etc and they progressed through the scales quickly so earning well. However I don't know anyone who trained with young dc and no partner, that will be very hard.

You will never see your kids. Ex-teacher here. Hope that helps.

Teaching isn't family friendly. Training as a teacher even less so.

You'd be better in an office job for an employer with good flexible working provision.

What about a cover supervisor role in school? You'd get the holidays and evenings, but not the mountains of work.

I had a friend who was a single parent to two young children who did a four year BEd at the same time as me and went on to be a very successful teacher. If you have a degree perhaps you could look at Schools Direct or Teach First where you train for one year in school. It will be hard and you will need to be very organised. The plus side is that you will have school holidays off to spend with your children. It really depends on how determined you are and how much you need to earn a living.

Thanks for the replies. Everyone saying I will never see my kids, does this apply to part time roles too? I know someone in my position (widowed, 3 kids) who has been told she will definitely be able to work part time and will have to put her kids in breakfast club but will be able to pick them up. I would never consider doing it full time.

I don't think it's as workable as you might think. It depends on school and workload but I do it four days with one child and a partner and I'm always wishing I did something else! The working day is fine but then you're home, busy with kid, putting to bed, then getting piles of marking and planning back out. I work every evening and weekend nights, it feels busier and less manageable than when I did it full time. Planning to share classes is harder than just doing them all yourself! Then think of parents evenings as well, there are a lot more with secondary schools. Are you able to get childcare for those? Just some things worth considering. X

Definitely not family friendly in term time - for a full working day you’ll be doing several more hours in the evening (or on your days ‘off’ in planning & prep).

In secondary you are unlikely to get a set finish time that’s not the end of the day - totally depends on timetabling but very rare to get a job that was eg 8:30-1:30 pm. More likely to be different hours on different days plus there are after school meetings, training, parents evenings etc.

Also hard to be off when dc are ill or for plays etc so factor that in - do you have family who would be able to cover things like that? Plus expending that amount of energy on other people’s dc can leave little for your own.

I love my teaching job but term time is brutal and my dc only get the best of me during holidays.

You won't be able to train part time, AFAIK. The ECT can be completed part time but on a prorated basis so it will take years longer.

And even part time teaching hours will have a significant workload outside of that directed time.

The only people I know in part time teaching posts originally worked full time and had flexible working requests approved. I'm sure PT posts are advertised to cover but they'll be calling the shots on what pattern they're looking for.

who has been told she will definitely be able to work part time

Told by whom? In what context?

I retrained as a secondary teacher aged 50. I love the job as my kids are grown. Wouldn’t do it if they were still school age. The PGCE/ School Direct year is punishing and then you have two more FTE years after that to get QTS.
School management is shockingly poor if you are used to working in the real world.
I’m happy because I love the time in the classroom and don’t need the money so could walk away if I wanted to.
Dont do it if you need it to pay the mortgage and support your children.

It would work if you were already a teacher - the training is full on.

I'm sorry for your loss xx

The issue is there are very few part time training routes, so you would likely have to be full time for at least one year.

The ECT program lasting 2 years full time, also means going part time from when you get a job isn't the best option necessarily and is unpopular with some schools, so might limit your options in terms of getting a job.

In terms of picking your kids up, unless your school finishes significantly later than average, I would always arrange after school care even if you don't use it. You never know when a kid is going to come to you at 3pm with an urgent concern, or a colleague will come to you with an urgent query- even if the school is open to you leaving at 3.05 each day, you can't really walk out on a safeguarding concern.

You will also need some evening childcare to cover parents eve/open eve- these are occasional things, so a babysitter is fine! But in some schools there will be more regular after school meetings etc.

Overall, I wouldn't say you won't see your kids (you get the holidays together afterall, which is a major bonus IMO) but I do think you need reliable after school childcare in place.

I'm sorry for your loss.

It does depend a bit on the subject (I teach an essay subject) but the thing to understand is that "part time" in teaching means you are still working 40 hours a week (probably more like 50 while training, due to the need to write resources) but you have the holidays off. I have been doing it for 13 years and work a big chunk of my two days "off" (and/or a chunk of the weekend) to keep on top of it.

I have only the one DC and a husband who does most of the ferrying about and cooking.

Parents' evenings/trips/meetings are also tricky unless you have backup.

I was a secondary teacher for 20 years. The teachers who went part time usually ended up using their time off to catch up on work. You'd have to be very strict about working hours. I wouldn't recommend teaching at all to be honest.

I’m sorry for your loss.

If you were already trained and considering going back, I’d say it was do-able. However, training with young children would be HARD. Getting a part time ECT role even harder. Secondary contracts are never 8.30-1pm or Mon-Wed; they’re always a percentage of a full time role - and those hours could fall anywhere in the week.

What do you do at the moment? Let the MN hive mind consider other options?

Part time work will depend on the subject. If you’re planning one being a physics or maybe teacher you should be able to get a part time role.

In the early stages of your career everything takes much longer and you will be expected to do everything by the book in terms of lesson plans etc. Once you have the experience and resources part time might work but that takes years.

Now my kids are older it's lovely being able to get my work done at work. Before I would have to leave work collect kids and do everything with them then start work again later in the evening. It was exhausting.

Thanks so much everyone.

@pavementmutation she contacted Get Into Teaching and discussed everything and was told she could do the PCGE part time and would definitely get a part time teaching role. This was for teaching science though, whereas I would be English or psychology.

@Iwishiwasasilentnight good question - I used to be a lawyer and have been a business owner then SAHM recently. I was planning on figuring out what to do with my life and then my husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The kids need me more than ever obviously but I need community (which is partly why being a teacher appeals) and want to do something other than be a mum, ideally something which helps people. Other idea is to become an acupuncturist but less community as tend to be self employed (although could maybe get a job in a clinic and therefore work with others). I just don't know. Am freaked out about not knowing what any aspect of my life looks like now! X

Maths autocorrected to maybe!

Teaching can be a lonely job at times as the majority of time it’s just you and a bunch of teenagers and you can have little adult interaction through the working day.

Classroom teaching is not where I would go for community. It can be incredibly isolating.

Have you looked at civil service or local government jobs?

she contacted Get Into Teaching and discussed everything and was told she could do the PCGE part time and would definitely get a part time teaching role

Others may disagree, but in my view the salesperson who told her that massively overstepped to claim she could "definitely" secure a part time post.

I'm going to go against the grain and think you can totally do it! As long as you manage your time effectively!

I'm part time, love it- work life balance is perfect. There are loads of part time jobs out there, but I do agree that it may not be as easy to get the days/timings you want.

There are meetings - but not daily and they will be planned so you can be organise :)

If you want to go for it - do it! Or at least try and go in to schools for a taster :)

Good luck xx

but I do agree that it may not be as easy to get the days/timings you want

That seems like a fairly critical component of what op is searching for though.