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

How much money do you need to make? Part time teaching doesn't pay that well, even when you finally get to M6. And working part time, your pension will be rubbish.

Working part time as an English teacher is totally doable as long as you are reasonably good. English teachers are getting more and more difficult to find (there is a reason for this, the job is HARD) however you can negotiate times to suit you if you are not too fussy about your school. You could start on time but finish at lunch or skip the last lesson so that you can do the school pick up.

It is really hard though, especially at the start. You do get all the holidays but term time is brutal and will be really hard by yourself with three kids.

You have suffered a huge loss, maybe just take a bit of time to settle and think about it. Unless you are passionate about teaching, don't do it.

Would be a hell no from me.

I am (was?) a secondary school teacher. I am leaving end of December. 10 plus years in the job.

I have two young children under 4 I went part time after first born. I have a supportive DH who does his fair share of 90% of stuff and I couldn't do it. Nor do I want to. The hours are long and unsociable. Behaviour is hellish. The curriculum is crippling. Just no.

No children's birthday off (unless falls in the holidays)
No nativity plays
No sports day
No open afternoons
No rewards assembly.
No appointments unless in holidays

No time for yourself
No evenings

Just no. Don't do it

Also. My experiance is that schools hate part time teachers as it's a timetabling headache. I had much more push back part time

Same! Part time teaching is a full time job! I wouldn’t advise anyone to go into teaching, it’s sheer and utter hell.

I agree, getting a part time job is next to impossible and if you do supply on a part time basis then the pay is very poor.

I trained to be a secondary school teacher and DH died just after I qualified
I now work p/t (3 days a week) but realistically I work on my days off aswell
My children are older and I couldn't imagine doing this if they had been younger
Yes it's great having the holidays so childcare is sorted but term time (I have found) is completely inflexible and then the shorter half terms are just a whirlwind of catching up with stuff!

Just as an extra thing that's not been mentioned, I'm part-time primary but have to pay to put my children in childcare some days in the holidays to get work done. It can be tricky if you've got primary aged children off when you're off and need to work! I can only really do the job because my husband is very flexible, and that's with a short commute and very understanding head.

I came out of teaching in schools last January. I was only working 2 days a week and it was still unsustainable.

I missed sports days, nativities etc as you can’t take time off in term time. I was in school for 8am at the latest and needed to stay til at least 5-6pm to get work done. I also worked at least one full day at a weekend or on a day off.

You wont find a community in schools, especially in part time teaching. You will spend 90% of your time with teenagers. Who at best will ignore you, at worst will verbally abuse and bully you.

I’m so glad I got out!

Teaching is most definitely not family friendly for most of the year. I was ‘part time’ but worked more hours than I do now working full time in the civil service. The biggest thing for me was not being able to go to my own children’s school events.

I would definitely recommend the civil service. The work-life balance is massively better.

I'm a teacher. No children. When it's going well it' s a great job. It is relentless though. Even i n holidays tgere is stuff to do. I would not say it is conducive to family life, particularly as a sole parent.

I've said this before on a different thread but I recently dropped out of my secondary science PGCE and have three school age children. I now have some student load owing, no qualification. I just struggled so much and previously found very difficult jobs much easier. It was brutal. I enjoyed teaching and planning, all aspects. I had no energy for my home life. I could not juggle the day to day placement and the heavy university work load and family life. I am going back to the drawing board to explore other options. Sorry for your loss 💐

I would train as a teacher and then go abroad to work in an international school in a country where teachers are actually appreciated and paid reasonably well.

Not sure if that's an option for you op. But teachers in the U.K. seem to be shat on left, right and centre.

Understand re school events. A colleague added me i could cover one of his classes so he could strengthen his child's nativity play. I.obviously said yes, bug if I gad said no he simply would not have been able to go.

Christ don't become an English teacher.

As a core subject and one involving loads of writing the pressure is immense.

I won't comment on the likelihood or not of being able to do pgce/ect PT but it's not a family friendly job. If form time is 8:45 you'll be expected to be in school by at least 8am. When the bell goes at the end of the day you'll have at least half an hour of meetings/PD.

I work in the support side of school & it is more suitable for someone with kids I think. If you trained as a business manager or finance you wouldn't be taking work home & you'll get term time hours in a lot of roles.

OP I do cover supervision on an ad hoc basis for my local secondary. That said I am a qualified teacher but semi retired. It's good money over £140 a day - I start at 8.15 and I'm out the door by 2.50pm latest. No planning, no prep. I left teaching due to the horrendous stress - doing this role, very little stress at all! I work between 2 to 4 days a week but take breaks as and when I want to and when I go on hols myself. Obviously no holiday pay. But some schools do employ cover sups on a contract so this is another option perhaps?

No. Just no.

I work four days, because I’m out the house for 11 hours a day on working days and wraparound doesn’t wrap far enough.

And I’m experienced enough to be doing the bare minimum I can do without getting sacked.

Top of the pay scale and have just applied for Universal Credit because the money is appalling, but if I went back full time I’d drive into a ditch and I’m a single parent so I can’t risk that.

Behaviour is so much worse than you can imagine, even in the “nice” schools after covid.

I’m looking to leave, and I’ve been doing this longer than most people and I still kind of love it. But in your circumstances it’s an absolute hard no.

I came on to repeat what many before me have replied already. Don't do it. Sadly it's not the profession it once was. Even for those of us who have taught 25 years and loved it, let alone those just trying to start. If you need any more understanding of this please join the (massive)Facebook group - Life after teaching: exit the classroom and thrive.

I have to add that although I am p/t I have to do various things even if they are in my days off (parents' evenings, INSETs etc)

On my working days I am at school before 07:30 and leave at around 5, I will then work in the evenings

I am ECT 2 and am seriously thinking about doing cover next year instead

I also have to do those things if they fall on my days off but I do at least get paid for them (previous schools have tried to wiggle out of this).

Why are you doing things on your days off??? Just refuse. Give them notice, tell them you are not doing them and then don't. Your union will back you up. No one would be doing an inset on a Saturday, why should you do it on your day off?

Anything is workable if you want it enough. Your teacher training year won't be easy but it's by no means impossible. You're already parenting 3 kids and living with grief. You're amazing. You might actually find you enjoy the intellectual challenge.

Breakfast & after school clubs could be very important for you. And building routines and.. work-free time for you to spend with kids and work-free time for you to spend on you and your well-being.

Teacher holidays are excellent for childcare (although INSET day clashes are a pain). Terms are LONG and exhausting. Often teaching isn't how you imagine (up at the front of a classroom, waxing lyrical about your passion while children listen on calmly & attentively). It's worth it though, on the good days.

Best of luck with your future plans.

It is very inflexible. It involves lots of pointless meetings. You will wonder why you have to sit for an hour in a meeting when the person could have emailed the info to you.

You will be expected to work in your free time. You will be sworn at and treated like shit by some students. It often isn't that supportive. I do it and am reasonably good at it. I earn a reasonable salary but it isn't generous for the workload and responsibility. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

I think there is a big difference between carrying on teaching part time, as a single parent, and starting training then doing your ECT years as a single parent of young children.

I also think 'part time' can be very difficult in secondary because of timetabling. It is very different from PT in Primary where you do your 2 or 3 days, or occasionally 'just' mornings' or whatever. I've 2 friends who work PT in different secondaries but they actually end up working on every day and are in and out like yoyos, with all the commute that entails.

However, my main concern is that teaching is really challenging. Doing it because you think it is family friendly (it isn't) is not really enough motivation to keep you going through the difficult times. A really high % of people who have a passion for teaching, and who really want to do it in the first place, leave teaching within the first 2 - 5 years. I suspect those who start it because they think it will fit round their family, rather than because they really want o have a much higher % leave.

I think you should also revise your idea of community involvement. Many parents ate either hostile or complain a lot. The idea that teachers are respected or valued for their contribution is very outdated. You are often in the firing line tbh.