Thinking of retraining as a teacher - good or bad idea?

[AnonymousBleep]

Looking for advice as the thread title suggests! I'm a journalist and editor, about to turn 50, fed up in my current role and thinking, god, I've got another 20 years of this until I can retire! The industry has been decimated, first by the internet and then by AI, so it's really difficult to get decent jobs, and at 50, it's going to get harder for me anyway as recruiters prefer younger (and cheaper) candidates. I've considered the classic move into PR but not sure that's going to provide me with a steady income for the next 20 years either. So I am thinking teaching (English). I did an English degree and have a MA in Creative Writing. I'd want to teach secondary school level - I have teenagers myself so am used to teens, and primary school level doesn't interest me at all. Is this a good idea? Is it easy to do? Has anyone else on here done it and can offer advice? I KNOW it's a nightmare in the teaching profession due to lack of resources but tbh I've been made redundant four times and dealt with endless cuts and 'economies' in the jobs I've had to date, and am now single-handedly doing the job of what used to be three or four people back in the 90s/early 2000s so I think I can cope with that. I like helping people and the thought of doing something worthwhile really appeals.

I’m a secondary school teacher. It’s a great job imo if you’re confident, organised, patient, charismatic and extremely resilient. If not, it’s a challenge!

I'd say I am those things. I do also enjoy spending time with teenagers - although I imagine teaching them will cure me of that quite quickly!

There are pros and cons cons. At 50+ it’s REALLY exhausting!

Do not do it. I work in education and parents now have the belief that it's the school's job to bring up their very rude kids. Almost all parents are so incompetent at parenting and cannot even manage themselves much less a child. These children in school are mostly messed up because of their crazy, ignorant, unreliable parents. And before you all say this is mainly for the poor class, I say it is not! The amount of wealthy parents who are so emotionally unstable and alcoholic even is crazy.

There must be something else you can do. I am thinking of retraining myself.

There is already a substantial thread about this in AIBU which has lots of views and information you might find helpful.^^

Defo think retraining is a good idea for u

Sorry, I tried to link but not sure what i did wrong🤔search
AIBU To retrain as a teacher at (just) fifty.
edited as put wrong title

It can vary hugely depending on which school you work at. I’m no longer in teaching but worked in two schools that I loved! English specialist too.
I agree that it’s exhausting 😂
Find somewhere with a large sixth form as A Level Lit teaching is a joy.
I genuinely enjoyed working with teenagers too.
Don’t let negative posts put you off, you’ll never know until you try for yourself. You’ll need to consider the cost of training though.

Only if you thrive on stress and can see yourself maintaining that in the coming years.

I haven't seen that - is it recent?

My understanding is that the marking load is particularly heavy in English.

I think for the sake of the kids you teach you really do need to leave. When you become as disillusioned as you are it’s definitely time to get out.

Posted 14.2.25 about 12 pages of replies. Hope it helps

Be prepared to teach 30 kids who haven't got the slightest bit of interest in a subject you are passionate about.

I would do it and then move abroad.

I trained to teach at a similar age and found it tough but doable. I trained in primary, but the single year PGCE would be the same path, just different content; or you could look to train to teach with one of the large academy chains where you can be paid to train on the job. The things I found most challenging as a 50 year old, menopausal woman doing my NQT year (now ECT) were poor memory (forgetting who I had put in break detention, forgetting an aspect of the lesson I meant to include, forgetting who had to stay in to complete work) and exhaustion. Teaching is a very physical job: you are on your feet, on point, all day and using your voice all day, plus you are working long hours especially as a new teacher without the years of experience to fall back on. (In my first years, with all the planning and marking, I was working about 60 hours a week and I had no life outside teaching).

That said, it is far less ageist that other careers and you would be welcomed in to the profession. Once you have broken through those first years, it does become easier, but also there are the options to go part-time, or do supply (which I now do) and combine doing some teaching with tutoring (which is extremely rewarding).

I suggest you ask if you can shadow someone at your local secondary school to get a feel for whether you would like it. Some children's life experience and behaviour still sometimes shocks me after teaching for over 12 years.

Someone I know was a script writer and editor and took some English supply teaching when his tv show was unexpectedly cancelled. He loved it so much he qualified properly and has now been teaching for about 15 years I think.

Recent thread on exactly this

I retrained from publishing and banking but I was 30. Fifty - hmmmm. It is an absolutely knackering job. But hugely rewarding. The pupils are mostly great - they make you laugh. Be aware that English Language GCSE is a soul destroying qualification that bears absolutely no relation to A level English Language. There is a lot of emphasis on following PEAL or PETAL type formulae and kids just loathe reading because everything has to be analysed.

I am 60 now and reckon on another couple of years then I think I will have had enough. Also to consider, the general level of speech and language acquisition has plummeted. I actually had to explain what a valley was to a year 7 last year. So things you think of as normal are no more which makes things tougher when dealing with a syllabus devised by middle aged white men (Gove).

Go and volunteer in a school before you do anything!

It may not be the amazing job you think it is.

I think you'd be crazy to do it.

Almost every teacher in their 50s wants to get out of it. It really ages you. The hours are very long, the pay isn't good, kids are so much worse than anything you will have seen amongst your children's friends. Don't do it!

Spend some time shadowing/observing in your local school then sign up to train. The right position in the right school and it's a fantastic job.

Go for it. Many people change careers throughout their lives. It will revitalise you if you are fed up with your job/career.

There is a £5000 bursary for secondary English teaching.

I know someone who left journalism at a younger age because of the job insecurity issues you cite. She lasted six years. She went abroad with her DH for a while and she had babies. She now works in museums and loves it.

I am a qualified English teacher who grew to hate teaching a core subject with all its restrictions and additional demands. I diversified and now teach two non core subjects in years 10 to 13 and am far happier.

It is a genuinely exhausting job, though, OP. Don't underestimate the full body exhaustion.