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.

English has lost its bursary, I thought.

You could read Lucy Kellaway’s book, Re-educated and have a look at the website Now Teach.

I’m an English teacher with management responsibilities in my late 40s and don’t recognise my working life from the cynical responses here. I love my job and can’t imagine doing anything else.

It is exhausting but I think that most rewarding, professional jobs probably are. The holidays are great but we do spend the first few days just trying to feel ‘normal’ again!

I love being in the classroom with the kids and am still massively passionate about my subject after 20+ years. I laugh a lot at work every day, both with the children and with brilliant colleagues.

I don’t know if that’s in any way helpful but wanted to put a more positive side of things at least.

Sounds like my son's English teacher!

I've taught for 15 years in primary and moved to secondary (English). There are huge issues in both of these sectors. In both, you can expect a huge workload and there is an expectation that you will work regular overtime for free. Think long and hard before signing up for 50+ hour weeks. You'll love the teaching itself but giving up around 5 hours of your own time every weekend due to inadequate PPA plus giving up your holiday for revision classes or whatever else begins to grate after the first few years.

Your industry experience would suit A level but English related courses are dwindling in my area whereas STEM is thriving.

What about tutoring secondary - adult or FE? Could you freelance creative writing workshops?

I'm actually interesting in teaching adult literacy in prisons but not sure how well that would pay! It would be a passion project for me though.

Tutoring children doesn't massively appeal, although tutoring adults would be fine. I suppose the other option would be university lecturing in journalism but I'm feeling so disillusioned with it at the moment that I'd end up telling the students to do a course with actual prospects!

That link doesn't work and I can't find the thread!

Quite a few journalism HE depts are facing the axe so that's definitely not a hood plan!

Prison teachers generally have a few good years of teaching experience.

In terms of teaching you could certainly target schools which offer media in addition to English.

OP you are hoping this will be a job for the next 20 years - so up to state retirement age?
I can't think of anyone in my school who's over 60. Absolutely no one in my memory who made it to 65.

Someone with your experience would probably make the best kind of English teacher. I would ring around a few schools and see if you can do some work experience.
I retrained as a secondary teacher a couple of years ago (in my 40s) and absolutely love it.

However, I work at an exceptional (private) school where I can be flexible with the curriculum and teach highly motivated students. Not sure I would have enjoyed being straight-jacketed in a state secondary.

There's a bbc sounds podcast called "could do better" which covers this. Worth a listen. Personally, I left teaching a few years ago after 20 years and wouldn't go back

You've said you'd be happy teaching in prison. I'm sure they are recruiting. Great pension for prison staff. And no pesky parents to deal with

Ha no! Think you’d be mad. Most people hate it and want to get out.

https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/funding-and-support/scholarships-and-bursaries

Ah, OK. Paltry though, comparatively...

We had two teachers at the college where I work who had been teaching at the same place for many years. In fact they were teaching when I was a student lol They loved the actual teaching side but not so much everything else as they couldn't get the time to do everything. They both left teaching last year, took early retirement and now work in an office for like 2/3 days a week.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5274234-to-retrain-as-a-teacher-at-just-turned-50?reply=142170001

Here you go.

My advice from this one is to talk to Now Teach. My husband left the city when her was 50 and now in ECT2.

He loves the kids, the teaching.
The parents/SLT not so much 😀.

Despite the £100k drop in income and the insane workload he is way, way happier.

DM me if you like.

I think you need to do more research into the job. It sounds like you have a very idealistic perception of the job. Definitely see if you can do some work experience or volunteering to see what it's actually like.

I would look into colleges too. You won't need any additional qualifications (although it might be advised). Less down-sides than secondary, although not without down-sides.

You say not primary, fair enough, but teaching secondary English isn't lovely book-group type discussions of much-loved literature. You also have 14 year olds that can't read, yet your job is to get them to read and write an essay on Great Expectations. You won't just have an eager group of teens listening to your every word, you'll have some deliberately trying to disturb the lesson to try to get sent out. Or just being rude and talking over you. Or just refusing to engage and therefore not make progress yet you're the one accountable for them making progress.

There are very few teachers 50+ that are still teaching a full timetable, and for good reason.

That makes all teachers sound rich enough not to work much. It’s not something I’ve seen. Lots cannot afford part time.

I may be wrong (again!) but I think Now Teach has had its funding stopped. Not sure they ever really took English teachers either.

It is true that increasing numbers of teachers ( of all ages) are part time but it certainly impacts earnings . Nearly all older part time teachers I know are part time to keep on top of workload, which is a rather sad indictment of work life balance.

There's nothing wrong with actual teaching - a good lesson, competently delivered to a class of happy, receptive students is pure joy! But for an awful lot of your teaching time, you will be dealing with disaffected, uncooperative students, whose home lives are far from perfect, and who are often actually unhappy, and frequently very disruptive. It's emotionally draining, and generates a lot of reporting and paperwork. Then there is all the marking, preparation, exam grading (ie marking mocks and predicting grades!) and school admin on top.

Lucy Kellaway did not last long as a full time maths teacher. I think that (and happy to be corrected here) she pretty quickly moved to teaching economics part time. The phrase "pinch of salt" comes to mind when I read anything she writes about teaching....

It can be an amazingly rewarding job but it is EXHAUSTING.

I'd not do it if I were you. I'm a teacher and recently it is backbreaking. Daily complaints from parents, colleagues leaving in droves, lack of support staff and poorly behaved children increasingly becoming violent with no support from SLT.