Going into teaching and stuck deciding which age group would be best?

[ThisMauveMentor]

I've spent the last six years in academia (humanities, specifically literary studies) and am thinking about moving away from it into teaching. It's what I probably would have done had I not wanted to do the PhD, but I have no idea which year group to train in.

I have experience with Primary and Secondary school kids, and have a PGCE offer for both a General Primary and a Secondary English course. The deadline for accepting one of them is approaching, and I still have no idea which to accept. Obviously I know I like and would be good at teaching English, and it would be the most practical as a career change, but I also feel I'd love the novelty of working with younger kids, even if it would be comparitively more of a jump.

Has anyone got any tips for deciding which route to go down? Or are there any questions I should be asking myself? What kind of a person is best at teaching each age range?

Thanks!

@timetogetlost I just loved your post! So many teachers I know have felt like you but the majority on MN hate it. All jobs have their minus points but overall my friends enjoy teaching.

Good luck; I would definitely say spend as much time in either primary or secondary when you have decided the rough age group before you commit to anything.
I did 21 years in primary and leaving was the best decision I ever made!

Are you not tempted by an education-pathway academic track? I know promotion isn't as easy but it's far more stable and less pressure in terms of grants and publications. Maybe have a word with your department because it's far easier to keep someone and claw back 40% of their contract for teaching cover than it is to lose you and have to hire teaching cover in a new recruit.

Do you want to progress upwards? I don’t really know primary as I’m private secondary so going on 2nd hand information. I think that TLR (additional responsibilities with pay) are easier to get in secondary, second in charge, head of department, head of year etc…

If you want a change in lifestyle you could always join me on the dark side at a boarding school - very much a lifestyle job that you either love or hate.

‘Dark side’ 🤣
You are right TLRs are relatively easy to.get in Secondary especially in core departments such as English. To be fair @JamesWebbSpaceTelescope I couldn’t do your job in a boarding school give me my rural comp any day.