Calling all teachers........

[susanb]

I'm considering going into teaching in the near future, mainly because it is something I've also wanted to do, but also because I'm hoping it would be fairly family friendly.

I would be interested in hearing stories/advice from anybody currently teaching and how it fits in with their children.

Thanks alot

what age of child/subject specialism are you considering?
I gave up teaching to have children so could give you plenty of reasons why I became disillusioned with it and could see it seriously interfering with my time spent with my family - came home shattered every night and took up much of my evenings, weekends etc. If you want good reasons not to go into it, then ask away but I guess you are probably looking for some serious encouragement so will just say Good Luck with your plans and hope others can be more fortunate. What I will say is that don?t be fooled into thinking that those early end of days and long holidays will fit into a family routine easily - remember all those after school meetings, duties, clubs, concerts, parent?s evenings, trips, week and weekend activities etc. etc. - oh and when you aren?t at school, there are reports, form filling, planning, assessments, marking etc. etc.- all unpaid and expected of you within often very short deadlines (90 - 3 classes - short reports and given just a weekend was typical for me...) - Oops, sorry - promised not to go on about the negative side. I will stop here

agree with what StripyMouse has said - you'll have to think too about where you'll be working and where your kids are already going to school. If it's not a local school, you'll need someone to take them there/pick up etc.
I am a teacher but am now only working part time , that is only 1 day a week! I love it....am doing a 'job share' with another colleague. This split suits us really really well. Being a teacher in this day and age is unfortunately not so much about teaching the children or young people, but about assessment, planning (short medium and long term), forms, setting and meeting targets....could go on and on. I don't get so much of this anymore as it's only one day - and only 1 subject that I do - so I'm in a lucky position.
Good luck with your decisions and I do hope that you'll hear from the other side so to speak!

Susanb

Have you thought about doing some voluntary work in a school near to you to see first hand what you think of it. I have good and bad experience of the job. My first school was excellent and I loved it. My current school is poor and it isn't as much fun. I can tell you much more about the pros and cons IME later if it is relevant to the age you will be considering.

In terms of fitting it around children I think it is better than many jobs but I still have childcare. I work part time and my daughter goes to nursery 2 days a week and my MILs one day a week, from 7:45am to about 4pm. If I have parent's evenings or meetings I have to arrange additional child care - some my DH can do but I have to get DD home and back to school quickly - different town - so it is a rush. I have about 8 parent's evenings a year and those days I get home at about 8:30pm (a long day). Then you have meetings each week too, some may be before school so you need child care to cover this if necessary. In the school holidays you will probably still have to pay for your child care - most nurseries charge full - to keep your place open, which means you are paying for up to 13 weeks you may not use. This summer I plan to send DD to nursery one day a week, for consistency for her and so I can work on planning, etc. without distractions.

If you have a child at school try to find a school in the same area so that your holidays match, otherwise you will have time off whilst the are at school and vice versa. Also, you may need to arrange how you will get them to school and picked up each day, as you will not be available at that time. Unfortunately not many state schools offer supervised morning and after school clubs - they don't do it much now as the school is supposed to pay teachr's for that time and they often don't want to!!!

In the evenings you will have work to do so don't expect to finish at 3:30. I normally have at least 1-2 hours a night of marking or planning, or reports, etc. to do after DD goes to bed.

On the good side though - I am home to play with DD in the early evening and can work later on.

Let us know more of your ideas - age you want to teach, subject, location, type of school, etc. and I may be able to give you more info.

Good luck.

I agree with all that has been said here - it is hard work .. particularly when you are just starting out. After you have been teaching for a hwile - the preparation/planning and assessment becomes a little easier and less time consuming. Having said that - I found teaching in the UK such hard work compared to Aus. I am going back full time for a year at the start of the next school year. It also depends on the expectations of your school and headteacher - if they expect a lot of after school/extra curricular involvement and call a lot of meetings. Dd - who will be 13 mths - will go to nursery full time and dh will look after her when I have parent evenings/open evenings.

But if you really want to do it - do it. I can't imagine working in any other profession than teaching - while it is hard work - there are some rewards.

Hi everyone

Thanks for your quick replies. To be honest, this is only the early stages. I've been accepted at a University to do my degree, so won't become a teacher (if I do okay!) until my son is 8. I don't know what age I'd like to teach - I really have no preference either way at the moment and the degree I'm doing is English and History.

I live in Norfolk and would be prepared to work in that area and obviously it would be handy to work in the same area/school as ds although I realise thats a long shot. To be honest, I realise this isn't the 'easy' option. At the moment I'm doing a flexible job which is fantastic BUT the work is incredibly boring (admin) the pay is crap with little scope to move on and basically I really need to stretch my brain and have always wanted to teach (don't ask me why!). On the other hand, my current job is flexible as I said, therefore = no need for childcare, as I work around dp's shifts as a fireman but I just don't feel fulfilled. With regards to childcare in the future, my dp does have alot of week days off (he often works weekends and nights) so for 50% of the time could take ds to school and collect him about 75% of the time although there would be days where I would need help. I know you are probably thinking I'm looking well ahead to this, but I want to do the degree with a specific aim of becoming a teacher, not just for the sake of doing a degree. I have to say, that doing teaching part time would be fantastic although I doubt many newly qualified teachers go into it part time?

I feel absolutely stuck; I know if I take the plunge it could lead to more problems , ie with childcare and the fact that it is such long hours. On the other hand, I'm fed up in my current job but don't have the worry of childcare! Help!

If it what you really want to do, then go for it. But I do recommend trying to get into a school or two to see what it is like. If you are not sure whether you want to do secondary or primary have a look at both, or what about FE or teaching adults? I did some supply teaching in a prison and it was great!

I agree with Claire though - get into a school and see what it is like - see if you can do some volunteer work - very helpful in working out if that is what you really want to do and what stage you want to work in.