Should I become a primary teacher?

[zozzle]

Have been a stay at home mum for a few years but am thinking of retraining to become a primary teacher (by doing a PGCE or GTP route) when my youngest starts school. BC was previously a marketing manager so would be very different!

Am helping out at my son's school once a week as a volunteer in Reception and have been allowed to do some up the front teaching (presentations to class and associated activities etc) which I've loved and the teacher was v. complimentary and said I should def go for it.

Any primary teachers out there? Time-wise how long do you spend prepping for the next day? I'm concerned once I qualify that teaching will leave me with loads to do in the evenings and no time with hubbie at night and no energy for my kids after school. What's your experience?

Please be honest - what would I be letting myself in for? Thanks.

Well you have the holidays which are a big advantage but...

-You miss all the sports days
-You miss the Christmas play/Nativity
-You never get to be the parent who goes on any of the trips. (I've only recently realised how important this was to my boys)
-If you're f/t it does eat into your w/e. I hated having to give over part of Sunday to prep. Kids and DH hated it too.
-Report writing time is awful esp if you teach Y6 so have SATs too.

BUT

-Christmas time is amazing
-In July when you look back at how their Sept work compares to now, it's the best feeling.

I've recently given up to become a TA. All the good bits without the constraints.
HTH

Sorry, should have said that if f/t you'll probably get half day a week PPA. You may get most of your prep done then but there will always be daily prep and assessment write ups.
If I could have started at 8 on a Mon and left it at 5 on a Fri, I wouldn't have given it up.

I am p/t 3 days per week. I job share, I am not very quick or terribly organised. My work week goes as such: Working days up at 6, in school at 7:45, 15 minute lunch, leave school at 5:30, home, kids etc. start work around 9:30-12:30/1am. At the weekends I work around 6 hours, then on the other 2 evenings when I usually do 1.5 hrs work.
So I think that is 45+ hrs /week for p/t work. I still feel terribly behind.
Sorry to be grim, and not trying to moan, but that is my reality.
Amongst my 17 teacher colleagues, there are 4 of us with school age families. Everyone else is childless or children are grown.
The holidays are great, but I do echo what dulciejones says.

Thank you so much guys for your comments. Gosh I don't know whether i or my family could take the strain of all those evening hours tbh - and the hours at the w/e. Am thinking maybe teaching assistant or a job that involves teaching but not a teacher iykwim.

Any other primary teachers out there?

In certain areas of the country there are an abundace of primary teachers looking for work (I am one of them). South West is particularly bad - some vacancies have about 200 applicants. London and the surround not so bad.

So, I would say depends where you are based.

It IS really long hours- especially when you start off and you don't have (some) things at your fingertips as you will after, say, five years. I would just add that all schools are not created equal when it comes to workload. I have worked a similar workload to jennifersofia and know plenty of others who do too- I did it when working in several primaries in areas of deprivation. There, you are forever being called to account for 'bad' results by local authorities and are expected to support the children's social and emotional development too. You are expected to do this in all schools, but as you can imagine, the workload involved in some areas is far higher. For example, for 'looked after children' (ie children in care) in some authorities you have to fill in these 'care plans' every term, plus meet with social services for updates etc. I had 4 children in my class with these. I also had 19 children on the special needs register, each needing an individual plan to meet their targets, updated once a half term and sometimes requiring them to have a separate programme of work. TIme sapping as you can imagine! After ten years working in schools like this (and loving most of it, I have to say!) I knew I wanted to have children and I just could not see how the hours were compatible with family life. I now work at a nice village school with supportive parents and, don't get me wrong, it's still hard work, but I don't feel like it's a losing battle, or I'm running to keep up and failing. Having said that, I'm about to go back to work fulltime after mat leave and am having palpatations about how it will all work!
Finally, I do think you have to be REALLY committed to the idea- sounds like you thoroughly enjoyed the classroom experiences you have had and the compliments the teacher gave you sound really positive which is all really good news as it suggests you've got the essential 'stuff' needed. I've seen lots of people come to teaching from successful careers who just aren't cut out for the job and I feel so sorry for them cos they gave something up to pursue a dream that isn't working out for them. It's one of those jobs that if you aren't sure it's for you, it very quickly will become most definitely NOT the job for you and you will hate it!

Sorry, what an essay!

It's Saturday night, instead of watching Eurovision and drinking wine I am marking Yr6 writing.

It's a bank holiday weekend here - I have work to do every night I'm off (and pretty sure some of my childless colleagues do too, although my at-home workload is higher because I leave "early" at 5pm to see DD).

BUT shortly I'll be off for 6 weeks!!

If you could manage financially I'd go for being a TA - it's my ambition! But can't afford it atm.

Echo was Jenski said about the SW, my best friend in Cornwall really wanted to change careers and do her teaching qualification. She couldn't even get on the course as it was so over subscribed.

I agree with Derbydolly that it is a hell of a job a) when you start off and are doing everything from scratch and b) if you are not really suited to it in the first place.

HOWEVER, after a few years it does get easier, especially if you are happy in the classroom and not bothered about climbing the greasey pole.

There also comes a point where you can specialise and there are so many options within education chances are even if you hated the classroom you could find something you like.

I was not mad keen on mainstream classroom teaching but now I work in a unit within a Special school that has 6 staff for 3 children, only delivers 30% of the national curriculum and spends the rest of the time researching and doing remedial work for behavioural disorders. I LOVE it!

Anyway- bit of a essay- but I was trying to say don't necessarily be put off by the difficulties of learning the nuts and bolts of the job!

*greasy

I've just started applying for jobs to become a teaching assistant with the hope of progressing from there.
I've apllied for about 9 jobs since thursady and have an interview with an agency next week.
I have no experience apart from my own children.
BC I was a bar manager, so like you OP, very different.

I'm really interested in childhood development, behaviour and learning methods so think I am well suited to the profession.

I'm very excited about the prospect of getting a job in thisd field and hope it happens quickly.

I want to second what other people are saying about a shortage of job, I think if you are outstanding you will get a job, probably

I'm outstanding It's just getting an interview without experience on your cv.
I've written and sent some very enthusiastic covering letters. Let's hope they weren't too OTT