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Anyone retrained as a teacher?
Has anyone retrained as a teacher? I currently work in IT but my job isnt very exciting and Im worried how we are going to cope when my lo goes to school. Who is going to look after him during the holidays?! I have never really thought about teaching before but its something im looking into. However I dont know if I am capable of it so I was just looking for opinions from anyone who has retrained or is currently a teacher. What is it like? Do you enjoy it? My big issue is that I would drop almost ??10,000 pa if I were to become a teacher, do you think it would be worth it?
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I'm not going to lie, the training was a tough year but worth it. I guess re pay only you can decide, but the pay scale has a relatively good progression, and you would also save on childcare in the holidays I guess, (although nursery our lo has name down for does not give any discount for the fact I have 6 wks off in the summer etc, still have to pay whether he goes in or not!)
Overall though I love the job, wish there was less paperwork, but I think most people would say that of their jobs!! Any other Q's just ask!!
I didn't re-train either, I did my degree, then a year in a shop waiting for my boyfriend to finish uni, then worked as a teaching assistant for a year before doing a PGCE. I'd disagree that you need a 2:1, I have a third class degree and was accepted by one of the top training institutions in the country (not showing off, just to say it's a lot more than just your degree and experience can count for an awful lot) so it's worth looking into different ways of training to find one that suits you. I will definitely agree that the training's tough - many many times I had to work up until about 2am just to fit everything in, then I'd get up for school and try to meet a billion different standards, fuelled only by caffiene! It was worth it, though, I love teaching children, it's like a compulsion. I pity my poor son, his father's the same, and he's already spent more hours in school than a 4 month old baby should!
There's 3 main ways of training if you've already got your degree, doing a straight one-year PGCE at a university that will be mostly lecture and teaching practice based, a SCITT course (school centred initial teacher training) that is days/sessions at uni for training and most of your time spent in school, as if you worked there, though probably not with your own class, and GTP which is basically you get given a class/responsibilities and off you go. The advantage of GTP is you get a salary, don't quote me but I think it's around ??13k, as opposed to the PGCE or SCITT where you get ??6k to train and that's it. The major difference apart from the method in which you train is that PGCE and SCITT both give you a PGCE as well as qualified teacher status, whereas the GTP course only gives you qualified teacher status. Not a massive difference, just a few less letters after your name
I'd say it's hard, I love love LOVE teaching children and I get a lot out of the job. HOwever, I've got my own child now and I can't help but thinking that I just can't treat my job as a priority - it used to be pretty much the most important thing in my life and all my spare time could easily be spent planning, making resources, sorting out marking and paperwork, that sort of thing. I'm going to have to go back part time - full time teaching with a lo, for me, is impossible.
Sorry to sound so negative, I think Ed Balls has a lot to answer for!
Em x x x
Sorry to crash the thread, I also work in IT and am thinking of re-training as a teacher. I already have a 2:1 in Business Information Systems and part 1 of a PGCE, they also do part-time PGCE courses around by me so I could do that aswell as work full-time if i have to. Just wondering with the degree and PGCE where would that allow me to teach ? I thought it was just post-compulsory so college, Uni, etc ? have already taken loads of IT classes in adult education centres but I get confused as to what I could teach.
Thanks
Sarah
I think teaching can be the best job in the world and the worst job in the world (in the same day sometimes!). I doubt that I will be returning and, if I do, it will only be for a couple of days a week. There is a huge myth that a teacher's day lasts from 8.30-3 and that couldn't be further from the truth. I've lost count of the amount of evenings and weekends I've lost having to catch up on all of the bits and bobs that I didn't have time to do during the week because I was busy actually teaching! So planning, report writing, marking, etc.
On the flip side, holidays are fab and I always work like a trojan in the couple of weeks before so that I can be work-free during them. Also, like Emily says, you do progress up the pay scale fairly quickly.
Hope that helps!
K 36+3 x
i have found one nursery that will take my child term-time only and not charge me for the other 12 weeks when i'll have baby, but they only take her from 2! i have found no other nursery that offers term time only. i have heard of some in another town, but term time only means you pay HALF during the holidays to keep child's place. so you wont be getting cheaper childcare, it will most likely be the same but you'll be earning less.
pay at the moment is good. it is a quick progression and you wouldn't start at the bottom with you age. so within 4 years on THIS system you'll most likely be on ??30k+ as the pay is a structured system ensuring equal work for equal pay. HOWEVER, the unions keep sending us election stuff at the moment and should the conservatives get in that will potentially change. pay will be the same for everyone at the start, then at the head's discretion. so, with some heads you'll be singing for your supper while they build fancy offices or buy in commissioned sculptures!
You have to be organized to make the most of your holidays and work work work during term time to get marking and planning up to date. I never mark during the holidays! Or at weekends. I don't bring anything home and would rather stay until 6.30 / 7pm than bring anything home. Of course when I go back in sept that wont be an option anymore as I'll have a baby to collect! I get to work at 8am. It's a long and draining day as you don't get to have a rest period at all most days. Even lunch is hectic.
If you are ill, even with a bad cold you still have to perform at 100%, which if you worked in some other jobs you might be more able to take it easy and keep your head down. And holidays are expensive!
Teachers are expected to know everything about every child they teach, which is impossible when you teach 300+ children a week. And teachers get blamed for a lot of the failings of parents. I have had some horrendous incidents with badly behaved children that the school ignored so not to get bad press. Yet if a child made up a lie about me I would be immediately suspended. I actually know a teacher at the moment who was accused of hitting a girl in class. He was rushing to break up a fight and ran past the girl. The police investigated and found he had done nothing wrong, if any contact did occur it was obviously accidental, but the school aren't for letting him back as it's easier for them for him to quit and for them not to have to deal with the pupils who made false allegations.
However, it can be a rewarding job and it is interesting.
I too am thinking of re-training as a teacher... BUT (and its probably a big one!) I don't have a degree! I didn't go to uni - I knew it wasn't for me and I started working straight away. I love my job (I'm a PA) but feel like I need something more rewarding. I would love to work in primary schools.
We are prepared to put plenty of time and effort and of course money into it. But I don't know if I should even bother without a degree?
I only passed 1 A-level.
I have the Science, Maths and English GCSE's - I think anyway - if anything I might have got a D in Maths!
I know, I'm rubbish! LOL
If anyone knows whether or not I'm wasting my time without a degree, then please tell me!
Thanks in advance and sorry again to G/C
xxx
Most of the Learning Support Assistants at my school also have degrees. 2 are also qualified teachers but prefer to work on a one-to-one with special needs.
My husband is currently doing an evening degree course in english lang and lit over 3 years which will give him a BA (hons), so after that he will do the PGCE for primary. so if you can put aside the 4 years where you can live on one wage and it's what you want go for it. if you are looking at full time, there are teaching degrees (BEd) that you can do in 3 years, but dont know if this is for primary too.
the maths gcse might not be too much of an issue as you will have to do English, Maths and ICT tests to prove competency anyway before you'll be awarded teacher status.
[Modified by: ***Calleigh*** on March 17, 2010 12:02 PM]
Hope you don't mind the questions!!!
my hubby leaves for work at 5.30am and two nights a week goes straight to college, so i dont see him until after 9pm! his degree, although only 2 evenings a week, is classed as full time. but he is managing. shop around at local unis / colleges. lots of sixth form colleges are branching out to do degrees as well.
I think for me at the moment I am going to wait untill my baby is at school and then maybe drop my work hours down to part time and retrain then - this might change if another little baby comes along
Sorry I have rambled on. Thanks again it has really helped open my eyes!
Emma x
hi I retrained as an ICT teacher in secondary, if you like working 10 and so times 15 hours a day (I'm not joking) and like to be constantly under pressure then fine it's a job for you! the pay isn't bad, working conditions well, dependent on the school you get to work in, holidays 6 weeks in summer nit a chance!
enjoy!