Teaching as a career

career_changer_2

Hi All

I was thinking of doing a PGCE to enable me to teach in secondary schools. However, it seems that it is a very stressful job, so I am seriously having second thoughts.

I like teaching and giving advice, so can you suggest similar job roles that I could consider?

Many Thanks

Oldernotwiser

Training in an area where you already have skills?

Hammyman

You have no time off. Your weekends and evenings are spent marking and preparing coursework. My brother is a teacher at a school in Sunderland. He has several "special needs" kids with real behavioural issues but only one teaching assistant.

As he does a course that all the kids in his school do, he ends up having to prepare 500 school reports, see 500 parents at parents evening, mark 500 sets of homework etc etc etc.

BUT on the upside, its got the "I'm alright, Jack" civil service sick and retirement benefits. He is in his third year and shows no signs of packing up. Then again, he did have a real job outside of education for a few years before becoming a teacher so knows how well off he is in the job compared to someone who went school, university, teaching.

bristol_pilot

High stress, long hours and low pay do not make a great combination. The long hols were a plus at one time, but many people get 30+ days holiday a year in other jobs now AND can choose when they take them (unlike teachers).

career_changer_2

Thanks for your advice.

Do you think primary school teaching is any easier or just as stressful?

Thanks

bristol_pilot

Primary school teaching is less stressful, consequently a large number of applicants for every job. The only thing I would say is, if you are male you have a better chance since males are perceived as under-represented in primary.

career_changer_2

So I take it that there is fierce competition for jobs in primary schools? I also presume they ask for graduates. If so, do they ask for a higher degree classification such as 2:1 degree classification?

Thanks

Gleeful

Yes they do. Your ordinary degree won't count, you'll need to top it up to honours I'm afraid.

mountainofdebt

Career Changer

Please don't think I'm being rude ('cos I'm not,lol!) but have you thought about having some proper career advice?

The reason I ask this is that you've posted a couple of threads now - firstly thinking about becoming a statisican, then working in the civil service and now teaching.

You come across as either someone who seriously doesn't know what they want to do or and so proper career advice would be beneficial, or at worst, a troll.

Oldernotwiser

mountainofdebt wrote: »

Career Changer

Please don't think I'm being rude ('cos I'm not,lol!) but have you thought about having some proper career advice?

The reason I ask this is that you've posted a couple of threads now - firstly thinking about becoming a statisican, then working in the civil service and now teaching.

You come across as either someone who seriously doesn't know what they want to do or and so proper career advice would be beneficial, or at worst, a troll.

Don't forget the different AEs s/he posts under as well.

hieveryone

Also, depending on where you are in the country, primary teaching is HIGHLY oversubscribed at the moment, and several local authorities near me have put the stoppers on full time permanent positions