Thinking about retraining to become a teacher

mikey72

kelloggs36 wrote: »

I've been teaching for 2 years; about to go into my third as a Primary teacher. It is exhausting! I got in at 8.15am today and left at 5.10pm and I have a class worth of literacy books to mark (I managed to mark the maths during my lunch break). I also have to finish the reports which have already taken about 40 hours to write up (lots of subjects plus my sets). I have had to plan for the next week also as I am going to my new school on Monday so everything has to be ready for the supply on Monday, so I had to sort out resources etc too. No weekend to relax, just more work! Last week was the same - it goes in pits and troughs, mostly pits though as there is always some deadline to meet - reports, levelling data, moderation, book monitoring, displays, assemblies etc so it is hectic all the time! Most weeks I have 1 day off per weekend, the other I am planning for the next week. I can't wait for a break as I am absolutely exhausted now, and can't wait until the end of July! The children break up on the 21st but we still have another 2 days INSET to do, so we don't get to stop until the 23rd, and then we have to set up our classrooms for the start of September as there will be no time given for that.

So basically just 5 weeks off this summer then.

Curlywurli

mikey72 wrote: »

So basically just 5 weeks off this summer then.

What job do you do then mikey72?

Curlywurli

I have been teaching for ten years. I used to have my own class full time. After maternity leave I requested part time work and that is what I do now. I have job shared before and absolutely hated it but if that's what I have to do to work part time that's what I do. I love teaching but couldn't do it full time, before I had my family I spent at least two hours every evening doing work after leaving school about five. As others have said weekends were spent on work, oh and so was my money- buying basic resources.

Most people seem to get part time jobs by already being at school. Any part time jobs I've seen recently are fixed term contracts only. There are lots of people applying for jobs at the moment. I know an NQT who had 17 interviews. At a popular school there were 130 applicants. I think times are tough every where. LSA jobs are going at the moment or hours being cut.

samandona

Gleeful wrote: »

Please don't be under any illusions about the availability of jobs. I have just completed my PGCE in what the TDA consider to be a shortage subject, and I have no teaching job to go to. The best I can ask for is supply or a teaching assistant post in the meantime!

As well as a shortage of jobs, it also seems to be very VERY difficult to actually get a place on a PGCE course. No experience of my own, but this seems to be a problem some of my (high achieving) friends and relatives have had this year and last.

HRV

Teaching is hard work but it gets a little easier as you get more experienced it also massively depends on the school you work at. My school (inner city, made big improvements in last 3 years) has never ending deadlines and the planning expectations are big + as a 1 form entry it increases load as you don't share any planning.

Getting a job I think depends on your area- may be worth researching this before you train. You will prob need volunteer experience before getting on a PGCE and if doing a GTP or the like theese are very competative as there is wage paid.
My day looks like this (I teach nursery/reception)

6.50am- get up
7.20 am- leave home
7.30am- arrive at school
7.30-8.45- prep, assessment, marking, meeting (thursdays)
8.45- breakfast club/walking bus children arrive
8.55- children arrive
11.25- Nursery children go home
11.35- Phonics with reception
12- lunch starts (inc marking, setting up for pm session)
12.55- afternoon nursery arrive
3.25- children go
3.35- home (varies between 4.30 ish to 6pm) I vary this depending on commitments at home

At the moment I have no biological children but we have my step daughters 2 nights a week- I leave earlier on these days and make up the time on others

I have no breaks during the day as I work in Nursery/reception and we only have indoor/outdoor/snack time which we obviously work through

hope this helps

ps I gave up my TLR (manageent) responsibility due to the time it was taking up so this is just a class teacher role

Janepig

It does seem to be difficult to get teaching jobs in this area and has been so for a while - particularly primary school. One of my friends recently qualified as a teacher and hasn't been able to find a job and I remember when she started the course she found out that the percentage of people leaving the course who were able to find jobs was really really low. And it's going to get worse, certainly locally, as teaching jobs are lost, smaller schools are being closed, schools are being amalgamated, etc... There was talk afew years ago about there being a high number of older teachers who were due to retire therefore creating vacancies but that doesn't appear to have happened.

Also, quite afew of DD/DS's friends have parents who are teachers/LSA's and they are always the parents who can never come to daytime concerts or school trips, sports days, etc.. or do the school run. But obviously the upside is that they get all the school holidays off so haven't got to worry about childcare during those times.

Jxx

mikey72

HRV wrote: »

Teaching is hard work but it gets a little easier as you get more experienced it also massively depends on the school you work at. My school (inner city, made big improvements in last 3 years) has never ending deadlines and the planning expectations are big + as a 1 form entry it increases load as you don't share any planning.

Getting a job I think depends on your area- may be worth researching this before you train. You will prob need volunteer experience before getting on a PGCE and if doing a GTP or the like theese are very competative as there is wage paid.
My day looks like this (I teach nursery/reception)

6.50am- get up
7.20 am- leave home
7.30am- arrive at school
7.30-8.45- prep, assessment, marking, meeting (thursdays)
8.45- breakfast club/walking bus children arrive
8.55- children arrive
11.25- Nursery children go home
11.35- Phonics with reception
12- lunch starts (inc marking, setting up for pm session)
12.55- afternoon nursery arrive
3.25- children go
3.35- home (varies between 4.30 ish to 6pm) I vary this depending on commitments at home

At the moment I have no biological children but we have my step daughters 2 nights a week- I leave earlier on these days and make up the time on others

I have no breaks during the day as I work in Nursery/reception and we only have indoor/outdoor/snack time which we obviously work through

hope this helps

ps I gave up my TLR (manageent) responsibility due to the time it was taking up so this is just a class teacher role

You're doing well to work at a school ten minutes from where you live.

mikey72

Pay starts at £21,588 for a NQT, rising to £31,552 after 6 years from Sept 2010.
That's outside London, without any additional payments for other responsibilities.
But it is hard to find a teaching post, you really need to have worked in the school previously, or done your placement there and been lucky at the end of it.

Gleeful

mikey72 wrote: »

Pay starts at £21,588 for a NQT, rising to £31,552 after 6 years from Sept 2010.
That's outside London, without any additional payments for other responsibilities.
But it is hard to find a teaching post, you really need to have worked in the school previously, or done your placement there and been lucky at the end of it.

This is why it appears that supply is a rite of passage for those unlucky enough to have not managed to get a teaching post straight from PGCE.

mikey72

What subject/age group do you want to teach?