Ideas for former teacher

cherryJ

Hi all - I'm just looking for a bit of advice/ideas

My mum (late 50's) has been a teacher (maths) all her life but has just found out her school will be closing down at the end of this school year.

She is close to retirement age and doesn't feel that she will be able to find another teaching job. For the past few years, she has really not been enjoying her work so this would be a good time for her to "get out".
However, she can't afford to simply just retire right now.

It would be great to hear from anyone who has been in a similar situation, or anyone who has retired early etc. etc. with ideas of alternative work.

Private tuition & exam marking are the obvious ones but unsure how much earnings these would actually bring in?

Thanks in advance for any advice or ideas you can offer.

Mrs_Money

I'm in a similar position (I teach in FE - but my hours are diminishing to almost nil) and I am similar in age to your mum - I have spent the summer looking for teaching-related work, part or full-time and have not had much luck. I only managed to apply for 2 jobs, got 1 interview and half way through that, realised that I wouldn't want the job as a gift!:rotfl:
But, on a positive note- maths is everyone's fear (and a lot of people's weakness) and is much needed for many careers, changes of direction, admission to college, uni etc. so there should be opportunities to teach GCSE in FE, Adult Education or to private students. Of course this often will mean evening/twilight hours - but for me, I'd prefer that any day to setting foot back in a secondary classroom! Of course all these sorts of teaching jobs are usually part-time - but perhaps that may be okay?
Depending upon where you live, private tutoring should be priced at £20 -£30+ per hour. Quite good rates, if you can get students. Tutoring agencies may get your mum work, but of course they take a cut (but tend to charge the client more, so there may be no difference).
As a maths specialist she may be able to get part-time work in the primary sector (secondary qualified teachers can teach in primary- but not the other way round). Primary schools always seem to be having "pushes" at improving their students' maths skills by taking on extra temporary maths teachers - but the upcoming cuts may curtail this LA expenditure.
I've been looking for a new direction for a couple of years now - so if anyone else has anymore ideas - I'd love to hear them!

clairibel

Not sure if this is any good for you as i haven't read it all and not sure if you fit the bill, its an online tutoring system/job, just saw it yesterday when i was looking for jobs for me

GavB79

She should be able to walk into a supply job if she is half competent. Good Maths teachers are hard to come by.

Mrs_Money

GavB79 wrote: »

She should be able to walk into a supply job if she is half competent. Good Maths teachers are hard to come by.

Mmmm - This should be the case, I agree, but I'm afraid to say that in my county's schools, supply is hard to come by - most have employed in-house cover supervisors at around £15k (less when pro-rata'd) a year and only use supply for the longer teacher absences. It's not good for the kids - but hey it's cheap! (and it further drags down the perceived professional status of the teaching profession).:(

andrewnottingham

My mum left teaching a few years ago in her early 50's and now works as a Teaching Assistant spending the majority of time working with kids who have special needs (not sure if this is the PC term these days?) and kids who have behavioral difficulties.

She works through a supply agency so gets to pick and choose the jobs she takes. Some have been quite long placements too. The one she is on at the moment is covering someone on maternity leave at a school she really likes so has been doing 4 days a week (she looks after my son the other day) since June and will finish at christmas.

She finds the work with the kids really rewarding and loves the flexibility it provides.

May not suit everyone but works well for her.

BoltonBex

what about exam marking with one of the exam boards e.g. AQA, EdExcel?

tiff

My friend worked as a supply teaching assistant, and at the time she only had experience volunteering once a week in a school.

I know someone else who is a teacher, does exam marking and private tuition. She also has a lodger. I think she is an MSE member actually as I read her blog but dont know her MSE name!

LexieK

A few years back I was a teaching assistant in a small village school which suffered the same fate. Most of the staff there (apart from myself and another TA) were all close to retirement age, but like your Mother most weren't in a position to take early retirement. I know one of them ended up setting up her own gardening business and planting up hanging baskets/planters to sell to people as she'd always been an enthusiatic gardener. Another got a job at the local farm park as their education officer, working with visiting school groups etc, as she wasn't sure she wanted to go back to looking for teaching jobs or go into supply. This was in a primary school, but there are so many skills used in teaching which are transferable that I'm sure it could apply to your Mother too.

Also the other week I was enrolling at my local Adult Education centre for a couple of courses and when the woman who was dealing with me heard I was an ex-teacher (I went and trained after the school I was a TA in closed) she said that they are always looking for people, in particular ex-teachers to teach various courses at the centre. Maybe this is something that could be an option? Your local council website might have further information, such as current vacancies and rates of pay.

BeautyandtheBeast_3

Hi, tell your mom to try private tuition i am restricted to how many hours i can do as i currently teach but i tend to bring in an extra £170 per week after deductions.
I would suggest that your mom tries to get into a school even if it is only a couple of days a week. sign on with a teaching agency, there is a supposed shortage of math and science teachers so fingers crossed she may get som maternity work etc.

greenoo000

Tell her to sign up with all the supply agencies anyway, there is always more supply work then you think. Also tell her to put her self down for supply classroom assistant, (this job is great fun and so stress free after being a teacher). There are also lots of agencies that offer tutor work. There is exam invigilation and exam marking work.
Also sign up with all the mystery shopping agencies.
Tell her not to worry, and enjoy her new life, as an ex teacher there is still loads of work out there.