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Advice with rebuilding my life and getting back into teaching.
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Forgive the long-winded nature of this post, but I'm looking for some advice on a future career in teaching and whether or not I should pursue this idea.
To give you some background, after university I undertook a PGCE in Secondary Design Technology. I was about 21 and completed the program. It was okay but I much preferred working with younger children, Year Seven and the primary school children I worked with for a few weeks at the beginning of the course.
Anyway around this time my partner was unfortunately taken ill with cervical cancer, and after enduring a five year battle she finally passed away 4 months ago on New Year's Eve. I won't go into the details but I'm sure you can appreciate how tough the last few years have been, worse for her obviously but I cared for her the entire time and raised my step-daughter from the age of 6 to 12, whereby she chose to return to her biological father following her mother's death. I'm no martyr just a loving partner who has lost their best friend and soul mate and my step daughter who I loved like my own. My life is in ruins.
I returned to work at the part-time job I'd held at university and have stayed there throughout her illness since it was so flexible and I have an exceptional boss who has enabled me to work around the numerous appointments, days spent at chemotherapy and general day to day caring for a terminally ill partner and step daughter. My PGCE was valid for about 5 years but has now expired because I never used it.
To be blunt, my partner's life was taken from her by cancer and I've come to the conclusion that I don't want to throw my own away and would like to do something meaningful and useful with it using my skills. She would've wanted this and I want it for myself.
I would like to retrain to teach primary. I'm good with children and am wasting my life working in a shop. I'm unhappy there since I know I'm wasting any potential I have. It was the means to an end for the last few years since it paid the bills and enabled me to be there for my partner and step-daughter, but to be honest with them gone it has served its purpose and I need to rebuild.
I would need to complete another PGCE course I'm assuming to teach primary, I've heard of conversion courses but my existing qualification is now null and void due to the length of time. I genuinely think this would be a good thing for me and that I have a lot to offer.
Just looking for thoughts, opinions and advice really.
Thanks in advance.
To give you some background, after university I undertook a PGCE in Secondary Design Technology. I was about 21 and completed the program. It was okay but I much preferred working with younger children, Year Seven and the primary school children I worked with for a few weeks at the beginning of the course.
Anyway around this time my partner was unfortunately taken ill with cervical cancer, and after enduring a five year battle she finally passed away 4 months ago on New Year's Eve. I won't go into the details but I'm sure you can appreciate how tough the last few years have been, worse for her obviously but I cared for her the entire time and raised my step-daughter from the age of 6 to 12, whereby she chose to return to her biological father following her mother's death. I'm no martyr just a loving partner who has lost their best friend and soul mate and my step daughter who I loved like my own. My life is in ruins.
I returned to work at the part-time job I'd held at university and have stayed there throughout her illness since it was so flexible and I have an exceptional boss who has enabled me to work around the numerous appointments, days spent at chemotherapy and general day to day caring for a terminally ill partner and step daughter. My PGCE was valid for about 5 years but has now expired because I never used it.
To be blunt, my partner's life was taken from her by cancer and I've come to the conclusion that I don't want to throw my own away and would like to do something meaningful and useful with it using my skills. She would've wanted this and I want it for myself.
I would like to retrain to teach primary. I'm good with children and am wasting my life working in a shop. I'm unhappy there since I know I'm wasting any potential I have. It was the means to an end for the last few years since it paid the bills and enabled me to be there for my partner and step-daughter, but to be honest with them gone it has served its purpose and I need to rebuild.
I would need to complete another PGCE course I'm assuming to teach primary, I've heard of conversion courses but my existing qualification is now null and void due to the length of time. I genuinely think this would be a good thing for me and that I have a lot to offer.
Just looking for thoughts, opinions and advice really.
Thanks in advance.
:cool:
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Comments
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better to do it and regret than not do it at all....
Do what you think will make you happyThe Googlewhacker referance is to Dave Gorman and not to my opinion of the search engine!
If I give you advice it is only a view and always always take professional advice before acting!!!
4 people on the ignore list....Bliss!0 -
Are you saying that you didnt do your nqt year within 5 years?
Might not be easy to do another pgce- infact it is very hard to do a 2nd one and it probably wouldn't be funded. Look on the tda website.
Volunteer in a primary school first. Are you catholic? I am not sure if you are male or female from post? If you are catholic and male lots of Informal fast track options available.
You could do a graduate teaching programme which is 12 months on the job with a basic salary of about 15k.0 -
Googlewhacker wrote: »better to do it and regret than not do it at all....
Do what you think will make you happy
I think it would be a lovely thing to get into. I've always been drawn to teaching. I've always been so proud when I've been helping the little girl with homework or teaching her something for a test in school, I think I'd like to do that on a larger scale with that age group.:cool:0 -
I'm not convinced about what you're saying.
Are you sure your PGCE "expires"? It seems staggering that you'd go through all the training etc only to have to repeat it.
I qualified a while ago but haven't done my induction. Do I need to, and will I still be able to enroll on an RTT course?
If you qualified with QTS before May 1999, you will not need to complete induction on your return. If you qualified after May 1999, you will need to complete induction if you have not already done so.
You may need to contact the induction team at the TDA on 0300 065 6526 to discuss your position.
You may attend an RTT course before you complete your induction. Although you can start your induction at any point, once you have started you should finish it within five years.
Give them a call and get a definitive answer. There is no way you should have to repeat a PGCE year."One day I realised that when you are lying in your grave, it's no good saying, "I was too shy, too frightened."
Because by then you've blown your chances. That's it."0 -
I could be wrong but it has always been my understanding that if you don't actually use your PGCE after a given time to teach and complete your NQT year then it does essentially expire.I'm not convinced about what you're saying.
Are you sure your PGCE "expires"? It seems staggering that you'd go through all the training etc only to have to repeat it.
Give them a call and get a definitive answer. There is no way you should have to repeat a PGCE year.:cool:0 -
It's not the pgce that expires. You still have the pgce. However qts which comes with the pgce is a status and not a qualification. Depending on when you finished your pgce the qts part is not conferred finally until you have successfully completed a 12 month induction period. This must be completed within 5 years of finishing the pgce. If you don't the qts status lapses or rather is not granted. Once you have it it is for life unless removed by gtc (or in future dfe).
It is the qts you need to teach not the pgce.0 -
When did you finish your pgce?0
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2005 unfortunately. The same year she got ill.Barnabylovesicecream wrote: »When did you finish your pgce?
:cool:0 -
Call the tda. You need bespoke advice. I managed an la nqt and gtp programme and the simple answer is that it is complicated. You may be able to do induction now but it may be dependent on meeting certain requirements.
The first step is to volunteer to work in a school. You won't get a place on a course or a job if you haven't done this.0 -
Barnabylovesicecream wrote: »However qts which comes with the pgce is a status and not a qualification. Depending on when you finished your pgce the qts part is not conferred finally until you have successfully completed a 12 month induction period. This must be completed within 5 years of finishing the pgce. If you don't the qts status lapses or rather is not granted.
Are you sure? I've never read that anywhere officially before.
Do you have a link?"One day I realised that when you are lying in your grave, it's no good saying, "I was too shy, too frightened."
Because by then you've blown your chances. That's it."0
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