Inspiring stories needed - primary teaching

DCFC79

OLDBILL wrote: »

I am worried that if I do all this study and then cannot get on the teacher training course or find a teaching post, I will be left with alot of debt and a degree that is of no use to anything else.

Thats the same dilemma those going to uni face, you take a chance and be optimistic you will be able to find a placement once the course is complete. You seem to have looked into so why not go with it, no point staying in your job if your unhappy.

pinkshoes

Hello!

I have a toddler, and quit my job and started a PGCE in September.

It IS hard work, but nothing is impossible. Different people respond to the workload in different ways. I find planning easy, and after 10 years of work, am confident in presenting, but others on the course are up 'til very late doing lesson plans (usually the younger ones with less life experience!). I also have my assignments handed in days before the deadline, as I can't afford to leave things until the last minute, just in case I have a sick toddler to deal with etc...

I've not heard many great things about the OU and teaching, and given primary is really cut throat to get into, you might want to go for a different establishment. Places on courses are also difficult to get into, and they seem to prefer those who have TA experience or similar.

dizzyrascal wrote: »

The pay is pretty poor, a lot of people think that because they have experience of working in other environments on higher salaries then this will somehow magically transfer to the education sector but you have to remember that you are at the bottom of the ladder.
Once you qualify you will start on the normal teaching scale. Currently new teachers start on £22,800.

I know several people who have done a PGCE after 10 years in a different career, and have started on a higher pay scale.

And the salary might be a pay cut, but in the long run, it will also save me a HUGE amount in childcare during the school holidays!

Ultimately, it's a job you do out of love for teaching, not because you want to get rich!

dizzyrascal

I've not heard many great things about the OU and teaching, and given primary is really cut throat to get into, you might want to go for a different establishment. Places on courses are also difficult to get into, and they seem to prefer those who have TA experience or similar.

The OU are one of the biggest providers of PGCE's but they have never done primary education.
They have an excellent reputation in the subjects that they do cover

hieveryone

pinkshoes wrote: »

I know several people who have done a PGCE after 10 years in a different career, and have started on a higher pay scale.

And the salary might be a pay cut, but in the long run, it will also save me a HUGE amount in childcare during the school holidays!

Ultimately, it's a job you do out of love for teaching, not because you want to get rich!

I'm not sure where you are, but in Scotland the jump is never really going to be more than 1 rung on the ladder. And, that would normally only be after the probation year.

chika

Primary teaching is hard work. I qualified in 2010 and I would estimate that about 40% of the people I graduated with no longer teach. I too left my old job but was persuaded back to another school recently.

I second the advice about doing some voluntary work in a school. Before I qualified I had a romantic idea about how easy my life was going to be but I got a very rude awakening! Deep down, I do love it though and that is what keeps me there! The fact that I have spent 2 hours marking books this morning was totally forgotten when I found a little note from a child who "luvs da best techer in da world." (I must work on teaching spelling though!)

I wouldn't do an OU degree if you are hoping to get on a PGCE, have you thought about doing the primary education degree? I know quite a lot of them offer a three year degree with OTS. You can also do these part time in four to six years - I think some unis even offer this course in the evenings to ease childcare woes. The degree is hard work but I managed it and managed to work for 30 hours a week for the whole four years too.

If you are going to shell out for uni you also need to think about the degree you do. Primary Ed degrees are a bit useless if you want another career. So a degree, PGCE may be a bit more useful. Some of the people I qualified with are having a hard time finding work that isn't teaching.

Good luck, its a great career but demanding. Don't go into it in search of the easy life.

dawyldthing

I did a 4 year BA in Primary Education, unfortunately failed final placement, but passed everything else. The 4 year degree course is hard work, but people are really supportive generally and with the right support in schools it makes all the difference.

If working in primary school is what you want to do some of the main things you need to do is get experience, lots of experience. Volunteer in different settings if you can as they ask you to give experience, plus a wide variety of settings as there is a huge difference in schools based on their wider area, but a good school can make all the difference. You've got a-levels, as that would be the next step. You'll have to check which places you wanted to study as many are very rigurous with points now (i remember when I started in 2005 someone got in with D's or possibly E's at A-levels, how times have changed!) If you want to do primary education I would suggest doing a degree that would be a national curriculum subject, as its more favourable when applying for PGCE's as theres more people applying than places at the moment. But do something you are passionate about as 3 years is a long long time.

Same numbers are for jobs as I know when I was at uni someone said 200+ people had applied for 1 job, and i should imagine numbers are increasing as more are graduating with all them still looking.

But it really is a case of experience, experience and more experience as teaching is blooming hard work. I know of several people who never stepped into a classroom after graduating after having enough and realising it weren't for them. Plus people will tell you its all about the holidays, but even then you don't get that much as half of it is eaten by planning, preparation and classroom displays ready for the next half term