Becoming a teacher with no degree

lindsaygalaxy

I completed a degree with a young child, going to a local college that offered degrees. They gave some support towards childcare. I then did a GTP to gain QTS. Teaching is not a 9-3 job and studying for it is even harder.

My average week (and I teach part-time currently). I have 2 children (1 at nursery, 1 at school).

The days I work -
Up at 6am. Get self ready. Get kids stuff ready. Get the kids ready. Out the door at 7.45. Take DS to nursery. (OH takes DD to school).
School day until 3.30pm. Little lunch break. Leave work 5pm. Pick up kids from nursery/after school club.
Dinner/baths etc.
7.30pm Kids in bed. Planning, marking, assessing, preparing etc to 10.30pm.

Repeat.

Days off. Dealing with emails etc in the day. More planning/marking/making resources etc in the evening.
Go into school at the weekend for several hours on Sunday to prepare for the next week. Every school holidays at least 1-2 days for tidying/sorting/displays/preparing for new term etc.
Summer holidays around a week sorting out last terms stuff and sorting for new term.

Im not trying to put you off, you just need to be prepared. It takes over your life and is very stressful and demanding. On the other side, it is very rewarding and I love my job. It also allows me to look after my children in the holidays (they often come in to school with me!).

It would be a good idea to spend some time in a school to see if it is what you really like then maybe look in to a TA position (you dont need to be qualified).

whitegoods_engineer

I personally think that the requirement to have a degree to teach is overkill. As far as I'm concerned, anybody with the relevant skills and experience should be eligible to teach regardless of degree status.

This requirement simply assures that children are taught by people who generally have no life experience other than school and university.

The teacher lobby is strong and powerful and they will constantly assert that only their kind be allowed to teach.

I'd like to think that one day, teaching posts will be opened up to people with real life experience, not just overgrown students who think work consists of getting to work at 9, and going home at 3.

whitegoods_engineer

whitegoods_engineer wrote: »

I personally think that the requirement to have a degree to teach is overkill. As far as I'm concerned, anybody with the relevant skills and experience should be eligible to teach regardless of degree status.

This requirement simply assures that children are taught by people who generally have no life experience other than school and university.

The teacher lobby is strong and powerful and they will constantly assert that only their kind be allowed to teach.

I'd like to think that one day, teaching posts will be opened up to people with real life experience, not just overgrown students who think work consists of getting to work at 9, and going home at 3. With endless holidays.

whitegoods_engineer

Always makes me laugh when teachers assert that they rise at 4 am to prepare lessons, get to school at 6 am, leave at 9pm having run after school clubs, go home and prepare lessons until 4 am lol.

Dogger69

whitegoods_engineer wrote: »

I'd like to think that one day, teaching posts will be opened up to people with real life experience, not just overgrown students who think work consists of getting to work at 9, and going home at 3. With endless holidays.

Someone that clearly has no idea what teaching entails!

Funky_Bold_Ribena

whitegoods_engineer wrote: »

I personally think that the requirement to have a degree to teach is overkill. As far as I'm concerned, anybody with the relevant skills and experience should be eligible to teach regardless of degree status.

They can. Hence my links and mention of the DTLLS qualification.

TopQuark

whitegoods_engineer wrote: »

whitegoods_engineer wrote: »

I personally think that the requirement to have a degree to teach is overkill. As far as I'm concerned, anybody with the relevant skills and experience should be eligible to teach regardless of degree status.

This requirement simply assures that children are taught by people who generally have no life experience other than school and university.

The teacher lobby is strong and powerful and they will constantly assert that only their kind be allowed to teach.

I'd like to think that one day, teaching posts will be opened up to people with real life experience, not just overgrown students who think work consists of getting to work at 9, and going home at 3. With endless holidays.

Absolute krappe. You don't need 'life experience' to teach (for example) physics to secondary school kids, you need a knowledge of physics. This is the same for all of the academic subjects. I like to trust that we will never be opening up teaching posts to people who who don't have the required level of knowledge to educate future generations (as demonstrated by a degree).

To the OP, perhaps you could investigate the OU's part time courses further? It won't be easy to study in your spare time if you work/have young children, but it is do-able as long as you are disciplined. I wrote up my PhD thesis whilst working full time (took me a year; was hellish) and I'm currently studying for an MBA whilst working full time (taking 3 years; is manageable).

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

lindsaygalaxy

To clarify, I left uni, worked in retali managment for several years, then in an office and 'saving' my lunch breaks to volunteer at a local primary school 1 afternoon a week to apply for the teaching course.

I think there is a course that you can do once you get a job as a TA going to college 1 day a week to get a qualification.

pinkshoes

Tootoo, teaching is manic, and even more manic when you have a child.

I'm currently doing my PGCE (and have a 2 year old), and work 60 hours a week planning lessons, marking etc... It's a never ending job, and the pay for the first few years is actually quite rubbish given the hours you have to put in!

whitegoods_engineer wrote: »

I personally think that the requirement to have a degree to teach is overkill. As far as I'm concerned, anybody with the relevant skills and experience should be eligible to teach regardless of degree status.

This requirement simply assures that children are taught by people who generally have no life experience other than school and university.

The teacher lobby is strong and powerful and they will constantly assert that only their kind be allowed to teach.

I'd like to think that one day, teaching posts will be opened up to people with real life experience, not just overgrown students who think work consists of getting to work at 9, and going home at 3.

I guess you've never been a teacher!!

Oh, by the way, before going into teaching, I spent over 8 years working in Engineering, so I have plenty of real life experience thank. And many people on my PGCE course have also worked for many years, and bring more than a degree to the classroom.

The skills to teach is very important, but as is having a degree - it shows you have the ability to understand things at a high level, although I do agree that some life experience before going into teaching is really important! One of my PGCE colleagues was teaching a physics lesson on energy consumption, yet had never even had to pay a bill before!

ps - it's really sad to quote yourself :cool:

Dunroamin

Funky_Bold_Ribena wrote: »

No they are not...yes you can teach in schools without a degree.

From my previous link...

Since 1 April 2012, further education teachers who have been awarded QTLS by the Institute for Learning (IfL) and are members of the IfL are recognised as qualified teachers in schools. This will allow them to be appointed to permanent posts in state maintained schools in England and they will be paid on the qualified teachers’ pay scale. They will continue to be recognised as qualified school teachers providing they remain a member of the IfL.

The OP wants to know if they need a degree and no they do not...if they have access to a different route which the DTLLS offers.

Your link, which I read when you first posted it, doesn't address the issue of what qualifications someone with the DTLLS has before they use this for QTS in schools. A degree is still required or professional qualification in the case of someone teaching a practical subject like engineering or construction.