Renovations and Repayments.

AlexLK

maman wrote: »

Just in case you misunderstood. You would still be paid at qualified teacher rates during your NQT year. It's just that QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) isn't official until you have completed the first year successfully.


NQT is quite rigorous. It's by no means a formality and if you don't meet the standards then you don't get a second try.


Not trying to put you off just making sure you're making an informed decision.:)

Thanks for this, maman.

I think I've quite a lot of reading to do about this before submitting an application next Autumn. A part of me thinks that it would perhaps be ideal to do the PGCE and first year full time but I know that would make things really difficult. It would also mean my son would have to eat lunch at school (hoping this will happen, anyway) and require my parents to pick him up from school, which I don't think would be ideal.

Perhaps, it's just a bit too late for me to do something new.

Alchemilla

Its never too late to try something new, but be prepared for the huge emotional demands of teaching.

It can take a toll on one's MH.

AlexLK

Alchemilla wrote: »

Its never too late to try something new, but be prepared for the huge emotional demands of teaching.

It can take a toll on one's MH.

Thank you, Alchemilla.

Teaching taking it's toll on my mental health is a potential concern. I find it very hard to deal with the ones with difficult home lives at the school I volunteer at, not because they are bad pupils but because some of the things they tell me make me rather angry. Over the last few months I've had quite a few tell me that their parents have refused to buy revision books because they "can't afford it" yet they can afford to smoke / drink / buy iPhones etc. Also at the school Music isn't really a priority so there is not a bursary or scholarship in place for the subject and I've ended up buying the books for the pupils, which I can't say I was particularly pleased about.

AlexLK

Wednesday 15th July, 2015.

Dear Diary,

Today hasn't been great as the black dog made an appearance but I have tried to get through the day and did get quite a bit of work done that I'd been putting off for a while. Often I wonder if I am lazy for not working full time or providing for my family, even though I was brought up in a very progressive home regarding such matters, I cannot help but be slightly ashamed. I am acutely aware my choices regarding work affects the finances for the worse. This often makes me wonder what kind of an example I am setting for my son, yet I cannot face my wife and I turning into my parents; too busy with work to be involved in his life.

On the positive side, I've done some work to the house and garden today instead of wasting money burning petrol. Also managed to make the first steps to finding someone other than my ex-business partner to do the work he does for me and have a potential customer booked in for a meeting.

Yours Faithfully,
Alex.

maman

AlexLK wrote: »

Thanks for this, maman.

I think I've quite a lot of reading to do about this before submitting an application next Autumn. A part of me thinks that it would perhaps be ideal to do the PGCE and first year full time but I know that would make things really difficult. It would also mean my son would have to eat lunch at school (hoping this will happen, anyway) and require my parents to pick him up from school, which I don't think would be ideal.

Perhaps, it's just a bit too late for me to do something new.

Certainly not!!


Alex, you and MrsK have an arrangement that's mirrored in thousands, if not millions, of families across the country. OK, so perhaps the majority have the reverse situation where it's the man as the major breadwinner but your set up is far from unusual. Even in your own family, it strikes me that your mother plays a major role even if that's at a different period in life. In any event I can't se MrsK being happy to be a stay at home mum whatever you chose to do.


Depending on your timetable I don't think you'd be away all day for some parts of the PGCE course although different when you were out on school experience. If you did do the NQT year full time then LittleK would be well established at school so lunch may not be an issue by then. I think when he starts you should gradually wean him off coming home anyway.


One problem may be that if you did get a job to do your NQT Induction year full time the school might not be happy with you asking to go part time (the law only allows you to ask and be considered, an employer doesn't have to agree).


Any how, I wouldn't worry about that now. There's no rule that says you have to start an induction year immediately so get the PGCE and then think about it.


Sorry to hear about that dog appearing today but you were right to keep busy.:)

AlexLK

maman wrote: »

Certainly not!!


Alex, you and MrsK have an arrangement that's mirrored in thousands, if not millions, of families across the country. OK, so perhaps the majority have the reverse situation where it's the man as the major breadwinner but your set up is far from unusual. Even in your own family, it strikes me that your mother plays a major role even if that's at a different period in life. In any event I can't se MrsK being happy to be a stay at home mum whatever you chose to do.

My parents have both always worked very hard, neither ever stayed at home or worked part time. They've always been equals even in less enlightened times and it's something my father especially is very proud of. My schooling, on the other hand, was very old fashioned, quite a few didn't think a lot to my father for 'allowing' mother to be as involved in business as he. It was expected we'd all climb the business / career ladder and our wives would stay at home or work part time at the very most. From the people I still know from school, that's how it turned out for almost all, a few have said some quite rude things to me about how things turned out for me.

You're right about my wife, she would not be a stay at home mum and I think it would have probably worked out this way even if I'd been OK as I couldn't make the same choice as my parents. Doesn't stop me being ashamed for failing to provide for my family, though.

maman wrote: »

Depending on your timetable I don't think you'd be away all day for some parts of the PGCE course although different when you were out on school experience. If you did do the NQT year full time then LittleK would be well established at school so lunch may not be an issue by then. I think when he starts you should gradually wean him off coming home anyway.

One problem may be that if you did get a job to do your NQT Induction year full time the school might not be happy with you asking to go part time (the law only allows you to ask and be considered, an employer doesn't have to agree).

Any how, I wouldn't worry about that now. There's no rule that says you have to start an induction year immediately so get the PGCE and then think about it.

Sorry to hear about that dog appearing today but you were right to keep busy.:)

I am hoping to wean him off coming home at lunch but it remains to be seen if that can be done.

I suppose I'm concerned that for the years I am full time, I will be turning my household into the one I grew up in all because I fancy a new challenge. Can't see me getting any sleep tonight with all this to think about.

littlegreenparrot

AlexLK wrote: »

LGP: I like the problem solving aspect to teaching the most which is why I like to make my own curriculum. Currently I teach a couple of pupils struggling with the GCSE syllabus at the school I volunteer at. With those pupils I have made my own curriculum covering the parts of the GCSE course they find difficult and it seems to be working. Usually I mark the work together with the pupil and we go through what went well, what could do with improvement and why. Not really sure how this would work with a group, though?

You will find teaching a group very different. You have to differentiate for different learner needs and abilities. In most schools I don't think Music is streamed at all (in lower school at least, it might be different for GCSE). You also have to make sure you cover the whole curriculum in a limited period of time, with maybe 30 students. It is a challenge, and I agree it takes its toll on mental health (I'm no longer in secondary partly because of this. After 5 years I moved into work based learning). It can brilliant, terrible, and often veers wildly between the two.
You need to find a way of managing your reaction to the stories you hear. It was once explained to me that they are like monkeys on your back, at the end of the day you have to take them off. I do a lot of Safeguarding stuff, and I do what I can - but it is not my responsibility. I cannot take all that on.

Do some research, think carefully, continue to do work experience in schools. But try not to make the assumption you can't do it. You can if you want to!
(My mother went and did an access course, then went to university when I was in my early teens, youngest brother was 3, and there are 2 in between. It did us no harm, and set a great example of what can be achieved. I'm therefore a great advocate of lifelong learning.)

Alchemilla

*chuck* a stick for the black dog.

AlexLK

littlegreenparrot wrote: »

You will find teaching a group very different. You have to differentiate for different learner needs and abilities. In most schools I don't think Music is streamed at all (in lower school at least, it might be different for GCSE). You also have to make sure you cover the whole curriculum in a limited period of time, with maybe 30 students. It is a challenge, and I agree it takes its toll on mental health (I'm no longer in secondary partly because of this. After 5 years I moved into work based learning). It can brilliant, terrible, and often veers wildly between the two.
You need to find a way of managing your reaction to the stories you hear. It was once explained to me that they are like monkeys on your back, at the end of the day you have to take them off. I do a lot of Safeguarding stuff, and I do what I can - but it is not my responsibility. I cannot take all that on.

Do some research, think carefully, continue to do work experience in schools. But try not to make the assumption you can't do it. You can if you want to!
(My mother went and did an access course, then went to university when I was in my early teens, youngest brother was 3, and there are 2 in between. It did us no harm, and set a great example of what can be achieved. I'm therefore a great advocate of lifelong learning.)

Thank you for the excellent advice.

I am definitely going to carry on getting some experience. Currently I volunteer at a "challenging" secondary with a few paying pupils there and I also have a fortnightly paid post at my old prep school preparing pupils for auditions and music scholarships. I will also try to get some experience in my son's new school in September. That gives me a year before making an application to make my mind up and work out which age group I'd like to teach.

So far I've found the actual teaching to be a good challenge and not particularly stressful. However, I only have dealings with a large group once per week and working out what to do with kids with wildly different abilities is indeed challenging. The part of me that enjoys problem solving likes the challenge, though and it's very rewarding when they 'get it'.

The hardest part by far is dealing with the stories I've heard. Teachers have offered similar advice to you but even after 18 months, reporting everything to a senior management that I'm not convinced takes this stuff seriously, I still go home and think about whether or not there is anything I can do, which usually involves spending money on books their parents have refused to buy. I've also ended up buying things for the school that I see as essential equipment because the budget doesn't allow for it. In short, I suppose it makes me quite sad that kids interested in the subject are not getting a good chance to learn more about it.

On a brighter note, my family think I could do well in teaching and I've finally told my parents about what's going on in my business with the ex-business partner and they've offered me some good advice. Had some dealings with a farmer that rents some land from my parents today, too. Quite pleased they are starting to trust me enough to begin the process of truly retiring.

Alchemilla wrote: »

*chuck* a stick for the black dog.

Stick caught, thank you. I'm quite a bit better this evening, that may be to do with the amount of petrol burnt, though. :rotfl:

AlexLK

AlexLK wrote: »

My parents have both always worked very hard, neither ever stayed at home or worked part time. They've always been equals even in less enlightened times and it's something my father especially is very proud of. My schooling, on the other hand, was very old fashioned, quite a few didn't think a lot to my father for 'allowing' mother to be as involved in business as he. It was expected we'd all climb the business / career ladder and our wives would stay at home or work part time at the very most. From the people I still know from school, that's how it turned out for almost all, a few have said some quite rude things to me about how things turned out for me.

You're right about my wife, she would not be a stay at home mum and I think it would have probably worked out this way even if I'd been OK as I couldn't make the same choice as my parents. Doesn't stop me being ashamed for failing to provide for my family, though.

Been thinking about this quite a lot today and come to the conclusion (OK with my wife) that Mrs K and I do what's right for us and our situation. My thoughts yesterday had been prompted by somebody (I've known for a very long time) asking me what sort of example I am setting for my son and that I should be ashamed. The reality is, I think I need those type of people out of my life because they are doing my mental health no good and once I take what I see as my obligations out of my mind, I am pleased things have worked out the way they have.

To bring this back to relevance, less time thinking about things like this will likely bring more £££.