Becoming a Teacher

tom9980

My wife is teaching year 1 and 2 at the moment, 32 kids. This past week off she has done 60 hours, marking, prep for SATS, making resources, planning for the next 7 weeks, doing subject area updates, booking school trip, she spent a day in school and a site visit for a trip.

During school weeks she's up at 6am, leaving at 7.30 to arrive at 8am. Non stop until 4.30 to 5 often only getting home at 5.30 most days. She has a day training in a few weeks. Once home out comes the work, I often have to force her to clear a spot for her tea every evening on the table. She watches neighbours while making resources, then has some me time for an hour at 8 before packing her work for the next day at 9. By 9.30-9.45 she's ready for bed we stick on something science/history related and she's asleep in 10 mins without fail. 60 hour weeks are the norm term time.

The saddest thing is she loves the teaching part it's the admin that kills the job, lots is not needed. What is needed is time spent with children. It's a frustrating job trying to teach SEN kids who need 1 to 1 help but not having resources to help them. It's a pain when parents moan at you yet can't be bothered to sit and read and write with their own children weekly. Ofsted and league table results are a big pressure too, constant and unrelenting especially at this time of year when you start gathering data to show pupil progress and submitting data to the LEA to show progress. Nobody cares if you have SEN kids who struggle they want results not excuses.

5 years into her career and we both can't wait for kids and her to go part time now, it's no wonder there is such a turnover in teaching. I can't recommend enough to anyone to think long and hard about choosing to become a teacher.

For the record my wife did the early years degree then PGCE and this did a really good well rounded job of preparing her for her job. She really understands early years education because of that degree there is a marked difference in candidates who do that degree In my opinion.

missbiggles1

Leo2020 wrote: »

Well in that case I may be better off studying Early Years Education (3-7) with QTS as I won't need to do a PGCE. Certainly something to ask when I visit them on their Open day.

I didn't think you could top up to a completely different degree as you wouldn't have the right credits but I can certainly check.

You may not get as much exemption and you won't end up with a named degree but it's certainly possible.

Be careful about the advice you accept from a university, remember that their aim is to sell their course to you and to get bums on seats.

Have you looked at the funding situation as you won't get funding for a completely new degree if you've already had 2 years for your HND - the most you'll get full time is 2 years.

Leo2020

I thought I could get funding although I can't see to find the details right now. This is something I need to look into further too. If I had to pay £9000 per year in full then this entire thread is a mute point - there is no way I could afford £27000 for a 3 year course.

I am certainly going to get some experience within schools before I decide for sure that I want to be a teacher. I have heard about the long hours, I'm not naive enough to think they all work 9-3 but there does seem to an awful lot of admin work involved.

I did at first consider being a TA, my understanding is that you do work 9-3 or thereabouts as you are not responsible for planning like a Teacher. With this you seem to get the joys of helping children learn but don't have the same responsibilities and the long hours as a Teacher.

missbiggles1

The basic funding rule is duration of course + 1, so for a 3 year degree you'll be funded for 4 years. I'm assuming that your HND was a 2 year course, which leaves you with 2 years of funding. This is one of the reasons I suggested that you look at topping up what you already have rather than starting afresh.

gingerdad

I'd think long and hard before embarking on a career in teaching with your family the way it is, my wife recently left teaching after nearly 20 years on and off around family, now working fulltime as a charity shop manager and still doing less hours then when she was a 0.4 teacher - and i have to say loving it, misses the kids but not the bullying, targets and stress, just my 2ps worth