Debt Free Wannabe Teacher

dfw87

louby40 wrote: »

Teaching is just ridiculous. I’ve bought a box of books to mark and assess. I’m going into school for a couple of hours first thing Monday too to sort some stuff out.

We have a new head and he’s changing lots of things, it all adds to the stress. He’s jetted off to Malta for a week, mmmm!

Although we are off to London on Wednesday for a coup,e of days.

I spent hours today and only managed to mark my books - at least they are done though! I gave myself some time out to go and watch my BF play rugby. I'll do the planning etc another time... just glad the books are outta the way!

Enjoy London!

DebtFreeDuo

What level do you teach? I'm currently completing a degree in the hopes of teaching although the politics behind it is putting me off a little. I am extremely hardworking but I want to teach for the love of teaching.

dfw87

DebtFreeDuo wrote: »

What level do you teach? I'm currently completing a degree in the hopes of teaching although the politics behind it is putting me off a little. I am extremely hardworking but I want to teach for the love of teaching.

I am primary - Year 5 & 6.

I was having a conversation in the staff room the other day and the majority of us agreed that we enjoy our job but if we had our time again then we wouldn't have become teachers. It's a job that you have to love but it is getting harder and harder to due to politics/budget cuts etc.

DebtFreeDuo

I think what I'm worried about is making the wrong decision, as a mature student this is my one chance to get the career I have always wanted. I think lots of volunteering is needed to get a real true insight. My degree isn't a teaching degree so until its completed I do have some flexibility.

dfw87

DebtFreeDuo wrote: »

I think what I'm worried about is making the wrong decision, as a mature student this is my one chance to get the career I have always wanted. I think lots of volunteering is needed to get a real true insight. My degree isn't a teaching degree so until its completed I do have some flexibility.

I would say that is a really sensible thing to do. I have a student working with me this year and I am really aware of wanting to be positive about teaching as he has already made the decision.

I think the best thing is to find someone who teaches and is willing to give you their true opinion. I am willing to! Don't want to scare people off though... just think it's important to have your eyes wide open

dfw87

Had a lovely day today. We went to a food festival and I did spend money but not as much as I would have previously spent!

I get paid on Wednesday and have decided that this month I will try the envelope method of budgeting... I think it'll help me.

Got enough SB for another £3 Amazon voucher - will try to get it up to £5 I think

DebtFreeDuo

Thank you, I do think people need to know what they are getting themselves in to before completely committing, by the time I qualify I would have been studying for a total of 6 years! I'm hoping my timetable next term will allow for some volunteering but then I have to try and find a school willing to take me. Its hard juggling the balance when you don't know your timetable until a week before. Will definitely start looking for a school for June and July at the very least.

I do the virtual pot method and have a section for my pots on my spreadsheet, it previously worked well for me but I've put it on hold until January which allowed me to make an overpayment on my debts.

wishingthemortgaheaway

I was a full time teacher for 12 years, in my final post before mat leave I was an assistant head. My advice has never changed.
If you quite fancy teaching, but there are other things you quite fancy doing too, go and do those other things. If, when you had a look at what other jobs are like, you still want to teach, then go for it.

DebtFreeDuo

wishingthemortgaheaway wrote: »

I was a full time teacher for 12 years, in my final post before mat leave I was an assistant head. My advice has never changed.
If you quite fancy teaching, but there are other things you quite fancy doing too, go and do those other things. If, when you had a look at what other jobs are like, you still want to teach, then go for it.

I'm a mature student so I have done other jobs. The thing that stopped me teaching was that I always felt that I would never go to university and yet here I am! I also don't think I would want to go into teaching any later than I already will be (mid 30's).

dfw87

I think that's really good advice!

Some days I love it. I just find that the politics gets in the way. Every day something seems to happen which makes my job harder, generally all down to money.

For example, I am teaching WW2 and we only have 2 WW2 non-fiction books in school. We have always bought in to a topic box scheme so we just let the library service know what we are studying and they send the appropriate books - usually between 20-40.

School has bought out of that service now and 'kindly' bought me 4 (used) WW2 books - I only received them on Friday, so half way through the term.

Things like that just happen daily which make everything else harder - how am I supposed to teach a topic with 6 books, 6 iPads (for the whole school!) and laptops that aren't allowed to be moved from the computer suite... it's so hard.