Good and bad points about being primary school teacher

lawrose

Hi all

I'm currently thinking very seriously about a major switch in career from solicitor to primary teacher. I'm aware of what I need to do in terms of Irish ability, Hibernia, etc.

What I'd really like to hear from primary teachers is what they love, like and dislike about their job. I know that every job has its good and bad points, and I'd love to know what they are in primary teaching.

For me as a solicitor, some of them are: -

Good Points: -
- Good salary with reasonable potential to earn more every few years.
- Can be very interesting and stimulating work at times.

Bad Points: -
- The good salary comes with very long working hours at times - to the point where if I worked out what I earn per hour some weeks, my salary wouldn't look so good anymore!
- Can be incredibly stressful dealing with clients especially in family law matters.
- Ordinary 20 days annual leave per annum.

Please post if you can!!!

Thanks

lawrose

heate

Primary teaching is a nightmare re recruitment right now

Ever think of expanding on the law front and becoming a lecturer? Stimulating debate and some mind moulding!

Feeona

Good points of primary teaching:
Interesting and varied job, and the children keep you on your toes!
Contact hours end at three, so it's possible to leave the school building while it's still daylight (even in winter!)
Holidays are good, but I wouldn't enter the teaching profession solely for that reason
Working with dedicated staff who go above and beyond what's expected of them on a regular basis
Extra curricular activities-ranging from chess, to journalism, to GAA, Art....you name it. You're working with a smaller group of children and it's lovely to get to know them that bit better. They're also really enthusiastic because they're doing something they really want to do!

Bad points:
Negative press/comments about teaching in general
Working in a class with upwards to thirty children and maybe one third of the students having difficulties such as dyslexia, ADHD, ADD, hearing loss, autism, no English etc
Cutbacks of SNA's, learning support, language support etc so that children with above mentioned difficulties fall through the cracks
Working in prefabs-roasting in summer, freezing in winter.
Shortage of funding overall
Constant interruptions at the classroom door for money collection, children going around showing off medals etc

It's a great job but it can be very frustrating at times due to the bad points listed above.
I've been searching for work for over a year now. I've been subbing most of the time (filling in for sick teachers), so I've been kept very busy. But I'm finding the constant moving around while subbing difficult-you're faced with a new set of children and staff (and a new set of names) in every school you sub in.
If you're looking for something permanent (which are like hen's teeth) or something temporary (like a maternity leave) you have to send off applications with 4 written references and photocopied certs, declaration for suitability of work, garda vetting form, teaching council registration, urine sample* etc-easily fifteen to twenty pages for some applications to schools (it depends on what they ask for). It all costs money in terms of paper, ink, postage (and petrol too if you drive to the school to drop off the application).

Good luck with your decision. As I said, it is a very enjoyable and varied job but at the moment, it's tough to get anything longer than a month's work. You could be lucky and step into a job straight away, but it seems to be right place, right time.

All the best






*ok urine sample was a joke! But I bet the powers that be are thinking about it!

byhookorbycrook

If you already have a career are you tied to a particular geographical area?If so, how are teachers in that area doing for work?

Ok, my good/bad points.

Good:
The joy of seeing a child "get" a concept.
Variety, no two days or two children the same, you may be moved from class to class each few years, so from infants to sixth,for example.
Teaching every single aspect of the primary curriculum:maths, English, Irish, history, geography,PE, SPHE,music and so on.
Working with parents to help them work to the best of their abiltyfor the good of their child
Working as a real team with the entire staff.

Not so good:
Seeing a child struggle and knowing that they are not getting the help they deserve due to cutbacks/no SNA/no assessments
Correcting copies/workbooks for 30 children in all the different subject areas every day
Ever increasing and many pointless demands for paperwork from inspectors/DES
Having to have a policy on everything from mobile phone use to bullying to school tours to use of toilets at breaktime
Croke park hours
Agressive parets/children
Having to buy classroom essentials from your own pocket
Bagpacking/sponsored whatever/school concerts/extra meetings/confimation/communion all on your own time.

lawrose

Thanks for the replies so far! It's great to see both the good and the bad, as non-teachers so often focus on the good points of being a teacher!!! (We are all so envious of the holidays!)

Heate - I don't think I'd be too interested in lecturing. It's possibly even more difficult to get a post than in primary teaching and at this stage you need a Masters minimum to get a look in.

Feeona - I can see how the negatives must really get teachers down at the moment. It must be very frustrating to see a child who needs a bit more help and the resources just aren't available for them. Surely if the money is spent on a child now, at primary level, it is clear to see the advantages for that child and their education and job prospects into the future. Good luck with the job hunt yourself - that is the biggest worry for me if I decide to take the bull by the horns and go for it.

Byhookorbycrook - I'm definitely tied to a geographical area - the south east. I'm married with young kids and a mortgage, so I'd have to try find work in Wexford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Waterford or south Wicklow I reckon. As for how many jobs seem to be coming up in this area - on educationposts.ie there were about 3-4 temporary/contract positions advertised in the last few weeks - usually maternity leave contracts. So, there is some work out there! I'd love to know just how many were applying for those positions though!

I hope some more post up their good and bad points - it's very interesting!

Thanks!:)

Feeona

lawrose wrote: »

As for how many jobs seem to be coming up in this area - on educationposts.ie there were about 3-4 temporary/contract positions advertised in the last few weeks - usually maternity leave contracts. So, there is some work out there! I'd love to know just how many were applying for those positions though!

Thanks for the good wishes lawrose

Educationposts is a good site for jobhunting, but some of the jobs advertised might be 'gone' already ie someone already subbing in the school is more than likely to get it. This is the difficult part of jobhunting-you sometimes wonder are you wasting time posting off applications! In saying that though, a friend of mine was interviewed (to make up numbers in the interest of public scrutiny, yes it happens!) for a job that was already 'gone'. She gave a great interview despite knowing the job was probably gone, and the principal rang her a short while after to offer her another job for a few months. Every teacher has more or less the same qualifications, so getting the foot in the door is extremely important because a principal wants to see how well you work with other staff, children and parents. Availability for extra curricular activities is also extremely important. If you have an interest in computers, art, music etc, and the school you're applying to doesn't have any extra curricular activities in that particular area, you can offer to set up a brand new activity which will enhance the children's education, and will be the next big thing in education etc etc.

southcounty

Just wondering if you ever made the leap from solicitor to teacher lawrose?? I'm thinking of doing the same thing but again job prospects is putting me off

2011abc

Seriously , youd have to be MAD! (Secondary teacher) Being a teacher now is NOT like in the past .Unless you've a wealthy spouse /partner to bail you out , prepare to commit to a lifetime of relative poverty and mental illness . I see my younger colleagues bent over under the financial stress of living week to week , knowing theyd be better off on the dole . Realistically its doubtful a quarter of the new crop of teachers will ever see their pensions , maybe not even a tenth ...And its going to get a lot worse before(if!?) it gets better .Career (puhleeeease dont call it a profession!) is in the toilet in USA/UK (the latter is now trying to 'phase out' teachers and replace them with Teaching Assistants !!!!One teacher will 'manage' five Teaching Assistants ) and we're after them like a heat seeking missile !

dee75

Hi southcounty

I haven't been checking this thread but just spotted your question.

No - I still haven't made the jump to becoming a primary school teacher. I still want to, but am terrified that it would leave my family in a worse off position. I am the main breadwinner at the moment, and feel it is selfish of me to want to drop my safe reasonably well paid job, and spend thousands of euros training to be a teacher. And then I might not even get a job!

The Hibernia course is VERY expensive too!

I'm also worried by the low starting salary for teachers now - it might be fine for someone in their early 20's, but I'm in my late 30's with 3 small kids and a mortgage!

It's very hard to know what to do - my heart wants teaching, but my head says to stay where I am. I just don't want to work another 25 years at something I don't love....

What about yourself? How far along are you in your decision?

To 2011abc - thanks for your comments - I think teaching is not the only profession that's tough at the moment. My own job is hugely stressful and I don't think I can hack it for the rest of my working life - as I become more senior in my office, it will only get worse.

lawrose

ayeates

Lawrose

I graduated with a BCL - Law and Irish in 2011. I had no idea what a wanted to do so did a masters in law in order to expand on my subject area and hopefully give me some direction. It did not help and merely put me into debt. I took time out to try figure out what direction I would like to go in.


I did a short stint in a criminal defence firm and decided the natural progression would be to become a solicitor. I now have 4fe1s passed and am Interning full time on a voluntary basis in a local office while working in retail at the weekend. The stress, lack of money and lack of social life is killing me. While all my ffriends are earning, moving out and getting engaged I'm still in a weekend job with no prospect of moving out in the thxt few years.

I'm having a bit of a career crisis as I've never been particularly sure on a career as a solicitor but couldn't see any other route I could take. I've always been interested in teaching and all my friends and past teachers said I should be a teacher. Although I would prefer secondary teaching that wouldn't really be an option for me as I only have one subject (Irish), so primary would be the only alternative. They have recently change the traditional hdip to a pme so it now takes two years to qualify and I've heard you usually spend another 2-3yrs subbing before getting a permanent contract. (I'm 25now)

Ive heard solicitors do work ridiculosly long hours and the pay is not all it's cracked up to be. The expense of qualifying along with the length of time it'd take is seriousky putting me off. I dont want to jump ship too soon but, like yourself, I don't want to be chained to a job because of finances. Before I pursue a career as a ssolicitor I'm wondering whether you or other solicitors/teachers would recommend I change route before its too late?

Any insight or advice would be much appreciated.

seavill

ayeates wrote: »

Lawrose

I graduated with a BCL - Law and Irish in 2011. I had no idea what a wanted to do so did a masters in law in order to expand on my subject area and hopefully give me some direction. It did not help and merely put me into debt. I took time out to try figure out what direction I would like to go in.


I did a short stint in a criminal defence firm and decided the natural progression would be to become a solicitor. I now have 4fe1s passed and am Interning full time on a voluntary basis in a local office while working in retail at the weekend. The stress, lack of money and lack of social life is killing me. While all my ffriends are earning, moving out and getting engaged I'm still in a weekend job with no prospect of moving out in the thxt few years.

I'm having a bit of a career crisis as I've never been particularly sure on a career as a solicitor but couldn't see any other route I could take. I've always been interested in teaching and all my friends and past teachers said I should be a teacher. Although I would prefer secondary teaching that wouldn't really be an option for me as I only have one subject (Irish), so primary would be the only alternative. They have recently change the traditional hdip to a pme so it now takes two years to qualify and I've heard you usually spend another 2-3yrs subbing before getting a permanent contract. (I'm 25now)

Ive heard solicitors do work ridiculosly long hours and the pay is not all it's cracked up to be. The expense of qualifying along with the length of time it'd take is seriousky putting me off. I dont want to jump ship too soon but, like yourself, I don't want to be chained to a job because of finances. Before I pursue a career as a ssolicitor I'm wondering whether you or other solicitors/teachers would recommend I change route before its too late?

Any insight or advice would be much appreciated.

If you are extremely lucky 2-3 years, I was 8 before I got a CID/Permanent and I started in the good old days. Even in the good days was 7-8 years to get something proper.
The people you refer to after 3 years getting a CID most likely have it for 8-10 hours a week, less than half a full job.
Look into it in way more detail if you do intend on looking into a different avenue.

Also primary v secondary - cant even compare them, completely different jobs. Something else to consider