Career change into teaching

gaiscioch

Docscar38 wrote: »

Hi. I hear your worries so let me help u out a bit. First of all, I'm 38, 3 kids, one wife, one mortgage, countless bills, the usual.

hehe.:pac:

evolving_doors

Docscar38 wrote: »

Hi. I hear your worries so let me help u out a bit. First of all, I'm 38, 3 kids, one wife, one mortgage, countless bills, the usual. I left a similar job as you a few years ago to pursue what i had always felt was what i wanted to do, teaching. I went to college at night (credit union funded each year) and looked after my kids during the day. I finally completed an honours degree in May (2.2) and also sat my leaving cert honours Irish in June. In the intervening years I have been at my kids side every single day, i havent had a bean to spend as i don't (just about) qualify for unemployment assistance. So it was a real struggle at times, but, I'm nearly there. Still have to do PME hopefully starting in September. Look, what I'm saying is, no matter what anyone here says, your decisions are your own. Teachers have good and bad experiences at work/life no more than anyone else. I started with nothing but a desire to become a teacher, I have done everything in my working life u can think of and rose into management in more than one area. But, i was never happy. I want to become a teacher. That's all there is to it. Follow your gut. Also, with time,.the more I've delved into the world of education the more happy i am with my path. Go on. Why not. Life is for living, test yourself.

I suppose once you are going in with your eyes open then fair play, you know what to expect. Let us know in a few years how it worked out

Docscar38

gaiscioch wrote: »

hehe.:pac:

Just copped that myself arf arf

Docscar38

Gebgbegb wrote: »

I suppose once you are going in with your eyes open then fair play, you know what to expect. Let us know in a few years how it worked out

I have circled this for years ,time to either glide in or crash land :-)

Maximus_1

Just an update on this. I decided against it after I last posted on this thread and put it to the back of my mind but the past few months the desire to give it a go has become too strong to ignore. I am doing the Irish and will sit it next leaving cert. I changed jobs since into the civil service to see would that help but it's made me want the teaching more.

I'm hopeful when I read stories like this http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/teacher-shortage-hits-our-schools-in-overseas-jobs-boom-34359759.html

mirrorwall14

Maximus_1 wrote: »

Just an update on this. I decided against it after I last posted on this thread and put it to the back of my mind but the past few months the desire to give it a go has become too strong to ignore. I am doing the Irish and will sit it next leaving cert. I changed jobs since into the civil service to see would that help but it's made me want the teaching more.

I'm hopeful when I read stories like this http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/teacher-shortage-hits-our-schools-in-overseas-jobs-boom-34359759.html

A large part of the primary schools issue is the lengthening of the dip. There was no graduates for substitution work this year

juneg

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Palmaranel

Hi all - I've enjoyed reading through all the posts on this thread, very helpful!

After a lot of thought I've recently decided to aim towards getting a place in a postgrad course in September 2017. I'm still young (24) but I still find the idea of a career change very daunting as I feel as though my career has been what has defined me. Hoping to get thoughts from people here!

When I finished school I went to film school where I did a four year BA degree in film/tv production. I've spent the last two years since graduating get bits and pieces of freelance work on film sets. Two years may not seem like much but I'm just burnt out. I've immersed myself in film for the last six both in and out of college and I recently started to seriously think about whether I could see myself still doing it in ten years. I can't.

I know work is hard to find in primary school teaching (my mother is a retired primary teacher and sister is a current secondary school teacher) but film work is all but impossible to get. I've emailed everyone possible, have interned for free and spent months checking job websites and refreshing my email. All this work may lead to two weeks work on set and then you're back to the drawing board again. The longest contract I've ever got was for a month. I'm constantly on edge living paycheck to paycheck, travelling all over Ireland & UK, and I think it's probably affected my mental health. I'm a very positive, strong person but the 12hr days you do when working in film, coupled by the often terrible working conditions and poor way people treat each other has broken me down. I feel very much as though I'm living a half life, constantly in a state of job searching even when I'm working because of how short contracts are.

It's all but impossible to retain any social life or relationships due to the long hours and travel required for the job. I've come to the sad realisation that I have no work/life balance.
It's difficult for me to part with film as this was always my dream from a young age and I've always felt as though it defined who I was. However I've done it, I've worked on some massive films and have come to the realisation that this lifestyle is not sustainable for any person of sound mind!

I have always said that if I hadn't gone into film I would have done primary teaching. I'm involved in a lot of extra curricular activities (hockey, ballet, musical theatre, running, violin) and have gotten to coach and teach children in many of these areas. I was training towards a diploma in speech and drama teaching before film consumed my life! I love working with children and have always regarded primary teachers as such an important person in terms of shaping the sort of a person a child will grow into. My eyes are wide open about career prospects and difficulties facing NQTs but I think back to all the extra hours I spent hanging around my primary school as my mother finished her corrections and how fondly she recalls her teaching days and I know this is where I want to be.

It started off a year ago as just something in the back of my mind but as the year went on it's all I've been able to think about. I plan to apply to postgrad courses starting September 2017 so want to get started now in ensuring my application is the best it can possibly be. I also don't meet the Irish requirements, having received a D in honours Irish. I had an awful teacher in school who really made my hate the subject but now that I'm older (and hopefully somewhat wiser!) I feel much more positive towards it, particularly as I know it's something I need if I'm going to pursue this career. I've been looking into it and I think the best option is to repeat my Irish Leaving Cert? The paper has changed vastly since I did it and more focus has been put on the Oral which was always my strongest part. I would be confident that if I really went for it this year and put in the work, I could get the Irish requirement for the postgrad course. Would love to know people thoughts!

Apart from sorting out my Irish is there anything else I could do in this year to give me a better chance of getting accepted to a postgrad?

Thanks in advance for any help/advice - apologies if my post was very long!

Stars947

Would be really interested to hear how you got on, considering a similar route myself but currently very unsure!