What's the best lucky escape you've ever had

L.driver12345 wrote: »

I always wanted to be a teacher and when i finished school I applied to undergrad courses in the subject I wanted to teach. I got into my chosen course and planned out the next 4 years. I was going to get my BA and then apply to the Hdip in post primary teaching, at this time to become a secondary teacher it was a requirement to have a 3 year level 7 to apply to the teaching course.
In my first year of my undergrad everything was really difficult, I couldnt deal with the adjustments and changes, it was my first time leaving home and I had moved across the country. The tutors on my course were really mean and the students were clicky and unfriendly. I wasnt coping and failed first year of the course but I was determined so I went back and repeated first year. This pushed my plans back a year.
I made it to 3rd year but shortly after this an announcement was made by the department of education and skills that it was now a requirement to do 4 years level 8 instead of just 3 years to get into the Hdip, justbefore i finally got into 4th year It was decided the Hdip was being changed to a full time 2 year masters. There was allot of annoyed students at the time because the fees for the new teaching masters had increased from 3k to 10k and new teachers pay had been massively cut. I knew that I wouldnt be able to afford it straight after college but I was still determined it was what I wanted to do. after my degree I saved all my money for 2 years and then applied to the teacher training, in the mean time I volunteered in special schools and worked in Summer camps thinking it would help me get into the course.
Finally in 2014 I applied and got an interview. There were two parts to the interview, a written part where we had write a critical reflection of a piece of work within 20 minutes and a group interview. The group interview went well but when I tried to write my critical reflection the pen they gave me wasnt working. I always have pens in my bag, its one thing ive always never been without so took a pen from my bag but this pen to not work either, I tried everything to get it to work. I tried and find the interviewers to borrow another pen but they were no where to be found. I eventually had to leave. I didnt get a place as I hadnt completed the written reflection.

I applied for a postgrad dip in further education instead as a backdoor into second level teaching, with this qualification I worked in a few adult ed settings but couldnt get anything secure or in my subject and was still determined to get into secondary teaching but it just felt like there were always so many road blocks stopping me from getting onto the course and was beginning to think that maybe its not meant to be because anytime I even considered it something beyond my control happened to delay it or put a stop to it.
I decided id give it one last try thinking my postgrad dip and experience would get me a place. I got my interview and felt really prepared but then Covid hit and the interview was rescheduled to take place over a zoom call.
I downloaded Zoom, did a sound check, all was working fine. I was too nervous to sleep the night before but the interview was early the next morning so I knew id be feeling ok & not too tired. The time came for the interview and I logged in exactly on time for when the interview was scheduled, I was connected to the interview but my sound wouldnt work, I wasnt on mute, I have high speed internet and never had trouble with a live call before or since but on this occasion it wouldnt work. The interviewers became really frustrated and cut me off the interview. They rescheduled it for later that day but by that time id been awake for well over 24 hours and I was finding it hard to focus, I was feeling really tired, I was already stressed about the interview but now I was feeling sick with anxiety.

In the interview they asked me questions that by this stage I didnt have the mental capacity to answer. Instead of having a written part of the interview they asked me to critically reflect and describe a piece of work on the spot and talk about and criique a museum I had recently visited. I hadnt been to a museum in probably a year and a half or more. They didnt care one bit about the previous teaching experience id gained or my qualifications, all they cared about was how well I could articulate an on the spot critical reflection piece under pressure. Needless to say I messed it up and didnt get a place.

Forward on to when schools reopened I got some subbing work in a local secondary school teaching my subject after 12 or so years of trying to get into secondary teaching. When I started this new subbing position I was over the moon until I met the 4 other substitute teachers who were fully qualified and the 2 final year student teachers all teaching my subject. One of the substitutes was in her 40's and had been subbing for 15 years without any permanent job, another 9 years, another 6 years and the other one subbing for 10 years. I asked why they dont try and get a job in something else they said they cant get work in anything other than civil service jobs working behind a desk. One tried to get a job in a museum but was told she was over qualified.
Then the reality of the job set in, it wasnt what I thought it would be like at all, the entire curriculum is so regimented it sucks all joy out of the subject, subs are forced to compete with each other for any hours available and the hours go to whoever the principal or vice principal gets on with best or sometimes hours are given to managements family members/family friends who trained as teachers, most contracts are zero hour and subs are at the beck and call of school management. We had to go to work everyday and perform for staff & kids, making sure everyone likes us so we get called back for more subbing. Management & staff constantly compare subs to each other, SNA's would undermine teachers infront of the kids and try to take over the class.
I wanted to be a teacher to encourage teenagers, help them reach their potential, inspire and support them in more than their education, I cared about the students but theres no time for getting to know the kids, everything you do as a teacher has to be about results and if the kids dont get good results its a reflection on the teacher, if youre too kind to the kids other teachers and staff belittle you and theres school/staff room politics that all staff must adhere to its more draining than the job itself.
Add to this behavior issues from students, monotonously repeating the same classes over and over and over, spending weeks filling out reports & correcting half arsed homework and planning lessons, dealing with parents and the teacher bashing in the media. In short the job was not for me in the slightest its just a pity it took so long for me to realise it.

I was never one for believing that things happen for a reason but I tried for 12 years to get into this profession and every time something outside of my control would get in my way to stop it from happening no matter how determined and dedicated I was.
If I had gotten onto the secondary teacher training course not only would it have cost me 10k and fees and another 10k+ on additional costs I would have completed it only to end up stuck in an insecure job that I dislike for the rest of my working life making kids miserable forcing them to do work theyve no interest in and will never even have to think about once they finish school. I have a teaching qualification that means I can sub & earn money but its a side gig im using to fund the career I want and know im good at.

Never thought id see the day id say this but I am so happy I never got a place on the Post primary PME.