Has anyone gone into teaching late in life or know someone who has?

Xordium

Xordium

Xordium

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I am seriously considering doing and would be 40 when I started as it is something I have wanted to do for a while and now have the opportunity to do so. Just wondering on how you/they have found it.

Funding/finance, what to do and where to do it, etc I have answered. But my questions revolve more around acceptance from other teachers, children etc. Ideally I would teaching science at secondary with no interest in moving up into positions of responsibility: been there done that and didn't really enjoy it - naturally not daft enough to actually saying that during any part of recruitment.

Thank you to anyone who knows and replies!
 
I can't speak from the teachers perspective, but from a students perspective, we had a number of teachers who did this.

Some frankly weren't very good. They didn't know their subject well, and weren't great as teachers...

Others were good... Knew their subject, and knew how to engage the class...

I don't think it's a limiting factor, it's the same as with the rest of teachers, some are good some are poor.

kd
 
It's annoying me that I have to ask who you were before but I do as my memory is appalling.

Medical field > Secondary School teacher is a ... leap? Is that the word I'm looking for?

What's going on? We need some background here :)
 
I do have teaching experience but as a university lecturer. There is nothing more to it that as time went on I preferred teaching over any other part of my job. When I was a young lad one teacher in particular shaped my life and placed my onto a route that another one may never have thought of - to a very good outcome. I am like a Lannister - let's just say I like to repay my debts! (Maustin btw)
 
King Damager said:
I can't speak from the teachers perspective, but from a students perspective, we had a number of teachers who did this.

Some frankly weren't very good. They didn't know their subject well, and weren't great as teachers...

Others were good... Knew their subject, and knew how to engage the class...

I don't think it's a limiting factor, it's the same as with the rest of teachers, some are good some are poor.

kd
Click to expand...

Thank you this is the kind of perspective I was looking for.
 
My most recent perspective is in doing an accountancy qualification and there some of the most interesting and informative lecturers are those who had careers before they started lecturing (some still had careers outwith the teaching).

Going back to secondary school is over a decade ago now but I very much doubt that the general principle would differ, if you're good and you can engage with the students then it'll work well. I've had some great teachers and some hopeless teachers but the ones that I remember are those who knew their subject but also tended to be able to relate it to a wider audience since merely knowing your subject is expected, it's the ability to make it appeal to others that differentiates a merely competent teacher from a good/great one.

Good luck if you decide to go for it.
 
Thank you for your reply semi-pro. I am pretty much 99% on it and my thoughts were what KD and you posted.

I've always had it drummed into my head that you don't change careers and no-one is interested in employing people with age against them but I think it is different now and 40 is actually less than half the way through your working career.
 
I think you can enter teaching anytime in your life. From my experience (working in education) a good teacher is someone who can plan their lessons including backup lesson plans properly.

Ensure that you never shout at others and things are talked throughout from day 1 to leave dates (or work collegues).

These days most will ensure they are engaging with some sort of technology. The good teachers can use technology with very little problems. This is a form of progression that students/pupils & work collegues will love.

This is only my opinion though and anyone can take it as they like.
 
I think someone who has gone out into the workplace and lived a little may make a better teacher than those who only know the classroom. Just my opinion, my IT tutor sixth form had an awesome career before teaching and would often offer real world examples of concepts we were learning

As for other teachers, I am sure they'd come to accept you if you are a decent member of staff, so that is the very least of your concerns
 
You can enter teaching at anytime.

My Mum decided on a change of career after having the family. She went back to Uni to train as a teacher in her late 30s. Qualified and was a junior teacher for a few years, later a deputy headteacher until she retired few years ago.

One of the lads I work with who is in his early thirties handed his notice in a couple of months ago, he starts teacher training in a couple of weeks time.

Some life and work experience outside of teaching is actually a good thing. I wouldn't have liked the idea teaching thirty unruly teenagers at the age of 23!
 
Yes and he hated it. Same with everyone he worked with as well, through different schools.
All secondary school teachers.
Crap from kids, crap for government, crap funds. Crap everything.
Unless you can get into a darn good school, but that's hard as everyone wants to move out of inner city schools to private good schools.

Higher studies or primary school, may well be different.
 
Xordium said:
I am seriously considering doing and would be 40 when I started as it is something I have wanted to do for a while and now have the opportunity to do so. Just wondering on how you/they have found it.

Funding/finance, what to do and where to do it, etc I have answered. But my questions revolve more around acceptance from other teachers, children etc. Ideally I would teaching science at secondary with no interest in moving up into positions of responsibility: been there done that and didn't really enjoy it - naturally not daft enough to actually saying that during any part of recruitment.

Thank you to anyone who knows and replies!
Click to expand...

Well I am currently in the process of doing pretty much just that but have a couple of friends that have done the same. All of the teaching staff I have spoken to have been very positive about it, bringing in some real world experience to the job gives another perspective and can help the pupils no end.

Whilst only having spent 6 weeks in a school the kids, on the whole, were great. Two very different schools too (one right in the middle of a council estate and the other a faith school).
 
RDM said:
Well I am currently in the process of doing pretty much just that but have a couple of friends that have done the same. All of the teaching staff I have spoken to have been very positive about it, bringing in some real world experience to the job gives another perspective and can help the pupils no end.

Whilst only having spent 6 weeks in a school the kids, on the whole, were great. Two very different schools too (one right in the middle of a council estate and the other a faith school).
Click to expand...

Cheers for that. I thought I remembered one of the regulars on here doing this transition. Good to hear.

@Glaucus my local secondary is very good and they do the training now so that is the scheme I would use with the intention of working there. Hopefully I won't experience what you detail when I have a bit more control of where I will be going.
 
Is there a fast track system in place for mature people, who want a career change?

Or is it go down the Uni/degree root, costing around £27k
 
My sister (28) has just switched to a teaching career after working as a building site manager, she has done it through Teach First (http://graduates.teachfirst.org.uk/recruitment/requirements/index.html).

I think the best teachers I had at secondary school had other careers before (my maths teacher was a former fighter pilot in the Iranian air force, no one messed with him).

The only IT teacher we had of any value was a former IT consultant, and our best English teacher had been a journalist.
 
At University lots of our lecturers have worked in the real world first and then taken up lecturing later in life, or some even after retiring! All us students much prefer these lecturers to the ones that are just career academics and can't draw on their experience from the real world. Even without them saying you can tell which are which.


In high school it'll be a bit different as there's a bit more class control needed, whereas at university the students want to learn (well the ones that have actually turned up to the lecture anyways).

Though that said at high school we had a teacher arrive as a NQT in 2006/2007 IIRC. He was in his 40s or 50s I'd say, and had spent his life working as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs. He taught us Maths A-Level (well of-course it was gonna be maths :p), and again just like I've found at University as he had worked in the real world he could draw on his experience and make the subject relevant and interesting.
 
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