Case Study: A New Career in Teaching
Not everyone enters the teaching profession straight from school. Some people have successful careers in other professions before deciding to train as a teacher. Think about your school and the community around it. There will be talented, intelligent committed people who could become excellent teachers. Career changers are one of the biggest untapped recruitment sources in this country. Consider how your school could support someone to make the best transition into teaching possible.
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“Naomi loves her job and knows she made the right decision to change career. She acknowledges that there are challenges but feels that teaching provides her with a range of opportunities and support.”
At school, Naomi had always planned to train as either a nurse or a teacher. As a teenager, she completed a short placement in a school but at the time decided this was not for her. She trained as a nurse, and during her career completed a Specialist Nursing Degree in District Nursing. She dedicated 17 years to the nursing profession but increasingly felt that she wanted to re-consider a career in teaching. Other members of Naomi’s family were teachers, and she enjoyed supporting them in their work when she was able to.
Here is Naomi’s journey.
Whilst on maternity leave, Naomi made the decision to change career and investigate routes into teaching. She also took the opportunity to volunteer in a school to gain some first-hand experience.
Choosing a course
Initially, Naomi was unsure how to go about applying and the variety of options seemed confusing.
Naomi attended open days at different universities. She spoke to people in the teaching profession, including the Head Teacher of her children’s school to identify the best route into teaching for her. Naomi realised that because she had a degree through her nursing career, she was eligible to apply for a one-year course. At the time, she felt she was unlikely to be accepted onto a salaried course and so opted for a university course with PGCE.
Benefits (and challenges) of training later in life
Naomi felt that undertaking teacher training as a mature student had specific benefits. She had to be very sure starting a training course was the right thing to do as there were other factors to consider, such as family and finance. In making the decision, she therefore felt a high level of commitment to completing the course to the highest possible standards.
As a mature trainee, Naomi had a great deal of life and work experience to bring, allowing her to see situations from different perspectives. Naomi found the most challenging aspect of the course was keeping up with the work requirements while continuing to meet the expectations of family life. Organisation was key.
Worries before making the change
Naomi said that her biggest concern about changing career, was that after completing the training, she wouldn’t enjoy the job! She admitted that the first few weeks of her teaching career were very challenging. She worked long hours and was worried that she would not be able to maintain this and meet the demands of family life. Establishing an appropriate work/life balance was important. Naomi says that this is an on-going challenge but has improved significantly.
Finance as a mature student
Finance was a big consideration. Not only was Naomi giving up a salary, but she also had a student loan for the course fees and maintenance grant. She wasn’t eligible for any benefits to help with nursery fees due to her husband’s income. Naomi was fortunate that her husband and family were able to support, and she did take on some bank nursing work at weekends but admitted it wasn’t easy.
However, Naomi did point out that this was for a finite period and that now in her 5th year of teaching, she earns more than she did after 17 years of nursing.
The best bits
Naomi loves seeing children enjoying their learning and developing their confidence. She enjoys the positive relationships she develops with pupils and watching their personalities grow. Most of all, Naomi loves those ‘lightbulb’ moments, when children understand a new concept or grasp a new skill!
Naomi loves her job and knows she made the right decision to change career. She acknowledges that there are challenges but feels that teaching provides her with a range of opportunities and support.
Advice for career changers
Be clear on how you will fund the time you are training.
Do your research!
Volunteer and spend some time in a school so that you are clear about what the job involves.
Ask questions. Where you don’t understand something, seek clarification.
Look at the different routes into teaching, so that you can make informed decisions about which route is most suitable. Don’t be afraid to apply for different routes if you believe they will work for you and your circumstances.
Want to give an opportunity to someone to someone like Naomi by getting more involved in ITT? Let us help you to find the right provider for you:
